Atlantis 2: A Queen to Be

Chapter 10

After Maximus had left the room Alonna looked to Anna and said "A fine young man you've raised there." Anna smiled. "I know. He makes me proud to call him son everyday." She said with a look of fondness in her eyes as she spoke. "Does he know about Olivia?" Alonna asked. "Yes he knows that she died giving birth to him but he also knows that I swore a blood oath to carry on in her stead as the boys mother when she could not." Anna said sharply. "Easy Anna. I meant no lessoning of your position in the boys life. I was only curious if he knew of the woman who died to give him life." Alonna said equally as sharp. "Mother if you are here to start a meaningless fight with me because your board I am to busy living a happy life that I am proud of to deal with your pettiness and would appreciate it if you could grow up, gain some manners, and do something foreign to your life style for once like maybe help me rather than hinder my every move. I have eight children and a husband that keep me full of love, laughter, blessings, and joy. You can share this with me or leave. The choice is once again yours." Anna scolded. "What's going on? Anna, Why are you yelling at you mother?" Jerl asked as he hurried in to the room. "Its nothing. Just a ill timed attempt at a conversation on my part. Right Anna?" Said Alonna. Anna looked at her with hurt and anger in her eyes. "I've no time for this. Father, gather the boys and get them to the carriage if you would. I have infants to tend to." Anna said then turned and quickly left the room.
"What ever your doing to upset her stops now Alonna. This is a big day for her and her family. Stop your meddling." Jerl said quietly but very sternly after Anna had left the room. "I wasn't..." She started to say but Jerl held up his index finger pointing it at her almost threateningly with a look on his face that warned against completing her sentence. Once she fell silent he stepped past her and proceeded outside to round up children.

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Alonna stood still a moment more. Her mind raced back in time as tears threatened to swell in her eyes. She blamed herself for Olivia's death. Anna was but a child then. Only just fifteen years old. Jerl had left her and Anna in the care of Janta and Olivia when he departed a few months earlier and she grew tired of waiting on his return. She set out to find him promising Anna she would not return without him. Five years passed before she attempted to return. It was then that she learned that a few months after she had left Olivia had died while having Maximus due to complications that Anna had no idea how to handle and the midwife not arriving in time. Had she only been there Olivia might have lived and Anna wouldn't have gotten tied down to a child that was not her own nor married the remanence of a soldier who could only offer her the guarantee of a hard life. She could have married rich and had so much more. She cursed herself silently for having abandoned them.
"Hello Grandmother." Came the voices of two boys from behind her. They had come up so quietly that she hadn't noticed their approach. She whirled around with a startled squeal. "May the Crystillian take me. You boys scared enough life from me to make an immortal old and wrinkled." She scolded. The boys laughed at her expression. "That's not a laughing matter young man. Why you scared me so that I'm seeing two of you now." She teased. "But there is two of us Grandmother." Said Lance. "Yes Grandmother. There are two of us standing before you." Janta Jr. said. "Mother said we were to come fetch you to get in the fancy carriage so we can all go meet Maximus' new girly friend." Lance said sarcastically. "Lance, Mother said you must be respectful of Maximus and his newly betrothed. She is a prince after all." Janta Jr. scolded. Alonna let out a giggle at his mistake in words. "You

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mean princess. Prince is a boys title." She corrected. "However, your mother is right. Respect is absolutely necessary. If your unkind to her she could feed you to her pet dragonfly for a snack and then where would you be hmm." She warned. The boys got a scared look on their faces at the thought of being the snack to any kind of dragon. Of course their little minds didn't hear the fly part so they had visions in their head of being burned and then gobbled up by a ferocious fire breathing dragon. "We will behave Grandmother we promise." They said simultaneously. "Good boys." Alonna said with a smirk. "We best be off then. Hurry now." She said shewing the boys along ahead of her.
As they made their way twords the carriage Alonna smiled as she watched the boys and girls that were her grandchildren working together to get on the carriage without fussing and making sure that she and Anna had enough room to sit comfortably. After all were seated and the carriage was on its way to the castle Alonna decided that she was no longer unhappy with her daughter's life but in fact was quite proud of what she had accomplished. "Anna, I want to offer my apology for my behavior. After seeing all these youngens you have and how gracious and well mannered they all are I couldn't be more proud of all you have accomplished as a mother and as a woman." Alonna said with a very sincere look on her face. "Thank you mother. I know it took a lot for you to say that." Anna replied. "I do have one small suggestion though if your willing to hear it." Alonna said. "What would that be?" Anna asked. "You should consider only having one at a time. Three is a bit of a handful and can't be easy on the body to carry." Alonna said with a smirk on her face. Anna rolled her eyes smiling and shook her head. "Mother you are as unbalanced as they come I think." Anna said laughing.

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