Holiday Tales

Hearts and Moons

Valentine's Day was a big day in Katolis but it wasn't one that Callum celebrated in nine years; the time between his mother's death and when he met Rayla. In the three years since he and Rayla returned Zym to his mother, Callum had made up for lost time.

♡♡♡

Callum woke early on Valentine's Day. He and Rayla were spending the week at the Banther Lodge as a second honeymoon. That summer, they would celebrate their third anniversary. But Rayla was still a little uncomfortable with all the attention they got back at the palace as members of the royal family. She hadn't been born into it. True Callum hadn't either but he had been raised in it. Quietly so he wouldn't wake Rayla, Callum made his way to the kitchen planning on surprising his wife with a special Valentine's Day breakfast in bed. After traveling with her to and from the Storm Spire and then nearly three years of marriage, he knew what she liked and planned to make her favorite breakfast.

"Something smells good," Rayla said as Callum entered the room.

Sitting up in bed, she stretched. Once she was done, Callum placed the tray on her lap. Sitting on the tray was a plate of sunny side up eggs with bacon, hash browns, and toast with butter and moonberry jelly. A glass of orange juice sat to one side (with the silverware between it and the plate) and a single red rose in a bud vase sat to the other.

"You made me breakfast," Rayla said, not all that surprised.

This wasn't the first time Callum had made her breakfast or even the first time he had made her breakfast in bed. Normally it was on her birthday or their anniversary or the anniversary of when they first met or the anniversary of when they had arrived at the Storm Spire and returned Zym to Zubeia. There were also the random time that he referred to as "just because" times. Rayla loved those more than the others because they were unexpected and, as far as she was concerned, more romantic.

"You are such a good cook," Rayla said as they had their breakfast.

"You're better," Callum said.

"Well someone had to do the cooking back home," Rayla said. "Mother and Father were away at the Strom Spire with the Dragon Guard, Runaan was away on missions, and Ethari was busy in his shop until sundown."

♡♡♡

The day had been wonderful. No meetings to go to. No treaties to oversee. No royal duties to attend to. And no looks from people who still objected to an elf/human marriage even three years after war was prevented. It was a perfect day. They had gone for a walk around the lodge's grounds, had lunch, gone for a sleigh ride, and, when it started getting dark, gone inside and played chess. Rayla was a very good chess player (strategy being a necessity to an assassin) but Callum was getting better after some chess lessons from Commander Gren.

All too soon, Rayla had to excuse herself to make dinner. Normally when the royal family went to the Banter Lodge, they had a small staff with them. But this time, Callum had insisted that they stay at the palace so it was only the two of them. Not that Rayla minded. She loved being able to cook dinner for Callum every once in a while. She had decided to make Callum's favorite: roast chicken with green beans and wild rice. Once everything was ready, she slipped upstairs to change cloths.

"You look so beautiful," Callum said as Rayla sat across from him at the candle lit dinner.

Rayla blushed slightly. She knew she was no real beauty like some of the noble ladies back at the palace but she also knew that Callum would see her as beautiful no matter what. Though this evening she had made an effort. She had put on one of the gowns the royal seamstress had made for her (it was red, not the traditional moonshadow green, but red seemed an appropriate color to wear today) and had done her hair up as elegantly as she could without the help of her ladies-in-waiting. For his part, Callum was dressed in one of his best suits in the red and gold colors of Katolis.

"I have something for you," Rayla said when they had finished dinner.

She presented Callum with a box wrapped in red paper and tied with a gold colored ribbon. Callum opened it to find an amulet with the symbols for all six primal sources carved on it.

"I had Ethari make it especially for you," Rayla said.

"Great minds think alike," Callum said handing Rayla two boxes wrapped in green paper and tied with violet ribbons and a bouquet of blue moon roses.

Rayla opened the larger of the two boxes to find her favorite candy inside: candied moonberries dipped in chocolate. Back in Xadia they were called Moonberry Cordials but in Katolis (and nearly all the human kingdoms) they became known as Princess Raylas because she loved them so much. Inside the smaller box was a pendant very similar to the one Ethari had given her three years ago and she had then given to Callum. In the center were two gemstones carefully carved in the shape of hearts: one an emerald (Callum's birthstone) and the other a light amethyst (her birthstone).

"It's beautiful, Callum," she said.

"There's more," Callum said untying a roll of parchment.

At first Rayla thought it was a portrait Callum had either commissioned or done himself. But she soon saw that she was wrong. It was plans for a grand house. There was a large kitchen and dining area, two sitting rooms, two studies, a master suit, and lots of spare bedrooms. There was a stable and a mage's workshop not that far away and the design for the main house was a beautiful combination of human and elf styles. Callum had obviously put a lot of thought into it.

"Is this as house...for us?" Rayla asked.

"I thought we could use our own space," Callum said.

"You're having this built?"

"It's done. Just waiting for a few finishing touched that I thought you'd like to take care of."

"No one told me about this."

"I wanted it to be a surprise. It's not that far from here. I wanted it to be close enough to the royal city so we wouldn't be too far away to get things when we need them and Ezran wouldn't feel abandoned but far enough so we could have some privacy."

Rayla looked at the plans happily. She had never had a house of her own before (unless you counted the doll house Ethari had made for her sixth birthday). She was going to have so much fun decorating it the way she wanted and, in the spring, starting a beautiful garden like the one back at the palace.

"I already know which room I want to start with," she said pointing to the spare room closest to the master suit. "And I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" Callum asked.

"Let's just say it's a good thing we have a house of our own."

It took Callum a moment to figure out what Rayla meant.

"You mean..."

Rayla nodded happily. "We're going to have a baby."