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Dark Cacao was pacing in front of the doors leading into his and Pure Vanilla's chambers, he had been kicked out half an hour ago by the healers when things started to take a turn for the worse, the labor had started off as normal (although that's was the midwife had assure him, but he wouldn't think that much blood should be coming out of his husband.) and after hours of constant pushing and screaming from his beloved was where things started to get worse.
Hollyberry was leaning against the wall outside of the royal chambers, keeping guard on Dark Cacao to stop the man from trying to barge into the room as a particularly loud scream made all of them flinch, causing her gaze to land on Golden Cheese, who was fidgeting about with the sleeves of her coat as she tucked her wings around herself for security and warmth, White Lily on the other hand was flicking her gaze between the pacing king and the door.
The other ancients had come by the Dark Kingdom for a meeting to make it easier on the heavily pregnant Vanilla king, who was a few days past his due date by now. Unfortunately, the baby decided it wanted to come out right in the middle of their meeting.
The muffled and pained cries of agony could be heard even through the closed doors of the royal chambers. The sound of the healers and midwife's gentle encouragement felt like an afterthought at this point as the warrior king endured the screams of his husband without the ability to do anything about it. It made his heart ache as he glared back at Hollyberry and then back at the door. "Is this normal?" he asked as he looked at one of his oldest friends, Hollyberry looked back at the door and shook her head, "It is a painful experience, but this is much more intense than what I experienced unfortunately..." the royal answered back as she looked back at Dark Cacao.
"I'm sure he's fine! Pure Vanilla might not look it, but he's a tough cookie." Hollyberry said as she gave him a small smile of assurance, although she was only met with silence from the others as the doors opened and one of the healers rushed out. The scent of iron was heavy in the air as their robes and hands were soaked in red liquid, and the ancients could already guess where that came from as the healer was carrying out blood-soaked towels while another followed behind with empty vials of healing potions.
The two excused themselves quickly as they made it past the royals waiting outside the door. Golden Cheese made the unfortunate decision to look back at the door when the healers had made their way outside as she caught a glimpse of Pure Vanilla lying on the bed and writhing in agony while two healers were stationed to his sides to hold his hand and keep him steady with sweat dripping down his face and causing his bangs to stick to his face.
A blanket thankfully covered his lower half enough to have some modesty, but the midwife was kneeling at the edge of the bed, monitoring the progress and giving instructions to the vanillian king when to push and when to stop. Golden Cheese quickly snapped her gaze away as she moved her hand and pulled the door close behind the healers as she looked back at Dark Cacao with pity, which Dark Cacao didn't notice as he was stopped by Hollyberry from questioning the poor healers on what was happening at the moment.
No news had been told to the poor king about his beloved's nor their child's condition since Pure Vanilla had nearly fainted mid-push and the Cacaonian king had been told to leave, the usual calm and stoic man looked close to snapping at the moment as information was kept away from him with the healers refusing to elaborate any answers and the answers he did get were kept vague which frustrated him to no end.
"Calm yourself, my dear friend... It will not do good for either you or Vanilla if you started a fight." Hollyberry warned as she let go of his arm, "Neither is barging in there like a cake wolf with a vendetta." Golden Cheese spoke up as she unfurled her wings and flew over to the man before she draped an arm over his shoulders. "I am trying, but it feels insufferable knowing I am unable to help him." Dark Cacao snapped back as he nudged the other's arm away.
"Nothing bad will happen...I've known Pure Vanilla long before we all have met, he'll be okay...he has to be okay..." White Lily spoke up, causing the other ancients to look at her, just as a tear was quickly wiped from her face. "He won't...he's wanted this for so long...he won't just give up when he's this close..." Her voice quivered a bit as she wrapped her arms around herself and stepped closer to the three.
Dark Cacao knew that what she said was true; They had been trying for a baby for years by now, and the dark-haired man knew that his beloved husband would not go down without a fight, even if right now was painful. Dark Cacao knew that his beloved Nilla would not want to see him so upset and so fearful, he knew that he would want him to be excited at the thought of holding their child soon, even when his husband was screaming and cursing bloody murder at him just a few hours prior.
Dark Cacao walked over to the white haired woman before stopping in front of her, with her barely reaching his shoulders. The other two ancients tensed up a bit as the taller man lifted his arm up before offering it out to her as a sort of side hug, which made White Lily look at him surprised and confused, "You're right, he wouldn't give up easily...he wouldn't want us worrying either..." The warrior king said softly as he looked at her.
The other ancient looked at him with tear-filled eyes before she moved over and hugged him gently, which made him flinch at the contact as he patted her gently on the back before the other two ancients moved over and joined the group hug. Of course, they were still very worried for Pure Vanilla, but at least now the tension wasn't as bad as before. HollyBerry patted him gently on the back in assurance while Golden Cheese ruffled White Lily's hair gently.
Another half hour passed. The other ancients were sitting down on the floor against the wall as Hollyberry let the two girls lean against her while Dark Cacao had decided to keep standing next to them. He was leaning back against the wall as the black-haired king had his arms crossed over his chest while he glanced at the door from time to time. He tapped his foot against the cold tile as Dark Cacao let his mind wander to his husband.
The healers were still being silent as they made their way in and out of the room, which let him catch small glimpses of his husband inside, even while in such awful pain and disarray, his Nilla was still as beautiful as the day he had first met him all those centuries ago. He was pushed out of his thoughts as he heard the screaming stop and could feel his heart drop in his stomach with worry as he stepped closer towards the door without even thinking.
Dark Cacao could feel his heart beating fast against his chest as he heard panicked yelling from the midwife soon after, which caused the other ancients to stand up quickly on their feet as Hollyberry grabbed the other man to hold him back, while panic started creeping into White Lily's face as Golden Cheese's eyes widened with worry as she let Lily hold onto her. The cacaonian king struggled against his friend's hold as he desperately wanted to go inside and find out what was wrong, to be there by his husband's side as his vision blurred from the tears.
"Holly, let me go!" Dark Cacao yelled, desperate and fearful. The man had never felt like this before, but right now, he felt like his world was crumbling beneath him as he struggled against Hollyberry's hold. The older woman just held him as the other continued to struggle as they could hear people moving around the chambers quickly as they had lowered their voices, it was mostly silent save for the footsteps and the hushed whispered orders from the midwife.
"I'm so sorry, my friend..." Hollyberry whispered as she held the other in her arms, she was trying to keep on a strong facade, but the sight of her friend's current state and the worry she had for her other friend, made her feel weak while Dark Cacao was slowly breaking more and more, in her arms was not the stoic warrior king, but a man filled with grief and fear that was desperate to see his family and it broke her heart further.
Seconds felt like hours as Dark Cacao continued to struggle before his legs felt weak for the first time, since he can't remember as Hollyberry continued to hold him tightly as he continued to beg to be let go, to go to his husband, his Nilla.
The door soon opened to reveal the midwife whose robes were soaked in blood, at the front along with her hands as she was clutching a small bundle in her arms, The midwife looked at Dark Cacao sadly as she held the bundle in her arms, "We tried everything we could do to save them both...I'm so sorry..." the midwife whispered as Dark Cacao stared at the bundle, he wanted to scream as the woman kneeled down and held out the bundle to him, "There were multiple complications during the delivery...We couldn't...I'm so sorry, my liege..." she said softly as the man stared in shock at the news.
"It...It was a boy..." The midwife said as Hollyberry let him go, Dark Cacao quickly took the bundle in his arms, he's lived in this hellish wasteland of snow all his life, yet the bundle in his arms felt like the coldest thing he's ever felt in his life, The baby was stiff in his arms as he looked as if he were merely in a deep slumber. The baby looked just like him from his black hair with the white streak going though the short little curl to his light brown face, except for the little swoop of hair that reminded him of Pure Vanilla's soft hair.
The Cacaonian king cradled the bundle close as if it was the most precious thing in the world, and it was for him. "You may enter now...We will give you some time to grieve, my liege..." The midwife said as she took a step back, while the other healers had already made their way out of the bedchambers with their heads down in respect to the king and the other royals.
Golden Cheese held White Lily as the other sobbed into her chest and clung to her like a lifeline. Her cries echoed through the empty hall as Golden Cheese held her and ignored the tears that streamed down her own face. Hollyberry had a hand gently pressed against Dark Cacao's as her other hand raked through her hair while biting back the tears that threatened to fall at the news of not just her friend's death but also the death of her beloved friend's baby.
Dark Cacao stared down at the bundle in his arms before instinct kicked in as he moved away from Hollyberry's grasp and all but sprinted towards the door without even thinking, the midwife gave him a pitied look his way as he stepped inside, she shut the door behind him before turning towards the other ancients and bowing her head in respect and turned to leave just like the rest. Hollyberry was still on her knees as she kept the tears at bay while her hands moved to cover her face and felt the tell-tale signs of tears against her skin. Her ears rang as everything around her faded in the background as she kneeled there.
The cacaonian king felt sick the moment he entered the room, a room filled with so many beautiful memories now felt lifeless and cold as his gaze was set solely on the bed, he ignored the empty bottles of healing vials strewn across the floor and the blood soaked towels that made his stomach churn as the black-haired man staggered towards the bed while clutching their baby's lifeless body close to his chest protectively.
Dark cacao's gaze didn't leave the man laid on the bed as he stumbled towards him with every shakey step he took, Pure Vanilla laid there looking as if he had just fallen asleep with his short blonde hair strewn across the pillows, he looked paler but other than that, he looked like he normally was as the warrior kneeled down beside his beloved. He reached out to cup the other man's face but flinched at the coldness that radiated off of his precious husband's warm, tan skin.
"Nilla, Nilla dear...Wake up..." The man whispered but received no reply as he felt the tears slowly stream down his face. He leaned in close and laid his head gently against the blonde's shoulder as he moved his hand down to hold Pure Vanilla's while he sucked in a shakey breath, he felt numb and yet so pained at the same time. Dark Cacao had experienced pain before, but this hurt worse than any wound that he had ever received, and unlike the rest, he had no kind and gentle Pure Vanilla to heal him nor a scar etched into his body as a reminder.
Dark Cacao felt like the universe itself hated him in this moment, he believed that the witches themselves absolutely despised him to the point that they gave him his kind and gentle husband only to take him away along with their child, a battle he had never fought, but still lost 2 of the most precious things in his life. The king felt dead inside as he carefully looked back down at the bundle in his arms. He moved the baby's head to kiss the top of the child's forehead before he moved them gently to lay on his other father's chest with utmost care.
The dark-haired king stared at what should have been a beautiful sight, His Nilla laying with their baby nestled on his chest, the man could only imagine his beloved's smiling tear-streaked face as the vanillian king was handed their crying newborn before pressing soft loving kisses over the baby's face to soothe him, maybe whisper sweet nothings into the baby's ear to calm them down, which made his heart feel like it was being squeezed at the mental image of what could have been.
Dark Cacao lifted his head up to stare at his husband's face, he mentally begged any being up above that this was just some cruel joke. He begged for his family back, even if he had to sacrifice anything and everything to have them back, but he was met with silence, the cacaonian king moved his arms to cradle around his beloved and child's still forms as he laid slightly on the bed, ignored the blood and sweat soaked sheets as he held them both closely like this was the only moment he'd have with them, because it was.
The king didn't know or care how long he laid there with his beloved and child; it could be hours or days, and he wouldn't even bat an eye. He closed his eyes as he held them both and tried to pretend that the sickeningly cold skin was warm, to pretend that the unbearably silent room was filled with the soft gentle whispers from Pure Vanilla or a baby's soft coes, to pretend that his husband and child weren't laying dead in his arms as he grieved for them, to pretend like the world didn't exist and it was just the three of them.
He didn't bother to open his eyes or let go as he heard the door of their bedchambers open, the man didn't bother to look up as he heard the soft clicking of Hollyberry's boots or the feel of her hand gently resting against his back as a soft assurance, Dark Cacao only held onto his husband like a lifeline as he let the tears flow down his face, uncaring if Hollyberry would see them or not as he just felt numb to everything in this moment.
"The witches hate me..." Dark Cacao simply said as he opened his eyes to stare down at his lover's cold, still face, "Their laughing at me in this moment..." he added as Hollyberry rubbed his back gently, but stayed silent. The older woman sat by the bedside as her gaze flickered between Pure Vanilla and his grieving husband, she didn't know how to feel in this situation but she knew that her friends needed her and for them, she would try and be strong even if deep inside, she feels like her heart had been ripped to shreds.
"We are here if you need us, dear friend..." The pink-haired monarch whispered as she watched Dark Cacao pull Pure Vanilla closer and press a soft kiss to his forehead. She stepped back to give Dark Cacao some time as she looked away and back towards the door. Tomorrow would be another day filled with it's own hardships and pains, tomorrow would have more battles and adventures to be won, but today, would be a day to mourn the deaths of one of the purest hearts she knew and a life that wasn't even given a chance, today is when they mourn for a family that was lost and mourn with their friend who lost it.