The Selection One Shots

Mother Daughter Problems

As always a vote and comments are greatly appreciated

America POV
Maxon and I had been visiting Ahren and Camille when we got the call.

It had been such an entertaining week, especially with the awkwardness between my husband and Queen Daphne. I wasn't jealous in any way, Maxon had chose me and I had chosen him. The process of making that choice had taken lots of arguments but the end result was a solid relationship. I had no problems with Maxon speaking with Daphne alone, instead I got to enjoy my son and my grandson's company. That little baby was the highlight of my trip, with his blond tufts of hair and Maxon's brown eyes, just like his father Ahren. Ahren and Camille had chosen to wait before having children, not that I would blame them. While my daughter had already had two sweet children. To each their own.

This was our first chance to meet baby Albert Julien de Sauveterre, we had been helping out Kaden and Josie with their new home and baby. I couldn't believe that before I turn 50 I would have so many grandchildren. Moments like this I wished that so many of the people we lost would be here, Celeste would call me an old hag, Amberley would have been by every birth, my father would have painted portraits of everyone. It hurt so much to love so many and yet that loving made all of the hurt worth it.

Which made the phone call from Eikko Koskinen hurt so much more. My daughter Eadlyn had a miscarriage and had been staying in bed for over a week, not letting anyone in to see her. Not even her two girls, Kerttu and Amberley. I was surprised that he waited so long to call, but once he explained that he didn't want to disrupt our trip I completely understood. While Maxon and I have tried to make Eikko feel welcome, sometimes he was a bit shy when it came to asking for favors. Eadlyn must have rubbed off on him.

So Maxon and I said goodbye to our family in France and took the plane back home to Angeles. My baby girl needed me.

~~~

I knocked on the door to what used to be my room, the Queen's suite. Though while I kept my possessions in this room, about 95% of the time I could be found in my husband's bed. Oh how I miss those days when we were young, having Mary make suggestive comments as I ran into my room with only a sheet. Having a butler walk in on us and throwing pillows at them. Or all four of my children sleeping together with us because of nightmares. Once Eadlyn got married, Maxon and I took a single room on the other side of the floor, trying to give the new couple some privacy. This cage definitely grew on me.

Eadlyn didn't respond so I opened the door, no locks on these doors. While it seemed stupid because of of security, imagine if the king and queen could lock themselves up in a room privately, they would never get anything done. Luckily my new room had a lock, we have less responsibilities these days. So does Eadlyn with a constitutional monarchy in place.

"Eady it's me." I slowly walked up to her bed. Eadlyn was covered in blankets and surrounded by pillows. The room was a wreck, broken things scattering the floor and ripped up dresses. It took me a moment to process that there hadn't been a rebel attack, those bad memories tended to resurface quite often. My daughter's eyes were rimmed with red,  and those dark bags suggested a lack of sleep. "Leave me alone mom." Her voice sounded like it was tired after a good scream. My poor baby.

"You are Queen Eadlyn Schreave and no one is as powerful as you," I said quietly, "but I am Queen America Singer Schreave and I will not let my daughter go through this alone." I took off my heels and got into the bed next to my daughter, her eyes looking into mine. "Whatever you need, I am here. But I am not leaving this bed until you do, do you understand Eady?"

Eadlyn nodded and leaned her head into my lap allowing me to stroke my hands through her long brown hair. "Sing to me," Eadlyn whispered. I used to sing to my children so often, why did I stop? I began with a sweet French lullaby which I used to sing to the twins when they were babies. They were so grown up now but I could sense Eadlyn's recognition of the song. When I finished Eadlyn stayed quiet and air continued to run my hand through her hair, "I'm sorry Eady."

"We were going to announce my pregnancy next week, what did I do wrong?" Eadlyn spoke in a soft tone, it was if all of her usually confidence had been sucked away.

"Nothing. You did nothing wrong, do you hear me? It's not something you could have stopped. If it was then you would have so many more cousins..." Lucy would have had children, Maxon would have had at least 3 siblings. "Every mother has no control when it comes to things like this."

"Did you ever...lose a baby?" Eadlyn choked out. "No. I didn't. I was so lucky to have the four of you, more luck than I could count," I replied with a small smile, "your father and I had other issues, it wasn't a choice that you and Ahren are 8 years older than Osten. Everyone is handed different challenges in life. You know about Lucy and Aspen, would talking to Lucy help you?"

(Author's note: you don't know how much sad music I have playing on Spotify right now. Sorry for the feels. Also sorry if this sounds inaccurate, this is not a topic I know much about, I'm just using information from the selection books for inspiration.)

"No. I...I thought of that but I can't." Eadlyn sat up so we were eye to eye, "It would seem cruel. I have been lucky to have two children, children she never had."

"And those children love and need you Eadlyn. Whatever happens after this, I want you to remember that." I held onto my daughter's hand, "I know you want a big family, I know how close you are with your brothers. So did I, so did your father want a big family. So my advice to you is to keep trying, but don't take it too far. There will be a point where you must take in and appreciate what you have. Your grandmother taught me that."

"Grandma Singer?" Eadlyn questioned with curiosity. "No my dear, your father's mother, Queen Amberley. She tried and tried till she had your father, but also realized that if she tried for more children and failed she would spend her time being sad and depressed. I was informed that when she found out that she most likely wouldn't be able to have children that she acted just as you do. She stopped eating, cut herself off from everyone, and her overall health went down." I had found a few diary pages from the former queen, they were so dark, so unlike the queen I knew. "Because of being sick there wasn't a high chance any child of hers would be suited to the throne. This all happened during her selection. But your grandfather King Clarkson helped her get back to herself and take care of her body." The only good thing other than Maxon that came from that man. "Clarkson had no care for children...you know that. After all, you saw your father's back. He didn't care that they had such a small chance of having an heir, he loved her..." Loved her obedience, I was never sure how much that man could actually feel. He was so cold.

"But your father came along. So she devoted her life to her crown, her husband, her people and most of all her son." I closed my eyes and remembered the day I had the honor to brush the Queen's hair, "she would have loved you Eadlyn and give you much better advice than I could ever give."

"I never knew..." Eadlyn wiped away her own tears. "I really hope this isn't just some story you made up to make me feel like I'm not alone. I remember that story about the monster that hid in your room that tickled children after 8pm if we weren't in bed," Eadlyn cracked a smile, "You just wanted to spend time with dad. Alone. I tried it once on Kerttu, she knew I was lying."

"I suggest having a staff member dress up as a monster to tickle her, specifically Aspen Leger." I laughed, "have him hide under the bed and begin the tickling at 8pm. Luckily you children were gullible and we didn't need to use such tactics." I held Eadlyn's face in my hands, "I wasn't lying. I hope, Queen to Queen, that you won't tell you father what I told you. He has some knowledge and while it might make him feel better about his father it doesn't paint his mother in the greatest light."

"Where do I find a costume for General Leger?" Eadlyn asked with a smile, I knew I could trust her. I'm sure Maxon and Eadlyn have so many secrets they don't tell me, if I needed to know than I would know. I smiled with my daughter, "I'll help you find it after you take something to eat, how about a strawberry tart?"