Chapter 500   - Babies

Five years later.

Brantley Frazier was sitting under the shade of an orange tree, which was part of the orchard his wife had been carefully nurturing from the past three years. He looked to the place where Bianca was teaching their three-year-old son, Philip, how to plant a sapling. She laughed when Philip flooded the sapling with so much water that the stem bent down. She had given him two amazing children. Both had golden hair like him but green eyes like hers. When Philip was born, Brantley thought he was the luckiest man in the world. In thousands of years, the kingdom of Aztec had got their heir. There were so many celebrations in the entire kingdom. People had come to see him and present him with gifts. It was a crazy month. According to Bia, Philip looked like him.

His infant daughter, Leia, who was presently cradled in his right arm, for some reason slept better in her father's arm all the time.

In the morning he had gone to survey his land and taken Philip with him. The boy loved Rirsyr and wanted to fly on him everyday. He had come back by afternoon and still the boy chatted with him nonstop. Brantley never got tired of talking to him.

The Kingdom of Aztec's population had boomed. Over the past five years, five hundred births were registered and he was shocked but extremely happy. The population, which was dying slowly, had recovered at a rapid rate.

Nature was completely restored, and now Rochnan Mountain and the valleys it cradled were a home to so many migratory birds that they were on the verge of becoming a menace.

Bianca never realized that motherhood would bring such a change in her. At first she was wary of being a mother because she thought she was too young to be one, but when their son came into the world, her life automatically got pulled in it. She could never forget the look on Brantley's face the day Philip was born. He had cried.

From where she was, she turned to look at him and found him staring at her. She grinned and he beamed.

This gesture made his heart race like a horse, it always had, even when he watched her from the shadows, even when those grins weren't for him. What could he do? He was obsessed with his wife. Many had pointed that this obsession wasn't good, but he was beyond any cure. Every night when he slept with his son in between them and daughter in the cradle on his side, he would patiently wait for both of his kids to sleep. Then he would cross over to go to his wife and hold her close to his chest.

Bianca caught their son's hand and said, "We need to get ready, darling!" He smiled, showing his front missing teeth. His little fangs were so cute that she laughed. She walked up to Brantley and said, "I think you really need to rush and get dressed."

He looked at his two months old daughter and stroked her tuft of golden hair with a heartbreaking smile. "Hmm…" he said and got up.

---

"Well?" Bianca asked Holly. "How do I look?" She twirled on her heel. She wore black pants over a pale pink silk shirt, which had embroidery of gold thread on its collar and hem.

Holly stepped back to see her handiwork. "You look very… human, Your Highness."

Bianca laughed aloud. "That's where I am going, am I not?" She was going to attend her brother's graduation ceremony from one of the Ivy League colleges. Darius was still single and had the policy of 'Easy Mingle'.

When Brantley came out, she was blown away… again. Garbed in navy blue pants and a white shirt with gold cufflinks, he looked ethereal. She could never get enough of admiring him.

The nannies came to give him his daughter while Bianca picked up their son in her lap. Brantley created the portal and the family stepped in it.

As soon as they were out, Dawn was squealing.

"My baby!" she took Philip in her arms immediately.

Daryn hugged his daughter and immediately walked over to look at his granddaughter. Every time they met, he would nitpick with Dawn as to whom his grandchildren resembled—her or him. This time again, even though he was pressed for time, he observed Leia carefully. "I think this girl looks quite like me, except for those golden hair…"

"No, my dear Silver Crescent Prince!" Dawn's voice came from behind.

"But baby—" Yes, he still called her his baby. It all started with Dawn. His love for her grew every day. If it hadn't been for her, Sedora would have thrived. Softly he murmured just enough for Brantley to hear, "By Skadi, I love that woman."

"Darius!" Bianca said loudly when she saw her brother coming out of his room.

Wearing black pants and a white shirt, Darius looked ruggedly handsome. He had become his college's rugby team captain taking after his Uncle, Cole.

"Ready?" she asked him with her dimpled smile.

"Yes!" he nodded. "But where is Uncle Cole?"

"I am right here!" Cole shouted from the entrance. He came and gave them both a quick hug before hopping to see the kids. "When am I going to have grandkids?" he wondered. Leia was so cute and soft that he knew he would spoil her so much that she wouldn't want to go back to her parents.

Darius and Bianca were left staring at each other. Ever since the kids had entered the world, their importance dwindled to a great extent.

"It's fine sister…" said Darius, patting her back sympathetically. They had resigned to this kind of treatment long back.

The ceremony was about to begin in two hours. Kids were given to the nannies and they all walked to the cars. "Where is Uncle Neal?" asked Darius. "And what about Uncle Caleb?" He looked at his father.

Daryn put his hands up. "Don't ask me. I had sent them the invitations long back!"

They reached the auditorium of the college in an hour's time. Darius found them good places to sit and then disappeared into a throng of students. Suddenly he came back with Neal and Caleb trailing him. "They decided to walk out from the portal under the damned stage!"

While Caleb chuckled, Neal said, "It was his idea, not mine. You should thank me that he didn't come out of the portal on the stage!"

With one last affectionate look at his parents, Darius ran back to where the students were standing. He had graduated summa cum laude in electrical engineering. And he was offered too many jobs, but the boy had decided to join The Silver House, as a Junior Manager. He knew that his father wanted to retire and go on a long holiday with his mom. They both deserved it.

THE END

Dear all,

Thank you for completing this journey with me. While writing this book, I was overwhelmed to see your reactions and your comments. It gave me immense happiness.

Check my other books in the series. Next one is Ileus: The Dark Prince.

See you on the other side!