The day Rath found out he was going to be a father, he snuck out of the castle and spent the day out hunting demons. Ever since he’d become the Dragon Lord, his world had been turned upside-down, and killing evil monsters was one of the few things that still made sense to him. He’d gotten used to his duties over the years, but now and again, there were times when he just needed to get away. Like when he learned that he was going to have a baby.
Of course, Cesia had more than a few words to say to him when he’d returned.
After a heated argument, they came to the realization that his fear of not being able to be a good father was matched only by her fear of not being able to be a good mother. After that, they came to an understanding and things went relatively smoothly. Or, as smoothly as things went when you were the Dragon Lord.
Rath spent his free time reading books on childcare and trying to learn to make porridge. (Every attempt was a failure. He was permanently banned from the kitchens, for fear that he might one day poison his future heir on accident.) Cesia began decorating a room to be used as a nursery and modifying dresses to accommodate her ever-growing baby bump.
As her pregnancy progressed, Rath became almost overly-attentive and doting. The entire Dragon Clan was amused to see their normally reticent lord anxiously tending to his queen as she became cranky and hormonal, often demanding absurd meals and frequent massages. (She had to be banned from council meetings, after getting angry at a livestock merchant and then breaking down into tears over how traumatizing it is to get turned into an animal and be sold on the street.)
The rest of the tribe pitched in as well. Rune was one of the ones constantly bombarding Rath with books about pediatrics and child-rearing techniques, while Tintlet helped Cesia through the worst of her morning sickness. Delte took over many of Cesia's duties, and Thatz brought new toys from his travels to fill the new nursery, while Ruwalk dug up old ones that Rath used to play with when he was little. Tetheus increased security around the royal couple’s rooms and Bierrez was insistent that he personally accompany the queen whenever Rath was unavailable to do so.
Though Rath and Cesia had been afraid of bringing up a child on their own, it soon became apparent that they weren’t on their alone, not by a long shot. And they were all eagerly awaiting the newest addition to their Dragon Tribe family.
