A Prince's Pride

Chapter Fifty-three

*Milo*

Aaron and I climb out of bed and stand in the middle of the room, Aaron staring down at his stomach. 

"We should probably clean up," he says. 

"I can do it." I wave my hand and the cum disappears from his stomach, leaving him clean. 

"Can you dress us too?" he asks. I don't know why he likes this so much, but I'll oblige him. 

I snap my fingers as Aaron raises his arms. Clothes fly from our wardrobe and we wriggle into them. Once we're dressed, we head downstairs and find a table full of food laid out on our dining room table. As I walk toward it, I stop for a second and look out the window toward the Grand Palace, where Riley is probably hard at work getting it set up to meet with Sultan Rija and Queen Allandra. 

I move from the window and take my seat. 

"Turn that on, will you?" I ask a servant, pointing toward the small radio. 

She nods and turns the dials. 

"Ugh, no," Aaron protests. "I hate listening to the news."

A happy tune emanates from the radio before a man with a deep voice begins speaking. 

"Good morning, Midoor!" he says. "And thank you for tuning in to the Midoorian Prophet, your number one source for news in the Kingdom of Midoor! First up today, Sultan Rija Rann, leader of Sandalia, and Queen Allandra Shenri, Mother of the Ur’ali, are en route to the capital in celebration of Her Royal Majesty, Riley Heris, Queen of Midoor's fifth year anniversary. Under Queen Riley's rule, we have enjoyed five years of peace—”

"—because I united the continent and Malexis is still MIA—” says Aaron.

"—and unprecedented technological advancements.”

"—because she can see the future—”

"We thank you, Queen Riley, for all you've done."

"The Royal Twins will be in attendance is well, won't they?" a female announcer asks. 

"Yes, of course. Prince Benjamin and Princess Brianna will both be there, as will Emperors Aaron and Milo, as well as Prince Theodore."

"Rumors are abound that Queen Riley will attempt to bridge the gap in relations between Sandalia and the Southern Tribes after their skirmish last week when both monarchs arrive in the country."

"Yes, that was a fiasco," says the man. "For listeners who don't know what we're talking about, a fight broke out between the Jika of the Southern Tribes and the Krishan in Sandalia when a Jika druid's spell went awry and damaged a building in the City of Wan."

"Yes, our hearts to out to the six dead Krishan who were victims of the—”

"Do we have to listen to this first thing in the morning?" asks a voice near the door. 

I turn and see Olivia striding in, her hand clamped around the wrist of a boy with bright blue eyes and dark brown hair. He looks as though he's trying to pull away from her with all his might, but to no avail. 

When his eyes light upon Aaron, he yells out, "Daddy!" and Olivia lets him go. Theo runs across the dining hall as fast as his little legs will carry him. Aaron lifts him into the air, nuzzling into his neck and making growling noises, causing Theo to scream in delight. 

Olivia settles herself into the seat next to me. 

"He's such a daddy's boy," she says, gazing at them affectionately. She lets out a gasp and her hand flies to her enlarged belly, rubbing it. 

"She's kicking," she says. 

"Won't be long now until she's born," says Aaron, his arms wrapped around Theo on his lap. Aaron looks down at him. "Are you excited to be a big brother?"

Theo gives an enthusiastic nod while shoving a piece of French toast into his mouth. 

Olivia lets out another gasp, still holding her stomach. 

"I almost wish Malexis would appear and give me another potion to get this pregnancy over," Olivia says. Though I know she doesn't mean it, Aaron's brow furrows, like it does anytime someone mentions Malexis. 

It's been five years, to the day, since we last saw him. Where he is, what he's been doing, nobody can even guess, but we've taken that time to build up defenses against him. The Imperial Army, made up of forces from all five kingdoms, is now massive, including the Magical Corps, led by Magistrate Piper Dylan. 

After her sister’s death, Piper became ruthless. I had always believed Piper was willing to kill her sister. As it turns out, Piper wanted to save Phoebe. At least, she didn’t want Phoebe to die the way she did, with her heart ripped out by a demigod.

“Turn that off,” Aaron orders a servant as the newscasters begin a segment about Riley bringing about the expansion of the train system. The servant obeys and silence fills the room.

“Nobody thinks you were an insufficient ruler to Midoor,” I tell him, but he rolls his eyes. He’s so touchy these days.

Riley’s visions have allowed her to steer Midoor and, by extension, the entire Theon empire, into an age of technological advancements. Riley’s visions are more powerful than even Mother’s were. She can see not only the true future, but possible futures, and know which is true and which is fake. 

Still, her power isn’t perfect and it appears as though she can’t see anything relating to Malexis at all. Maybe paragons are immune to her abilities.

“You are both leaving for the Grand Palace later, aren’t you?” asks Olivia. “I wish I could go.”

Olivia was ordered to bedrest by the Imperial Grand Physician. She shouldn’t even have brought Theo down, if I’m being honest, but she refuses to follow his orders. 

“Yes,” I say, “and you can’t come. You should be in bed. You heard Alec: you shouldn’t be walking around.”

“Please,” says Olivia. “As long as I’m pregnant, I’m basically invincible.”

This is true. Olivia once slipped while walking down the stairs and our baby put a protective shield around her. She rolled down the stairs and was set gently on the stone, unharmed.

Then, I almost cringe at the thought of “our baby”. Riley had a vision of a procedure, helped along by magic, where a man could impregnate a woman without having sex with her. Although I didn’t have to, the experience required me to hold Olivia’s hand while having an orgasm. I refuse to explain the rest of the procedure to anyone else. 

Still, having a child of my own to bring into this world is amazing, and I’m thankful to Olivia for being my surrogate. It’s weird to me now to think about how much I used to hate her.

“We should get ready to leave,” I tell Aaron.

“I mean, we’re ready to go,” says Aaron. Then, he turns to our son and says, “Are you ready?”

Theo looks up at him, syrup covering his face, and nods.

“I’ll go wash his face,” I say with a sigh. I stand and wave my hand. With a mad giggle, Theo is telekinetically lifted and I catch him.

*Riley*

“Queen Allandra,” says Riley, striding across the throne room toward the Mother of the Ur’ali, a group of her soldiers behind her. “Welcome to Midoor.”

“Thank you, Riley,” says Allandra. “And please, it’s just ‘Allandra’. We have had bared negotiations. There are no need for titles.”

Riley almost cringed, thinking about when she and Allandra had stripped down and the latter had signed the official treaty welcoming her into the Theon Empire. If Allandra hadn’t intimated how much she wished she could—to use Allandra’s words—“eaten that pussy like the last morsel of a roast pig”, it wouldn’t have been so uncomfortable for her. Nearly five years later, the thought still sent a shiver down Riley’s back.

“It is good to see you, Allandra,” says Gavin. Though he had been at the same meeting and had been just as naked as Riley and Allandra, who spent an entirely inappropriate amount of time staring at Gavin’s junk, Gavin didn’t seem nearly as put off by Allandra as Riley did.

In fact, he had seemed aroused at the idea of Riley and Allandra performing sexual acts on each other. Straight men, what can you do?

Riley was consoled by the fact that nudity was still illegal in Midoor and Allandra was, therefore, wearing a scarlet dress that flowed more like water than fabric. It was beautiful, but it hugged her body in a way that was impossible for most dresses.

“And you, too, Gavin.”

“Your Majesty,” says a servant, who is just walking into the throne room. Both Riley and Gavin turn to him, but it’s Riley he addresses. 

Though Gavin is king consort, his power within Midoor is limited. Much more so than Milo’s was when he was king consort.

“The Sandalian congregation approaches the Grand Palace,” says the servant.

Allandra’s expression becomes hardened. She believes the skirmish in the Ur’ali Embassy of Sandalia to be the fault of Sandalia, and not the Ur’ali. Sultan Rija believes differently.

“I shall take to my quarters within the Grand Palace,” says Allandra. “I wish not to see the Sultan—” Riley registers Allandra’s refusal to use Rija’s first name as an insult, as the Ur’ali believe equal political leaders should be addressed as such, “—until the deliberations begin.”

“Emperors Aaron and Milo will be here to settle the matter,” says Riley, projecting an air of nonchalance she doesn’t truly feel.

“Yes,” is all Allandra says before she sweeps from the throne room. The door slams behind her with an echoing boom.

“What do you think is going to happen?” asks Gavin.

When she turns to him, Riley can’t stop her eyes from flicking up toward Gavin’s silver circlet. He wears it anytime he’s not within their room. He’s worn it ever since his authority had been challenged by one of the Crown Guard. 

In truth, Riley hasn’t given him as much authority within Midoor as Aaron gave Milo, but he is still king. This has been a point of argument between them for some time. Aaron, who had been groomed to rule Midoor, who refused to giver her the crown even when he was too put upon to rule both the empire and the Kingdom of Midoor, had given near absolute control over to Milo when he left for the Lower Reach. But Riley couldn’t. 

And she felt justified. Her ability to see the future had launched Midoor into an age of technological advancement. From radios, to medicine, to automobiles, Riley’s ability had changed not only Midoor, but the entire continent of Pensia. Midoor was hers.

“I think the same thing will happen that always happens,” Riley says, answering Gavin’s question. “Aaron will swoop in, give some kind of speech about unity, about standing against Malexis, and Allandra will follow him. As for Rija, Milo only has to smile and Rija would drop to his knees and—”

Riley’s words are cut off as the throne room door opens again. Riley’s sworn protector, Kitler, pulls two five-year-olds into the room.

“It’s itchy!” says Benji, pulling at the cuff of his clothes.

“Dresses are stupid!” says Bri, stumbling in her skirt.

Riley closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, but Gavin steps forward.

“Come with me, you trouble makers,” he says, raising his arms like claws, “or the Tickle Monster will get ya!”

Benji and Bri stop fighting against Kitler and start running, screaming as though their lives depend on it, from the throne room. 

Gavin stops at the door and looks back at Riley who mouths, “Thank you,” to him. He smiles and chases after his children.

It’s not that Riley dislikes being a mother. On the contrary, she loves her children more than anything she could have ever imagined loving before. But with a kingdom to run, one in the very center of the very heart of the Theon Empire, and the looming threat of Malexis on the horizon, she doesn’t have enough time to spend with them. She hates it, but it’s the way things are.

“Your Majesty,” says Cara, walking into the throne room, “the delegation from Sandalia will be transported via phial by the Magical Corps momentarily.”

“Very well,” says Riley, “Aaron and Milo should be here soon. See them in.”

*Piper*

Piper stands on a hill near the northern border of Midoor, looking around as though she can see the wind sweeping across the grass.

“Are you sure the surge of energy was here?” she asks First Lieutenant Carl Robbins, her right hand man in the Magical Corps, First Battalion.

“Absolutely, Magistrate,” he answers. “The surge of energy was right here.”

“What makes them so sure it’s Malexis?”

“The energy levels are similar to those detected when Emperor Milo taps into his paragon potential. I suppose it could be one of the other two paragons in existence.”

“Doubtful,” Piper says absentmindedly. “Malexis is the only one known to actually interfere in human affairs.”

Lt. Robbins nods, his brows furrowed as if he’s thinking. 

“Didn’t they say it seemed like a pillar of energy?” asks Piper. “What if it’s not the top of this hill?”

“What do you mean, Magistrate?”

“What if it was actually inside the hill. Do we have a map of any cave networks here?”

Someone else in her battalion steps forward, multiple three-foot-long tubes in his arms. He fumbles with them, dropping most of them on the ground. He bends down and tries to pick them up, holding them unstable in his arms. When he stands, he loses his grip, and the tubes fall to the ground again.

“Stop, Peters,” says Piper, barely holding back her eye roll. If this kid wasn’t one of the best cartographers in the country, she’d have kicked him out long ago. He didn’t even have any magic. “Just find the one we need.”

“O-of course, Magistrate,” he says. He examines the tubes, picks one up, and twists of the cap, letting a tightly-furled map fall into his open palm. Smoothing it out on the ground, he traces his fingers along some of the lines, then looks up at Piper. “There are no cave networks along here, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a cave. Oftentimes, miners will find caves when they’re digging. Caves that aren’t connected to any others.”

“Earth druids, come here, please!”

Three Ur’ali—one man, one woman, and one who describes self themself as “neither gender, sometimes both, sometimes not”—step forward.

“Spiral down,” Piper says. 

Everyone but those three step back. They begin to incant, waving their hands in circular motions over the ground. The ground began to melt away, the earth lifting up and forming until a spiral staircase, leading into the Earth itself was before them.

“Wow,” Peters breathed. Piper rolled her eyes again. He was always so fascinated by magic. Peters stepped forward, but Piper held him back with a hand.

“Not you first,” she said. “This might be the lair of the most powerful magical being in the universe. He’d kill you with a flick of his finger.”

Piper descended first. As she made her way down the staircase, she incanted, calling upon a ball of light to float beside her. The staircase led down into a wide cavern where she found a desk with a chair next to it, a bed that looked recently slept in, a bookshelf with numerous magical tomes on it, and a chalkboard fixed to the wall of the cave.

On the chalkboard, confusing notes were written. The word “Ripple?” was circled, the words “Nearing the end of the story” were underlined three times, many symbols Piper couldn’t understand, and there was a list. It read: 

 

Main Characters:

• Milo 
• Aaron
• Piper
• Riley

 

Seeing her own name written on this chalkboard was certainly confusing but even more confusing was another name, written more than a hundred times in different sizes, crammed along the sides, filling any free space on the chalkboard: Ottie.

“Who do you think Ottie is?” asks Lt. Robbins. 

“I think he’s the one Malexis said is responsible for everything bad that’s happened in our lives.”

“Magistrate!” someone said in a hushed whisper. Piper turned, expecting to see Malexis, but found Sgt. Mulan Hanna standing next to the desk. 

“What is it?” asks Piper, stepping forward. She reaches out and grabs the paper in Mulan’s hand.

“What does it mean?” asks Robbins, looking over her shoulder.

“It’s a list of steps in Malexis’s plan,” Piper replies. “But I’m confused. Malexis’s greatest threat is an author?”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Oh, it will make sense,” says a voice behind Piper. A voice she recognized. She whirled around to see Malexis standing in the cave.

“Malexis,” Piper says with a growl, the fire of vengeance building in her chest. “It’s been a long time.”

“Has it?” asks Malexis. “I knew he made time fast forward, but how long has it been?”

That comment confused Piper. “What do you mean ‘fast forward’?”

“How long has it been?” Malexis repeats.

“We haven’t seen you in five years,” Piper says.

Malexis’s eyebrows rise in surprise. 

“That’s…interesting. Very interesting. Leave this place. Now.”

“We’ll do no such thing!” Robbins roars. He runs toward Malexis, his hands raised, but Malexis vanishes.

Suddenly, the floor begins to rise, the space in the cave becoming less, almost as if the cave is shrinking.

“Get to the exit!” Piper yells.

Her soldiers begin to run, but the compressing cave crushes the spiral staircase, which collapses in on itself.

“Gather around me!” Piper yells, having to crouch now. Her soldiers swarm around her, the available space in the cave shrinking. Piper reaches into her pouch, pulls out a transportation phial, and smashes it against the ground.

*Aaron*

When the white smoke vanishes from around us, Milo, Theo, and I are standing in the throne room of the Grand Palace.

I’m surprised to find Sultan Rija and Queen Allandra already here, standing on opposite sides of the room, staring daggers at each other.

“Oh, for the love of the Gods,” I say, annoyed.

Both Rija and Allandra turn to face us. Well, Rija looks at Milo and a grin cracks his face.

“Hello, Milo,” he says with a deep bow.

“Oh, Rija, hi. How are you?”

“Much better now that you’re here,” Rija replies.

“Gag,” says Riley. “Stop flirting with my brother. It’s gross.”

Of course, Milo isn’t technically Riley’s brother, but close enough.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” says Rija, though his eyes never leave Milo’s face. I had thought that five years of barely seeing each other would curb Rija’s infatuation with Milo, but it hasn’t. Not in the slightest.

“We are here to discuss deliberations between our nations,” says Allandra, starting to pull off her clothes. “Not to flirt with our emperors.”

“Allandra!” says Milo, putting his hand over Theo’s face. Allandra pauses, thankfully with all her private parts still covered.

“Yes, Allandra,” says Riley in disdain, “we’re in Midoor, not the Southern Tribes. You can keep your clothes on.”

“Please do,” Rija says bitterly, looking away from Milo long enough to glare at Allandra, but his eyes return to Milo almost instantly.

"Very well," says Allandra, looking affronted. She loathes wearing clothes while discussing politics. 

Now that I think about it, I believe she dislikes wearing clothes at any time. I've attended more than one meeting where she and her children—her flesh and blood children, not just her citizens—were entirely naked. I would not want to see my mother naked, so I'm not sure why they're okay with it. 

"Let's just get down to business," says Riley. 

"I still don't see why we're required to be come to Midoor for this. We could just as easily have done this in the Crystal Palace in Kr'fait," says Allandra. 

"Or in the Kahl Majal," adds Rija. 

"We always have deliberations in a neutral country," I say for what feels like the thousandth time. "Remember when the Midoorian Magical Corps accidentally brought that tower in Daila down? We had deliberations in Sandalia, a neutral party's territory."

Rija and Allandra don't say anything to that.

"Let's just get down to it," says Allandra, her eyes flicking down to the Sword of All, resting in the sheathe on my hip. 

I launch right into my speech. 

"When we united the kingdoms of Pensia, we were on the precipice of a great evil," I say. "Malexis is a threat—”

"—the likes of which we can not conceive—” Rija cuts in.

"—and only by standing together, can we overcome our common enemy," finishes Allandra. "That's not going to work on us anymore, Emperor Aaron. Malexis hasn't been heard from in five years. We—”

Allandra's words are cut off as a swirl of red-orange smoke furls in the middle of the throne room. 

Piper stands and looks at me gravely while Peters, the Imperial Cartographer, screams behind her, his hands over his head. 

"He's back," says Piper. "Malexis is back."

Barely a moment passes before the throne room doors are thrown open and Oswald strides in.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion, Your Majesty,” he says, his eyes flicking between me and Milo, “but Malexis is standing outside the city gates. He’s demanding an audience with you both.”