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Lord Arkos was considered many things in the Cerulean clan. A leader. The man who could see through lies.
But if anybody asked him to babysit, his answer would be no. Unless it was the Azure queen—his own sister-in-law at that!
Queen Odette gazed at him with a pleading expression. He sighed.
“I don’t see why you’re asking me,” Arkos stated, yet his voice sounded so low he could hardly hear himself.
Odette gave him a small smile. “The officials have called a surprise meeting.” She paused for a moment. Hesitently, she added. “You’re the only one I trust.”
His jaw clenched as he remembered all that they had endured. Odette’s trust had been shattered when the traitor had been discovered, and even years later his mark still burned. After all, the previous king had been betrayed himself, right before his death.
He waited a moment to answer, and still he sounded unsure. “I suppose I can do that.”
She smiled. It was one of the few times she smiled since his brother’s death. His death had nearly broken her, had it not been for his niece.
“Thank you,” She said. She glanced down at the crib and gently pressed a kiss to the human inside it. “I’ll be back soon, darling.”
A long silence filled the room as the door closed with a quick swing. He stood still, his feet practically stuck to the floor.
He sighed. There was no point in just standing here doing nothing. He had the third highest power in the kingdom. He was a lord for heaven’s sake!
He walked over to the dark crib and peaked inside. A small bundle of blue lay still in sleep, a small hand fisted in it. He fought to keep the smile from showing on his face.
Clove. That was her name. The name Aiden had chosen for his only child. The child that would never get to know her father, his brother.
Her eyes opened. Sapphires. Her eyes were the color of sapphires.
Without warning a small cry erupted from the bundle. He began to panic. What was he suppose to do?
Food? He wondered, looking around the room in desperation as her cries began to grow louder.
He grabbed the bottle of milk from a table in the corner. Sighing in relief, he went back over to the crib and froze. Was he suppose to…carry her?
Apparently his niece decided to ignore his mutter of prayer, because she cried louder. His cold heart began to crack.
“There, there,” He murmured hesitently, putting the bottle down. Using both hands he scooped her out of the crib. She began to settle down as she sucked on her bottle, her eyes fluttering.
He wondered how his brother would react to this. Aiden…he had been so happy. He was unlike his brother, a cold heartless leader.
He had learned from his father. The former Lord hadn’t been as softhearted, in fact, the only one who showed true affection were his mother and brother. Aiden was full of life and wonder. Some would have considered him a fool, had it not been that he was the son of a powerful man. His mother did her best, but under their father’s cold demeanor, Lady Eleanora was simply a trophy wife. Their marriage had been decided by their parents, and gradually, as the war continued their love began to grow distant.
The thought of having anyone else he cared about being forced into that had him seething with anger. Thank heavens that Aiden at the very least had found love.
Before he realized it, time began to fade. He rested on the armchair, both arms cradling his small niece as he laid his head on the backrest of the chair.
Queen Odette considered herself lucky that the officials hadn’t taken too much time during the meeting. They tried to convince her to marry again, or the very least, have another child. But she knew what they wanted. They wanted their unmarried sons to become king, and with Aiden dead she could remarry.
Yet she could never do that. Oh, how she wished Aiden could have been here to see their little girl. She was already growing, and it had only been six months. It only felt like yesterday they had been choosing names for their future child. One hand resting on her stomach and the other holding hers.
Odette, I hope this may not be too much to ask, but I want to name her Clove.
Odette remembered how amused she felt that her beloved already chose a name. A girl’s name at that. She knew that most men in the clan wanted a son to carry on the family bloodline, which she found quite sad. But it also warmed her heart that Aiden seemed so happy at the prospect of their child being a girl. So she couldn’t find herself to say no.
She shook her head. No. Now was not the time to think about it. Arkos, despite his cold demeanor, loved his brother and she knew that he still grieved his death. But the clan—both he and Clove— needed her to keep a strong face.
Quietly opening the door to the nursery, she covered her mouth to keep the gasp from escaping her lips.
Arkos’s head was tilted to the side, which must have been uncomfortable for the older man, but his face was contented in peaceful slumber. Clove was wrapped up in his arms. Both of them looked adorable. Mostly because she had never seen Arkos look so awkward yet peaceful at the same time. A smile adorned her face, and she moved carefully as not too wake them up.
She attempted to move Clove out of his arms, but Arkos refused to budge, not even flinching when she poked him in an attempt to get Clove.
Shaking her head with a large smile, she walked back out of the room. She had a feeling that this would be an amusing story to tell in the future and she couldn’t wait.