Playing with Fire

"I just-- I guess. I-- I never really thought about it before." Carina confessed, cheeks warming at the prospect. It had been said out loud with no real thought to it, a comment made without Carina really thinking about his reaction or even what that would mean. How he would read into it. Of course there was no denying that her making such a suggestion meant that she was beginning to see things as he did: more romantic in prospect. However that didn't mean she felt entirely certain about her decisions. There were still anxieties holding her back, the guilt that still kept one foot over a line that she was preparing to cross.

"I-- was just thinking out loud. I'm still-- I'm still getting used to all of this. I don't really know--" She exhaled in a puff of cheeks, head turning to press her forehead exasperatedly against his back again. It was made even worse by his prolonged silence after his bout of surprise. Carina had no doubt that Sven had affection for her now as well as the baby, his actions and gestures and words proved that time and time again. But that didn't mean she was entirely sure as to what he wanted out of their new relationship. Whether his behaviour was meant purely in a close, platonic sort of way and that sharing a bed would be weird... or if he truly did want more.

However, the excitement in his next words were palpable. It was thick and easy to grasp hold of and understand in his tone, which only caused Carina to smile bashfully despite him being unable to see her expression. Her forehead pressed a little firmer against the spot between his shoulders and she bit at her lower lip.

I truly do love yo-

Love.

I truly do love you.

That was what Sven was about to say, wasn't it? Well he practically did, he only didn't finish off the 'you' because their child interrupted. He had practically just declared a love for her without any thought or hesitation. But surely it wasn't the kind of love a husband and wife had for one another. Sure he was eager for them to move ahead with their relationship and for them to share a bed but... but...

Carina couldn't kid herself anymore. This man had just declared that he loved her, and wanted to share a bed with her in the proper way a man and wife should.

While there was no physical reaction of shock to his reaction - Carina had ensured to keep her body still and controlled any natural flinch in reflex at the announcement - her jaw did slacken which caused her lips to part. A small, quiet breath escaped her as the words were repeated over and over again in her mind.

Yet as quick as the words had been spoken, they were forgotten again, or at least for Sven as he peered over his shoulder at her as a result of the faint kick in the back.

The young queen hastily smiled, pulling her head back from him so it was easier for him to move and for their eyes to meet. "I guess we'll see, won't we? You won't be able to continue spoiling them with those sweet treats once they're born, they can't live on fudge alone." She jested.
 
"I know, I just-- I already know I'm not going to be able to restrict myself from spoiling the kid rotten, I suppose. I was never given anything growing up and not to place the full blame onto my parents, but my upbringing played a huge part in how awful I turned out - initially, at least. I want to make sure our child is loved and never neglected, or made to feel like they... they're invisible. But that's just me being silly, really; I know we'll both be great and the kid won't ever feel like I did, it's just... I'm warning you now that I probably won't be able to say no to them when they get older, I'll feel guilty," he laughed under his breath as he adjusted his position as carefully as he could until he was laid on his side, looking at her.

He may have disrupted the closeness, but he worked to immediately resurrect it as he pressed forward to make up the distance between them (as much as the other's pregnant state could allow, at least), an arm resting carefully over her waist and, after inching his legs close, allowed them to adopt the same entangled position amongst hers.

Admittedly, plenty of women had shared the bed with him at some point - before his marriage and (regrettably now things with Carina were better than ever) during it in the early stages. Whether it was Lauren, Natalia or someone else entirely, Sven hadn't really been shy about inviting women into his room and spending a night with them, displaying the sort of debauched tendencies that his own father had happily partaken in. Yet, not a single woman had actually shared his bed longer than was necessary. He would claim that it felt too 'weird' for them to remain cuddled under the covers after the act had been completed, unable to accept them staying long after it when it felt like a commitment.

And if there was one thing Sven had detested the idea of back then, it was committing himself to someone for the rest of his life. He knew he would marry one day, but ideas of staying faithful to a woman he assumed he would never even love had made him and Thorin both laugh during their amused conversations ridiculing it.

...And yet here he was, content in cuddling up close to his wife, already knowing that he wanted no other woman in his life other than her. It was a drastic change to how he had once been just months prior, but... it felt natural; normal. Of all the people who would have brought out the romantic in him, he couldn't have ever envisioned it being the Princess of Eira; a figure who his kingdom had regarded as the enemy for centuries. But he knew without a doubt that he loved her, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life at her side, watching over their kingdom and their family together.

It was a thought that would have sickened the past him, but made the present Sven smile quietly to himself in satisfaction.

"I mean, look at the nursery. I've gone overboard; I think I went into a sort of daze when I was preparing it because there's far too many teddy bears in there for one baby to snuggle up to. Though-- I suppose it's worth keeping them all, for when-- we have another child," he admitted, albeit with a slight hesitation; a caution in realising they hadn't actually discussed the arrangements that had been put in place at the start of their marriage. Promises to carry 'spares' had been all he had required her to uphold for him and while he still had a desire for more children, to create the family he never really experienced growing up, it no longer felt like a necessity.

He actually cared about Carina now and he wasn't prepared to force her body through another pregnancy if she felt one was all she could handle in her lifetime.

"If we have another, I should say. It's... not a requirement, Carina. The... arrangement isn't valid, so... if after this child you decide you don't want another, that you don't wish to go through it all again, then we'll just be a little family of three. I'm-- happy if you're happy."
 
It couldn't be helped, the blush that only deepened as he turned onto his other side to face her. The further colouring brought on by his arm falling over her waist (therefore also over the side of the bump) and his legs tangling with hers once more. Of course the way they were before had been intimate as well, but the previous experiences had been instigated by her and the positions chosen by her. This time he had been the one to make the moves, so to speak, which she knew was encouraged by both her recent display of affection, but due to the position they had adopted before.

Carina was just thankful for the darkness that surely hid the display of deep pink that shaded her cheeks.

As he reflected on his astounding change of opinions regarding loving anyone, and the many women he had countlessly had in this bed, Carina was doing the opposite. Of course she did briefly wonder just how this change of heart had come about so rapidly. It was safe to say that she too never expected to be in this sort of predicament with a person who belonged to long line of royals that her own ancestors despised venomously. She never thought, at any point, that she would one day be curled up in his bed, gushing over their future child.

It was there that Carina hastily redirected her thoughts, as they turned to the cold coupling that they had endured during the first months of their marriage. How bitter it was that even during such an act they continuously tried to get one up on each other, either him taunting her with how disgusted her ancestors would be, and her laughing at how she managed to draw out sounds of pleasure from him. An act that should have been filled with love and joy and mutual pleasure had been overwhelmed with fury and hatred and lacked any true passion.

She also couldn't help but react to his mention of the deal they had made, the morning after she had spent the night in the cells with Emmett's head. A desperate attempt to win some sort of dignity for her brother and his body. An heir and two spares, she had promised him, completely compliant. So long as she could provide her brother with a burial in Eira.

"Let's-- let's not mention... that," she said quietly, loosening the fist that had formed around the material of his shirt, "E-ever, ever again. I-I know it's... not... I know it's not valid anymore. Let's leave it at that, shall we?"

A soft swallow was audible as Carina pushed herself past that brief moment of emotion, both glad that she no longer had to hide the reaction it caused but also wishing she still could, since she didn't want to inflict any further guilt onto Sven.

"Y-yes, all those teddies. I think we need to talk about those, Sven. I'm concerned the baby'll end up suffocating because of how many cuddly toys it'll be swallowed up by in the crib." She teased weakly, "As for... future... children. Let's see how this one goes first, shall we? If this one is crier we might both decide that one experience is enough if we don't get enough sleep."
 
Even though the remark had been made in the hope of reassuring her that she didn't need to see through any plans that had been made when the atmosphere between them was cold and cutting, he had overlooked the promise he had made in return; the one that regarded a burial place for her brother. Not that it was much of a burial place, of course, but that was something he was now seeking to put right; do her brother justice after an untimely death and the embarrassment of a burial ground that he didn't deserve.

They had talked briefly about Emmett since his passing (or rather, brutal murder, but it was better for his emotional and mental wellbeing if he didn't think too much about the specificities of the death) but each conversation had been just that: brief. The less they dwelled on what had happened to Emmett, the better - it wasn't easy for a sister who had cherished their brother to ponder on what had unfairly happened to him, especially when it had been at the hand of the man she now had grown fond of.

And it was always easier for Sven to avoid dwelling on the topic aloud too. It plagued him constantly but he didn't admit as such aloud because of the difficulties he still had admitting what he had done, that entire situation being the biggest regret he had.

So inadvertently referencing the promise she had made when the one he had made in return was about Emmett caused Sven to fall silent, spending several moments in that quietness. He didn't want to ruin the moment they were having by falling once more into his guilt when he knew he had been forgiven for the act - what had happened in the past was best left there, she had said so herself.

But it was difficult not to focus on the incident whenever it was brought to the forefront of his mind, spending those few seconds thinking back to that moment in the hall that night; the switch of personality as he let his facade drop and cut Emmett down where he so bravely stood. Thankful that the dark masked much of the emotion that had fallen over his expression, he didn't need to force the chuckle that left his throat at the following words, just as thankful for the change in conversation.

"I have gone a little mad with it all, I admit. I got carried away, I suppose. Some of them are gifts from the people, though; I don't think I could throw them away," he admitted as he held the mental image of the nursery as it currently was in his mind; an image that disrupted at the vision of a crying baby laying in the crib, screaming at the top of its lungs in the middle of the night for a feed.

"...I'm not going to lie to you, I'm rather looking forward to that. Being woken in the night. Maybe I have gone mad; lost my mind. I'm sure it'll irk me eventually, but-- I can't pretend it doesn't make me emotional, Carina. The image of you taking our baby close in the night as they cuddle up to you, me at your side-- it's, ah... it's a domestic scene I never envisioned myself being a part of so knowing it'll be a reality, our reality, is... everything to me.""
 
"I'll reach into that crib hoping to pull out our child to comfort them or feed them, and instead I'll be holding onto one of those countless stuffed toys." Carina smiled, grateful that he didn't try to pull the topic back to that of their past, pleased he had allowed the conversation to move forward. Just as they were doing together.

Her hand reached up for a finger to softly trail down the slope of his nose in a mindless gesture. It then pulled back, to tuck as a closed fist just under her cheek. Her gaze flickered over him, studying him, or at least what she could see of him in the darkness. She couldn't ever really do that before, unable to look at him for too long for the sheer awkwardness that overcame her. She would look when she knew he wasn't. When he was too occupied with something else, like fussing with items in the nursery or focusing on his sketchbook. Not for too long though, lest she got caught.

"Come back and tell me you love it once it's happened every night for the first week." She chuckled, this time being the one to roll over onto her other side. She encouraged his arm further over her side, therefore silently asking for him to move closer. She took his hand to rest it over the bump, where some faint movement could also be felt beneath the surface. Almost as if the baby was turning in its own bed.

Her lips curled up into a fond smile once more as he painted such images in her head, eyes closing so she could envision them all the more vividly. It was a nice thought to have, one that she would tuck away and come back to whenever she found herself feeling low.

It was hard to believe that after everything they had been through, this was going to be the outcome. What Carina had wished for, to have someone who cherished her and who would hold her hand through the birth... it was finally happening. Granted, the last seven months had been missed to share that building excitement with but...

"Better late than never." She whispered, not really intending for him to hear but in her loss of thought, the words slipping out regardless. Her eyes opened as she realised she spoke out loud, blinking a few times.

Carina then licked her lips and turned her head to peer at him over her shoulder, "I know it's a stupid question but I-- I don't know what Ignisian's typically do on the day," she bit at the inside of her cheek before continuing, "Will you be there? In the room with me? When it's all-- when it's all happening? I-- I want... I want you to be. If-If you can. If it doesn't break a-a tradition for you... or anything..."
 
"I told you, I can't help but spoil the little one - even if they're yet to be born. I admit I might have a little problem, that I've gone overboard, but... well, I'm excited, aren't I? It's hard to restrain myself," he replied with the same tone of playfulness, before contently settling into the new position afforded to him: he snuggled closer, head resting near hers and arm residing over her waist, his hand finding place on the bump where the little movements from within it brought the smile back to his lips.

He held onto her with a mixture of gentleness and protectiveness, the former for obvious reasons given her condition - which was also the reasoning for the latter too, however contradictory it was. He found the right combination of the two as he let his breathing slow and shut his eyes, taking in the peace that grew in the room as he finally settled back down to get some sleep.

Having assumed that their whispered conversations had come to an end, he peeked open one eye to ensure she had opted to speak again (and that he wasn't just imagining things). The other eye opened when he had confirmed that she had started to talk, though he wasn't disgruntled by it. In fact, the topic they had wandered onto was one he had intended to bring up with her at some point, wanting to iron out the details now to avoid confusion on the day. He would stay out of the room if that was what she desired, of course... but he wanted nothing more than to be there when it happened, to see his son or daughter take their first breaths as they came into the world; watch their eyes open for the first time and feel their whole hand clutch onto a single finger of his.

Hearing Carina actively desire his presence on the day was hardly a question he needed to contemplate, any fear he had of being left out of such a huge personal event fading immediately.

"I... want nothing more than to be with you, Carina, so if you don't mind me pacing about for hours and being more nervous than you, then-- of course I'll be there. Granted, I would be breaking a long-standing Ignisian tradition in doing so, most of my ancestors had chosen not to be present when their wife is giving birth, to celebrate with close friends. My father was playing poker when I was born, actually; only popped in to see if he'd had a son, and then disappeared again to raucously celebrate but-- well, I don't have any friends to celebrate with, even if the idea interested me. It-- It doesn't of course. I'd rather be at your side, helping you through it," he promised as he caught her gaze even in the dark of the room, hoping it was enough to reassure her because he didn't really want to move his arm and adjust his position to do so; not when they were as comfortable as they currently were.

"...I should also say that I don't remotely care if we have a daughter, you know? There's been a preference for sons in my family and-- and my father threatened to find himself another wife if my mother birthed him a daughter, in fact. But I don't-- I don't care, I don't want you thinking I'd prefer a son because-- it isn't true. I'd treasure a daughter as much as I would a son - and if we have a daughter first, she'd be my heir. I don't require a son to take the throne, I'm-- going to break that tradition too, I think. If we have a girl first, she's the heir, that's-- just the fairest way to do it, I think."
 
Relief flooded her at his confirmation that he would be beside her during the birth, and not just that he would be there but also wanted to be by her side was the biggest reassurance of all. She held his gaze through the darkness, watching him despite the lack of light that allowed her to really see what expression he may have had on his features in that moment. But his voice was enough; still soft, still gentle, still full of love. He would be by her side, regardless of what traditions people may believe he ought to be indulging in while she was pushing through the pain.

"You won't be pacing," she murmured eventually, head still turned to look at him, "You'll be sat or kneeling besides the bed because your hands is going to be in mine, you understand?" She smiled lightly, "I'm going to be clinging to your hand during every moment, I hope you realise that. There won't be any time for pacing while I'm crushing your hand in mine."

It was oddly satisfying to know that they were going to be breaking traditions of both their kingdoms with their future child. Carina knew that her father hadn't been present at her or Emmett's birth. It wasn't as bad as Sven's, where his father had been drinking and playing poker of course. At least her father had been sat in his office with a solitary glass of wine with an adviser or two, waiting for the midwife's assistant or a servant to come and fetch him.

The tradition of succession will also be broken, if Sven's words were true. In Eira things were different to Ignis, where Carina could take the throne as the heir and firstborn, and while she would be the one to make decisions and be looked to for leadership... she would have still been expected to marry before her coronation. It was still believed that a kingdom needed a King, whether he was heavily involved or not.

A smile pulled further at her lips at his confession, eyes continuing to flicker over his face as her heart swelled further with emotion she could no longer ignore. Her arm moved, so her hand was removed from his, but soon came to rest back on his cheek. "I know you wouldn't care. I know you would have loved them regardless of whoever they were." She reassured him, thumb brushing against his skin.

"You're... you're truly going to be a fantastic father, Sven. From the first day we found out, right up to now... I've never once been worried. I know you'll treat them fairly and I know you'll do everything you can to make sure they know they're loved and wanted and safe. Really, I-- I mean it. I knew before all of this but I... now I can tell you. I can tell you I've never once worried..."
 
"You're going to make me cry, Carina - and unlike you, I have no hormones to blame for me being so emotional. It's embarrassing," he laughed under his breath as he moved a hand to wipe over his face, presumably to wipe away a few stray tears that had fallen from his eyes. Becoming so tearful over the compliments regarding him being a father was justifiable given how much he had longed for a child, and how eager he was to be a better, more loving and attentive father than his own had been - but he still didn't expect to be brought to tears about it.

Carina had often told him during that month how good a father he would be but in the intimate setting they were currently in, with his arm nestled contently over her waist, it was hard not to feel that rush of emotion overwhelm him given how close he was to having something he never thought would happen for him - a family.

He had always known he would be a father in one way or another, but having a family and bringing up his child in that environment hadn't even been considered because he never once thought he would fall in love with Carina in the way he had. To have a wife who he legitimately loved with his entire heart and now be so close to bringing a child in the world to start their family... it was hard for him not to spring up a few tears at how everything seemed to be falling so perfectly into place for them.

"...I know I've been less than complimentary about your... future parenting skills in the past, when we didn't see eye to eye, but I genuinely... I didn't mean it, Carina. It was said to hurt you because there was nothing I was more certain of than you being a good mother; having all the characteristics of one. I wouldn't admit it, of course, but... I had to admit it to myself that you would probably excel as a mother. I just assumed at the time that you wouldn't have a chance to show it, I wasn't going to let you anywhere near our child," he admitted with a faint frown to himself at how cruel the past decision had been. Even if he had despised Carina at the time and sought to hurt her in the most vicious of ways, separating her from her own child really was unjustifiable and having to admit aloud that that was the sort of person he was back then wasn't particularly easy.

Though he could hardly deny how brutal he had been when his past actions spoke for themselves as evidence.

"--But you'll be terrific, as I always knew you would be-- shall we stop with the mushy stuff? Because I'm sure I'll just end up bawling my eyes out if we continue," he snorted under his breath, sniffling soon after to force back the next wave of tears that threatened to expel. "I-- I'm not even being hyperbolic; I'm right on the verge of blubbering like a fool."
 
"You-- you don't need to explain, Sven. Nor do you have to keep apologising. We-- we've agreed, haven't we? To leave the past in the past?" Carina kept her hand to his cheek, this time as a reassuring presence that she was sincere in her words. They were also a reflection of her own guilt, of the plan she hoped now to keep buried away forever.

She didn't want to continuously be reminded of what he had initially planned to do once the baby had been born. Or once he had squeezed the spares out of her that she had promised to provide. Carina wasn't a fool, she knew that he had planned to keep her and her first born apart. The same for the second. Before she was undoubtedly killed after the third.

But she also knew they both had a lot to apologise for, and undoubtedly if they felt like they had to apologise each time they remembered how cruel they were to each other, the majority of their lives together would be spent saying: I'm sorry. She didn't want their lives to be like that. Of course it would have been so much better to have not had their lives together begin in such a way that made them feel like they had to keep apologising to each other now they were happy with one another. But if that was the case, then perhaps they would have never have met. Their hatred having come from a deep seated war that had started long before they were born.

If their ancestors hadn't started the fight in which Sven's father ended... then where would they have even been in that moment?

Carina laughed a little and leaned back into him slightly so she could press her forehead against his. She sighed softly, wetting her lips just after as her eyes closed. "We're both going to be incredibly mushy, as you put it, when this baby arrives. So I suppose I can stop and allow you to save your tears for when that day comes." She teased, pulling back eventually.

Holding there, Carina paused, knowing she could easily just turn her head back and for them to settle down to go to sleep. Instead she found herself not wanting to, keeping her head turned to face him and her thumb stilled against his cheek. There was a flicker of uncertainty, before Carina hesitantly closed the gap between them once more to press her lips against his.
 
"I know we agreed, I just... you know, I can't help it. I was a... let's face it, I was a bastard to you and I suppose I can't quite believe the fact you gave me a chance to prove that I'd evolved since then. It still bewilders me that you did that and I guess me apologising so frequently is... an attempt to reassure you you didn't make a mistake in forgiving me, letting me change. I... don't want you to wake up and regret it, think you made a mistake and that I've not changed. But... I'm trying to stop bringing the past up, I know it isn't helpful. I'm just... I don't want to ever lose you," he admitted under his breath, biting on the inside part of his cheek to withhold the apology that threatened to leave his lips again.

Reiterating his apologies so often only brought up the past they had promised to leave behind them, so he was trying to work on honouring his word and moving on from their uncomfortable past together.

But it was difficult when he feared that she would one day wake up and assume she was being manipulated by him; that he had succeeded in tricking her once again. Losing her was perhaps his greatest fear at this point and the constant apologies were a way of reassuring her that her decision to trust him hadn't been a mistake; that what they had was genuine.

He breathed out slowly to unwind and relax himself again. He wanted her to trust him, but he also knew he had to trust her in return - and if she said she had forgiven him, if she promised that she saw and believed in the man he now was, then he trusted her completely in those statements. It might bewilder him how she could forgive him for his past but he trusted her when she said she had.

Feeling her press her forehead lightly to his relaxed him more than anything else could, the King quietly easing back into the affectionate positioning and making the most of their close proximity, aware more than ever that Carina consistently brought calm and contentment into his life. He let his eyes closed as he absorbed that calmness, a smile resting naturally on his lips as he once again assumed they were about to drift into sleep.

And once again, he was incorrect in that assumption, his eyes opening in surprise at the feeling of Carina's lips pressing lightly to his own. For a moment, he remained still - not because he didn't want to kiss her back, but because he was so painfully aware of how horrid their kisses had been in the past. The kiss on their wedding day had been awkward and represented a life together that neither of them at the time had desired. The only other instances of kissing had occurred during their efforts to conceive, when Sven had fallen for Carina's purposeful grabs of power and control over him, his kisses then emblematic of the loss of power and dominance and thus moments he had resented intensely at the time.

This was the first kiss between them that was void of hatred and manipulation. It was genuine and a representation of the love that had miraculously blossomed between the two, so Sven felt warranted in taking a moment to appreciate how momentous it was. The moment was only a second in duration, with the man wasting little time in reciprocating the kiss, his hand reaching to hold her cheek to eagerly encourage the kiss to continue.
 
Carina could only remain locked in that position for a certain amount of time, the twisted nature of her neck being turned over her shoulder soon beginning to ache her shoulders. It was something she would regret, considering how she didn't want the display of affection, dare she say love, to end.

His hand on her cheek only served to encourage her. It allowed her to know that the kiss was wanted, despite his slight hesitance beforehand. However Carina had hoped it was simply the shock of her actions, since she wasn't exactly forthcoming with her emotions before. She could only imagine it was a surprise for him, to have her kiss her after she had barely spoken verbally of how she felt. Perhaps yet another difference between them. Sven seemed to speak freely, passionately, about his emotions; perhaps something indictive of Ignis. While Carina was more... actions based, preferring to show and not tell; uncomfortable in such confessions after how she had been raised in Eira. Too be cold, neutral, dismissive even.

"I was no better sometimes, Sven," she finally whispered against his lips, having pulled back reluctantly. Carina shifted so she lay on her other side, facing him, bump in between them. She could imagine them like this someday, except with an actual child between them instead. "I was not innocent in the war between us... I said my fair share, did my fair share..." She trailed off, thinking to her dismissed plan with Lauren and her eyes closed as she exhaled.

Her eyes opened again, focusing back onto him. Her hand slipped from his cheek to rest under his chin, thumb lightly brushing over his lower lip. "I-- know I don't talk much about how I'm feeling. But I will-- I will try to now." She began, thumb grazing from the centre of his lower lip to the corner of his mouth before sweeping up to his cheek again. "I... am scared of losing you too. That the-- things done and said in the past will one day take you from me too. But-- but we've agreed, have we not? Things done, said, and thought of in the past... they belong there."

Lips soon found his again, softly moving against his, and her hand moved to his to bring it down onto her bump. She pulled back again, smiling faintly, "This is where we look to now. Our child, and our future together. We will forgive each other, and continue to forgive each other... as human beings, as rulers and-- and as husband and wife. As-- as loves."

She raised her gaze from it had fallen back down onto the bump, meeting his eyes with some tears finally glistening within her own, "Now I'm the one blubbering like a fool." She chuckled, hand moving to wipe at her eyes, "We should sleep, be-before I become a real mess."
 
It was certainly true that those in Ignis tended to communicate their emotions just as clearly as they displayed them, being raised in environments where expressing themselves was never something they had to restrain or limit. It was a much less complicated way of living, without having to hold back on communicating how they felt like their counterparts in Eira and appear cold as a result - and even Sven who had chosen to hold back his true thoughts and feelings most of his life for the purposes of manipulation couldn't claim to be so different from his fellow countrymen.

His outburst tendencies were an outcome of his Ignisian upbringing, and when he abandoned his manipulativeness in favour of openness and honesty, he had learnt to fully appreciate just how naturally he was able to communicate his innermost thoughts and feelings.

But just because he could do so effectively didn't mean he expected the same from Carina. He was aware that they had different upbringings and so had decided not to force her into settling any questions he had over what their relationship status, and how they felt for one another, was - especially when doing so ran the risk of losing what they had, even if it had been without specification and clarity until now.

The kiss, therefore, had been the last thing he expected from her, despite his inklings that she liked him more than she admitted to aloud. The fact she initiated the romance and all but confirmed that she harboured a love for him that he had vocalised constantly during that month for her was surprising - but he couldn't dwell on the shock of it when the contentment that fulfilled him soon overshadowed everything else.

Once the kiss broke and he heard that vocal confirmation, he rested his head back onto the pillow with the unsubtlety of his smile perking further in the delight, each word like music to his ears. There was nothing he desired more than to hear her confess her love for him and her intent to continue forward with him as husband and wife - no longer were they enemies reluctantly sharing the throne, but they were a married couple; a united front where the love between them was genuine and made them all the more stronger because of it.

"I... suppose we ought to sleep, yes. Just... Just know that I love you, Carina; with my entire heart. And I will spend every day from this moment on being the husband and father you and our child deserve. But-- yeah. Sleep. These emotional confessionals really do take it out of me," he laughed as he shifted his position as close to her as was possible, his arm resting back in that gentle, protective position and his eyes taking in the sight of her cuddled up beside him for as long as he could before his eyelids grew heavy and eventually lacked the stamina to remain open any further.
 
That night was the first of many that Carina fell asleep wrapped up in Sven's arms. It wasn't long after that night together that the young queen sought to organise a shared bedroom for the both of them, a little project she undertook in order to keep herself busy during the final stages of her pregnancy. She didn't want to be laying around for the last few weeks, despite the soreness of ankles and aches in her back. She wanted to remain active, so occupied herself with the layout and design of the new bedroom she planned for her and Sven to share.

It was only a door or two down from the baby's nursery, on the other side of the hallway, and just as spacious as either of their bedrooms before. Instead of Ignisian colours, she had it decorated with their new colours of purple. But not too much, lest it become to ghastly and tasteless. Mixed with soft dove greys that she felt was a nice compromise between the Ignisian smoke grey and the Eirian ice silver, the purples were subtle accent pieces throughout the room.

The only added feature to this room that neither of theirs had before, was that of a crib at the side nearest Carina's. Not for the lack of want for the child to be close to Sven, but simply for practicality when it came to feeding at night.

It seemed like the portrait Sven was painting of Carina was also close to completion, even with the young queen becoming less comfortable for sitting for any period of time as of late as the birth loomed closer.

That night of confessions and affection and emotional detail helped Carina feel like she had turned a corner. She had admitted her feelings in her own, Eirian way, and she was certain Sven knew just how she felt through the acts of affection and the attention she provided him. It felt like there was hardly a moment now where she wasn't touching him in some way, through the softest of leg grazes to her openly taking his hand to rest it on her bump. Carina was present, and making her feelings known quite clearly, if to the shock and surprise of other staff within the castle.

One morning, Carina sat in her old room with the new maid that had been assigned to her. She had yet to show off the finished, joint room to Sven, something she had been keeping quiet since she had started planning it. So they were still both currently in their own rooms, despite Carina often sneaking into Sven's and vice versa as of late.

The young queen stood, chatting away easily to the maid that was about to help her into the bath for a late morning soak. Her sleep had been restless the night before, aches plaguing her and making her uneasy. However, as she stood, Carina instantly went still as she felt something warm and wet between her legs.

"Y-Your Highness--" The maid gasped, instantly offering a hand and an arm out to the queen. Carina immediately, gratefully, took it to steady herself as she immediately became dizzy. "Your H-Highness. I-- I think-- I think--"

Carina was quick to sit herself back down, glad that she did as in the next moment the first lot of contractions slammed into her. She grit her teeth, a soft and low groan escaping her as she breathed through it. "G-Get the King." She demanded, pausing in her demands as another wave hit her, her hand spasming around the girl's arm. "Go get my husband!"

The maid ran for the door, yelling for someone to fetch the King of Ignis. Carina then realised, an idiotic worry overcoming her which caused her to stand again. The maid left the bedroom door open and returned to the queen's side, "Your Highness, you-- you need to sit down. Or get in the bed. You should get on your bed. The midwife--"

"--No! No, I-- I need to be in the other room. In the other bedroom. O-Our bedroom. The-- has to be born there. Baby has to be--" She panted, managing to make it to the foot of her bed before having to grip onto it, doubling over with another slow and harsh exhale out through gritted teeth. "My Queen, I-- I don't think that's such a good--"

"Where's Sven? Where is he? Where's-- where's my husband? I-- I told you to get him." Carina interrupted, head turned to look at the maid who seemed hesitant to leave her, "I-- I sent word with another servant, Your Highness. He-- he should be on his way soon."
 
The first night they had shared together in bed seemed to be the breakthrough that they had both needed because every interaction after it just seemed more... natural. There were no hesitations to be found in offering her affection in public, rather than quietly in an empty library where he felt a great deal of reservation in whether he ought to risk what they had by being so bold as to even hold her cheek. After that night together, where she had finally been as open as she could be with her feelings, it felt like the final piece of the jigsaw that had remained missing for so long had finally been recovered and set neatly into place.

There was a lightness around them, an easiness to their romantic interactions where they, as husband and wife, could initiate and reciprocate affection without doubt, hesitation or concern. It came naturally after their breakthrough moment and as each day passed after it, Sven was able to fully appreciate the fulfilling, content marriage that he could now boast of - a fact he still struggled to fully accept was his reality but one he was never going to take for granted.

He knew how lonely he had been in the past now he had his present to compare it with, and what he had now he treasured; enough to make sure he never did anything to screw it all up. He couldn't imagine loving someone as much as he loved Carina, after all - and there was no other woman he wanted to wake up besides and have the love of than her.

With her due date growing ever closer, it was probably a good thing for all involved that Sven had found himself bogged down with complex trade negotiations or he would have inevitably fussed about Carina every second of every day. His desire to care for her was admirable but his self-awareness over how much he fretted and fussed over her was somewhat ignored the closer her due date became. Even with the business dealings distracting him, he still managed to be a constant presence - but wasn't as full-on as he might have otherwise been if not for the royal duties tearing him away; ones he would have embarked upon with Carina at his side if she wasn't as far along in the pregnancy as she was.

Like much of that fortnight, the King could be found at his office reading over several papers and scrolls in an effort to make some progress with the intricate trade deals - a job that had yet to see many breakthroughs but the positives of a success was all the motivation he needed to throw all his energy into working something out, however improbable it seemed when the other kingdom was unyieldingly stubborn.

He had just paused to light up a cigarette (a habit he was trying to kick for Carina but struggled to do so in times of stress, like this) when a servant interrupted the motion. He didn't need to hear any of the words that left their lips, the expression telling him all he needed to know. Without hesitation, and uncaring about the stack of papers that had collapsed onto the floor in his abrupt motion upwards, he strode from the room to make his way through the castle to Carina's. He imagined his hurry to be at her side would be just another shock to the servants that were well aware of the Ignisian traditions of his male ancestors who chose to stay away from the births of their children - but it was a thought he would properly dwell on another time.

All he cared about in that moment was being with Carina, and remaining dutifully at her side for as many hours as it took until their son or daughter entered the world.

"Okay, okay, I'm here; hey, I'm here," he quickly reassured once reaching the doorway, a slight expression of confusion falling over him when he acknowledged her movements towards the door in an effort to leave the room. He glanced towards the maid in that confusion but didn't spare the time to vocally question why she was trying to make an exit, instead reaching for her arm to steady her.

"...Deep breaths, okay? Just... lean against me if that helps, let me support your weight, Carina-- do you want to go to our room? Is... that where you want to give birth? I-- r-right. Right, yes, of course, let's... let's do that then. Keep clutching onto my arm; dig your nails right in if you have to, it'll be nothing compared to what you'll be going throu-- I'm babbling. Ignore me. Let's just... take small steps, alright? And focus on the breathing, I'm sure the midwife said that was important."
 
Her eyes lifted to the doorway immediately the moment she saw a figure stood within the frame, ice-blue eyes wide with fright at what was happening to her, at the pain she was experiencing. Carina couldn't latch on to her husband quick enough, a hand grappling to hold onto his forearm once he was close enough. Her body remained half resting on him, and half leaning against the foot of her bed. Her hand tightened around his arm as another, slow and painful cramp made its way though her abdomen, a soft squeak and heavy exhale the only result.

She nodded her head furiously to his questions, grateful she didn't have to spell it out to him, "I-- I wanted to show y-you it before this. I had it-- I had it all planned out." She whined, looking back up to him since the last contraction had her doubling over, "I--'d decorated it... specially... and-and everything."

Carina allowed him to guide her to that new bedroom, having to stop every so often just to ride out whatever contractions her body threw at her. By the time they arrived, sweat was beading at the young queen's forehead and she was gripping so firmly onto Sven's hand that her knuckles were turning white.

She had seen her creation so many times over the last few days, that the change of colours from Ignisian reds and blacks to the soft greys and royal purples didn't faze her. Besides, there wasn't much that could distract her at that moment in time.

Her maid and the midwife's assistant, since both her and the actual midwife had arrived by that point too, hurriedly and hastily pulled off the throw pillows from the bed and prepared it, pulling back the sheets and laying down towels. Trolleys with hot water and further towels were rolled in to stop at the end of the bed. Carina felt a moment of panic at the sight of surgical tools, mind flashing back to the nightmare with the physician, which caused her other hand to raise up and clasp tightly onto Sven's upper arm. But when no physician walked in, and the door was quietly closed shut rather than slammed, her frenzied fears dissipated.

The young queen carefully climbed onto the bed at the encouragement of the midwife, resting back into the pillows just in time for another contraction. As she laid out, her hand moved to get a better grip on Sven's, bringing it up to her lips which pressed briefly against his knuckles. There she then kept it for a moment, her lips grazing over the back of his hand as she whispered an inaudible plea addressed to her mother.

Eventually she allowed their hands to fall so they rested against the mattress. "You're-- not quite ready yet, Your Majesty. Only... five centimetres. We need you up to ten. There's... still some time before we meet baby." The midwife told her sympathetically, glancing between the spouses. Her gaze lingered on Sven, as if slightly surprised he was still around.

Carina tipped her head back, exhaling heavily at the news as her eyes squeezed shut.
 
Over the month, Sven had purposely kept himself distanced from the bedroom he would share with Carina, determined to make sure that the first time he saw the renovations would be when his wife brought him in to show him all of her hard work. As curious as he had been over it, and however tempted he might have been to sneak a glance in on the progress whenever he had some spare time on his hands, he had stuck to his promise and refused even the briefest of glances, purely so Carina could see the genuine first impression of her work on his expression.

It was slightly upsetting that his first impression of the space was somewhat (or rather, vastly) overshadowed by the fact Carina was in labour and thereby naturally took all his attention, though he allowed himself a moment to peer around the room once he stepped forward into it. Immediately, he recognised the effort she had gone to into making it a space where the kingdom's new colours could shine proudly, the notes of purple a representation of their newfound united front of collaboration and peace - and to have their room significant of that new start together would have made him gush proudly over her achievements if it weren't for the fact she currently had labour pains to contend with and probably didn't need him bothering her with excitable gushing.

"...She's... only halfway there, then? Still... five centimetres to go. That's quite a lot, isn't it? All this pain and we're not even close..." He remarked absently as he dragged an armchair situated near the window to settle it beside the bed, where he intended to remain for as long as Carina desired his presence - hopefully until their child was born and resting peacefully in her arms. Although, he recognised that if he did want to stay, he needed to stop dropping unhelpful comments that only served to emphasise the pain she was in and still had ahead of her, his self-awareness of it causing an apologetic smile to cross on his face as he pressed back against the chair in an effort to unwind and relax.

It was hard to do so when Carina was in such pain and the realisation that they were at the final stage before they had their child was kicking in... but he couldn't spend the next long few hours in a state of nervousness and panic; not when it was the last thing Carina needed.

"I'm sure it'll fly by; the time, I mean. They'll bring you something to help with the pain, I imagine, so you won't have to endure the intensity of it for too much longer," he began gently, his eyes glancing up at the nearby midwife in hopes of confirmation of that fact. "I'm sure there's something you can do to help with the pain, isn't there? Or... at least some incense we can burn for some calm?"
 
"Her... Her Majesty didn't want any...Sire. Q-Queen Carina... wants an all natural birth." The midwife explained hesitantly, once more looking between the two. She had answered for Carina, since the young woman was breathing heavily through another set of contractions. The young queen gritted her teeth together as she rode the wave, hand spasming around Sven's until she was finally able to relax again.

Her head turned to look at him, eyes opening, "Some incense would be lovely though," she assured him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze so he knew it was her and not a reaction to the pain. "A-and some ice-chips. I'd make them-- I'd make them myself but I think it best to keep my e-energy directed to our child." She smiled faintly, a weak attempt at a joke. Carina then paused, as if considering something, before going on to speak again: "I know-- I know you have some nervous energy bundled up inside you... would you like to fetch them for me--" She cut off, hissing at another set of cramps before being able to continue, "--Nothing's going to be happening here. You'll be there and back before anything happens."

She didn't want him to leave her side for one minute, both because she selfishly wanted support but also because she knew how important it was for him to be there. However Carina was so painfully aware of how long it may take, with it being her first child. She didn't want him to become restless or grow with anxiety.

"Don't, for one minute, think me asking this of you is because I don't want you here. It's simply because I don't want... you getting bored. There'll be plenty of time for everything, I promise I won't make up those five centimetres while you're gone." She chuckled before wincing again in pain.

Carina glanced to the midwife, "Incense would be fine, wouldn't it?" She inquired, to which she got a reluctant nod. Carina glanced back to Sven, smiling as she took her hand away from his to cup his cheek, "Get yourself some water too... you look a little pale." She teased, eyes flickering over him.
 
"What do you mean 'she didn't want any'? That's... I suppose that's her call," he conceded as he pushed himself back against the chair, unable to comprehend her decision or hide that shock from settling on his expression. He would undoubtedly support whatever decision she had come to but it was fair to say that he failed to understand how she could willingly go through this amount of discomfort without seeking to lessen its intensity.

The idea of a natural birth evidently didn't sound all that appealing and especially not for him when he had to witness how the labour was affecting the woman he loved... but he wasn't about to pressure her into something she had set her mind on.

All he could therefore do was nod in agreement and do his best to comfort her through the worst of the pain, armed with nothing but a few hot towels, incense sticks and her request of ice chips. It hardly seemed enough to distract her from the cramping, nor comfort her from them, but he knew better than to question her choices - especially when she was dealing with the pain and didn't need to have her irritation levels rise because of his idiotic questions.

Anything he could do to be a help and not a hindrance was something he was eager for, though physically leaving the room felt more difficult than it should have been. He knew that there would be hours ahead of them before the baby's arrival and so popping out for five minutes would hardly make a difference right now... though he felt an intense need to be at her side throughout every second, however restless he might become as the minutes turned into hours.

"Is... that alright? I mean, I could do with some water and, admittedly, a cigarette or two..." He admitted as he eased himself up from the armchair, a cautious glance sent towards the midwife in the faint hope that she might contradict the Queen and recommend the King stayed put - but the chances of that were slim when he was the first King in the recent centuries to be present during the entire process; his presence was an anomaly, not the norm.

"Right. Okay, I can... pop out and get those things. I'll be five minutes, ten at the most if I do have that cigarette-- I will quit, Carina, but I think I need to have a few today to cope with-- all of this. If you think I'm anxious now, I'd be unbearable if I didn't have a smoke," continued Sven as he settled on taking his momentary leave, giving her hand a quick squeeze in reassurance before making his exit. He didn't want to, and he felt almost guilty for heading out when Carina was left to deal with the pain without his support but collecting the items to help with the process was the best thing he could do for her right now.

He eventually returned with the cup of ice-chips in one hand, a glass of water in the other and the incense sticks tucked into the pocket of his trousers. With a quiet smile, he set the items in his hands down on the nearby surface and reached into the other pocket for the incense holder, placing the sticks carefully into the holes and lighting each one with a tap of his finger. The calming aromatic smell each one gave off once he blew out the flame made him smile in pride at having come up with a good idea that would hopefully benefit his wife, peering back across to her once fulfilling the responsibility.

"They're rather potent but... I'm sure it'll help relax you a little. And-- the ice chips are right here whenever you need them. I-- got a little anxious and melted the first cup I prepared for you, hence the time I took to get back-- what do we do now? Sit and... wait?"
 
While he was away, the midwife and her assistant helped Carina into a new and more comfortable position on the bed. Pillows had been repositioned so she was partially laying down and partially sitting up, in that odd limbo between positions. It was safe to say the young queen felt very vulnerable, in only a simple nightdress and two people that she didn't particularly know very well in the room with her. Of course she knew they could be trusted, they had been checked and vetted before being chosen as those who would help bring the heir into the world.

But the tension in her shoulders didn't really leave until Sven arrived back. A small smile of relief pulled at her lips the moment he entered the room again, hand rubbing at the bottom of her stomach which was experiencing lighter cramps than before.

Carina took a deep breath in as he began lighting the incense, forcing her body to relax as she turned her head back to look up at the ceiling. She forced herself to go through her breathing exercises, not just for the pain, but to keep herself from becoming so riddled in her anxiety that she couldn't do anything. She needed to remain focused and calm, not panicked.

"S'perfect." She murmured in reassurance, reaching out a hand once he had sat down which went in search of his.

The midwife, meanwhile, nodded with a sympathetic but almost sheepish look on her face, "I'm afraid so, Your Majesty. It may... take a few hours, simply because it's the first child." She paused, hands clasped together as she stood near the end of the bed, a finger from one hand tapping against the back of the other, "Are you sure you would like to be here, Your Majesty? I-- I only ask as..." She trailed off, soon looking down again as Carina slowly lifted her head from the pillow. "I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure. Some-- some fathers have chosen to sit in but have found they couldn't... stomach it."

The midwife was saved from a rather biting retort from the Queen as a larger wave of contractions flooded Carina's body. She instantly tightened her hold on Sven's hand, teeth gritting and jaw clenching as she swallowed back any noise of pain. The only audible response being a hiccup of a sigh as she relaxed back into the pillow.


It would be another four hours before Carina was told she was ready to push. In which time she had gotten up to walk around, buried her face into the side of Sven's neck, and rode out the contractions that had grown more and more frequent and stronger as time went on. During her transition phase, Carina found it difficult to keep calm, especially as the pain got worse. She had changed positions once or twice, at the suggestion of the midwife, ate some of the ice chips to push back nausea, but mostly focused on Sven and his voice helped her through it.

"I-- I need to push. I have to--!" Carina sobbed, sweat now sticking hair to face and neck. Her head turned into the pillow as one hand tangled violently into the bedsheets and the other harshly grasped Sven's hand.

The midwife nodded hastily, sitting on the edge of the bed with one of Carina's feet propped up on her thigh. The assistant was on the other side, doing exactly the same. "It's time for you to do just that, Your Majesty. Big push for me now, nice big push!"
 
Sven had no doubt that he had become a nuisance to everyone in the bedroom at some point during the course of those four, long hours. If it wasn't his nervous pacing in the room or his frequent trips to the balcony to smoke a cigarette (he had gone through more in those four hours than he had in the last month), then he was sure his incessant questioning to the midwives certainly irked them. As understandable as his nervousness was, especially as the pain for his wife intensified with each wave of cramping, he was aware enough to know that piping up with questions that they had already told him the answers to wasn't great - but he couldn't help himself.

He was restless and riddled with anxiety the more the hours ticked by, caught between wanting to be the supportive and effortlessly cool figure for his wife to rely upon whilst also feeling a need to just pace about, hands in his hair and his expression a mixture of nervousness and excitement. In the end, he managed to achieve both those things, sitting at Carina's side and supporting her through every painful cramp and wave of discomfort whilst also being unsubtle in the anxiety that all but dominated him.

But he managed not to faint as he had teasingly predicted he might, nor did he leave the room once during that entire time to collect himself. He promised her that he would be present throughout every moment and he made good on that promise, residing beside the bed with her hand in his own and reassuring words offered to her whenever he felt she needed that boost.

His anxiety had dimmed a little in the last half an hour when he finally felt as though he was adjusting well to the situation and the enormity of it, so the timing of Carina's need to push and the midwives' confirmation that she could do so couldn't have come at a worse time because the justifiable anxiety that rose in him so abruptly, after thirty minutes of rest from it, rendered him both immobile and silent for the best part of a minute.

He remained frozen in that position but his mind was aflame with various thoughts of panic and alarm, much of it surrounding the realisation that all those hours of waiting was finally at its end. They were finally at the final stage of the process.

The harsh squeeze on his hand broke him out of the untimely moment of panic, a smile spreading on his face in spite of the pain in his hand - though he could hardly start complaining about how badly she was hurting him when she was literally about to birth a child. His pain in comparison was minuscule and not worth even whining about.

"S-Shit, okay, right-- breathe a-and-- you can do this, Carina," he urged as he offered a gentle squeeze on her hand in return, both of his clasping hers as he peered at the midwives and then back at his wife. The sight of her in such agony wasn't easy when there was nothing he could do to alleviate her from it - all he could do was continue his reassurances, urge her to push and focus all of her strength into that final act and hope for the best.

"You've got this, okay? You're doing great, y-you're-- you're almost there."
 
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