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Post by Lydia G. Van Helsing on May 2, 2016 3:25:24 GMT
She’d been in denial for nearly a day now, not wanting to admit to herself that she was in labor. In all honesty, having this baby terrified her and not because she didn’t want it. Despite the circumstances of how this baby came to be, Lydia had grown to love him or her more than anything in this cruel world. That’s why she was so damn afraid. What if Gregor took one look at the baby and knew that it wasn’t his? She’d lived in fear of him finding out throughout her entire pregnancy.
The healer who had informed her of her pregnancy would have told Gregor herself had it not been for her mysterious death. Lydia had her suspicions about this death though… after all, had Gregor found out about her pregnancy, she wouldn’t have been the only one who had to face his wrath. It made her question constantly whether or not Aiden knew that the baby was his or not. He hadn’t said anything but nor had she and she never intended to. It was better for both of their sakes… well, all three of their sakes.
It was her fear that kept her from telling anyone that she was in labor when the contractions started. She wanted to buy herself more time in case Gregor learned the truth. If he did, then these were the last moments she might have with her child because Gregor would be merciless. It wouldn’t matter to him that she had been raped by his brother, he would slaughter them all for the deception. Gods she hated her husband and her brother in-law. They were both alike and if she made it through this, she swore that she would find some way to save her child from them. Her child was, after all, the only thing she truly lived for. Had she not been pregnant, Lydia likely would have killed herself rather than succumb to the fate Gregor had in store for her.
Gregor was far from gentle, but he’d treated her as gently as he could all throughout her pregnancy. Once he’d found out, he hadn’t hit her or done anything to her for fear of her losing the baby. It was the happiest anyone had ever seen the king and he’d paraded his wife around proudly, boasting to anyone and everyone that she was carrying his son. An idiot might have believed that their luck was changing, but Lydia was no idiot. She knew that the instant the baby was born (assuming Gregor didn’t uncover the truth), everything would return to normal. Gregor wouldn’t hesitate to hit her and he’d force himself on her every night until her stomach once again started to swell and they would repeat the process over and over again until one of them died… likely at the hands of the other.
The king had gone off on a hunt just the day before and Lydia’s contractions had started soon before that. She’d gone about her business, trying to hide her pain from others who were constantly asking if she was all right. It wasn’t until just that morning that she’d nearly collapsed. She’d been in so much pain that she didn’t even protest when her brother in-law carried her to her chambers, as much as she despised him and loathed even his touch after what he had done to her.
For hours after that she still labored, the wind howling as the storm raged on outside, much like the night that her baby had been conceived. There was nothing pleasant about it and she thought for sure that the pain might kill her… but then who would care for her child if she were to die in child birth? Who would protect her baby from Gregor and Aiden then? She couldn’t just give in. She loved this baby too much to just give up, having fallen even more in love with every kick and movement throughout her pregnancy. It was safe to say that Lydia had never known love like this and she knew that her child would never experience such unconditional love from anyone else, growing up. Aiden and Gregor weren’t capable of love. At least, that’s what she thought. She was only half right in that assumption.
When it came time to push, the sixteen-year-old queen’s screams of agony and pain filled the room, audible even from the hall. Her nurses did their best to comfort and and coach her and for that, she was grateful. Lightning flashed across the stormy sky followed immediately by the deafening clap and rumbling of thunder. It was pouring so viciously that you couldn’t even see outside the windows… not that Lydia was looking since she was so preoccupied.
After one final push and a horrific scream to go with it, Lydia fell back against her pillows, her chest heaving as the bittersweet sounds of an infant’s wails filled her ears. She was exhausted and aching, but the cries of her baby wrapped around her heart, squeezing it tightly until it felt ready to burst. The nurses and midwife were quick to clean her and her baby up, a heavy emotion settling over the young queen as the women went eerily silent.
”Please… my baby…” she begged as her child continued to wail for her, mother and child both desperate for each other’s warmth. ”What is it?” She feared that she already knew the answer from their heavy silence.
”It’s a girl, your highness…” the midwife said softly, gently handing the infant to Lydia. Holding her baby in her arms, Lydia looked down at her. She was perfect. Everything about her. In the comfort of her mother’s arms, the infant stopped her wailing and Lydia took in her sweet, angelic face and, in that moment, she knew true love and how far it reached into a person’s soul. In that moment though, she also knew that her husband would be furious and tears started to slide down her face as terror seized her heart.
”She’s beautiful…” one of the younger maids said softly.
Lydia wiped at her tears and nodded her head, holding her child close. ”She’s perfect…” Pressing a kiss to her forehead as the infant’s tiny hand wrapped around her finger, Lydia was trying to steel her heart but it was impossible. She could only wait and dread the moment that her husband would come to see her and the baby that wasn’t actually his.
When the king strode down the hall, his guards at his heels, he was soaked from the raging storm that he and his men had trudged through upon hearing of the queen’s labor. His wife’s screams filled the halls like music to his ears and her pain only brought him delight. As he rounded the corner and came upon the hall leading to the chambers he shared with his young queen, Gregor was proud to hear the child’s squalling.
”Do you hear that sound, brother?” Gregor asked upon seeing Aiden waiting outside of the chambers where his wife had just given birth. ”That is the sound of a future king being born.” As he reached his brother, the baby’s wailing quieted and he regarded his younger twin with a smug look upon his face. ”I’m sure the divines will grant you a child soon enough, if a woman is ever willing to open her legs for you.”
When the doors opened, a young girl hurried out, carrying a bundle of bloody sheets. ”Your highnesses,” she said nervously, bowing her head and refusing to meet either of their gazes. ”The queen is ready for you-“
The girl didn’t even get to finish her sentence as the king was already striding into the room. The nurses all moved to the side, none of them daring to look at the king or the Reaper, standing in silence with their hands clasped respectfully and their heads down. Lydia look up upon their entry, her face going pale.
”Well?!” the king demanded. Nobody wanted to be the one to say it… so Lydia had to.
”It’s a girl, my king…” she said, swallowing hard. A heavy silence filled the room and Lydia swore not a single person in there even drew breath. All you could hear was the sounds of the raging storm. Gregor’s jaw clenched, his body stiff and rigid with anger as his eyes seemed to burn a hold right through Lydia and the baby.
”Gregor-“ Lydia protested as he stepped forward to seize the babe from her arms. ”Please-“
”Let go of it, Lydia,” he commanded, glaring down at her. She wouldn’t give in though; she wouldn’t just let him take her baby from her. ”We’ll try again.”
”No, please, she’s just a baby,” she cried, but he wouldn’t hear it. As he pried her hands off of her daughter, the baby started to wail once more and a few of the nurses moved in to hold the queen back.
”NO! GET OFF OF ME!” Lydia screamed at them as she tried to push them away. As exhausted and weak from childbirth as she was, Lydia put up one hell of a fight. She was outnumbered though and the nurses pushed her back down onto the bed. ”PLEASE! GIVE ME BACK MY BABY!”
It was the most painful thing she had ever experienced, having her child wrenched from her arms. They were pure evil, both of them. ”PLEASE, DON’T HURT HER! I’LL DO ANYTHING, I SWEAR!”
”You’ve already done enough, Lydia. The hounds will appreciate your offering, I’m sure,” Gregor said, moving toward the door with the crying bundle in his arms. The baby’s cries were desperate and shrill as if she could sense what the man holding her intended to do to her. The sounds were heartbreaking and even a few of the nurses were trying not to cry, some of them unsuccessful. The midwife was tying to comfort Lydia, but she wouldn’t listen. ”NO! PLEASE! I JUST WANT MY BABY!” In her moment of desperation, Lydia’s terrified green eyes landed on Aiden, as if she even dared to hope that he would stop his monster of a brother from killing the child that he had created. She feared that her pleas would fall on deaf ears, but they were directed at him now. There was nothing she could do and she prayed with every bit of her soul that there was some good in the depths of his black heart... any part of him that would recognize that the child his brother was about to kill was his daughter. ”PLEASE!”
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Post by Aiden L. Blackwell on May 6, 2016 5:17:42 GMT
When Aiden had found Lydia, already well into labor, and almost collapsing from the pain of it he couldn’t deny that he had felt a bit alarmed for her well-being… of course her dear, devoted husband was nowhere around having went off on some obscene hunting trip that was more for sport than anything. It pissed him off that his brother put more stock in stupid games than keeping his kingdom running and making sure his wife was healthy as she neared the end of her pregnancy… especially since he wrongfully believed the child to be of his blood and to have been conceived the night that he had married Lydia.
His hand fisted at his side as he leaned against the wall, listening to the agonizing sounds of Lydia trying to birth their baby. Of course he knew the truth, he made it his business to know the truth of what was going on around here… so he hadn’t missed the fact that Lydia had called upon a healer and it had only taken a little mental prodding to get what he needed from the woman and then convinced her to trip down a flight of stairs. Aiden, though in that moment he was more the Reaper than his true self, had watched as she walked willingly towards the staircase and conveniently missed a step, causing her to careen headfirst down them until she crumpled into a heap at the bottom.
That child growing in her womb was his and he had made the decision that day that he would do anything to keep it from being harmed in any way. That meant he wasn’t above using his mind to whatever means necessary to make sure that it was safe. Aiden cracked his knuckles, straightened, stretched a little and then went right back to leaning leisurely against the wall. The expression he wore on his face made him look like the bored brother-in-law that was just doing his duty and waiting until his brother arrived to relieve him so that he could run off and do more important, princely things other than listen to a woman going through childbirth.
He heard the sounds of his brother approaching long before he rounded the corner and Aiden had to remind himself that now was not the time for him to kill his brother, even if it would undoubtedly save the child from any cruelty by his hand. Not that he couldn’t do it right then he’d just rather not incur a civil war between the nobility and the people of the kingdom by murdering his brother the night he supposedly became a father. He needed to try and be smart about it, plan for it as much as possible… and he honestly hadn’t been doing much of that as of late.
Aiden cast his eyes up disinterestedly at Gregor as he finally came into view. By his brother’s words he knew that if the child happened to be a girl things weren’t likely to turn out well. His stupid asshole of a twin seemed to think that only boys were necessary to the throne. Already he felt the flicker of something, anger maybe? Though it definitely felt different from his normal anger directed towards his twin. Shrugging it off he followed him inside. His eyes went immediately to Lydia and the bundle that she held in her arms… her child, their child… a little girl.
His body stiffened at the news and he watched Gregor do the same for a moment before he stepped forward. Aiden had been ready for that, but what he hadn’t been expecting were the burses and mid-wife grabbed her and held her to the bed, helping the fucking brute rip the child from her arms so that he could do whatever he pleased with her. Rage built up inside of him like he had never felt before and the wails coming from his daughter didn’t help any as Gregor walked towards him talking of feeding her to the dogs as if it were a casual everyday occurrence.
Aiden stepped back in front of the door and blocked his brother’s way, stopping him from leaving with the child that he had no right to condemn in such a way. He did it easily, slipping into his brother’s mind and simultaneously that of the nurses in the room. He could have killed them all, he wanted to kill those nurses for doing such a thing to Lydia, they were all women… they were supposed to stick together in such situations but instead they had banded against her… but he kept them alive for the time being but forced them to release her.
His main focus was Gregor though who was holding all of Aiden’s future right there in his hands and wanted to throw it out like it was a piece of garbage. Aiden struck swiftly and took all control from him though he left him very much aware of what he was doing… watched the fear in his eyes as Gregor’s arms extended out and handed him the bundle of crying child. Of course he couldn’t leave that memory in his mind… so Aiden altered his brother’s memory just enough that he hadn’t threatened to give the child to the dogs but was no less thrilled about having a baby girl… and the distinct feeling of fearing his brother above all else.
And then he let him leave. The nurses followed Gregor out the door, rather mindlessly but they left the room nonetheless as Aiden looked down at the baby girl in his arms. She had miraculously stopped her wailing and instead stared up at him with bright blue eyes and he knew that he was hooked by her. He forced himself to take steps towards the bed, not wanting to have Lydia come crawling out of it after him after giving birth… the last thing he wanted was to have them separated for too long. He certainly wasn’t equipped to take care of an infant.
As he stopped by the edge of the bed he managed to pull his eyes from his daughters and looked up at Lydia. He knew she thought he had taken advantage of her that night… hell that had been his plans anyways but she had surprised him that night… not that he was going to bring that up right then. Instead he handed her their child carefully before stepping back to give them some space… something they hadn’t gotten in their first few moments as mother and daughter. He was definitely going to have to kill his brother now. There was no way he could let him live and his daughter grow up being abused by him.
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Post by Lydia G. Van Helsing on May 7, 2016 6:37:03 GMT
Lydia’s breath caught in her throat and she froze as the nurses released her. She watched with bated breath as Aiden stood in his brother’s way, refusing to let him pass. She knew what he was doing… and, in all honesty, she’d had no idea that Aiden could seize control of that many minds at once. It should have scared her. He usually did scare her, after all, but the only thing she was afraid of right then was Gregor leaving that room with her baby. She swore that her heart stopped beating in that moment, her throat feeling as if it were closing.
Her eyes were wide with shock and fear, but an immense sense of relief flooded through her as Gregor handed the baby over to Aiden. In the same instant that the baby’s wails quieted and everyone cleared the room, Lydia’s heart started beating again. She pushed herself up as if she was ready to climb out of the bed to go to Aiden, but he moved toward her and she relaxed a little, remaining where she was.
Gazing at him as he held their daughter, she saw how he looked at her and she swore she saw right past the walls that he’d worked so hard to build. He looked exactly how she’d felt when she first looked down at their baby. Lydia wasn’t sure why, but watching him hold their daughter made her heart swell within her chest. There was certainly a difference between when Aiden held her and when Gregor held her, as if she was at ease in her father’s arms… her actual father, that is, and not the main who wrongly claimed such a title.
Her heart was finally at ease as Aiden handed the infant back to her and she breathed a sigh of relief. ”Thank you…” she said to him, the words sincere and coming right from the bottom of her heart as she held the infant close. If he hadn’t been there to stop Gregor… she didn’t even want to think about it. Her thank you went beyond that though… even if he had taken advantage of her, it had led to the creation of the most amazing and beautiful little girl she had ever laid eyes on.
Leaning back against her pillows and cradling their baby girl in her arms, Lydia gazed down at her perfect, tiny face, completely drowning in the depths of her blue eyes. Already, she could see Aiden’s features in her face, blending perfectly with a few of her own. She was just so tiny and so perfect as she looked back up at her. Wiping at the tears in her eyes, Lydia couldn’t deny that she was still afraid and she had plenty of reason to be.
”He’s going to find out,” she said to Aiden, her voice quavering. She knew that she didn’t have to mention exactly what she was talking about. They both knew that the baby was his, even if neither of them had come out and said it directly. Turning her gaze to him as the baby gripped her finger in her tiny hand, Lydia searched his expression for anymore hints of emotion. When Gregor found out, it wasn’t going to be pretty and she knew that her husband would make them pay for it dearly. Very dearly.
”He’ll do worse than feed her to the hounds when he does,” she said, her voice tight and her stomach twisting in fear. In spite of how she felt about Aiden and how angry she was with him for taking advantage of her that night… he’d just stood up to his brother and saved their daughter. She was so overwhelmed with emotion, and not just because her hormones were out of whack after giving birth. She had plenty of reasons to be emotional and the silent tears falling from her eyes just wouldn’t seem to stop. Lydia was sure her tears didn’t phase him though. Even if he did feel something in his blackened heart for their daughter, she knew he had no love for her.
”I can’t lose her. Just the thought of him being near her makes me sick.” Looking back down at the baby, she started to cry a little harder. ”How can I even protect her from him? I can’t even protect myself. He’s a monster…” Color rose in her cheeks when she said it, but it was true. She was never able to stop him from abusing or raping her, so how was she going to stop him from hurting the baby? She didn’t have Aiden’s abilities and he couldn’t always be there to stop Gregor. She was honestly amazed that he’d even been there to stop him just then, having thought for sure that he would have gone off somewhere else. Surely he had better things to do than wait outside of her chambers as she’d given birth to his child. She didn’t know why that thought squeezed at her heart, but it did.
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Post by Aiden L. Blackwell on May 19, 2016 5:22:14 GMT
Aiden watched Lydia cradle to the child against her once more, relaxing obviously now that the threat that Gregor and those damned nurses had posed to her was gone from the room. His eyes didn’t leave the tiny baby girl in her arms though. She was honestly the most beautiful infant he had ever laid eyes on… but then again he had heard many a father boast of that exact same thing once their first child had been born. His brother would have boasted of things similar had the child turned out to have been a son instead of a dark haired, blue-eyed daughter… and the fact that she was in fact a girl made him happy for more than one reason, one of which was the fact that the way his brother reacted to her finally gave him a more than satisfactory reason to end Gregor’s life.
His eyes flicked up to her face at her comment and he let his body soften, if only a bit, from its normal rigidity. This child had just become the most important thing in his life and, though he didn’t really know what he felt for her mother, he knew that there was at least something between the two of them. Other than the fact that they were parents to the most beautiful girl in the world. Looking back down to his daughter Aiden took a slow stepped back to the edge of the bed and lowered himself onto it, sitting beside her knees.
Reaching forward Aiden caressed his daughter’s small cheek with his forefinger, marveling at the softness and smoothness of her skin… she was surely going to grow up into a beautiful woman and break a million hearts of the men that came for her hand, break them because none of them would likely ever be good enough for her in his eyes. Maybe if Lydia’s father had been as careful with who he gave his daughter away to she wouldn’t have ended up shackled to a sadistic brute of a sorry assed king.
”You needn’t worry too much on that, Lydia.” Aiden said, speaking softly. His brother had more than signed his own death certificate with his actions just moments ago. There was no way he could be allowed to live much longer when such an innocent life was within his presence and Aiden would not allow for his brother to treat his child in any sort of torturous behavior. ”He’ll likely not make it to the end of the week.” He added, his face didn’t even show a hint of guilt or remorse for what he was planning on doing, committing fratricide… but it was a necessary evil when it came down to protecting his child.
Honestly Gregor was lucky that Aiden had let him live this long, for he had definitely thought about doing it sooner. Things were finally in place, if Gregor died today Aiden wouldn’t have much trouble keeping the people within the palace and in the nearby surrounding towns under control while Gregor’s supporters gathered their numbers to try and stand against him. Lydia’s father would be one of them, he had no doubts about that and quite honestly he wouldn’t mind killing that bastard as well for his lack of effective parenting.
Aiden glanced up as her tears fell harder and he was at a loss of what to do to comfort her. But as he looked at her something small in his heart turned a little and he reached out, wiping a trail of tears away before pushing her hair from her face to behind her ear. She was beautiful too, even with her tear stained face. ”Shhhh, don’t worry about any of it right now, just enjoy this time that you have right now.” He murmured as he stroked his thumb down the side of her cheek and his other hand gently rubbed the tiny head of his daughter. Aiden would treat both of them how they deserved, he vowed that to himself as he sat there beside her on the bed.
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Post by Lydia G. Van Helsing on May 19, 2016 17:48:02 GMT
His consoling effectively slowed her tears, though she hadn’t expected him to be such a source of comfort for her. The well of feelings she felt for this man were confusing to say the least and she was constantly at battle, her heart and mind taking up arms against each other. She couldn’t possibly love this man. It was surely an effect of his powers and she tried to remind herself that she had to resist. What did he gain out of making her feel this way for him anyway?
As he tucked her hair behind her ear though, Lydia was lost in him, her heart feeling as though it were being squeezed by an iron band. How could someone so dark and dangerous also be so gentle? Blinking her tears away, Lydia relished in his touch, his skin against hers causing her to tingle. Something in her heart and in the way he looked at them right then told Lydia that he would protect them… if not for her sake, then for their daughter’s. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know exactly what he planned on doing to Gregor but… well, she really didn’t care what happened to her husband, so long as he was dead and gone, no longer able to pin her to the bed and rape her to conceive an heir and no longer able to harm her daughter.
Aiden was right though; she should enjoy the time that she had right then. There was never any saying how long it would be before Gregor came barging back in to make her life a living hell. For the briefest of moments, her eyes flashed to his lips and then back up to his eyes, her desire to kiss him only increasing as she remembered what his lips felt like against hers. Whether he had taken advantage of her or not, Lydia couldn’t even deny that he satisfied her in ways that his brother would never be able to. This wasn’t a sexual desire to kiss him though… she’d just given birth, for crying out loud.
No, this desire to kiss him stemmed from the confusing typhoon of emotions that rampaged through her heart. It came from her need to love him and to be loved by him in return, but she didn’t even know if any of that was real. Aiden was so loving and gentle in handling their baby that she forgot for a moment that the Reaper even existed. In that moment, he was just a father, admiring his daughter and it made it even harder for Lydia to resist him.
Why hold back now? They’d already had sex, and more than once. Reaching up to the back of his neck, Lydia surprised herself by pulling him towards her and kissing him softly on the lips, her kiss gentle and full of unspoken emotions. For a brief moment, she was able to forget about Gregor and focus solely on this shared moment with Aiden and their baby. Even if she wouldn’t say it… even if she hadn’t yet come to terms with her love for him being genuine, there was love in Lydia’s kiss.
It lasted for a long moment before their daughter’s squirming pulled Lydia back to reality. Releasing his lips, she wanted to kick herself for opening herself up to this. He was surely just using her and she was just letting him. Tearing her eyes away from his ridiculously handsome face, Lydia released him and looked back down at the baby in her arms, so perfect and content as she soaked in the love of both of her parents.
”She’s perfect…” Lydia said, thankful that her child was safe and healthy. Even if Aiden was using her, Lydia was grateful for this one thing that he had given her. They’d created this child together and Lydia could only thank the gods that Gregor was not her actual father. Even if it did pose a threat, she would never want to subject a child to having such a horrific man as a father. Even if she was his, Gregor never would have loved this baby. He wasn’t capable of love and she had assumed the same of Aiden. Seeing the way he looked at the baby though, she knew that she had been wrong in that assumption and, for that, she was genuinely sorry.
”She has your eyes.” For a brief moment, Lydia looked from the baby’s eyes to Aiden’s, color rising in her cheeks as her heart swelled. What she didn’t say was that she adored his eyes and that she was more than happy that their daughter had inherited this trait from him, though it was certainly implied. She could only imagine how beautiful this baby girl would grow to be and Lydia swore that she would never let a man hurt her daughter the way that she had been hurt.
”What do you think of the name Lena?” The young queen had been tossing around names for some time now and knew that Gregor would have no interest in helping to name her now. For that, Lydia was incredibly grateful. She wouldn’t want that monster having any say in naming Aiden’s child.
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Post by Aiden L. Blackwell on May 24, 2016 3:50:28 GMT
Once again she surprised him by pulling him to her and pressing her pretty lips to his. He knew that she still didn’t believe that she had done all those things of her own free will and that he hadn’t had any influence on her at all except for what came naturally. Aiden also knew that, with what she had just gone through, there was nothing inherently sexual about this kiss but that there was a deeper meaning in its depths. If he were willing to take the time to look for it. Lydia’s kiss was soft and unhurried, asking more than taking and Aiden kissed her back just as unhurriedly. The hand he had caressed her cheek with pushed its way behind her neck and burrowed into her soft, silky hair.
He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about this woman but he knew that she was definitely going to be a part of his future. He had been envisioning his life with her in it for as long as he could remember… and never once had Gregor been alive in those imagined lives. Even from a young age Aiden had begun to lose his love for his sibling, knowing that his brother wasn’t stable… and it had gotten even worse after the accident that caused their father’s death. After that, there was no one there to keep the young heir from doing what he wanted, not even their own mother was capable of doing so and Aiden had been too young and unable to control his power to do so himself.
When Lydia pulled her lips away from his Aiden immediately let his hand fall from behind her neck, not wanting to make her think he was trying to trap her there. He was a little sad that the kiss had to end, it had been… different, from the last two times they had kissed one another, but he with their daughter squirming between them it was hard to keep your focus on something as intimate as kissing. Aiden’s gaze followed her own, falling on the infant curled in her arms. He swore he could feel his heart growing in size just gazing down into those beautiful blue eyes of hers and he sincerely hoped that she would retain them as she grew.
”Yes, she’s perfect.” He agreed and he suddenly wished that he had already killed his brother so that he could publicly claim this child and have the announcement heralded to the masses. He was that proud of the fact that he now was the father to a beautiful baby girl. Something that his brother should have been doing… but of course the brute was too caught up in thinking himself king of the world instead of just a kingdom, though to Gregor it was practically the same thing. Right then Aiden knew, that once his brother was dead, he very well was going to make such an announcement and the day would be fraught with laughter, dancing, feasting… and he was going to ask the woman currently holding his child to marry him.
Aiden glanced up from the baby to look at Lydia as she spoke, and he watched the blush stain her cheeks a lovely shade of pink. ”And my mother’s…” He said softly, suddenly wishing that she were alive to share this moment with the two of them. There were many things she knew about raising children that could have been insightful… but her death was just another thing for him to hate his twin for. His brother, greedy to get his hands on the crown and kingdom, had their mother murdered in order to get her out of his way. Aiden felt the anger rising within him and he had to really work on pushing it down, not wanting to upset the baby more than she had already been in her first hour of life.
Lena… He repeated the name in his head, tossing it around and listening to how it sounded. It was rather simple but it sounded pretty and very girly. ”Lena…” He whispered it aloud as he looked down at their child and imagined how it would sound when he was annoyed or angry with her or disappointed… A ghost of a smile crept back onto his face as he imagined himself unable to maintain those emotions for long, his daughter would likely to make him forget those in favor of the love he was feeling right then. ”Lena, yes, I think it is a good choice.” Aiden said, louder this time as he glanced back up at Lydia. He wished he could keep her from feeling anything but what she was feeling right then from that point on, but unfortunately his brother was still alive and roaming somewhere within the palace… unknowingly beginning to draw the last breaths he would ever draw.
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Post by Lydia G. Van Helsing on May 27, 2016 4:28:31 GMT
Lydia watched him and the way he looked at their child and she was finally able to come to terms with the fact that she didn’t regret what they had done, even if he had taken advantage of her. What happened between them had been full of intense passion regardless and had created the most beautiful child she had ever laid eyes on. Perhaps Lydia was a little biased, but she certainly didn’t think so. Men would surely throw themselves at her feet when she grew to be a woman and not a damn one of them was going to be good enough for her in her father’s eyes… Lydia could tell already.
”Lena it is then,” she said, smiling softly as he glanced back up at her. She was caught in his gaze longer than was probably appropriate. Then again, locking lips with him just moments before certainly hadn’t been appropriate. She was supposed to be strong. She was supposed to resist Aiden’s temptations and his control over her, not just give in and swoon over him like he was her knight in shining armor, coming to rescue her from her abusive and psychotic husband.
Resistance was growing harder though, especially with their child now lying in her arms, between them. Lena curled against her, trapped in blissful ignorance and surrounded by the warmth and love of a mother and father who would literally kill for her. It amazed Lydia that such sweet innocence could still exist in such a cruel world and she would do everything that she had to in order to ensure that her daughter lived a happier life than she had. She would do everything she could to protect that innocence.
She wished that it could always be like this… that their lives had been different. Fate had been cruel, allowing Gregor to be born first instead of Aiden. Had things turned out otherwise, she would have been betrothed to Aiden instead. She wouldn’t have to fear Gregor, and they wouldn’t have to hide the fact that Lena was Aiden’s daughter. They could have been happy together…
Pulling her mind away from such thoughts of a better life, Lydia looked down at Lena again, her heart swelling. The gods had granted her one bit of happiness at least.
”I have to go check on the baby…” Lydia said, swallowing hard and feeling small as her husband circled around her. He was the predator and she was his prey in this same old song and dance that they had been playing for so long now. Lydia didn’t know why, but she was scared now more than ever.
He’d given her one day… ONE DAY after giving birth and having her healed by one of the palace healers. He wanted her perfect after all and in excellent health so that she could bear him another heir. A male this time. It wasn’t that Lydia minded being healed. The after effects of giving birth weren’t all that great, but she knew that he didn’t want her healed for her own sake. His reasons were all purely selfish.
Lydia was terrified. She was terrified of being raped again and she was terrified of getting pregnant again because this time, the baby would be his and she couldn’t think of a worse thing in the world. Her eyes met his, a lamb caught in a lion’s gaze, frozen and scared. He’s been drinking, she could tell. This was sometimes a blessing, but sometimes it just made things worse. When he was drunk enough, he sometimes just fell asleep anyway, but most of the time it just made him more violent and angry.
”She can wait,” Gregor said without a care in the world. He didn’t care if Lena was healthy or fed. He’d already berated her for breastfeeding Lena herself when they had wet nurses that could do such a thing. The thought of letting some strange woman feed her daughter made her stomach coil with disgust and her heart crack though. The last thing she wanted to see was her child at another woman’s breast, being held and cared for by someone other than her mother.
”Take of your nightgown.” Gregor turned his back on her and crossed the room, pulling off his shirt as he went before unbuckling his belt.
”Wouldn’t you rather rest, you’ve had a long da-“
”I SAID TAKE IT OFF!” he bellowed at her furiously, his belt whipping through the air and hitting the table he stood by with a deafening crack that made Lydia flinch, her eyes wide and heart racing. Feeling sick, Lydia reluctantly did as she was told, lowering her gaze as his hungry eyes devoured her like she was the finest piece of meat he’d ever seen. The way he looked at her always unsettled her. He looked at her like she was his property, his eyes full of lust but not an ounce of compassion or warmth. He was cold and unloving to say the least.
Pushing the straps off of her shoulders, the young queen let the fabric pool at her feet, her arms instinctually coming up to cover her bare breasts, swollen with the sustenance only she could provide for her daughter. Though she refused to look at him, she knew that he looked like a starving wolf, ready to pounce. She’d seen the look many times.
”I’m not feeling well,” she said timidly cold as she stood before him, naked. ”Perhaps we should wait. It’s so soon after having Lena, your grace, I don’t think I’m ready.” She wanted to cry, but she also knew from experience that it was only worse when she cried. King Gregor was the definition of heartless.
”The healer assured me that you’re ready,” he said to her, pouring himself a goblet of wine before draining the whole thing in one go before slamming the goblet back onto the table. ”I need an heir and if you don’t give me one, then I’ll get rid of you and find someone who can.” He looked at her sideways, eyes flashing up and down her form, observing how she tried to shield herself from him.
”I have given you an heir,” Lydia lied sheepishly, her throat feeling tight.
”A daughter does me no good. They’re useless. They’re a liability. The only thing they’re even remotely good for is handing them over to someone to marry in exchange for more wealth and power and that’s too much of a risk. I’ll be damned if I let someone steal my throne through some daughter I never wanted and should have killed when I had the chance.” Lydia’s face blanched at that and she wondered if he remembered wanting to do so to begin with, having no idea what he even recalled from the events the day before, with Aiden protecting Lena from him.
”Please, just give me a few more days and I’ll do whatever you want,” Lydia said quietly, quick to divert his thoughts away from her daughter. Of course she didn’t mean it. She never did whatever he asked of her so easily and she always fought back, but he was stronger than her. He would always be stronger than her.
He approached her, belt still in hand as he pried her arms away from her chest, forcing her to expose herself to him entirely. ”You’re my wife, Lydia. I don’t give a damn if you’re ready or if you want it.” Grabbing her roughly by the jaw, he forced her to look up at her, making her wince with pain. He was getting angry and she could smell the alcohol on his breath, making her ill. She always told herself that she should just lay there and take it, but she never could. Even if it would be easier to just give in, she couldn’t just let him win.
Urging her back toward the bed, he gave her a push and she landed on top of it, sitting up and trying to lean as far away from him as possible, until she was forced to lie down. His every touch made her ill. Trying to breathe, she told herself that it would be over soon enough...
Just let him, she told herself. He’ll just hurt you worse if you fight back. Just lie here and think about something else… anything else. Tears stung her eyes, her heart pounding so loudly that it filled her ears with its fierce beating. Lying there and looking up at him, she surely looked absolutely terrified as he undid his pants, still holding that damn belt. Her eyes followed it, remember what it felt like across her back from the last time he’d hit her with it…
She couldn’t do it. Lydia was panicking, feeling as though she was suffocating. Jumping up and pushing past him, she was about to snatch her nightgown up and make a beeline for the door. Gregor wouldn’t have it though. Grabbing her by the arm, his grip was tight as he yanked her back and threw her back onto the bed, kicking and screaming.
”NO! PLEASE, GREGOR!” she cried against her better judgment, hot tears rolling down her face. ”I don’t- CRACK!
Her husband backhanded her so hard across the face that it left her dazed. When she went to reach for her stinging face, unable to see him as the tears blurred her vision, Gregor grabbed her wrist and stopped her. She’d stopped kicking and screaming, but only for the time being as she regained her bearings.
”Listen here,” he said to her, seething with rage as he looped his belt around her neck, pulling on it like she was his dog on a leash. The buckle pressed against her throat and she squirmed in discomfort, though it wasn’t tight enough to keep her from breathing. ”I’m going to fuck you when I want and where I want and there’s nothing you can do about it. You belong to me and you can thank our parents for that.”
Lowering his face to hers and pushing her legs apart so that he was between them, Gregor kissed her with lips that were much too wet for her liking. It was nothing like Aiden’s kisses. His kisses were full of desire and passion. Gregor was only seeking to and intimidate her.
”No-“ she protested, turning her head and pushing against his chest. Her hands flew to the belt around her neck though as he gave it a tug, slowly starting to choke her. Her eyes went wide as she fumbled with it, but she couldn’t even get her fingers under it.
”I’m going to continue to fuck you until I break you and I don’t care how long it takes… days, months, years… I will break you, Lydia and, when that happens, and when I’m done with you, I’m going to enjoy killing you slowly.”
Did he even realize that he was pulling the belt tighter? She was struggling to breathe, squirming under him in desperation and trying to plead with him wordlessly as his erection pressed against her through the fabric of his pants. ”And you know what I’ll do then? I’ll take Lena as my next queen, since she’s so precious to you.”
The very thought horrified her… Of all the kings in the world, only the sickest minds and the maddest of the mad wed their own daughters. Even if Lena wasn’t actually his daughter, he still believed her to be so… regardless, it was sickening. He was more warped than she had ever imagined.
Black spots were starting to cloud her vision and she knew that unconsciousness was fast approaching. At least if she was dead, he couldn’t cause her anymore pain. She wouldn’t have to fell him inside of her anymore, raping and ravaging her like the beast that he was. He was going for his pants again, probably too drunk to even realize that he was on the verge of killing her right then. Maybe she wouldn’t have to feel it this time… maybe she’d slip into oblivion before he forced himself into her…
Lena and Aiden…
She couldn’t just leave Aiden and Lena. Her daughter needed both of her parents… Aiden was fully capable of loving and protecting Lena himself and she knew that, but she also knew what it was like to grow up without a mother. And Aiden… he couldn’t just leave him to do it alone. Something deep inside of her had blossomed for him, strong and powerful, beyond anything she had ever hoped and dreamed off, even though she’d spent all of this time doubting that it was real. The thought of leaving them both scared her more than Gregor or the looming threat of death ever could.
Abandoning any attempt to pull the belt from her neck, Lydia started to grope for something, anything to help her. Feeling the bedside table, her hand came into contact with something and, without even thinking, she grabbed hold of it and swung it right at the side of his head. It bashed into his skull and she felt immediate relief as he slumped over, unconscious and head bleeding, right on top of her.
Gasping for air as she was finally given some slack, the color started to return to her face and she pushed him off of her naked body with disgust, dropping the candle holder onto the floor. She was dizzy as she sat bolt upright, greedily sucking in great lungfuls of the blessed air as she pulled the belt off.
Looking over at him as she rubbed her neck, she saw that he was, unfortunately, still breathing. Stumbling out of the bed, she nearly fell to her knees and vomited, but she held it together somehow as she picked up her nightgown with trembling hands. The last place she wanted to be was there, having no idea how long he would be out of it. She could only pray that he wouldn’t remember her knocking him out cold.
Pulling her nightgown back on, she heard him groan and didn’t waste any more time in leaving the room. ”The king isn’t feeling well and has asked not to be disturbed,” she said quietly to the guards, not looking at them as her voice cracked. This wasn’t unusual for her though, but speaking was a little more painful.
She hadn’t even bothered to cover herself with a robe, too desperate to make her escape as she hurried off toward Lena’s nursery, trying to hold herself together. The palace was quiet and dark, most of the palace sleeping. It wasn’t unusual for her to be heading toward Lena’s nursery… she was her mother after all.
Her baby was just so unnaturally far away, so that Gregor wouldn’t hear her wails from their chambers, of course. Lydia wanted her child as close to her as possible, but she knew that it was for Lena’s own good. Who knew what Gregor would do if the infant deprived him of his sleep with her crying? It pained Lydia to even be out of the same room as her newborn, but Gregor was selfish and didn’t care for her needs or those of her child. It needed to stop. All of it.
She wanted to leave and to get as far away from there with Lena as possible… She was unsure about so many things right then, especially where Aiden was concerned… even if he killed Gregor, what did that mean for her? Lena’s future was secure; she’d seen it in Aiden’s eyes. Lena would always be his daughter, but Lydia? What was she to him, other than the mother of his child and the wife of his cruel and sadistic brother? Her reputation would be tarnished when people discovered that she’d had an affair with her brother in-law and given birth to his child, but Aiden’s reputation would remain unscathed. It hurt her to know that she was just a pawn in the game being played between Gregor and Aiden… she was replaceable to them both, so easily used and tossed to the side.
She was just fooling herself, thinking that she might have actually been capable of claiming a spot in Aiden’s heart, wasn’t she? Her feelings for him scared her beyond belief, and yet she still couldn’t just leave him… nor would she ever dream of taking Lena from him after seeing how he cared for her right from the moment she was born. A part of her wanted to take Lena and run to him… convince him to run far away with her and never look back, but she knew he wouldn’t do it. Or, rather, she feared he wouldn’t want to… that he wouldn’t want her.
Brows drawing together as she neared Lena’s nursery, Lydia paused as she heard something from within… Lena’s soft cries and the sound of a man trying to comfort her. Not just any many though. Staying where she was, rooted to the spot, she listened as Aiden comforted her until her cries quieted to a soft whimper before she grew silent all together. Gods, why did her heart ache so terribly, swelling within her to the point that she feared it might burst?
He was so wonderful with her… loving and gentle. He was far from the man she thought he was… the man that he presented to the world. Why did he have to make her feel this way? It wasn’t fair and it downright scared her. Nothing good came of trusting men. The men in her life had only ever betrayed her… her father was cruel, her husband abusive, and Aiden made her feel things that she didn’t want to feel but she just couldn’t bring herself to tell him to stop. They’d broken her.
Steeling herself to face him, she gently eased the door open and slipped inside, careful not to scare the baby after he’d just calmed her. She vaguely wondered where the nurse had gone that he’d needed to step in to begin with. Moonlight shone through the windows and she knew how she must have looked as she shut the door behind herself.
”You’re a natural…” she said to him softly, watching him as he handled Lena with all of the love and tenderness she’d always wished that her father had shown her. ”Are you sure you’re meant to be the Reaper and not a nursemaid?” She was hesitant to move toward him, but she did, crossing her arms to warm herself… as well as to hold herself together and help shield the bruises forming on her arms from his gaze. That didn’t exactly work though and, even if it had, bruises were still forming around her neck, on her one cheekbone, and even on her thighs from Gregor’s abuse and assault of her in his attempt to rape her.
She was willing to do anything to ignore the marks showing on her body, half afraid that Aiden would say something… and half afraid that he wouldn’t. When she smiled, it didn’t reach her eyes and it was clear that she was hurt… and not just in the physical sense. There she was, standing before the only man she had ever wanted, whether of her own accord or not, battered and shaken beneath her beautiful, white nightgown. She wanted to be angry with him for being there, but she couldn’t be. She was relieved, she was happy, she was in need of him.
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Post by Aiden L. Blackwell on May 31, 2016 5:14:58 GMT
Aiden glanced up from the document he had been trying to read not for the first time in the last fifteen minutes, his eyes narrowing on the door. The cries from Lena’s nursery were getting more insistent as the minutes went by and he couldn’t help but wonder where the woman in charge of watching her in Lydia’s absence could have possibly wandered off to at such a time at night. His blue eyes lowered to the paper in front of him once more but then the baby cried out once more and he gave up on what he was trying to do.
With a sigh he pushed the chair away from the desk and stood, striding to the door and pulling it open a little rougher than he normally would and took off down the hall towards the sound of his daughter’s pitiful sounding wails. The entire walk down to the nursery door Aiden was imagining the ways he could fire the woman that would cause the most fear… though he had no qualms with killing people, sometimes it was better to leave a few alive but with a very heavy dose of fear in their systems when they thought of him. He could manipulate someone who feared him, he couldn’t manipulate a corpse.
As he pushed the door open, his blue eyes fell on his crying daughter, barely a day old and already had been left alone… okay so maybe killing the stupid bitch wasn’t such a bad idea after all. He certainly wouldn’t want someone as incompetent as her looking after anyone else’s children that’s for damn sure. Aiden’s long strides carried him to the bassinet in only a few steps and he was leaning over to pick Lena up and cradle her in his arms. ”Shhh, daddy’s here…” He practically crooned as he held her close to him. It was definitely safe to say that she already had him wrapped around her tiny little fingers.
Aiden rocked her gently back and forth in his arms, speaking to her softly as she slowly quieted her crying. She definitely had a healthy set of lungs on her for sure. He was so wrapped up in calming her that he almost missed Lydia entering the room. He felt his pulse jump under his skin as she spoke and he glanced back at her quickly. ”Yes, speaking of which, she’s failing at her job. She should have been in here with her.” He spoke to her, annoyance laced in his voice though it wasn’t really directed at her.
He didn’t really look at her until she stepped closer and the natural light from the moon lit upon her and her pale white nightgown. Aiden’s eyes flashed to her and how she was holding herself, as if protecting herself from him. His gazed looked her up and down quickly, noting the state she was in and he felt a rage building in him that he hadn’t felt since his mother was murdered and Gregor thought about drowning Lena.
He carefully set Lena back down in her bassinet before turning to face the mother of his child. Aiden didn’t even bother with calling her his sister-in-law…to him her marriage to his brother meant nothing, it was a sham… and the bruises Lydia was beginning to sport proved it. He reached out as gently as he could manage and lifted her chin with two fingers so that he could get a better look at the bruise popping up encircling her throat.
His eyes looked up into hers and he could feel the rage in him threatening to make him see red. It was a murderous rage and he was for once afraid he might hurt her, but he did his best to be gentle, even in the way he spoke as the words spilled from his mouth. ”This has to end, Lydia.” He said, his hand itching to clench into a fist. ”It’s a wonder you haven’t managed to kill him yourself yet. But no worries. This is ending tonight.” He’d had plans, very well thought out ones, but this was unacceptable.
His eyes settled on her other bruises and the idea of wrapping his hand around his brother’s throat and choking him within an inch of his disgustingly pitiful life before making him kill himself sounded quite satisfying in his mind right about then. ”He’s going to know his mistakes, he’s going to see them flash before his eyes as he realizes that his life is about to end… he’s going to regret, in that brief moment of time before he dies, that he didn’t treat you the way you deserved to be treated.” He told her, holding the rage he felt in check for her and the baby’s sake.
In this moment Aiden had no thoughts of his own safety if he jumped the gun and killed his brother now instead of later. His life didn’t matter compared to theirs, he knew that they would be safe no matter what happened. He’d gone to great lengths to make such arrangements so that he could be confident they’d make it through whatever happened when he came to Gregor’s untimely demise. And in all honesty, killing him now held a certain appeal to him as well. It would get a major threat to Lydia and Lena out of the way for good so that he could start focusing on others.
Before he pulled away from her though, Aiden pulled her to him quickly. His lips pressing against hers roughly for a long, heated moment before he pulled away once more. His gaze was full of emotions he hadn’t yet cared to put a name to though deep down he knew at least one of them was a growing love for this woman. When he looked back down at her again it was also with a fierce determination to finally rid her of her never ending nightmare. ”Stay with the baby.” He said, his words practically commanding it of her though he didn’t force her with any mental compulsion. Aiden didn’t think he would have any problems with her doing as he said though either as he stepped away from her and strode back towards the nursery door.
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