Guys? I know I just called Tiberias Calore VI, Flame of the North, King of Norta, and Ruler of the burning throne a terrible parent and an alcoholic(which he still is, and I have the time, so I'll call him a terrible parent and an alcoholic), but let's go back in time and get some happiness because that last Red Queen post was, admittedly, just brutal😢.
Hiding a pregnancy was, surprisingly, easier than hiding the affect of the nightmares.
At first, Coriane figured the game would be over as the child inside of her continued to grow more and become more noticable in the trim gowns she usually wore.
Hiding them- the child she didn't yet know- soon became a project, à la fixing a transport.
Rather than have her maids dress her, she had chosen to dress herself instead- a habit she'd picked up on doing since coming to Court. Loose clothing always made her appear smaller than she was, made her look approachable to anyone, despite her place married to a King. It also served her well in hiding the ever growing lump her baby was growing in.
She barely attended training, though, in light of the nightmares taking their physical toll on her body, Tibe had her examined by nurses and healers.
"Your Highness, are you sure you're alright? Your feet are swollen and you seem like there's a weight on you."
When she'd been asked that, she had to stifle the instinct to rub her stomach and instead wrap her arms around herself.
"I'm alright," she replied, more hesitant than she would have liked, but the words smoothing as she continued. "I tried training a while ago and tried a move I shouldn't have. I used some braces, though."
The Healer scowled at her, forgetting Coriane's place as Queen and seeing the stubborn girl that always chose to help herself instead of seek proper assistance.
"I got better. Maybe it's more like... a phantom injury."
"Or you should have come to a Healer when it happened. Can you imagine if you'd set them wrong and didn't know?"
To keep further questions from arising, Coriane only shook her head; Jessamine had taught her well in the art of knowing when to stop a fight from continuing. "No."
The Healer nodded at her and continued to check on her, noting that despite her feet and growing intolerance toward physical contact, she was fine, chalking it up to the Queen's nightmares attacking her body more than her mind.
Still, Coriane remarked as she left the infirmary, eying the bump hidden beneath her thin cardigan, a close call is better than someone finding out.
Another close call occured during a war meeting she attended with Tibe before he had to leave for the front. Even though he was expressionless upon hearing of the attacks on his people, beneath the table his fists shook, either out of anger toawrds the Lakelanders advancing or fear for the safe of what family he had left, fear of losing his mother, despite her prowess, brother-in-law, and wife to a seemjngly unending war.
"Should they make it past the Choke and cross into our boaders, there's hardly a chance we can stop them," the Legionnaire explained. "Our soldiers, although they're trained well enough, keep getting mowed down, as well. They aren't enough man power to hold off an onslaught."
Tibe, who had been sitting quietly in thought, finally spoke up. "For every Red soldier, how many Silvers are on the field?"
When he remained silent, the Legionnaire paled.
"You can't be thinking..."
"If the Reds can't put up a decent fight against the Lakelanders, we'll send in more Silvers to make up the difference."
"With all due respect, my King, surely there is some sort of alternative."
The words drew no reaction from Tiberias, but Coriane lowered her gaze to her hands, picking at her nails to distract herself from the implication.
When Tibe's fingers laced with hers, she welcomed it, welcomed the warmth and closeness their current situation could allow.
"Reds are being conscripted by the minute, more than a hundred by the hour. They can be difference enough."
"Reds don't have power," Tibe seemingly spelled out, scornful as a teacher. "Reds don't have strength. Numbers be damned, if they can't fend off the Lakelanders, we'll have to start sending Silvers to fight."
"Silvers of High Houses? Have them open for slaughter when fifty Reds can get the job done with proper leadership?"
"Your general has trained, led, and been victorious with every Red soldier he's had, what better leadership do Reds have?"
"It is not his fault they're incapable-"
"Can't you just understand it's not working!?" Coriane snapped, drawing every eye to her, including Tibe's, the mask of a warrior King dropping when he took one look at her tear stained face.
"No matter how many Reds you throw at the Lakelanders, they'll be slaughtered without hesitation! You can't shoot down a Magnetron or drown a Nymph, if you have nothing to defend yourself with!"
"Cori," Tibe murmured softly, his tone gentle despite the earlier debate, "that's enough."
The words did their job in soothing the Queen, nodding and apologizing as her husband gently pulled her close to him.
"How soon can we have Silver soldiers sent to the front?"
The finality in Tiberias's words brought the Legionnaire back to the matter at hand.
"As soon as they're ready, though, from what I've heard, they've been training since three months ago."
"Have the most experienced and capable sent to the front while the rest continue training."
With that the meeting ended, and Coriane practically scurried away, if only to avoid the glances from those in attendance.
"If you don't mind my input, I don't understand why bringing the Queen to these meetings is one of your priorities. Do you expect her to keep you safe from unwanted news?"
Tiberias turned, eyes sharp and burning with a fire strong enough to kill.
"She isn't protecting me," he said lowly as he drew closer to the Legionnaire. "She's here to protect you."
In her room, Coriane lay on her side on her bed, her hand caressing her abdomen as her own words echoed in her mind.
Regardless of the fear of losing a fourth child to her nightmares, her emotions had still gotten the better of her.
It's no wonder I shouldn't have come here.
Usually Julian was someone she could turn to during these times, if not him, then Sara, but with archives discovered and needing to be translated, and Healers needed at the front, neither were around for her to talk to.
It was childish, but part of Coriane felt abandoned, even though her brother promised he wouldn't leave her alone.
But how can anyone be brave enough to say no to a King?
Sometimes it was easy to forget, see two people inhabiting Tibe at once: the lonely Prince she'd first met at the banquet and the King that sat upon a throne of flames and blood, strong enough to burn all of Norta to the ground, if he so desired.
And he'd married a poor girl of House Jacos.
What kind of Queen am I, if I can't even bear him a child?
A knock on the door stopped her from building on the thought further.
When she remained silent, he knocked again.
She hummed loudly and nodded, and Tibe walked in and shut the door behind him, missing when she grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest.
Despite his strength, his rank, the ability at his fingertips, the myriad of metals she'd seen him wear, even the control he held over a room of other Silvers, he seemed... smaller, unsure as he carefully sat next to her.
He's the King, and he's the one who's scared?
"Are you alright?" He asked as he rested a hand on her upper arm. "I know the meetings aren't easy to handle, but I don't think I've seen you get so upset."
Upset was putting it more than lightly. Three nights of waking up to blood staining the sheets and missing a child before it was born made her more than upset. Hiding her fourth pregnancy from her own husband, out of desperation for the child's safety more than her own, made her more than upset. Fearing for Elara Merandus attacking her mind, even with Arven outside her door, made her more than upset.
"Yes, I'm fine," was all that came out instead.
Neither spoke for a while, leaving them in cursed silence.
That was until Tibe's hand clenched around her arm, just enough to let her know she wasn't alone.
"Don't lie to me," he said, pleadingly so. "I know there's something you're not telling me."
Coriane held the pillow closer to her, the tips of her fingers just brushing against her stomach.
He knows. He knows. He knows. He found out, and now he knows.
But Tibe turned his head away, looking back as his brow furrowed.
Coriane met his eyes and pushed herself up. "I don't know. Maybe it was before, but now..."
Now, with Rane Arven outside her door, an attack from Elara didn't seem likely. It didn't quell her fears entirely, but it was a comfort she welcomed, all the same.
Tibe's hand glided to her own, the warmth of his skin and body a blessing.
"Do you think House Merandus would do well on the front?"
Coriane gasped and whipped her gaze to him. "Tibe, you can't make that happen, and you know it."
"And Elara knows you are the Queen. If she wants a fight, she can glady have one to write home about. Whispers usually do well in a war," he said with an averted gaze and a shrug.
"But Merandus is one of the highest Houses. You know as well as everyone else what could happen, if they became an enemy."
Hers words settled in Tibe, leading him to sigh and stare at the floor.
Hearing those words, and seeing her own husband pout like a child, drew a small grin from Coriane.
Tiberias turned his gaze back to her. "'As usual?' What do you mean, 'as usual?'" He asked incredulously as a smirk grew on his face.
Coriane merely shrugged and buried her face into her pillow. "Nothing. Just that I'm always right."
Although his jaw dropped, his smile remained, and Coriane giggled as she lie on her side, her facing him.
"You're always right?" He dared.
"You're the one who's always right?"
Coriane gasped, "You admit it?"
Quickly, and gently, Tibe pulled her back up until she was upright and hugged her close, her back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, Coriane yelping and giggling more than she thought she would, even when he gave her soft, butterfly kisses on her neck and shoulder.
"Who's always right?" He asked as he rested his chin on her shoulder, Coriane lightly chuckling after he stopped.
"Wrong," he replied quickly before kissing her cheek and temple, driving his wife into another fit of laughter.
"Will you stop that!?" Coriane exclaimed, even with a smile on her face, "You're prickly and I don't feel good!"
"Then admit I'm always right and..." Tibe lowered to his side, Coriane nearly falling with him. Her heart skipped a beat as he cradled her body against his, one arm around her chest as the other rested over her upper arm. "Tell me what's wrong," he replied softly.
Coriane only grasped onto his arm with her hands.
I'm pregnant, she nearly said. I've been pregnant for a while now. I haven't told you or anyone else because I can't risk losing this one, too, or put you through more loss than you already have. Even if Elara is the reason I can barely sleep at night, I can't lose another child. Not for his or her sake, and not for yours, either.
She sighed, maintaining her smile from the onslaught of kisses moments ago.
"Fine. Yon win. You're always right. Happy?"
Tibe chuckled lightly and shook his head against her hair.
"That's not what I meant. Please tell me what's wrong."
It was like her uncle's funeral banquet, when Jessamine noticed her crying after dressing her for the occasion.
"Tibe, do you miss them? Julian and Sara?"
Tibe remained silent, his thumb rubbing her shoulder as Coriane continued.
"I know it hasn't been that long, but I do. I'm glad that you're here, Tibe, I really am. I don't know, I just miss them being here."
Tibe leaned up and kissed her cheek before nuzzling into her shoulder.
"I miss them, too, Cori. They'll be back soon, I promise."
Like in the meeting, their fingers laced together.
"In the meantime, I hope I can make up for them."
Coriane nodded and held her head against his. "You already do, Tibe," she replied softly.
Tibe held her closer, feeling his Queen's body effectively relax under his touch.
After a while of silence, blissful and welcome, Tibe kissed her cherk and sat up.
"Where are we again on sending House Merandus to the front?"
Coriane snagged the pillow she'd dropped and swatted him in the chest. "Stop that," she exclaimed.
The look of a challenge returned to Tibe's face as he took the pillow and tossed it back to the head of the bed. "Openly attacking your King? Whatever shall I do with you?"
Coriane inched back toward her lost weapon. "Don't you dare come near me with that prickly stubble or I'm shaving it off myself!"
Tiberias faked a gasp and held a hand over his heart. "And now you've threatened the King! You traitor," he chided playfully.
Coriane only reclaimed her pillow and held it back for another strike. "Try me."
Tibe fought a snicker and nodded, holding his hands up in surrender. "Alright. You win."
Coriane lowered her pillow as Tibe kissed her lips and held his forehead against hers.
"I'll tell anyone who asks you're sick and need to be alone while you heal. Just rest now, alright?"
Tibe stood and turned to leave the room, brisk as he had been trained to do.
A King's work is never truly done, Coriane remarked before he stopped and looked back at her.
"Is there anything you'd like me to bring back later?"
Coriane blanched and shook her head. "You don't have to. I can... ask for the chef myself, in case you're..."
Tibe only returned to her and held her hands. "Cori, please."
Again, there was that desperation in his eyes, as if Tibe saw nothing but the girl he'd met many years ago and was willing to do anything to keep her alive.
He could have chosen someone else, someone stronger, but he chose you. You are his Queen.
Coriane nodded stiffly, uncomfortable and still unfamiliar with being served in Court.
Tibe placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her forehead, holding her close. "I'll try to be back as soon as I can. Please. Get some rest."
"I will," Coriane replied as she placed a hand over his.
With that, he exited her room, reluctant in spite of his promise to return.
Coriane could only smile as she rubbed her stomach, carefully unmarred and thankfully unnoticed.
It was a blessing she still had the boy she'd met, that the crown hadn't taken him away just yet.
