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𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚞𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗, 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚆𝚊𝚜 𝙴𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 ~ 𝚁𝚊𝚢𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚖 ♡

♡ Synopsis: Rayla couldn't believe she was pregnant right then and there! Exactly six years after the confrontation with Aaravos. How unlucky were they to have a baby at that exact moment? Why couldn't they keep their damn hands off each other?

♡ Tags: Romance, drama, dlight angst, rayllum accidental pregnancy, compatible with the canon.

♡ Autor's note: My first fanfic here, I'm still figuring out how to post it! It's short and silly, about the moment Rayllum finds out they're going to be parents! I hope you liked it, maybe I'll make an extended version on Ao3...🤔

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One of the first more personal and strange questions Callum asked Rayla was if she bled. It was outrageous. Of course she bled! Humans or elves, the pregnancy cycle is very similar; they're not that different of a species! Certain rules, straight from biology, must be followed. So obviously she bled; otherwise, how would elves have babies, laying eggs? Had humans relegated elves to such a monstrously low level that even the most basic things were distorted? It was revolting.

Apparently, none of the human books on elves had told Callum about female cycles, which worried him, as he clearly would. She didn't blame him; after all, she was a 15-year-old elf, living with a human prince, and knowing him as she did, he would have difficulty in these areas. He was personally naive, and extremely worried. In her first month in Katolis, when peace between Xadia and the Pentarchy wasn't even truly stable, he managed to bring dozens of barrels of moonberry juice, baskets of Xadia's fruits, and a set of sleeping gowns and clothes common to moonshadow elves that she had no idea how he'd get those. His answer was clear: he wanted her to feel at home.

As always, his efforts led to awkward conversations. Like when he sat her down one night, his face completely red, and asked if she needed more clothes at a certain time of the month.

Of course, she laughed, then turned scarlet when she understood. In their teens, they hadn't known how to talk about it: sex, menstruation, the full moon… It was all too much, even when you were in love with someone. The most they'd achieved back then were a few playful hands, fingers slipping under each other’s shirt, lips moving down her neck, followed by "sorry"… That conversation was the furthest and boldest they'd ever allowed themselves to go.

That's why her response was a simple "I can handle it myself," followed by a laugh and a quick change of subject. Even so, new fabrics arrived a week before the full moon—how he found out, she had no idea, but she decided to never confess. She washed her pads herself, afraid someone would see and think she'd killed someone. He never questioned whether she actually wore them, and she never confirmed anything.

Of course, she sees now that it was a dumb mistake, but she did a lot of stupid things at that age.

She didn't allow herself to make the same mistake when she was older. They talked about it when their sex life really began; they needed to talk. So they talked about it, about limits, about when they could do it without risk, and which nights to avoid. It was a night of awkward conversations, followed by an even more awkward day. Callum brought books, they talked about what they wanted and didn't want to do, what they would never do, and they made a calendar marking the forbidden days to avoid accidents. They were so careful, for a long, long time, religious about the days. They got creative about what to do on full moon nights, things that were risk-free. They were meticulous for years; she thought she'd never failed.

But they had, because this is the fourth month in a row she hasn't bled.

At first, she didn't want to believe it was what it was. Not even when, about three weeks ago, she started waking up in the middle of the night, feeling dinner coming back up as she staggered to the bathroom. It scared Callum half to death. He sat with her on the bathroom floor the first few nights, asking her what she'd eaten to avoid it. She murmured that she felt sick, maybe it was some weird human virus that would pass. He just laughed and spent the next few days pampering her, bringing her whatever she wanted to eat. She needed to eat well to get over the flu. That's what Callum thought it was.

But it wasn't, and the symptoms didn't go away.

The possibility crossed her mind. It panicked her, so she hid it. She began to be more careful about getting up during the night; her sleep became so light that she could even hear a fly landing on the window. She started closing the bathroom door before vomiting, avoiding public events when she felt dizzy, lying about not always being tired, ignoring the fact that she felt a little swollen around her middle.

It was ridiculous. That alternative in her mind wasn't really an option, just a fear, because she and Callum were too careful for that. There was a calendar on the bedside table where they marked her fertility cycle, avoiding the right days. For six years they had been exemplary. They had never made a mistake, so it was impossible, right? She had to be sick, right? A frighteningly long and lingering illness.

Right?

Maybe not. The day before, while riding through the forest with Callum, both on the same horse in search of their monthly picnic spot, a snake slithered between their horse’s feet and knocked them both off of the animal. Rayla fell backwards, but all she could think about was how long it had been since she'd bled, how she felt a strange craving for chocolate moonberry pie, and how that unrealistic alternative to her condition wasn't so unrealistic. How she didn't want to risk hurting anyone.

Callum didn't question her when she wanted to go back, saying she was dizzy. But he found it strange when, the next morning, she said she needed to speak to Opeli.

Rayla knew humans had strange methods of confirming pregnancy with urine, and a few other strange things she didn't know. There were no priestesses there, so she would have to risk human traditions. It took her longer than she felt comfortable admitting, to summon the courage to talk to the human woman who still didn't fully like her and tell her that she might possibly be pregnant with the third in line to the throne of Katolis. Silly thing.

It wasn't exactly a scandal. She and Callum were married, after all. For almost two years. But still... The shadow of the past lingered over them, a reaper waiting for its moment. Seven years since the worst moment of her life. Six years had already passed, they were on the brink of a precipice, the return of the great evil, and she was...

Pregnant.

Rayla was pregnant. There was a baby, the fruit of a human and an elf, growing inside Rayla's womb at that very moment. And that baby would be born in about six months, maybe less—there was no way to be sure. The outcome was the same: the baby would be born on the brink of war, right on the edge of everything. Of danger.

How could they have been so stupid? How could they have been so reckless at such a delicate moment. They had seven years to slip up, and they decided to do it less than a year before their supposed period of peace would end. Why had she and Callum been completely incapable of going a week without having to be so handsy and needy? A SINGLE FULL MOON! When had they forgotten the moon before? Why hadn't she noticed?

She tried to remember, tried to think when they might have slipped up and let this happen, but it made no difference. Why did it matter? There was already that being inside her, their child. Small, forming.

A Child… Rayla wanted to burst into tears. So she fled the Healers' Ward, leaving Opeli alone with a haunted expression. That's why she locked herself in her bed chambers and then in the bathroom, vomiting her meager breakfast. Her body trembled, her head throbbed, and she wanted to strangle someone.

Rayla wanted a child. It would be a lie if she said she'd always wanted one, though. When she was little, she wanted pets—100 adoraburrs, to be more specific. She didn't think she'd be a good mother, she didn't want to understand her parents' reasons for leaving her, she didn't want... She just didn't think much about it. But then Callum came along. Of course, at fifteen, that idea was distant, a wish for a distant future. But... Over time, she simply wanted it. She wanted a life with Callum, regardless of where it would be. She wanted a marriage, a home, a life with him. She wanted children—maybe not ten. But not like that, not with the danger they were about to encounter. She wanted children in a time of peace, she wanted a child to raise, ten-fingered children trying to figure out if they were wizards or warriors… She wanted children to sit around her and Callum, asking how they met, how they fell in love, laughing when they said it wasn't all a fairy tale.

Rayla hated this situation. She hated the moment it happened, hated her stupidity and carelessness, hated that such a happy moment was corrupted by fear and despair. She hated herself for not being able to simply let her joy take over the whole situation.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. She swallowed back a sob, wiping away her tears. She hadn't even realized she was crying until the sound escaped her lips.

"Rayla…" Callum's voice was muffled by the door, cautious. "Are you okay?"

"Shit…" She grumbled, jumping to her feet.

She tried to be quick, grabbing the sink counter to pull herself up. She splashed water on her face, scrubbed with a towel in an attempt to make herself look better. She failed miserably. Her face was pale, but dark pink spots marked the edges of her eyes, her cheeks and nose. Days of eating poorly had left her thin. This couldn't be good.

Even before she opened the door, she knew he would notice something was wrong. Because he was Callum. He knew her like the back of his own hand.

His eyes widened, but it was a quick reaction. She could see the worry creeping over his face, creasing his features, making his eyes much softer… She loved and hated it when he looked at her like that. It wasn't pity, it was concern.

Rayla used all her strength to stop herself from collapsing. She even managed a small smile.

"I... I'm fine, just... Feeling a little off..."

Her attempt at a lie was utterly pathetic, she knew. She didn't even need to look him in the eye.

"Hey, you... What's wrong?" he asked, taking a single step toward her.

It was more than enough for her to break. All the tears in her throat burst out, pouring out of her like an avalanche. She sobbed, hiding her face in her hands because she was too foolish to handle it, to face him, she knew she was hiding such a huge truth. It's ridiculously easy for him to disarm her; just that genuinely concerned tone is enough for her to fall towards him, desperate for touch.

And of course, Callum welcomes her. His arms wrap around her, cradling her against him like he always does. Her barrier, like a protective flame. Her foolish husband's way of hiding her from the rest of the world besides himself, the only one she was willing to be vulnerable to. You can open up to me, I'll protect you.

Moon above, she loved him more than she thought. This realization only made her cry harder, clinging to his shirt in a desperate attempt to keep him by her side, to keep his protection wrapped around her.

"Rayla, love," he murmurs, visibly alarmed, stroking her hair.

His hands reach her face, caressing her cheeks, trying to push her away, wanting to see her face. But Rayla couldn't look at him, or she would break down even more. She just shakes her head, holding him tighter and burying her face into his neck.

"My love, you're starting to really scare me," he murmurs. As always, he simply complies with her wishes and wraps his arms around her again.

Because this is all scary, that frightened voice screamed in her head. Because having a baby on the verge of the return of the one who nearly killed them all was terrible. She still had nightmares, by the power of the moon! On bad nights, she still saw herself holding the bow to the chest of her now-husband. And now there would be a baby, their baby!

She didn't even notice she'd begun to tremble. But Callum noticed, holding her tighter, one of his hands slipping up her back under her shirt caressing there gently with his fingertips and she could feel his lips against the top of her head, his breath against her hair.

"I need you to talk to me, my love…"

The lump in her throat melted in a gulp, and she breathed clearly for the first time that day. She allowed him to lean her towards him, even as she felt the tears still streaming down her own face. She felt small, fragile.

"What's wrong? Why are you like this, my dear? I want to help you…" He keeps his voice low, warm as the sun itself. His thumbs wipe away the tears on her cheeks, but not for long. "Are you hurt? Did something happen? Is it your parents?"

His concern broke Rayla's heart, and brought something else to mind. She would have to tell Runaan and Ethari about her pregnancy. By the moon, Runaan would freak out! Even at the wedding, he still thought she was too young, too immature. The time he spent away from her had frozen her into a childish image in his mind. He still called her little blade. He would go crazy with worry. Ethari would too, pretending not to, but he would. He, too, saw her as a little girl. They knew this moment, knew what was coming. They all knew.

Maybe she would vomit again.

"No, I'm fine, I... I'm fine," she murmurs, swallowing back the last of her tears and forcing herself to look up at him. He looked so worried, it made her feel terrible for making him feel that way. "I'm fine... Ethari and Runaan are fine too. No, it's nothing like that..."

"What is it then? Why are you crying, my love?" He asks again, caressing her face, leaning in to look her in the eye. "Tell me what happened. I want to help you. Whatever it is, we'll work it out together, do you hear me? No matter what, I'm here for you."

She hangs on his every word, holding him close as if all that kindness, so integral to Callum's personality, will slip away from her. Before she knows it, she's just nodding in agreement. She shouldn't tell him then; she should think better of it. She should have surprised him with music, flowers, Bait singing, and Stella dancing like he'd done before, but... But she couldn't keep it to herself for another second. She needed to tell him.

She needed to talk, needed to talk to him. After all, he was the father. Callum was the father! That thought alone made a warmth settle into her chest. Regardless of the pain, the danger, the warmth of realization continued to grow inside her ribcage, however still timid. He would be a father! She would be a mother!

It was a good thing, they would figure it out. Together. Everything would be okay.

“Just talk to me,” Callum pleaded again, his beautiful green eyes staring at her with even more concern than before. Because she was just staring at him.

It’s okay, Rayla, you can do this. She takes a deep breath, then two, then nods. She slides her hands to his and nods again. This seems to convince him.

“It’s all right, I just…” Rayla murmurs, using the back of her hand to wipe away the trail of her tears. “You just… You should sit down.”

“Should I?” His eyes widened even more, confused. She nods.

Truly, she wanted more time to think about what to say, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt for him to be at least sitting down. It was to avoid overreactions, a good move. It seemed like a step in the right direction to tell these things. People sat down, right? And they weren't crying in despair like she was, but that was already a losing battle.

With absolutely zero pride, she brings her nails to her mouth and tries to stop herself from shaking too much. She watches silently as Callum walks hesitantly to the bed, never looking away, and then sits down opposite her. His eyes are wide, bathed in worry and caution, scanning her for something.

Her heart feels like it's about to leap out of her chest. Scaring him makes her nervous; it's not what she wants, but she doesn't know what to do. So she just moves closer until she's less than a step away from him, still biting her finger nails nervously. As usual, he pushes his knees apart, allowing her to move closer. She takes his cue.

His eyes find hers again.

"Can I touch you?" he asks, staring at her patiently.

There's no need for planning this answer. "Of course you can," she murmurs, bringing her hands to his hair, running them through it.

He breathes a sigh of relief, which tightens her heart again. Of course, that would be one of his main concerns. It was Callum, her Callum. Patient, caring, extremely understanding. A kind soul amidst so much chaos, her love.

It's going to be okay.

Rayla makes a point of smiling at him as Callum's hands move to her waist, light as a feather. He's still worried.

"I want you to remember what you told me before. We'll deal with everything together and… Well, it'll be okay." Her words are a jumble, but she tries to think straight.

"Okay, now you're really scaring me," he mumbles, sounding smaller than expected.

Okay, she manages, all at once. Humans say it's best to rip the bandage off in one go. Better to test it.

"I'm pregnant."

The only sound in the room is her heartbeat. Rayla refuses to look away for even a minute, afraid to miss a single glimpse of his reaction. Which isn't much. He stares at her, fixed, in shock. His huge green eyes blink slowly, almost in transe—they remind her so much of that prince she chased through the castle all those years ago. His mouth opens and closes a few times, for some seconds. Not a word comes out.

Rayla waits, considering whether or not she'll vomit again, now probably on his lap. The wait is pure torture, and the silence is a spowerful suffocating weapon.

"You... You're..."

"Pregnant," she finished quickly, eyeing him warily, "by you." In his state, clarification seemed welcome.

It was actually helpful, apparently. He seems to wake up again. The awareness dawns in his eyes, and she watches his chest expand with air again before his jaw slackens. Still, he looks quite lost, blinking as if trying to see again. Or hear better.

Finally, he looks at her again. "How…?"

"How?" she repeats, completely disbelieving. "You want a serious answer? Because, well… You know how this happened, you were there every time we did what was necessary for a baby to exist."

"Yeah, right, sorry, that was a horrible question," Callum mutters, shaking his head and standing up.

Rayla sees him approach, grab her palms, and place them on his chest. His heart beats rapidly under her palm, a sign of nervousness. It looked like he was freaking out, but he was smiling. He smiled and framed her face between his hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks as he forced her to look at him. His eyes were focused, gentle as always.

"Rayla, my love, I just…" A choked sigh escapes her. "I'm so sorry…"

That's why she hadn't expected it. What a crazy person. "What? Why would you apologize? I'm just as responsible as you!"

"No, no, no, no." He shakes his head nervously. "That's not what I'm saying, Rayla. Of course I know we did this together, for God's sake. I lose my mind over the things you do, I can't keep my hands to myself as much as I should around you. I'm only sorry because you're clearly upset, and I understand your concerns, but right now I feel nothing from all the hairs in my head to the tips of my toes because I'm so happy!"

His voice rises so high that Rayla is sure half the castle heard it, and felt his joy too. It was an unexpected blow, genuine joy crashing against her like a huge wave. She doesn't even dare breathe, studying the sparkle in his eyes, the corners of his lips lifted in a joyful smile. Callum was actually close to exploding with excitement, which is... surprising.

And how he looked at her… It was that same look he always had, every night, when they finally talked about their day, trapped in each other's bodies, and he stared at her as if she couldn't possibly be real. Only now, that look was much deeper, much stronger. She found herself questioning if it was really real, if this whole situation wasn't some strange dream.

He must have cast a spell while she was distracted, because now she couldn't find her own panic. That which had made her vomit just minutes ago, that which had made her spend the day in the bathroom and made her question the entire future… It just vanished, replaced by a bright, golden happiness; a perfect mirror for Callum's overflowing emotions before her.

Unlike her, Callum had always wanted a family. She had always known. The way he'd always spoken openly to her, that he wanted to get married, build a big family, have a home. And the way he always spoke was to her, looking at her. That had always been one of the reasons she loved him so deeply. And she embraced the dream, because it all felt like a dream with him by her side. But even after the wedding, the baby seemed like such a distant idea. It was an event for the future, for an era of peace. Something they would do right after Aaravos's threat was resolved forever, not with an expiration date.

Yet, yes, there it was, less than nine months away. And yet, she felt… Vibrant. Maybe it was the hormones? Or maybe it was him. Callum always had a gift for cheering her up.

"You... You're happy?" She stammers. Words always make everything seem too real, she shivers. "You... I thought you'd be scared..."

He leans closer, resting his forehead against hers and giving her a smile that can only be described as completely crazy. She couldn't contain her reaction.

"Rayla, I'm completely terrified. I can't feel my legs, I don't even know how I'm standing, my God!" He lets out a tearful laugh, pressing her face between his hands. "But one thing doesn't cancel out the other. I'm completely desperate, and yet, yes, I'm the happiest man in the world! I thought our wedding would be the happiest moment of my life, that nothing would ever compare, but I just... It's like I've felt it all over again. It's like you're fulfilling each of my best wishes, one by one, and you don't even realize what you're doing. I always knew you would be my light, but I think even I underestimated you."

The tears streaming down her face weren't tears of despair, they were tears of pure happiness. Bright, warm happiness in her heart. His existence should have been impossible; the way he could still make her heart flutter shouldn't have been possible.

For the first time in days, since that possibility had entered her mind, she allowed herself to enjoy it. A baby, their child. Their baby! The smile that spread across her face was wide enough to make her cheeks ache. Her heart beat as fast as a dragon's wings, ready to take off from her chest with the speed of a lightning.

"We're having a baby!" she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Callum's smile managed to be even bigger than hers. He grabbed her by the waist, sweeping her feet off the ground and spinning her around as if she weighed nothing. His lips reached wherever he could, kissing her cheek, her jaw, her ear, her chin, her nose, her mouth, quickly and repeatedly. It tickled, and the laughter was easy, almost like breathing. Joy felt like a star in her chest, growing bigger by the minute. Nothing could affect them there, not even when her feet knocked a stack of books off the table.

They both just laughed, Rayla's feet groping blindly for balance and failing miserably. Callum wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her close, their faces so close she could feel his smile against her cheek.

"We're going to be parents!" He hummed, happier than she'd ever seen him. He threw his head back and shouted the same words again. "WE'RE GOING TO BE PARENTS!"

Rayla covered his mouth with her hand, her smile plastered across her face. "Easy, easy. We don't need the whole castle to know of it right now. We'll tell them slowly, there's a protocol."

"I don't care, we'll tell everyone, we'll write it in the sky!" In a swift, sudden movement, he grabbed her by the waits and hoisted her into the air. Rayla wraps her legs around his waist, laughing against his mouth, completely drunk with joy. "I have a spell that can literally do that, if you want."

She laughs, wrapping her arms around his neck to steady herself. "Really?"

"Really," he announces, delighted.

"I'll remember that later."

Kissing while smiling is difficult, but not impossible, and they're determined to make it worthwhile. She clings to him, kissing him as if her life depended on it, gripping the hair at the nape of his neck like she knew he liked. His hands trail down her back to her waist, she arches, and he groans against her lips.

"Oh, I remember…" he murmurs, pacing the room to a place she doesn't mind.

"Remember what?"

"How we did it," he says with a mischievous smile, his hands sliding down her ass to her thighs, squeezing her.

"Yeah, well, I know how to make a baby too, you idiot," she laughs against his mouth, amused.

He leans in until he whispers, "But I know how we made ours."

Rayla's feet hit the floor again, but he holds her close by the waist. The smile on his face was nothing more than an invitation to a celebration she couldn't refuse, especially when he grabbed her waist and pushed her until the back of her knees hit the mattress.

"You know?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Remember the festival? The big, boring dinner with the annoying lords where we drank a little too much to handle? When you played your little seduction game and we ran off halfway through dessert?"

This time, the smile was completely involuntary. "I remember."

"It was a full moon, we were too drunk to remember it," he murmured, playing with her hair.

Immediately, she shook her head. "No, no, that was the day before the full moon, we didn't... We wouldn't have done it if it had been, we have a huge window."

"And we had even bigger bottles of wine," he murmured before crashing his lips against hers.

She blinked and tilted her head, "You know?"

"I noticed days later, I thought it was just my mistake, that I'd misreported, or that it would just be nothing. I really thought it was nothing until... Well, now," he smiles, caressing her face with the same passionate look as before.

Even if she didn't remember the night, she would remember it now. The kiss was hungry, teeth chattering, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Not when his hands slid down her sides, back to her waist, pushing her back against the bed.

The mattress cushions her fall as Callum pins her against the bed, moving his mouth desperately against hers. His hands move down to her waist, pulling her against him, while his lips trace their way down her jaw, down her neck in quick, feverish kisses before returning to her lips again. The desperation, the frantic movements—she definitely remembered the dinner escape, and she definitely didn't remember what moon she would have seen if she had turned to look at the window.

His hips press against hers, his thigh fitting between her legs as his hand grips her waist again. He begins a slow, grinding motion, making her moan. In response, he gasps against her mouth, heat spreading through her belly. Maybe pregnancy hormones would bring something good back.

"I definitely don't regret that night," she murmurs, arching against him, grabbing his hair.

Callum gasps against her ear, biting her earlobe. "Well, I wouldn't regret a single night or a second with you."

Unconsciously, she cups his cheek, guiding him back to her eyes. And he stares back at her with a level of love and reverence she's never seen before. So vulnerable, so exposed to her.

Rayla's heart fills with a sweet feeling so good and pure she feels like it might burst. Her words are impossible to hold back, like her own breath. “I love you,” she murmurs, tracing his bottom lip with the pad of her thumb.

His smile was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. "Not that it's new, but I love you too. With all my heart."

Feeling incredibly foolish, she repeated what had been on her mind. "We're going to be parents!" Her smile hurt her cheeks.

"Yes, we will..." he murmured, laughing against her. "This is so surreal and, at the same time, my biggest dream. One I didn't even really know I had."

They stared at each other like complete fools, staring at each other as if they could both disappear at any moment, as if this were all truly a dream.

It was Rayla who broke the silence. "Knowing that preferences are wrong and that we'll love any baby that comes, boy or girl, with eight fingers or ten, with horns or a smooth skull..."

"Of course..." Callum murmured, already smiling again. He understood Rayla's mind better than anyone.

"Do you want a girl or a boy..." she murmured, smiling foolishly.

He mirrors the same joy, rolling over in bed until he lies beside her with a foolish, hopeful expression. He lingers for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling as if gazing at their future, and then turns to her with the brightest eyes in the world.

"I would love to have a daughter," he confessed softly.

Rayla's smile grew even wider. "Me too."

#rayllum #rayla #the dragon king #callum #fanfic #tdp #the dragon prince #baby sarai #baby rayllum #ao3 fanfic #tdp sarai #the dragon prince rayla #romantic #fluff #pregnancy #ao3

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