Post by Mercy E. Valendrian on Jun 26, 2016 18:29:55 GMT
Since the night that Mercy had been attacked by her guards, a great deal had changed. Mercy had regained the favor of most who had shunned her in backing of their king. It was easy to forgive most of them, but there were a few that Mercy had taken note of. She wasn’t stupid, after all. It hadn’t taken long for word to spread that the queen had been attacked and her guards made an example of. Nobody would so easily get to her again if someone were to wish her harm… not that many did after what happened to her attackers.
Mercy’s new guards were a much more trustworthy bunch made up of shifters from Keiran’s pack. They were people that Keiran trusted with his life and if Keiran trusted them, Mercy trusted them. Her most trusted guard, however, was no man but a large beast of a woman that was loyal to Mercy without a doubt. Brienne was fierce and bold… and had yet to be beaten in a dual. Mercy had seen her spar though and doubted the day of Brienne’s defeat would ever come to pass.
After what had happened, Mercy was comfortable with this woman in times and places where she wasn’t comfortable with her other guards, even if she did trust them. It was sort of an unspoken rule that Brienne always stayed closer to her while her other guards kept a comfortable distance out of respect for her after what had happened. It was a gesture that Mercy was incredibly grateful for. In all honesty, Brienne was becoming more of a companion to her, only strengthening the woman’s loyalty for her queen.
At eight months pregnant, Mercy was fast approaching the birth of the twins to the point that everyone was jumping at every little ache and pain that she had, worrying that she might be going into labor. Sleeping at night was a lot more difficult than it had been during the first half of her pregnancy do to discomforts, but Keiran helped to ease these discomforts a great deal. It wasn’t just her physical discomforts that he helped her through though.
Her nightmares had lessened again since she and her husband had made up, but they still managed to slither in from time to time, especially now that her father had learned of her location and her pregnancy. He’d sent more than one raven to Keiran, trying to threaten and bargain for his daughter’s return. He was twisting things, making it seem as though Mercy had been taken and married to Keiran by force and that he had raped her to conceive their twins. They all knew that Robert knew the truth though.
Everyone was quick to assure her that Robert and his men wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near her or the twins, but there was still a fear deep in Mercy’s heart… one that Her husband easily sensed. He was always there to hold her when she woke from her nightmares, no matter what they were about. Once the twins were born, Mercy had to admit that she would miss the sense of comfort and peace that came with sleeping in Keiran’s arms, their twins safely nestled in her womb between them, loved and protected by their mother and father. Of course she would still be sleeping in his arms once they were born, but she loved everything about her rounded stomach being pressed against Keiran as they laid together and she knew in her heart that it wouldn’t be long before her stomach started to swell with life again. They both had needs and urges after all, so stopping after her first pregnancy was highly unlikely.
Their party was another success… then again, Mercy had yet to attend a party in Van’Ostgar that wasn’t so. Keiran’s people were happy… their people were happy and there was nowhere else she would rather be. She and Keiran had danced for a short while, though not for long considering her current state. The young queen had continued to stand by her husband until a pack of doting ladies had swarmed around her, telling of their own mothering and childbirth experiences as they felt her stomach and the kicks from the twins within. Mercy was thoroughly enjoying herself and their chat, though she exchanged plenty of suggestive glances with her husband, the occasional invasion of his thoughts causing a blush to steal across her face.
”Are you all right, your highness?” one of the ladies asked, bringing her attention back to them as she tore her blue eyes away from Keiran. Of course her blush only deepened under their scrutiny. ”You look flushed.”
”Do you need to sit, your highness? Do you need water?” another asked out of concern for her.
”No, no, I’m all right,” Mercy insisted. They couldn’t exactly help her with what she needed right then anyway. The only one who could help her was Keiran and she had a feeling they were going to wind up excusing themselves early from the party. It wouldn’t exactly be a first though.
Excusing herself, Mercy said her farewells to the small group of ladies and turned away as they left her to return to her husband. She saw the man before anyone else did. With the confusion of the party, he blended in too much for anyone to have notice him yet. His blade caught the light and Mercy’s heart just about stopped as he moved toward her husband whose back was turned. Time itself felt like it had slowed down, like everything was happening over an eternity, but it was all in just a matter of seconds. Precious seconds in which Mercy had a choice to make because nobody else could get to him fast enough. It wasn’t a difficult choice to make when it came down to your soul mate though.
”KEIRAN!” Mercy yelled at her husband, moving to push him from behind. Even though he’d seen it all right there in her head, she was the only one with the advantage to act in time. She was successful too… in a manner of speaking, because instead of the assassin’s blade cutting through her husband’s back, it cut right through her’s.
It caught her completely by surprise, the pain immense and unrelenting. Her breath caught in her throat, silencing any cries pain she might have otherwise let out. Mercy’s expression was one of shock and agony as the world around her started to spin. She couldn’t hear anything and all she could see was Keiran, the assassin’s blade covered in her blood as it pierced her right through the back and out the other side, her scared eyes drifting down to it.
Everything seemed to happen all at once. Guards were pushing their way through the crowd and Brienne was ready to apprehend the man herself, but it was Roland who got to him first as he withdrew his blade from Mercy’s back. She didn’t have the strength to remain standing and collapsed against Keiran’s chest, trembling and bleeding. ”Keiran…” she breathed, terrified. She wasn’t just afraid of dying though, she was afraid of losing their babies. There was just so much damn blood and he pain seemed endless, shooting through her entire body. ”Keiran, the babies…” she cried, unable to feel much other than pain.
Robb was already running off to find Athena or the first healer he could find and, after a momentary struggle with the assassin, Roland managed to shove his dagger right into his throat, forever silencing him before he could do any more harm to the king and queen. The room was in complete chaos, but the guards refused to allow anyone near. Mercy was losing blood, and fast as Lily pushed her way through to be by her side. Gods the pain was never going to end. Mercy swore she was going to die right there and that her babies would die with her. It was her worst nightmare.
Mercy’s new guards were a much more trustworthy bunch made up of shifters from Keiran’s pack. They were people that Keiran trusted with his life and if Keiran trusted them, Mercy trusted them. Her most trusted guard, however, was no man but a large beast of a woman that was loyal to Mercy without a doubt. Brienne was fierce and bold… and had yet to be beaten in a dual. Mercy had seen her spar though and doubted the day of Brienne’s defeat would ever come to pass.
After what had happened, Mercy was comfortable with this woman in times and places where she wasn’t comfortable with her other guards, even if she did trust them. It was sort of an unspoken rule that Brienne always stayed closer to her while her other guards kept a comfortable distance out of respect for her after what had happened. It was a gesture that Mercy was incredibly grateful for. In all honesty, Brienne was becoming more of a companion to her, only strengthening the woman’s loyalty for her queen.
At eight months pregnant, Mercy was fast approaching the birth of the twins to the point that everyone was jumping at every little ache and pain that she had, worrying that she might be going into labor. Sleeping at night was a lot more difficult than it had been during the first half of her pregnancy do to discomforts, but Keiran helped to ease these discomforts a great deal. It wasn’t just her physical discomforts that he helped her through though.
Her nightmares had lessened again since she and her husband had made up, but they still managed to slither in from time to time, especially now that her father had learned of her location and her pregnancy. He’d sent more than one raven to Keiran, trying to threaten and bargain for his daughter’s return. He was twisting things, making it seem as though Mercy had been taken and married to Keiran by force and that he had raped her to conceive their twins. They all knew that Robert knew the truth though.
Everyone was quick to assure her that Robert and his men wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near her or the twins, but there was still a fear deep in Mercy’s heart… one that Her husband easily sensed. He was always there to hold her when she woke from her nightmares, no matter what they were about. Once the twins were born, Mercy had to admit that she would miss the sense of comfort and peace that came with sleeping in Keiran’s arms, their twins safely nestled in her womb between them, loved and protected by their mother and father. Of course she would still be sleeping in his arms once they were born, but she loved everything about her rounded stomach being pressed against Keiran as they laid together and she knew in her heart that it wouldn’t be long before her stomach started to swell with life again. They both had needs and urges after all, so stopping after her first pregnancy was highly unlikely.
Their party was another success… then again, Mercy had yet to attend a party in Van’Ostgar that wasn’t so. Keiran’s people were happy… their people were happy and there was nowhere else she would rather be. She and Keiran had danced for a short while, though not for long considering her current state. The young queen had continued to stand by her husband until a pack of doting ladies had swarmed around her, telling of their own mothering and childbirth experiences as they felt her stomach and the kicks from the twins within. Mercy was thoroughly enjoying herself and their chat, though she exchanged plenty of suggestive glances with her husband, the occasional invasion of his thoughts causing a blush to steal across her face.
”Are you all right, your highness?” one of the ladies asked, bringing her attention back to them as she tore her blue eyes away from Keiran. Of course her blush only deepened under their scrutiny. ”You look flushed.”
”Do you need to sit, your highness? Do you need water?” another asked out of concern for her.
”No, no, I’m all right,” Mercy insisted. They couldn’t exactly help her with what she needed right then anyway. The only one who could help her was Keiran and she had a feeling they were going to wind up excusing themselves early from the party. It wouldn’t exactly be a first though.
Excusing herself, Mercy said her farewells to the small group of ladies and turned away as they left her to return to her husband. She saw the man before anyone else did. With the confusion of the party, he blended in too much for anyone to have notice him yet. His blade caught the light and Mercy’s heart just about stopped as he moved toward her husband whose back was turned. Time itself felt like it had slowed down, like everything was happening over an eternity, but it was all in just a matter of seconds. Precious seconds in which Mercy had a choice to make because nobody else could get to him fast enough. It wasn’t a difficult choice to make when it came down to your soul mate though.
”KEIRAN!” Mercy yelled at her husband, moving to push him from behind. Even though he’d seen it all right there in her head, she was the only one with the advantage to act in time. She was successful too… in a manner of speaking, because instead of the assassin’s blade cutting through her husband’s back, it cut right through her’s.
It caught her completely by surprise, the pain immense and unrelenting. Her breath caught in her throat, silencing any cries pain she might have otherwise let out. Mercy’s expression was one of shock and agony as the world around her started to spin. She couldn’t hear anything and all she could see was Keiran, the assassin’s blade covered in her blood as it pierced her right through the back and out the other side, her scared eyes drifting down to it.
Everything seemed to happen all at once. Guards were pushing their way through the crowd and Brienne was ready to apprehend the man herself, but it was Roland who got to him first as he withdrew his blade from Mercy’s back. She didn’t have the strength to remain standing and collapsed against Keiran’s chest, trembling and bleeding. ”Keiran…” she breathed, terrified. She wasn’t just afraid of dying though, she was afraid of losing their babies. There was just so much damn blood and he pain seemed endless, shooting through her entire body. ”Keiran, the babies…” she cried, unable to feel much other than pain.
Robb was already running off to find Athena or the first healer he could find and, after a momentary struggle with the assassin, Roland managed to shove his dagger right into his throat, forever silencing him before he could do any more harm to the king and queen. The room was in complete chaos, but the guards refused to allow anyone near. Mercy was losing blood, and fast as Lily pushed her way through to be by her side. Gods the pain was never going to end. Mercy swore she was going to die right there and that her babies would die with her. It was her worst nightmare.
