Ileus: The Dark Prince

A week later.

"Twins?" Anastasia squealed when Olivia told her about it. She had been through the first month of pregnancy with a lot of vomiting. "Are you sure?"

Kaizan was out tracking down the rogues in the borders of the Silver Vales along with Guarhal, who was now heading the Mozia unit that patrolled the trade path between Silver Vales and the Whiteclaw pack and also the pack's territories.

Anastasia and Olivia were sitting over a soft rug near the groves, beneath a willow. A basket full of sausages, cottage pie with hash brown potatoes and chicken sandwiches was ready next to them. The children were playing along with Darla's kids. While Aidan was at the royal palace for his duty, Darla had come to visit Olivia along with Anastasia. Darla had seen Olivia for the first time and she was beyond ecstatic. Olivia felt… blessed to belong to such a beautiful, warm group of people. Darla had her hands full with four children, the youngest one only four years old. Right now, she was playing with the six of them, four hers and two of Anastasia. They were all squealing and laughing as Darla picked Nicolai and spun his around. All others waited for their chance.

Olivia chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I am sure." Though she was only a few weeks along, she could sense that she had twins. She had sensed it yesterday, but she wondered if she would tell it to Kaizan or not, he was already so worried about the rogues. They had increased their attack over the past week.

Anastasia's sapphire eyes glowed in excitement as a radiance spun around her. "I will have to think about how to organize a baby shower for you!"

"You have done so much for me already, Anastasia. Both you and Ileus. I really don't want to trouble you on this," said Olivia as she sipped strawberry yogurt and eyed another banana oatmeal cake.

"Are you kidding?" Anastasia jerked her head back.

Darla joined them soon and asked, "What are you girls talking about?" She picked up fresh orange juice from the basket and sipped it. The sun was beginning to get warmer by the day.

"Olivia is going to have twins!" Anastasia chirped.

"No kidding!" Darla placed her glass on the rug as her eyes became wide.

Olivia gave her a smile with a shrug. Only in a few hours, she had grown very close to Darla.

"Wait till they pop out," Darla laughed. "I am going to take them away from you and spoil them rotten along with my kids."

Anastasia laughed. "Not before I take them with me!" Darla and Aidan wanted to have more babies but Ileus and Anastasia had to convince them, threatening them to stop for now. Ileus had said that Darla should regain health before they had another baby. Aidan had agreed immediately, but Darla took some time. And Anastasia could see that Darla's eyes were shining. She was sure that Darla was thinking of having another one.

"What did Kaizan had to say about it?" asked Anastasia.

Olivia scrunched her nose. "I am yet to tell him."

"Oh, I know why you haven't!" Darla said, rolling her eyes. "Ever since he has married you, his carefree self has been replaced by his overprotective nature. Does he worry too much?"

Olivia nodded, feeling guilty. "He is very busy with the rogue problem. He hardly sleeps or eats well. But I feel that more than the rogues, he is worried about me and the babies. He wants the rebel leader to be caught as soon as possible. He wants him dead. Until then he will continue to be stressed."

Tasha had come back to the Silver Vales and she had been informed that she couldn't find Lucas. Kaizan had grunted and then asked her to resume her duty. She had expressed her wish to join Guarhal for vigilant duties, but he had denied her request saying, "You will not leave the capital until I give you orders." Tasha wanted to protest that, but she snapped her mouth shut when Kaizan said that if she was not interested in staying in the capital, he would send her for duty at the dungeons of the royal palace. And that was the last place she wanted to go. After that day Kaizan hadn't met her.

Some of the rebels had been caught and some killed. No one knew who their leader was. Even though the rebels were caught, it hadn't dented his worries. Over the last few days, he had come home so stressed that Olivia was beginning to get so concerned about him that she got frightened by the situation. Every night, Kaizan would make love to her, talk to her, play with her hair, make her lie on his chest to feel her weight and then make more love. He told her about the past when Anastasia had lost her memories and when along with her, he was sucked in an unknown place. Kaizan had told her many more tales about Ileus and Anastasia and how much they had fallen for each other.

"So how are you keeping up with the morning sickness?" asked Darla, tying her hair in a knot and wiping her sweat off her shoulders.

Olivia laughed. "You can call it all day sickness!"

Anastasia giggled. "I had the same issue! But once your third month is over, you will feel better."

"Urgh!" Olivia said and slumped on the rug. She watched the kids as they played and wrestled with each other. Alexander was clearly the leader. His brother Alexander was sitting in his mother's lap and watched the kids with utmost interest. "Why can't we just live in a peaceful place, free of rebels?" Olivia mused.

Anastasia chuckled. She stroked her son's tuft of hair and said, "That is one situation that will never arrive. There will be some people who will always have clashing interests."

The girls were still chatting, when Kaizan and Ileus strode towards them to join them.

Anastasia muttered under her breath as she looked at them, "Ileus is the handsomest man I have ever seen." She sighed and realized that even Olivia sighed.

"What a beautiful man," she said. She would become excited every time she looked at Kaizan. He came up to her and greeted her with a kiss that raked butterflies in her stomach.

As for Ileus, he was short of squeezing Alexander while kissing his wife. And Alexander had protested as hell by kicking his da with his tiny legs and squealing.

"Any success?" she asked, but the tension on Kaizan's face was enough to tell her that there was little or no success.

"Hopefully tomorrow." He picked up a bottle of orange juice from the basket and tossed it at Ileus who caught it midair, and pulled out another one for himself. He lifted her up and pulled her in his lap, while Ileus just sprawled over the rug beside his wife after gulping the juice. "The rebel leader is one mouse!"

Suddenly Ileus popped the question to his wife. "Do you want to have lunch, Ana?" The way he asked, Anastasia bit her lip as her cheeks became red.

"I wouldn't mind," she replied with a shy smile, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.