Chapter 66: Expect the Unexpected

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Returning home felt like breathing again after being underwater for too long. The weight that had clung to me during my time away lifted, replaced by the warmth and peace that came from being back with Finn. Our long-awaited honeymoon on my special island was everything I had hoped for. The salty sea breeze tugged at our hair as we explored, and the crash of waves was a constant rhythm to our laughter. I showed him my hidden treasures—trinkets from shipwrecks, rare pearls, and shimmering jewels that the ocean had gifted me over the years. We even visited the new sea king together, though I had to practically abduct him there. But the rest of our days? Those were spent in the bedroom, lost in each other, making up for lost time.

Once we returned, reality settled back in. Being queen meant responsibilities, and I resumed my duties, taking care of the kingdom’s finances. I worked side by side with Finn, his ideas always complementing mine, our minds in sync. We were a perfect team. And we often found moments between meetings and paperwork for a little extra "activity." I also took over Lida's duties, sharpening my skills alongside Finn during training sessions. Kassandra had grown so much stronger, and sometimes, we'd sneak out with Claudia for old times’ sake, going on missions like we used to. It was a thrill, like reliving a piece of the past.

But Claudia... She was as mysterious and unpredictable as ever. She gave up on love and relationships, focusing entirely on becoming some sort of assassin for the gods, or whatever she calls it now. It still surprised me to learn she had a daughter. I was just as shocked as she was. It was a strange turn of events, one none of us saw coming.

It all began when she tried to make Himeros jealous. Eventually, she gave up on that and decided to move on, becoming a battle angel for Zeus and completing her missions. Then, sometime before I returned, she and Himeros crossed paths again. They had a one-time fling, and that was it—she became pregnant. She hid the pregnancy from everyone, refusing to acknowledge it. Motherhood wasn’t in her plans; she was made to fight, not to nurture. Two months after I returned, she appeared with her child in her arms, pleading with us to keep the secret. She handed her daughter over to Kassandra and Axel, knowing they could offer her a better life than she ever could. The child was special—immortal, a goddess—and though we all knew Aphrodite would eventually discover her granddaughter, we were determined to protect her for as long as we could.

That child, despite her age, was as stubborn and mischievous as her mother. Only a year old and already causing trouble, her willfulness brought a strange joy to our otherwise steady lives.

Life was good. A year had passed since I returned, and I felt fulfilled—ruling alongside Finn, loving him, living this new chapter of our lives together. I didn’t need anything more.

Except… There was Finn, standing in the middle of the bedroom, complaining again.

"Floriana, I hate what you've done to the garden!" he groaned, arms crossed. "It's too colourful, too many flowers, too many scents—it’s overwhelming!" His voice carried a playful exasperation, though I could tell he meant it.

I didn’t have the energy for his complaints today. My head spun, and exhaustion weighed heavily on me. I leaned back against the stone wall, the cool surface grounding me. "Finn, please, let’s talk about this tomorrow," I murmured, closing my eyes briefly.

He glanced at me for the hundredth time, his concern deepening. For weeks, he had been telling me to see a physician. I’d been sick, constantly tired, and feeding from the blood garden which wasn't normal. My body craved the nourishment, but it felt like something deeper than just the heatwave.

"Floriana, we need to see someone," Finn said, his voice more serious now. "You haven’t been yourself. This isn’t normal."

"I just need to feed…" I muttered, rubbing my temples.

          

"You’re not a vampire, Floriana!" he burst out, throwing his hands up in frustration. "You don’t need blood! This isn’t normal."

"I don’t want to see a physician. They wouldn’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m a sea person, remember?"

Finn huffed and dropped onto the bed, clearly thinking. His brow furrowed, and suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Elfina!" he exclaimed. "Why didn’t I think of her sooner? She’d know what’s going on."

"So…?" I raised an eyebrow.

"We’re seeing her tomorrow, no arguments. I need to know what’s wrong with you." His tone left no room for debate, and I was too tired to argue.

The next morning, Elfina’s news was far from what I expected.

"I’m what?!" I gasped, my voice nearly a squeak.

"Pregnant," Elfina said calmly, flipping a page in her book like she was telling me the weather. "Four months along."

Finn’s jaw dropped, and he looked at me with wide eyes. "Wait, what? I thought... I thought it would take years!"

Elfina shot him a dry look. "Just because most vampires take centuries to conceive doesn’t mean your wife follows those rules. She’s a mermaid, and when a vampire mates with a non-vampire, the chances of conception are higher."

Finn blinked at me, his face a mix of awe and horror. "Wait, you’re not… laying an egg, are you?"

I groaned, rolling my eyes as Elfina chuckled. "No, Finn, I’m not laying an egg."

"But… mermaids do that, right?"

"Only some, and even then, it depends on various factors." Elfina’s tone was amused. "But no, Floriana isn’t laying an egg. Besides, she’s spent most of her life on land."

Finn grimaced. "Okay, I’ve been meaning to ask… do mermen have… you know?"

"Finn!" I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"What? I’m curious!"

Elfina shook her head with a chuckle. "Yes, they do. It’s just hidden when they’re in the water."

"Okay, okay," Finn said, still processing. "So, the baby is…?"

"A boy," Elfina said casually. "And he’ll be more vampire than mermaid, but he’ll have both abilities."

My head swam with the news. "So… I have to transform to give birth, or…?"

"You can’t give birth in water, Floriana. The baby will drown," Finn said, wide-eyed.

I sighed. "No, he won’t. Newborns can hold their breath underwater. And tail births are... painful. My tail would have to split open. I really don’t want to feel like sushi."

I hugged my stomach, the reality of it all sinking in. I was going to be a mother.

---



The pregnancy stretched endlessly, each day adding a layer of tension that made me snappier and more withdrawn. It wasn’t until the moment my baby arrived that everything shifted. Finn was away on royal business, and I found myself in the serene ice garden, surrounded by the soft whisper of the wind and the gentle sparkle of frost on leaves. Sandra and I chatted, her laughter ringing like chimes in the crisp air when suddenly, an urgent warmth flooded through me—my water broke.

The pain that surged through me was unlike anything I had imagined. When others spoke of labour, I had never grasped the depths of their suffering. Now, knowing my pain was twice as intense as a human’s, I felt a primal fear surge within me. I couldn’t risk a misstep that could cost me my life or my baby’s. “To the fountain,” I gasped, and Sandra hurriedly helped me to the marble fountain at the centre of the garden.

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Wow ! amazing well-done dear

2mo ago

Are you okay kem-bee

3mo ago

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