𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐑 ▸ Rose and Lissa have been best friends since kindergarten. Their friendship has grown and changed but they still have each other's backs - even as Queen and Head of the Queen's Guardians. Rose has always said she do '...
They made it back to Professor Blundell's house the following day with a minimum of subterfuge. As Rose had anticipated, Gary went completely gaga over baby Lara, holding her at any opportunity and making Lissa flinch by referring to her as 'Princess Lara.' The three stayed for a couple of nights, Lissa recuperating while Rose packed and made all the covert preparations for them and the team of Guardians to pull out.
The day of their departure upon them, Rose packed Lissa and Lara into the car, and after many fond farewells from their hosts set out on the drive back to Court. The other Guardians joined them at the main road, and they traveled in convoy. Transiting in daylight, for safety and privacy, they arrived back at Court in the middle of the Moroi night. Lara was asleep in her car seat, so Rose was able to quickly move Lissa's baggage out of the vehicle, handing Lissa and her bags over to the other Royal Guardians to escort to her room.
"You're to take the next month off," Lissa demanded, hugging Rose hard out of earshot of the other Guardians. "Don't worry about food or anything. I'll have the kitchens send you what you need. It will take me a day or two to tell the required people that you've adopted a baby, so do me a favor and keep out of sight until then, ok?"
"Sure, Liss," Rose replied, noticing Lissa wouldn't even say her daughter's name. Between supporting Lissa as she recovered from childbirth, doing the prep for them all to return to Court as well as all Lara's feeds and diaper changes, Rose was exhausted. Her own bed and a few days off, just her and Lara, was exactly what she needed. Waiting until everyone else had left, Rose carefully unclipped Lara's capsule from the car seat base, carrying it and her duffel up the back stairs and along the hallway to her rooms in Royal housing. Stepping inside she was confronted by a mountain of boxes.
"Crap," Rose muttered, sleep pushed aside as she put the still sleeping infant on the floor in her capsule and opened the box for Lara's cradle, preparing to go to war armed only with a set of poorly written instructions and an allen wrench.
An hour later the cradle was finally assembled, and Rose was digging through the mountains of boxes trying to find the accompanying linen and baby monitor. She'd got it all set up and was about to transfer Lara for her first sleep in her cradle when the baby dhampir woke up hungry. Much to Rose's relief, Lara had taken to feeding like a champion, and there were plenty of wet and soiled diapers, so that aspect of things was on track. Quickly boiling the kettle and mixing up a bottle of formula, Rose picked up her squawking daughter.
"Here you go," she said, testing the heat of the milk on the inside of her wrist before guiding the rubber teat into the hungry infant's mouth. Lara took the nipple greedily, guzzling at it as Rose sat on her bed, cradling the infant to her as she fed.
"Slow down," Rose warned affectionately, staring at the beautiful bundle in her arms. "Otherwise you'll be sick..." And as if saying it made it so, Lara chose that moment to release the nipple from her mouth before regurgitating milk all over herself, her mother and her mother's bed. It wasn't a lot, but it managed to get everywhere, and it stank.
"Come on then," Rose groaned, plans for sleep yet again pushed back. "I think we need a bath, little one, and then Mama has to change her sheets."
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