Chapter Text
EPILOGUE
Life in the capital was as expected and yet unlike anything Rey had been prepared for. The blessed news and arrival of Sir Trudgen’s and Lady Bazine’s child, a strong and healthy daughter with her mother’s eyes and father’s reserve even so early in life, meant her dear friend was no longer daily by her side. Sir Ushar spent more time with the royal family, stepping in at Benedict’s right hand as advisor and primary guard, while Trudgen attended to his own lands and family.
They were sorely missed, and perhaps Rey’s melancholy was not simply missing her dear friend but longing for that which they had found after years of heartbreak.
For a time.
The whispers crept across the land, rumor and gossip, that an heir was soon to be, perhaps in Spring.
It rather ruined Rey’s plan to surprise her husband with the news, when he returned from a short tour of the local farms and villages with a frown, and revealed he had been met with congratulations at every turn.
Benedict’s frown melted the moment they were reunited after three months of gruelling royal tour. Rey was glowing with a little plump face and bump in her dress while wobbling towards her husband.
“I thought I’d have more time before the entire kingdom knew,” she said preemptively, as he pulled her gently into his arms. Weeks of scarce washing must have gotten to her senses, yet all Ben cared about was holding his pregnant wife.
“You’ve told me now,” he whispered into her temple with quick peppering kisses. “That’s what matters.”
Rey leaned into him, letting herself be carried by him, “Are you happy?” her voice was hesitant. She knew the news of an heir would rejoice the kingdom, yet would the thought of an heir bring him joy or more worries?
“Rey, you’ve given me everything! How could I be anything but happy?”
Her heart swelled as she melted into his embrace. After three long months apart, being in his arms felt soothing. The morning sickness, the endless nausea, and the loneliness that had accompanied his absence had left her drained. But now, with him here, the ache of missing her friends and the overwhelming demands of the capital faded away. All that remained was love—the love they shared, now growing inside her.
She pulled back just enough to place her hands on her stomach, her eyes shimmering with a mix of pride and wonder. “Look,” she said softly, “my belly’s already grown. None of my dresses fit anymore.”
Ben chuckled as he gazed at her with adoration. “Don’t fret, Rey,” he teased, a playful glint in his eye. “I’ve always wanted you to be plump, and now I finally get my wish.”
Rey swatted at him lightly, a mock frown on her lips, though she couldn’t keep the smile from breaking. “You’re impossible,” she said with affection.
“And you,” he replied, cupping her face in his hands, “are perfect, just as you are.”
Days turned into weeks, and Ben remained attuned to Rey’s moods and every need. He would steal her away on long walks through the palace gardens, read to her by the fire in the evenings, and arrange a private dinner where her favorite sweets, cakes, and pastries were always available at his request.
As Rey entered her fifth month, she found herself experiencing a new kind of restlessness. Her body was alive with the changes of pregnancy and started developing a mind of its own. Hot flashes and warmth would spread across her skin, sometimes leaving her breathless and yearning at the most unfortunate moments of her daily activities. Often, she would find herself pacing the hallways, as her legs would shake, her core would melt with the need of her husband, while her mind would be consumed by that one need.
“Rey, I don’t want to hurt you, or our baby,” Ben hesitated at first, his voice filled with gentle worry. Rey, however, was unrelentingly determined, as sweat would break across her brow, “You won’t hurt us,” she’d whisper while her hand would travel down her husband’s knickers, “I just need you, Ben,” then, she’d tug his hand between her legs, “here, please.”
Ben was unable to resist his beautiful, heavily pregnant, needy and plump wife’s requests. These included pinning her against the wall quietly in a shadowy corner of the library, or in the evenings, at the privacy of their bed. “More, Ben, please,” she’d moan while riding him with an unwavering urge until she’d squeal and quiver with pleasure.
“I’m yours,” he’d murmur, while embracing her softly, “always, yours.”
As Rey’s pregnancy progressed, her belly began limiting her movements, hot flashes subsided, and those passionate moments became fewer. Her heat was replaced by an earnest anticipation, mixed with excitement and nervousness, for the arrival of her firstborn as she waddled through the hallways.
The first blossoms of spring brought the tiny kicks within her, as she rested her hands on the curve of her belly. A new chapter awaited them, and not just as a couple but as a family of three.
Or four, as it so happened.
