Children's Stories

Life, Identity

Natalya comes home from the mountains to spend the winter with Fenneck in Flottenheim. He has been stressed and busy with his new duties. They volunteer to babysit Tihani and Niko.

Natalya walked up to the grand doors to the palace. The guards recognized her and started to open them. Natalya was excited to be with Fenneck for the next few months. He hadn't been in the mountains for a while now with his growing responsibilities. Natalya had taken to leading their new posse of rangers and coordinating the refugee system while Fenneck started becoming a very powerful and influential leader in Thymryu's political scene. Natalya was happy for him and his new purpose, but she was worried about her place in all of it. Still, she was glad to be in Flottenheim. She wanted this to feel like home. The way the bumblebear cave in the mountains had become she and Fenneck's perfect little home that they had all to themselves. These days, home didn't really exist to Natalya. She floated between the mountains and Flottenheim, not really willing to settle fully into either one. As the grand doors opened into the throne room she saw Fenneck speaking with Baegla and Killion. Fenneck looked up when she came in. A huge smile filled his face as he ran toward her. He picked her up and swung her around like a princess at a ball instead of the stinky, snowy, mess covered in sharp pointy weapons that she was. He brought her back down to earth and dipped her into a very sensual kiss. It had taken Natalya a while to get used to his complete lack of awareness or care for public displays of affection. He claimed it was normal for elves, like he did with most of his ridiculous ticks or ways of life, and told her to embrace it. Luckily, everyone else in the palace was used to his eccentricities and they found his behavior charming, for the most part. He finally pulled away, "Hello my love, how are you?" He said so gracefully and songlike before he started kissing her again. She laughed and pushed away from his lips, "I'm fine, how are you?" He kept trying to kiss her before finally pulling back, "Wonderful! I'm so glad you're home." He said embracing her. She looked up into his bright green eyes. They looked happier than they had been in a while. He was always happier when winter rolled around. He finally let her greet the others and she headed up into their tower to bathe while Fenneck finished his work for the day. As she was stepping out of the bath, Fenneck opened the door and looked over her naked body longingly as she wrapped herself in a towel. "You're so beautiful my love." He made eye contact with her and she wanted nothing more than for him to throw her against the wall and make love to her. He didn't though. They were still waiting. It had been twenty-six years since she met him and the desire to be with him was becoming unbearable. She walked toward him but he held up his hands to stop her. "Please put some clothes on, I fear I won't be able to embrace you in such a state without making love to you." His green eyes were fierce with desire and Natalya rolled her eyes and walked over to the wardrobe. "How long are you planning to make me wait? I thought your parents only waited ten years." She said teasing him as she put some clean clothes on. He smiled, "Well, how about this Thursday? I'm sure we could throw together a wedding by then. I only have six meetings that day so I can try and squeeze you in around 3:30?" She rolled her eyes at his joke. "In all seriousness, I was hoping to talk about that while you were here. How are you feeling about marriage?" Natalya wanted him to ask her anything else except that. Marriage was complicated. "It makes sense I guess." She said. "I don't want to get married because it 'makes sense'." Fenneck said, "I want to marry you because I love you and I want us to have a life together. I was hoping by now you'd have warmed up to the idea of settling down here in Flottenheim." Natalya wanted to believe that she could belong here. That she could belong in this utopia. That she could belong to a lord. Fenneck's coming title frightened Natalya. It was never part of their plan. She looked up into Fenneck's eyes. She remembered what it was like before his new responsibilities. Back when they were falling madly in love hidden away from the world in the mountains. Back when they were becoming close friends. Back when they were fighting all the time before they really understood each other. Back when thiramin first intertwined their lives. Fenneck wasn't just some lord or lover to her. He was her soulmate. He was her thiramin. He was her person. Her confidant. Her home. Home. Fenneck was something she could settle in. She took his hands, "I love you." She kissed him. "I want a life with you too. I'm still a bit scared, but I don't think that will ever really go away." She said. Fenneck nodded. "I understand. I know it's a lot." He kissed her back and pulled her into the warmth of his body. After a moment he pulled away and looked down at Natalya, "I hope it is okay, but I told Killion and Lenni that we would watch the kids tonight so they could have a night out. I probably should have asked but Killion looked desperate." Killion and Lenni had managed to build a beautiful life for themselves there in Flottenheim. They ended up getting married only a year after they got there and had two biological children at this point. How they were able to pull that off they kept a mystery but Natalya suspected it had something to do with Lenni's druid magic. Killion was now the head of trade and commerce in Glitterfjell as he and Fenneck had grown close over the last seven years and he became Fenneck's first choice in his new cabinet. "Yeah, of course. I miss those little buggers." Natalya said and Fenneck smiled. "Wonderful! Let me get changed into something I can chase or be chased in and I'll go collect them." Fenneck walked over to the wardrobe and removed his fancy court robes. Natalya admired his bare chest. She loved how surprisingly muscular he was. Most people would think him twinkish but he was tougher than he looked. Natalya also noted the sabretooth scares he still bore from the night he almost got himself killed in the mountains. They did in fact look sexy after all these years. They were also a constant reminder of how lucky she was to still have him in her life. A reminder of how close to death he had come. A reminder not to take him for granted. Once he was dressed he went down to fetch the kids. Natalya emptied the bath and put any breakables they had sitting around the room in safer places. As she was placing the last glass, elvish bobble away the door burst open and Niko ran at her with a wooden sword. Niko was three years old with red skin and jet black hair. He had black horns and dark eyes. Natalya feigned fear and grabbed one of the wooden swords she and Fenneck kept around for such occasions. Soon Fenneck and Tihani entered and joined in the fight. Tihani was purple with darker hair like Killion, but she had Lenni's antler-like horns. She was five years old at this point and just as energetic as her younger brother. They played for hours, sometimes they attacked Fenneck and Natalya for being pirates or bandits and sometimes they captured Natalya and made Fenneck fight to win her back. Natalya enjoyed it though. After a while they finally tuckered the little tieflings out and they all laid down on Fenneck and Natalya's bed mat. Natalya was sitting up against Fenneck and had Tihani in her lap. Niko was curled up in Fenneck's. "Alright, you two ready for bed?" He asked the kids who were arguing about whether Fenneck or Natalya was better at sword fighting. "No!" Niko cried, "I don't want to go to bed. Can we fight again?" He asked Fenneck. "I think Natalya would be better at sword fighting because she's a girl!" Tihani told Niko, ignoring Fenneck. "That's sexist." Natalya commented. "We are both equally skilled with a sword, how about that?" Fenneck suggested. "That's impossible!" Niko said. "He's right Fen, I'm clearly better with a sword." Natalya teased Fenneck. "I am just as good as you, if not better!" He teased back. "Maybe, but have you fought a dragon?" She teased, knowing she had just played the winning card for the kids. Niko jumped up at the word dragon and stepped on Fenneck's delicates causing him to gasp in pain. Natalya laughed. "You've fought a dragon?!" He asked, his eyes wide. "Tell us tell us tell us! Was it big? What color was it?" Tihani asked. "Did you DIE?!" Niko asked excitedly. Natalya and Fenneck laughed at the children's excitement and Natalya recounted her battle with a green dragon she had encountered in Arrallath. She didn't mention the fact that they were protected by a bubble for the entire battle and maybe exaggerated a few of the details but the children were hooked. "Natalya's cooler." Niko decided after her story. Tihani agreed with him, "Yeah, she's so much cooler than you Fenneck." Fenneck feigned offense, "I fought in the Revolution of Glitterfjell!" He tried to excite them but Tihani looked at him sadly, "Yeah, but like so did everyone here." She sassily told him. "Was there a dragon?" Niko asked. Fenneck gave up and tickled the child instead. "Alright, it's actually time for bed now." Fenneck pleaded with the children. Niko fought him though, "Fine, you go to sleep first then." "I can't go to sleep and neither can Natalya. We're elves!" Fenneck said smiling. "I wish I was an elf!" Tihani said. "Yeah and then we wouldn't have to sleep!" Niko said. "Well you're not, so go to sleep!" Fenneck said dimming the dancing lights on the ceiling. Niko glared at Fenneck for his audacity to turn the lights out and he raised his hand and pointed it at the lights causing them to light back up. Fenneck looked at the child in disbelief and annoyance. "How'd you do that?" He asked Niko. "I don't know, you did it!" Niko said, proud of himself for annoying Fenneck. Fenneck scolded him, "You should be careful with magic." Fenneck warned the boy as he dimmed the lights again, "It's time for bed now, don't turn the lights back on or I'll take you down to your fathers." Niko pouted, "You just hate kids!" Fenneck scooped him into his arms, "I do not hate children, I have found them to be quite adorable at times." He smiled at Niko. "Why don't you and Nat have kids?" Tihani asked him. "Because they don't go to sleep when they're told!" Natalya teased her and tickled her causing Tihani to curl up and get comfortable on her lap. "Can you sing us a lullaby?" Tihani asked Fenneck who gladly obliged. His beautiful voce started to sing a soft elvish lullaby and Natalya laid her head on his chest as the children drifted off to sleep in their laps. When they were finally asleep and Fenneck's song was over she leaned up and kissed him. "I love you. I'm so glad I'm here with you." She told him lovingly, trying to avoid waking the children. "I love you too Natalya. I'm so glad you're home." He kissed her again on the forehead and she settled back into his chest. After a few moments he spoke, "Do you want children?" He asked her for the first time. She thought for a moment about what Fenneck's children would be like and a smile crept onto her face, "I'm not sure. I didn't want to for the longest time...things are different now though. The world doesn't seem quite as cruel as it once did." She said imagining what it would be like to bear Fenneck's children. "Do you?" She asked. "I do. I always have. Even when I swore off love I still hoped I'd have children one day." He said, softly caressing Niko's hair. She nuzzled herself into Fenneck's chest. "How many do you want?" She asked. Fenneck smiled, "At least two. Maybe three, depends on how the first two are I guess." He chuckled. "You'll make a good father one day...I don't know if I'm meant to be a mother." She said sadly. "Do you remember the day you held Niko for the first time?" Fenneck asked her. She smiled remembering Killion's pride as he handed her the child, "Yeah, why?" Fenneck smiled, "I have never wanted to be with you more than when I saw you cradling him. I wanted you to have my children. To raise my family with you. You were scared, but...you were so gentle and...I remember imagining what it would be like to hold our own child together." Fenneck had tears in his eyes, "I know the idea of marriage and kids scares you, but...I think it will be more rewarding and more wonderful than you think it will." Natalya leaned against him and felt tears come into her own eyes. She found it odd how much she wanted that with him. How much she wanted to hold their child in her hands. She smiled at the children wrapped up in their laps and enjoyed the warmth of Fenneck's chest. Flottenheim was starting to feel like home.