The days passed excruciatingly slowly, and with each new day, Serena's body began to change, with the pregnancy. At her insistence, Ivar had sent for both Inga and Kara, to be brought to Garenthal, to attend to Serena. Her belly had already begun to swell, now only a small bump on the normally flat surface. Her breasts were becoming fuller, and a little tender, which made it extremely uncomfortable for her to wear a corset.
On Ivar's orders, the Council declared that the Queen would be temporarily stepping down from her royal duties until the baby was born. A plausible excuse, being that it actually was the truth.
Serena, for the most part, remained within the palace walls, venturing out only as far as the gardens. Although her appetite was healthy, Ivar regularly fed her with his blood, as an additional source of sustenance. She was gradually becoming addicted to it and craved more each time, as the baby inside her continued to grow at an alarming rate.
Almost a week had passed and the bump was now clearly visible thus necessitating an entirely new wardrobe. The dressmaker, Smithers, was summoned and given the Queen's new measurements, with strict instructions to deliver the next day. Needless to say, Smithers departed from the palace, sweating profusely, while furiously mopping at his brow.
At the end of the week, Serena and Ivar, strolled leisurely through the gardens, enjoying the fading warmth of the late afternoon sun. She wore a lovely white empire waist dress, that beaufully highlighted her growing belly. She seemed to glow under the last golden rays of the setting sun, her eyes radiating violet warmth, as she smiled up at him. He leaned down to kiss her forehead and eyes, moving closer to her lips, deliberately teasing her, when he knew that she wanted him to kiss her.
She clung to his arms, leaning into his embrace, waiting to feel his lips against hers, when she heard him chuckle beside her ear.
"Patience, my Queen, is a virtue"
"Speak for yourself"
He paused to grin down at her, "Are you showing insolence to your king?"
"I can show you something else if you prefer it"
"The sheer audacity!", he gasped, feigning shock.
Serena laughed, hiding her face inside his jacket, as she slipped her arms around him, drinking in his scent and enjoying the warmth of being so close to him. He cupped her cheek, lifting her face up to his, as he bent down to claim her lips.
The sound of horses and a carriage, interrupted the moment, as their lips became separated, and they turned to see the source of the sound.
"Let's go see who it is", Ivar smiled down at her with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"I think you already know and you're just teasing me again", she replied, slipping her arm through his.
Ivar's only response was a small smile as he led her towards the carriage, that had come to a stop in front of the palace. As they approached, Serena saw the familiar figure of her father, step down from the carriage and turn to help her mother down. She stopped to look at Ivar, her eyes wide and wet with tears of joy, as she beamed at him.
"You, you did this. For me"
"I would do anything for you. Now go to them"
She squeezed his arm, before rushing to her parents and throwing herself into their embrace. Ivar watched from afar, allowing them some privacy, before sauntering over to join them.
"Lord Kerrigan, Lady Eire, welcome to Garenthal and the Royal Palace"
"Greetings Your Majesty, we are honored by your invitation to attend the coronation", Lord Kerrigan replied, with a bow, while his wife curtsied beside him.
"I'm glad that you are here, as is Serena, no doubt", Ivar gestured for them to follow him inside.
Inside the foyer, Ivar paused, turning to his guests, as the butler appeared from one of the palace's many halls.
"It is a long journey from Mordach, you will be wanting to freshen up before dinner. Gustav will show you to your rooms and fetch you for dinner"
"Thank you Your Majesty", they chimed in unison, as they turned to follow Gustav up the staircase.
Watching as they climbed the stairs up onto the first floor, before disappearing into the hall, Serena turned to Ivar, with a radiant smile on her face.
"Thank you for this lovely gesture"
"Seeing you happy like this is thanks enough"
******************************
The dining hall was a little less empty that evening, as Serena's parents joined them for dinner, along with Rathgar, who seemed more sullen than usual. The meal began with a somewhat awkward silence, as the food was being served, but once alone, Ivar began a conversation with the Lord and Lady.
"I trust your journey passed without incident", he already knew this from Rathgar.
"Yes Your Majesty, Lord Bane and his men, ensured our safety throughout our journey", Lord Kerrigan replied, throwing a quick glance at the tattooed vampire.
"He is more than capable. My best, in fact"
Rathgar chose to concentrate on his food, rather than respond, and Serena sensed that he did not much care for compliments, or attention, for that matter. The rest of the meal, passed in much the same manner, the conversation being polite, but trivial, deliberately skirting the issue uppermost in everyone's minds. But Ivar, had other ideas, and skillfully manipulated the discussion in the direction that he wished it to go.
"It is a pity that Serena's brother is unable to be here, but I understand that he must remain behind to manage the affairs of Mordach in your stead", Ivar addressed Lord Kerrigan, who was seated beside his wife.
"Yes unfortunately, but perhaps he may be permitted to visit with Her Majesty at a later time?", Lord Kerrigan replied.
"That won't be necessary, as we plan to visit Mordach after the baby is born", Ivar's response came as a surprise to Serena, as he not mentioned it before, but she nodded and went along with him.
"How lovely! Although we were not aware that Serena is with child, Lord Bane failed to mention it upon his arrival in Mordach or during the journey here", Lady Eire interjected, with a small smile.
"It is hardly the type of information that Lord Bane is at liberty to divulge", Ivar responded smoothly, while beside him, Rathgar snorted dismissively at the thinly veiled barb.
"Of course Your Majesty, I meant no offense to Lord Bane", Lady Eire lowered her gaze, as her husband shot her a warning glare.
"None taken, Lord Bane is not easily offended", Ivar's smile was not reflected in his eyes.
Rathgar continued to eat, seemingly unaffected by the topic of conversation, but Serena was offended on his behalf and embarrassed by her mother's acerbic remark. The silver-haired vampire had been nothing but kind to her and showed her more respect and loyalty than she felt she deserved.
"Lord Bane is a man of few words, but his loyalty and respect more than compensate for his reluctance to engage in trivial conversation", Serena returned, in Rathgar's defense.
Ivar paused, surprised by Serena's response and the sharpness of her tone, but resumed eating, maintaining an aura of careless indifference. Although taken aback, Rathgar remained outwardly impassive to the young Queen's defense of him, as he finished his meal. Both vampires became quiet, as they waited for the scene at the dining table to unfold, without their interference.
"I don't doubt that, but I hardly think that your current condition is anything but trivial, Serena", Lady Eire continued, earning another glare from her husband.
"Neither was the decision to send me to a strange and foreign land to be married to a man whom I had never met", Serena rejoined.
"That was your decision Serena!", Lady Eire exclaimed sharply.
"At your behest!", Serena shot back.
An awkward silence followed Serena's startling revelation, in which her mother, frantically tried to salvage the situation, that she had herself, inadvertently, created. Ivar watched, the corners of his mouth curving up in a smug smile, pleased that his orchestration of the events had turned out better than he expected.
Lord Kerrigan cleared his throat, his face ruddy with embarrassment, as he searched for some way to ease the tension between his wife and daughter.
"Perhaps you both should continue this discussion in private, my Lady"
"Perhaps Lady Eire should have considered that prior to insulting the King and his Commander General, whilst a guest under his roof", Serena snapped, as anger flashed in her amethyst eyes.
Ivar leaned back in his chair, his eyes drifting lazily between the two women, while he waited for Lady Eire to respond. She didn't seem like the kind of woman to easily admit defeat, and obviously, Serena had inherited it from her. If he were a betting man, his money would be on his wife, she didn't appear to be remotely close to a compromise.
"That is no way to address me, I am your mother Serena", Lady Eire responded indignantly, matching Serena's anger with her own.
"No, that is no way to address me. You demanded that I marry the Vampire King, so now I am your Queen, and you will address me as such", without waiting for a response, Serena rose from her chair and strode angrily from the dining hall.