Eight months had gone by and the babies were on the move. Like all the other babies in the area they were crawling, drinking cow milk, and eating fruits and vegetabes. They were recognizing all the different people that came to visit. Everyday someone new was around to help. Balfar often came around just to check up on the babies and Atona. All the visitors often gathered in the dining hall or kitchen for coffee or tea when Atona and the babies would lie down. The babies had gotten their schedules situated early on and Atona was learning to sleep when they did.
Everyone jumped in shock upon hearing the blood curling scream coming from Atona's room. Ambien darted up the stairs with Jaden, Andrianna, Adrian, Rozella, and Balfar right behind him. Ambien threw open the door to find Atona standing in the middle of her room with her sword drawn and ready to fight the first person that came near her.
"Atona Darling, It's me Ambien. Are you O.K.?" He said, moving slowly into the room, and trying to get close to her without getting hurt. She was looking around the room with wild eyes. She was there but not there. Her features showed pain and suffering, and she had no idea that any of her friends were there.
"Atona please put your sword down. I'm not your enemy, the babies are safe downstairs. They are fine. Your mother is with them, she is keeping them safe." Ambien said, getting close enough to reach out and grab her. He didn't want to just grab her and take the chance of struggling with her and hurting her or himself. Everyone knew Atona was one of the toughest women in the valley. At a young age she could flip anyone over her shoulder and have them underneath her with a dagger at their throats before they knew what hit them. She was fast, tough and meaner than most men.
"Where are the babies? What have you done with them you scum?" Atona said turning on Ambien with her sword ready.
"Atona, they are downstairs with your mother. Please put down your sword." He said again trying to reason with her and get her to turn where Jaden could get behind her and maybe grab her arms or knock her over the head.
"I'll go downstairs and get the babies and her mother. It must have been a shock to wake up and them not be here." Andrianna said.
"I'll help." Rozella said turning for the stairs.
Balfar entered the room to stand right in front of Atona, and putting Ambien at his back, and catching all of Atona's attention. "Now look here girl them babies are just fine. I was just downstairs looking at them fine babes. That wee girl of yours looks just like you. And that lad of yours is going to be a handsome young devil. Me pa went home to start making his blade already. So you just need to settle down and climb back into bed. You're not well enough yet to be swinging that sword around. Look at the mess you have made in the floor. You get yourself right back into bed this instant. Those babes are coming to you in just a few minutes." He said walking over to her grabbing her by the arm, and turning her towards the bed.
"Balfar you really seen my babies? They were fine?" Atona asked worried.
"Yes, lass and they were the cutest babes you ever did see. Now go on climb back into bed. Give me your sword. There you go all covered up and warm again. Now why don't you tell us all what got you so riled up."
"I guess it was a dream. It was awful; the other elves came back again and stole the babies. There was one elf that was battling me, he kept laughing at me while his companion stole the babies. He kept saying that they will bring a pretty penny with the master. They were the babes they had been looking for. Once his companion had run out of the room with the babes he turned and ran also. I chased them down the hall to watch them hand them over to Ridale and him give them two sacks that jingled like gold. It was so awful." She said, crying and shaking. Ambien was holding her close. Andrianna and Rozella came in carrying the babies and handed them over to Atona. "That dream seemed so real Ambien. Please tell me it's not going to come true." She pleaded.
"I wish I could give you that. But you know as well as I do, that it could come true." Ambien said taking the boy from her. "Atona, I have one question about your dream? Did you happen to see Bryson in it?" Jaden asked, looking at the little boy and smiling.
"No, I didn't why?"
"I was just wondering."
"Jaden, tell me."
"Because I just came last night and was extremely worried about you. I had dreams of you in pain and suffering. However, no one informed me of your darling babes."
"Oh! Bryson. It's wonderful to see you again."
"It's good to see you again." He said bending down and hugging her. "Grayson is being tended to by a rather beautiful young lady. She's about 3 years old, smart as a whip, and loves to play with her dolly which she named Annabelle."
"Sounds like you all have met my niece and mother."
"Right you are my lady." Bryson said, taking the boy from Ambien to look at him closer.
"What did you name these darlings?"
"Well, that little guy, she named after her father. Antonio Christopher. This sweet little darling is going to be Christina Andrianna." Ambien answered, as Atona was kissing and rocking Christina.
"My lady, where did you get that nonsense?" Atona asked when the baby had calmed down.
"Well, seeing how you are sleeping in the royal palace of the elves. You are bound to be betrothed to the prince of the Elvin Royalty. And you are of the Manslinger family, the only surviving member of that royal bloodline left. That would make you royalty."
"My goodness! You have been swimming in those clouds a lot lately. I am in the royal palace, because they are my friends. And yes I am one of the surviving members of my bloodline. Did you forget I have a niece? My sister Rozelle stands there at your right arm. Rozelle meet Bryson the bold and story stretcher." She said laughing.
"No, that can't be. The stories of that bloodline say they were only born one daughter. Not two. The legends are all written in the books. All the research we did for you Ambien was about there only being one heir to the throne."
"Bryson, I think the legends are wrong for a reason. No one was to ever find out about Rozelle. If there was just one remaining heir, then whoever was out for the throne would just take the throne and leave the girls in peace?" Ambien said, rocking the baby. The babies started whimpering and crying. Atona took the baby from Ambien and got settled on the bed. She shooed everyone out of the room and proceeded to feed the babies in the quiet room reflecting on the new information Ambien had just given her.
This was an interesting day, she had two beautiful children to take care of, and she was learning more about her family. The next thing she knew the babies were asleep again and she was starting to drift off herself. She rang the bell beside her bed and waited for Andrianna to come in. Andrianna picked up the little boy and took him over to his bed, then went and got the little girl and laid her next to her brother.
"Now you lie down and get some rest yourself. You won't do those babies any good if you don't rest." Andrianna said, checking Atona's pitcher to make sure she had plenty of water.
"I'm going to take a nap now. Please tell everyone that I will see them for dinner." Atona said covering up and getting comfortable again.
"I will, have sweet dreams Atona." Andrianna whispered as she left the room.
Andrianna went back down the stairs, to the common room where everyone was sitting. The conversation was on the great news of Atona's babies. Andrianna crossed the room and sat next to Jaden, whose face lit up when she entered the room. Watching him admire her, her heart started to flutter. She couldn't ever remember feeling this way about anyone else. She was truly enjoying him being around and was getting ready to accept it when he left. She didn't want him to leave, but when he did go, she was going to go with him. She wanted to adventure like Atona, and who better to do that with than with the man you love. That's when she noticed the conversation had changed from Atona to Rozella and Jaden's brother.
"I cannot let you leave without someone protecting you. There is too much going on and the roads are very dangerous between here and home." Jaden was explaining.
"Jaden, we will be fine, I learned to swing a sword just like you did. I can protect my family. You need to stay here and protect our sister-in- law." Jeremiah said.
"No! Your not going on your own. Atona will understand, she would not want you to travel alone. She would not want you chancing Justine's life."
"I can send some elven guards with you, and they can pick up some of the supplies we discussed trading and bring them back. That way you will have protection and we can get the trading started." Ambien said trying to keep the conversation from blowing up into a full fledge fight.
"That sounds like a good idea to me." Rozella said, trying hard to keep her husband and brother-in-law from arguing.
"I'm still going with you. I want to see mother and father again, and the rest of our brothers. I want them to know I'm not dead."
"Fine you always have to get your way. You can go with us, I'm sure mother will be delighted to see her favorite son." Jeremiah said getting up and heading outside.
"I don't know what is wrong with him. He's not normally like this." Rozella said getting up.
"Yes, he is. Especially when it comes to me, Jeremiah and I have never really gotten along. Mother was closer to me than most of the others. I was the one that had her good sense of people. She always finds the best in people before discrediting them to the gallows. Father is more like Jeremiah, I'm more like Mother."
"I guess I never knew. They never really talked about you at the palace around your father. Your mother mentioned you often when we would have our chats over tea. She always told me how much she missed you, and that you should come home. She said your father never understood why you left the way you did. Jaden, what happened?" Rozella said sitting back down.
"That is a family secret, and I'm not allowed to talk about it here. I think it is part of why Jeremiah is the way he is towards me. If you all will excuse me, I have something to do." Jaden said getting up and leaving the palace.
"I wish they would just tell me. I'm family now, and maybe I can help." Rozella said fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.
"Sometimes family business is just that family business, lass. It is probably something you don't want to know in the first place." Balfar said moving over to take her into his arms.
"But I'm sure if I knew what was going on I could help." She said crying.