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beloved-daydreams · 7 months

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Folktober2023 Prompt: "Horror movie marathon" 🎬📺 Friday 13th October

An attempt by

Hosted by @jurdannet and @jurdannetrevels

📘1 500+ words

😎Characters: Jude, Cardan, Vivi, Taryn and Oak.

✒️Tags: Jurdan, fluff, wholesome, quality time, familial bonds, implied TarynXThe Ghost/Larkin

Was made in a hurry so it might have some errors but you’ll deal with it 💖

✏️✏️✏️

Last week, Vivi came to visit completely unannounced. A movie marathon for Halloween! She said. It'll be fun! She assured us. Taryn tried to turn her down at first, being 7 months into her pregnancy, she understandably found the idea risky. But Vivi being Vivi, she would not give up. And frankly, Taryn did need some family time and support. With no parents, no siblings and no husband by her side, although she doesn’t want to admit it, it must surely be difficult.

Meanwhile, Cardan immediately agreed despite our status. The High Queen and High King going to the mortal world only to watch movies? It’s a rather shameless behavior to display so soon, but Vivi said it makes us audacious for some reason that I didn't quite understand. The audacity! Or whatever.

Though to be completely honest, I'm pretty sure Cardan only wants to go for the caramel popcorn and to see Oak again. Oak who's now the only member of his "lineage" that he more or less appreciates. I'm worried. Nephew and uncle are maybe starting to get along too much. When Vivi found out Oak had punched a kid at school, instead of feeling sorry or ashamed Oak said "Someone who doesn’t respect others shouldn't complain about getting payback." Cardan said it wasn't his fault and it sounded more like something I would say. I beg to differ but he likes my begging so I just agreed and moved on. Vivi noted that he’s turning out to be a sassy child.

Now, we're lying down on the carpet while Taryn and Oak are on the sofa, Vivi is making the popcorn. She still isn't entirely back to being together-together with Heather. Should've figured, if she were I don't think she would've invited us. I hope things turn out well for them.

"Who wants it with caramel!?" Vivi asks from the kitchen, her head tilted to the side from the doorway so she can see us.

Cardan and Taryn lazily raise their hands.

"Who wants it salted?"

Oak and I raise our hands. Cardan looks at Oak like he’s incredibly brave for that, I roll my eyes. Salt only reduces or stops a fae’s ability to use magic for a limited amount of time, it’s not that big of a deal. I swear Cardan loves to overreact and exaggerate the dumbest things. The other day, I came back dragging the head of a traitor behind me to show the folk they can trust me to protect them. Meanwhile, Cardan said, "You know I love you but please think about the smell it’ll leave on the carpets." Well, Cardan dear, we’re King and Queen, we can get new carpets anytime if the smell doesn’t wear off. Also, Taryn is terrific at home decor anyway, I bet she enjoys decorating and redecorating our halls.

Oak puts his small hand on Taryn’s belly, then his ear against it. He’s excited at the idea of becoming an "unkie" to his future niece like Cardan is to him.

As soon as Vivi’s back with the popcorn, the movie starts. The good thing about watching movies at home is that you won’t be done with the popcorn before the commercials end. And although she’s the one who invited us, she keeps talking over the movie’s beginning, asking us how we’re doing and what stuff has been going on in our "fairytale hellhole." Then it quickly goes to the uncomfortable questions.

"So. Rynryn, I heard that a half-fae dude has the hots for you. How’s that going?"

Taryn cringes.

"Oh please, Larkin is ridiculous. Trying to court a widowed woman who’s still pregnant with the child of her late husband? He has no delicacy."

Cardan raises an eyebrow.

"The husband who died by the hands of his wife, you mean." I hit him on the shoulder and he utters a fake sounding ow. Oak is right there, I widen my eyes at him to make him understand but what’s done is done. Oak turns to Taryn once again.

"Why did you kill your husband?" Oak asks curiously with no discernible malice in his gaze or voice. Taryn smiles politely.

"He didn’t bear for me the kind of love that satisfied me nor did he treat my opinions and feelings with enough respect. And you know what that means?"

"People with no respect deserve payback!"

Taryn smiles and puts her hand on Oak’s horned head to praise him. Cardan and I look at each other a bit astonished. So that behavior partly came from Taryn, huh. I’m afraid that at this rate, he’ll become an amalgamation of all of our personalities. No matter. Vivi presses a bit further, putting Taryn back on track which only results in complaints from Taryn’s part.

"I swear he only ever wears plain and boring outfits, even for revels and casual occasions. Not to mention he has no common sense, poor table manners and his attempts at flirting are horrid, frustrating and awkward. How is he supposed to be a spy and assassin if he can’t even put two and two together? No way can he gain the trust of any of his targets that way." She suspiciously over-explains everything wrong with Larkin. Vivi smiles at her knowingly.

"Hmm. I don’t know, to me it sounds like he already caught his target." Vivi says.

"Why are you paying so much attention to him?" Oak chimes in with more accusations.

Taryn shifts her attention back to the TV, a furrow forming on her eyebrows. She tells us we should focus on the movie instead of whatever she thinks of Larkin. Which is none of our business, by the way. And so we do, we watch. Cardan seems to display no particular difficulty in understanding the images and plot but he’s much more entertained by the popcorn. That is until it runs out and he lets himself get swept away. His tail stands up straight like a cat’s every time he’s surprised by the sudden sounds or imagery, namely the jumpscares. It’s cute how his face doesn’t show his fear at all, he seems to be completely unphased if you ignore the tail. I suppose it must’ve been why he hid it all those years. It puts his emotions on display. Making his feelings obvious.

Near the middle, Oak is too tired to continue watching. Vivi puts him to bed. Near the end, Vivi and Taryn somehow manage to fall asleep on the couch. Vivi most likely because she’s not scared of horror movies in the first place, and Taryn because our presence hopefully calmed her down. In the end, this was mainly for us to get together again. Vivi may be clumsy with her words sometimes, but she’s still the same older sister who hugged us when we got into trouble or scraped our knees while falling on the concrete grounds of our neighborhood. I sigh.

While trying to get up, Cardan stops me. He whispers.

"Let’s sleep here."

I widen my eyes at him.

"On the floor?"

"On the carpet, dear."

I roll my eyes.

"I’m sure Vivi won’t mind if we borrow her bed for the night, as long as…" I don’t finish but Cardan gives me a sly smile nonetheless which makes me hit his shoulder lightly.

We get up and I properly tuck Vivi and Taryn in, leaving them to sleep comfortably on the sofa. Then we go to Vivi’s room and make the bed together. Well. "Make" is a big word, we’re both embarrassingly inept at tidying things up since our attendants do it for us. We just cover the bed with a cover we’ll sleep on, tucked in under another new cover so we don’t have to truly "get" into her bed.

As we lay there about to fall asleep, Cardan attempts to talk to me before I manage to make my way into dreamland, as he often does.

"Don’t you miss such things? Movies, popcorn, late night talks with your siblings? We could do that more often."

I smile and grab his tail, pulling it to my front so I can play with the tuft to fall asleep faster. It relaxes me. Cardan has enough only with hugging me, his arms just under my chest, and if his hands wander around to go higher when I’m too tired, I hit them away and he gets the hint.

"It’s fine. I believe it’s better for me to slowly move away from that, eventually we could try meeting in Faerie all together. There won’t be movies anymore, but the food can be brought here."

I’m not sure what face Cardan is making right now, but I think he didn’t like that answer judging by how his tail is flailing around.

"Don’t give up on that. I wish I always had that." He pauses then squeezes me tighter in his arms. "Or is it because of…"

I want my body to stay strong and healthy. My case is arguably completely different from other humans since I’m the Queen, but I’m not willing to risk it. When I reach my mid thirties or so, I’m thinking of stopping my trips to the human world. I hold onto Cardan’s tail in confirmation. And as I start to believe this might be the end of the conversation, he says one last thing before we fall asleep.

"We could try to install electricity in Faerie…"

I smile.

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Please consider leaving comments and/or tags! Love you 🫵🫶

(And before you ask, yes I made the silly banner myself because I wanna look cool and semi-pro 😤) Tell me it’s working lmao

#the folk of the air #tfota #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #jurdan #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #jude x cardan #jurdannetfolktober2023 #jurdannet #join the revel 👻🎃#fanfiction #beloved-daydreams

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iknowitwontwork · 10 months

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🧸 & 🥂 for the ask game!

🧸 tropes you would kill if you could

pregnancy, bully to lovers (jurdan being the exception ofc), romanticizing abuse that somehow is a trope?? and ik i'm forgetting a lot more

🥂 scene you could go on and on about

“It’s you I love,” he says. “I spent much of my life guarding my heart. I guarded it so well that I could behave as though I didn’t have one at all. Even now, it is a shabby, worm-eaten, and scabrous thing. But it is yours.” this scene

#asks #margo<3 #the loveliest mutuals💕✨

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bakerolivias-archived · 2 years

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SHIPPER CHALLENGE (idk man i just wanted to do one of these)

Pick your top ten ships without reading the questions.

1. hizzie - legacies 2. klaroline - tvd/the originals 3. forwood - tvd 4. klamille - the originals 5. steroline - tvd 6. rellamy - t100 7. rogan - gilmore girls 8. jude/cardan - tfota 9. clato - the hunger games 10. villadero - jane the virgin

Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6? Idk man I shipped b*llarke for a reeeallly long time and then i kind of went into the braven tag out of curiosity and ended up loving them. i think my fave ep was either the one where they slept together or the s4 finale when raven promised to be by his side for always.

Have you ever read a FanFiction about 2? Yep, definitely, I have 200 KC fics bookmarked on ao3 and a lot of the fic I read in general is about them.

Has a picture of 4 ever been your screen saver/profile picture/tumblr avatar? Um, nope. At least, not of Klaus and Cami together, but I was using a cami icon for my blog temporarily.

If 7 were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be? Oh they already did and I haven’t gotten to that ep of Gilmore Girls but i’m fully prepared to be emotionally destroyed by it :’D

Why is 1 so important? Uhm because they are absolutely everything, all the tropes rolled into one beautiful package. Because their personalities are so strong and well thought out and they complement each other, they make each other better, their story is integral to the plot of legacies, they’re absolutely perfect, they belong together, and they just can’t quit each other lol. Enemies to frenemies to best friends to back to enemies to sirebonded lovers for the win y’all!

Is 9 a funny ship or a serious ship? Uhm they have like very little canon interactions and scenes together, so maybe a funny ship I guess. Especially because Clove is such a fierce and violent little thing, and she can be aggressive and heated in the moment but I also think she’s very cool and calculating when her rage isn’t getting the better of her, but unfortunately my wonderful girl is practically just a joke character at this point, and fandom dislikes her a looot. Like it’s been years and she was such a minor character, as was Cato so there’s not a lot of content for them at this point. :p

Out of all of your ships listed, which ship has the most chemistry? Either rellamy or klaroline.

Out of all of the ships, which ship has the strongest bond? Uhh, I can’t decide between rellamy or villadero. Rellamy have been through so much together, have been partners, friends, co-leaders, and have a wonderful relationship based on mutual respect and adoration. I think they’re each other’s ride or die and the circumstances of t100 definitely made that more intense. But also villadero have also been through a lot together, just in a different way from rellamy, more telenovella style ;) especially considering michael’s death and resurrection lol. And they are best friends, they speak highly of each other, they love and trust each other, and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together... You can see how it would be hard to choose lmao.

How many times have you read/watched 10′s fandom? I’ve only watched JTV once, I wasn’t interesting in a rewatch right now, but the relationship between the Villanueva women and the emphasis on family as well as romantic love kind of made it a comfort show for me, so I might rewatch it at some point!

Which ship has lasted the longest? Uhm I counted and six of these pairings have at least one or both dead characters (does villadero count??? idk) and a lot of them broke up at some point (rellamy was never together unfortunately :p) and then there’s rogan who had a breakup, infidelity, pregnancy, and ambiguous ending... as well as hizzie who haven’t gotten together and whose story is still unfolding (RENEW LEGACIES!!!!!). i’m just going to say jurdan because cardan is immortal and they’re both alive?? i guess???? idk.

How many times, if ever, has 6 broken up? THEY WERE NEVER EVEN TOGETHER THE WRITERS DIDN’T GIVE THEM A FAIR CHANCE, JUST A STOLEN KISS AND A ONE NIGHT STAND (*sobs*).

If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 2 or 8? LMAO this is a good one because klaroline are literally immortal vampires and klaus is the original hybrid... but also jurdan have a fair amount of healthy survival instinct, combat skills, and general badassery (jude more than cardan), and there’s the fact that cardan’s immortal... i’ll just say KC because they would legit just be chilling in klaus’s mansion or in paris somewhere, not getting their brains eaten (they’re too dead for that! XD).

Did 7 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason? Not that i know of? at least not on gilmore girls, in the spinoff they did have to hide because they were cheating on odette *sighs as yet again another ship of mine is ruined by infidelity*

Is 4 still together? No because they’re both dead :’( maybe they’re together in the afterlife tho!

Is 10 canon? Yes but unfortunately not endgame :/

If all ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which pair would win? Uhhh clato didn’t win in their hunger games so as much as I love my two violent babies I don’t think these two teenagers would win especially with the rest of these couples as competition... villadero would be out immediately because jane hates camping and she much prefers her romance novels to violence and gore, and while michael is a cop and would have some physical duress, probably?? i don’t think he stands a chance against the others. I feel bad not giving Cami the credit she deserves but she’s a pretty unexperienced vamp especially in physical combat so she’s out... raven has her mental durability/genius and both she and bellamy have physical strength and combat capabilities but I don’t think Raven building bombs will work against Klaus or Caroline lmao. I think forwood are the star crossed lovers and would make a good team, given Tyler’s werewolf senses and Caroline’s enhanced power as a vampire but Tyler might not survive... no one’s going to overpower the original hybrid, not even jurdan, so i think either KC, or CK if klaus can keep cami from being killed (which yes she can handle herself my wonderful independent bb but I don’t think she’d survive Raven mf Reyes), would win.

Has anybody ever tried to sabotage 5′s ship? Uhm does Klaus count? Because he didn’t seem to keen on interfering since he had his own problems to deal with in NOLA and seemed happy that caroline and stefan were happy together... IDK i haven’t watched past s4 but i think a lot of obstacles came in SC’s way in s6? was it someone named cade? and also wasn’t alaric into caroline too? (ew gross go d*e you pedophilic old man jfc)

Which ship would you defend to death and beyond? villadero, klamille, rogan, and rellamy

Do you spend hours a day going through 3′s tumblr page? No not really?? I do search for forwood content tho even if the fandom is practically dying :/

If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she’d break them all up forever, which ship would you sink? RUDE! But uhm I guess clato since they never got together in the first place?? Or KC because as much as I like them they weren’t really ever on the same page in their lives to get together anyways and the fandom is pretty awful (and I’m only talking about the bad apples, I know a lot of nice KC shippers who I enjoy talking to!)

#annabelle speaks

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court-of-forever-undone · 3 years

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How Am I Going To Tell Him?

Jude x Cardan Fan Fiction | | Part 9 of 11

Summary: Jude has been feeling sick for a few days. The flu? Poison? It takes Taryn only a minute to realize the cause: The High Queen is pregnant.

Read on AO3 -> “How Am I Going to Tell Him”

Masterlist

Rating: T - W: lots of angst (If you don’t want angst, jump to chapter 10)

Chapter 9: Bad News (Cardan's POV)

Cardan was lounging in a chair that resembled a throne in the gardens. Around him were dozens of wine-drunk courtiers and Unseelie enjoying all the palace had to offer. The small incident earlier did little to deter the guests from enjoying themselves. Hopefully, the wine would help loosen their lips and the spies could report back helpful information.

Cardan recognized a few of the undercover spies, one was pouring wine in the mouth of an Unseelie knight, another was dancing among a crowd.

Everyone had a job to do, but all he had to do was throw the party, keep the wine flowing, and occasionally encourage a bit of nonsense. An easy enough job for him.

He tipped back his goblet and drank the contents, annoyed that the fun of the party had been soured by someone’s absence. Now, instead of enjoying the revelry, he could not stop himself from thinking about her. He wondered if she was already asleep or if she was still angry at him.

Cardan had noticed the extra attention she had been getting over the last few months. Folk from all over seemed to be drawn to her and even fought over her attention. At first, he felt a burning hatred at the sight of the folk circled around her, monopolizing her attention. But soon after, he realized how much she truly hated the attention.

He had to laugh; his whole life he had sought after attention and loved the way common folk looked at him, but the second Jude found herself in the spotlight she was ready to curse, stab, or run her way out of the line of sight.

He had noticed the faerie when he sat down next to her, but he lingered back to see how she would handle it. Jude would probably pull a knife on both of them if Cardan suddenly started acting possessive. She was furious that he stepped in when he did and he had held back longer than he wanted, especially when he knew how Osian spent his days.

Cardan had no regrets, but the memory of her scrunched up face made him long to be upstairs with her instead of sitting alone at a crowded party.

Just as he was contemplating his early exit, the Ghost appeared from the shadows and quickly approached him. In the middle of the party? This cannot be good.

“You need to come with me now. It is Jude.” His voice low and urgent.

Without a word, Cardan stood up and followed the sandy-haired spy out of the party. Once alone, the Ghost spoke.

“A little boy told a guard out on patrol just North of the Lake of Masks that the Queen had been kidnapped. The guard was skeptical but sent word back here. We just finished a sweep and Jude is nowhere in the palace. The last place she was seen was in her rooms. Knights are headed to the area around the lake now.”

Suddenly, the sounds of the party behind them were too loud, everything was too loud. Cardan could not think.

Jude had been in the palace. How was she so far away without anyone knowing? The momentary confusion was replaced by a wrathful urgency.

“Find her. Send everyone to where she was last seen.” His words came out serrated with maliciousness. “And bring me whoever did this.”

The Ghost nodded and disappeared back into the darkness. Cardan went back to his guards and barked orders to search for the queen.

The king did not even bother dismissing the party that still raged behind him as he stormed back to the palace, causing minor tremors as he walked. His body shook with anger.

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Minutes had turned into hours. Cardan anxiously paced in the throne room. The Living Council had been gathered and were discussing what to do about the situation. Cardan was trying to tune them out. Minutes ago, Randalin had suggested that they should come up with a contingency plan for if the Queen did not return and Cardan nearly killed the Master of Keys at the slightest suggestion that Jude could already be dead.

The idea was not one that he could bear. Yet, there was still so much unknown. Where was she, what happened, who took her, was she okay now? The questions circled around his head, preventing any rational thinking.

He just needed to know she was okay.

Cardan stopped in his tracks as the Bomb burst into the room with a full smile appearing under her half mask, followed by the Roach.

“Your Majesty, the Queen has been found and she is alright. She is unconscious from a poison. The healers are with her now to ensure that no permanent damage was sustained, but they are confident that she and the baby are okay.”

For the first time in hours, Cardan breathed a sigh of relief.

“Where was she?” Cardan asked before adding, “What of the kidnappers?

The Bomb responded looking pleased. “There were three of them. It seems that Jude killed one and injured another before they took her. The other two have been captured and are being brought to the Tower of Forgetting for interrogation. It appears that they were the group who were kidnapping and killing people. They had an underground hideout nearby where they had brought their victims. As of now, their reason has not been determined, but it is believed that they were former members of the Court of Teeth.”

The Roach added, “It is fortunate that for whatever reason they decided to take the Queen alive. We suspect that they might have wanted to ransom her.”

Cardan reached new levels of anger at the thought of anyone trying to bargain for Jude’s life. But as with Orglah, he knew that he would trade anything for her, and people knew that which infuriated him more.

At least he could relish in the fact that Jude managed to kill and wound her attackers.

“I want them both executed by tomorrow’s dusk.” He said grimly, it might be too quick of a punishment, but being allowed to live any longer was unacceptable. It would be a clear message to anyone who challenged the crown, treason would be met without mercy, especially when committed against his Queen.

Fala started to recite a poem about the “Undefeatable Queen.” Cardan tuned out the Living Council’s remarks.

Cardan slumped back on the throne, relieved beyond measure that Jude had been found and they were all okay. Now that she was safe, he could begin to wonder about why the situation had happened.

“Have we discovered why she was alone in the first place?” Cardan asked.

The pair looked at each other, neither wanting to share what they knew. Cardan could feel his temper rise with each passing second that his question was left unanswered. The Roach glanced at the Living Council members behind them.

Turning his attention to the council members, Cardan spoke “There is no further need for this meeting. Leave us at once.”

Cardan’s eyes returned to the two spies before him. His patience had worn thin.

The Roach spoke first, “One of our spies saw a cloaked figure leaving from one of the tunnel exits within the time frame she could have left after reaching the chambers. She was wearing a mask and cloak to hide her appearance. Had we not gathered everyone once we had word she was outside of the palace, the spy would never have realized that it was the Queen.”

The response still did not answer why she left in the first place. By the look the two spies gave each other, it was clear there was more that they discovered.

“Why did she leave?” His words came through clenched teeth.

It was the Bomb’s turn to explain now. “I searched the royal chambers for any clues or if she had left behind a note. It seems she took Nightfell with her… and left this behind.”

In the Bomb’s outstretched hand, Cardan saw a ruby ring. At the sight of Jude’s ring, Cardan felt the room sway. He tightened his grip on the arm’s of the throne to steady himself.

He was putting together the pieces of what this all meant, but his brain wouldn’t let him believe it. Could she have really…

After a moment of silence, the goblin’s voice reminded him of the thought he was desperately trying to forget.

“My King, when the Queen’s mother was pregnant she decided to run away to the mortal world. It is very possible that Jude might have been trying to do the same. Although, for what reason is unclear.”

Anger erupted inside of him, threatening to consume him. After everything, how could she do this? Without warning. Without reason.

The king realized too many eyes were on him to show what he was feeling. He would have to keep up a facade for a bit longer.

Cardan forced a laugh, one he wasn’t sure was convincing. “Well, maybe our dearest Queen takes after both her parents after all.”

Despite his anger, he knew it was more than that. Even now, knowing she ran away the only thing he wanted to do at that moment was rush to her side and to be there when she woke up. But he knew he couldn’t. She wouldn’t want that.

“Summon the Queen’s twin. Once the healers are done, the Queen will be brought to her sister’s estate to rest. Make sure the Ghost is posted outside.” The Bomb and Roach nodded and quickly exited.

_______________________________________________

Inside their chambers, Cardan took in every trace of Jude in the room. The bedsheets were still crumpled from her post-bath nap, the green gown she had worn that day discarded on the floor, crumbs from a snack on the table. Her sweet smell hung in the room and clung to the fabric of her dresses. He wondered how long it would take for all the signs of her to disappear; before he was left with only the aching memories of her. The heat of his anger had disappeared leaving him cold and empty.

Circling the room, Cardan reflected on the events of the day, searching for a sign he missed. That morning the world had seemed perfect.

Jude had sat across from him with a breakfast spread of assorted pastries and honeycakes, a recent craving she has been having. As she ate, he couldn’t help but stare at the tiny bit of honey that clung to her bottom lip, wanting to taste it for himself. Although, he knew nothing tasted quite as sweet as she did. When her beautiful walnut eyes caught his gaze, her cheeks had turned the color of pomegranate. He loved the look of surprise that occasionally danced across her face. He relished every moment that he got to see her with her guard down.

Over breakfast, they talked about the meaningless kingdom business and then talked about going riding and having a picnic the day after tomorrow. Jude left for sword training and he had gone to the Court of Shadows to talk with the Roach before the grievance hearing.

When Jude entered the throne room, he marveled over how she seemed to become more beautiful every time he saw her. As a mortal, her coordination had never been as good as any member of the fey, but recently she seemed ready to tip over at the slightest change in the floor. He watched her every step, not because he thought she would actually fall, but because of the way she now walked with a sway, hand around her midsection. It was one of his favorite changes to witness as the months had progressed.

The little assassin had become undeniably adorable, even if she would kill him for thinking that.

Cardan had been surprised at Jude’s sudden decision to clear the debt that now loomed over the half-fey half-goblin child. While it might set an unmanageable standard to uphold in the future. It might cause some very unhappy fey in the future, but that would be a concern for another day. Besides, he supposed that neither of them wanted to be tied to the choices of their kin.

After hours of grievances, the two had gone to a Living Council meeting in which they discussed further action to find the creature responsible for the missing cases. It seemed unlikely that they would stumble upon the culprits without someone actually witnessing the direct attack. Even with a description, they would be able to narrow the search to more effective targets. Little did either of them know that it would be Jude who discovered them.

Once the meeting was over, the two had made their way back to the royal chambers with a sampling from the kitchen, mostly devoured by Jude.

Cardan’s chest hurt as he remembered their conversation in the bath. The promise of their family growing caused unresolved fears to rise in him. His father hated him for the prophecy and his mother ignored him until the day she thought he could be of use to her. His siblings barely acknowledged him and the attention he got from Balekin was tainted by the shame and punishment inflicted on him daily.

He had not known real love or kindness until he met Jude. And when he had his first feelings for her he couldn’t even identify the feeling as love. The idea that he could want anyone that way, let alone a mortal girl, seemed ludicrous. Yet, he kept doing things to be near her. He relished in their time together even when he thought she was just using him.

And now, he was so sure of his feelings. For her he would do or be anything she needed. He may not have grown up with a family, but he had found one in her. And that family was about to grow.

But now she is leaving too.

The thought was almost too much to bear. Cardan sank to the cold floor of the room, head between his knees.

Maybe he deserved this. After all Jude willingly became queen and took the job more seriously than he ever did. If she wanted to run away, it wouldn’t because she wanted to run away from the job, which meant that she was running away from him.

The breath he had been taking was cut short by an awful noise that erupted from his chest. His vision blurred as hot liquid streaked the gold color on his cheeks. No matter how many breaths he took, it seemed like he couldn’t get enough air. His sobs echoed through the chambers, reminding him of his own loneliness.

Jude’s love had been a dam holding back his feelings of unworthiness and fear that he would always be unlovable, but with her gone he was drowning.

All the wine in the world could not numb this pain.

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courtofjurdan · 3 years

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One Chance part 17

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A/N: Hey peeps, I know it has been ages since I updated this, but here I am with an update. By the way, when you see “~”, it means its switching to past and then when you see another one, it goes back to present. And I got all my info from google and tv shows for this chapter so if it is not entirely right, I’m sorry. This is the last chapter. I have an epilogue planned also. I hope you enjoy this!

Jude felt pain ripple through her stomach and then felt wetness down her leg. She looked down expecting it her water to have broken but instead she was met with blood. As the pain intensified, the blood got worse.

“Cardan.” “Cardan!”

At that moment she realized she was at home alone. She went looking everywhere for her phone. Finally, she found it on the kitchen island, and called for an ambulance immediately. She called Cardan next telling him to either hurry and come home, something is wrong with the baby, or meet her at the hospital when the ambulance arrives.

Cardan hurried home from his job. He got there after the ambulance arrived. He went with her to the hospital and she was admitted quickly. They needed to do an emergency C-section before anything worse happens to the baby. They rolled Jude to the operation room, Cardan right behind her getting dressed in sterile paper clothes.

She gave birth to her baby, and the whole room was silent. You could hear a pin drop. Jude began asking, “Why isn’t she crying?” She looked to Cardan who had tears running down his cheeks and she knew her worst fears were being confirmed. She started to scream, “No, no, no…”

“No!

“Jude!” Cardan put his hands on her cheeks. “Wake up, baby. It’s a dream.”

Jude opens her eyes, tears falling out. Her breath coming in pants.

“Take a deep breath with me.”

Jude copies Cardan breaths. After she is calmed down, Jude says quietly, “She was dead and I couldn't do anything about it.”

Cardan knew what she was talking about. He put his hand on her very swollen stomach, “Look she's okay. You feel her kicking and moving around in there?” A nod of her head. “That means she is happy and healthy in there. There is nothing to worry about.”

~~~ Jude is 38 weeks now. She’s now very round, extremely emotional, and has crazy nightmares all the time. Cardan is always there to comfort and care for her around the clock.

Two months ago Jude and Cardan moved into the house his dad had bought for them as a gift. It was a two story house with 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths. They decided to get a house where they could live forever. A house they could fit their ever growing family.

Cardan got closer to his dad. His dad finally met him halfway into wanting a relationship with him. They met at least once a week for dinner or coffee. Cardan got a job at his company, a very good paying job. Unfortunately for Jude, Madoc still hasn’t wanted to mend their relationship, but Jude is okay with it. She doesn’t want someone that doesn’t want her.

When Christmas came around five months ago, they decided to have everyone get them baby stuff rather than presents for themselves. They basically had a baby shower for Christmas. Jude liked it because she is not a fan of planning parties or events.

It’s now the end of May, and Cardan and Jude finally graduated from college. They got to do virtual college because of the current predicament they were in. They only had to go to some classes, but mostly they did it from home. Definitely this last month, Jude just wasn’t feeling up to do stuff. She is always tired and sore, and just needs to take it easy. ~~~

Jude looked back at Cardan as he wiped her tears away and put her hand over her stomach to feel her baby kick. She repeated Cardan’s words, “She’s okay. She’s okay. She’s okay.”

Cardan kissed her cheek. And rubbed her back as Jude processed everything.

Then she grunted, “I need to pee. So help me up before I pee in the bed.”

Cardan laughed before he got out of bed and helped Jude steady her feet on the floor.

~~~ Jude has to pee a lot. Cardan swears she has to pee every 20 minutes. Which means Cardan has to help her every 20 minutes. But he doesn’t complain to her, it’s half his fault that she does, but he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Cardan never realized how hard it was on women to grow a baby. He thought they just gained weight and got tired but no, he was wrong. He didn’t know how uncomfortable Jude would be as time got closer. He didn’t realize how swollen her feet would become, how sore her back would be, the amount of loss sleep because the baby was restless or she was too uncomfortable. It made Jude so strong in his eyes.

Jude’s chosen family, Van, Liliver, and Garret, and her blood/adoptive family, Taryn and Vivivenne, were always there for her. And her family was excited to see their niece and become aunts and uncles. Her chosen family was surprised when Jude came to them and mentioned about them being aunts and uncles for her little one. She explained to them that they were more than just best friends. They were more like brothers and sisters to her. They all had an unbreakable bond with each other.

Jude and Cardan have set up the nursery. Jude insisted that she wanted a faerie book style room. And Cardan gave that to her. It’s a room any little girl would want, and when it came to Cardan, he would give anything both of his girls asked. But seeing Cardan trying to put baby furniture together was the best thing Jude has ever seen. She sat in a rocking chair every night watching him struggle, it was the best entertainment. At one point, he decided to call for backup, and Van and Garret came in and helped. So then Jude got to watch all three of them struggle together. But they eventually got it put together.

Jude has started to have Braxton-Hicks contractions for about a month and a half. Cardan hates them. Everytime she has one and she stills, he starts to freak out and Jude has to tell him it’s fine and calm down. It’s not like he feels the pain from them. But Jude is secretly happy he’s there for her and he cares so much about how she feels. ~~~ Once Jude goes to the bathroom, she asks Cardan if he will make breakfast for her. Her breakfast included popping some toaster strudels in the toaster and putting the rich icing on top. Jude basically has been craving anything sweet. So if it’s sweet, Jude wants it.

They eat breakfast and Jude decides to go to the baby room and go through stuff/ organize. She is nesting. She has gone through the hospital bag about three times already, she’s organized the kitchen several times, she cleans everything that she is able to, demanding Cardan to clean the stuff she can’t. And again, Cardan does it, because he doesn’t want to be on Jude’s bad side at the moment.

When Jude was resting from her organizing, Cardan got ready and left for work for his dad’s company. Cardan insisted that he stay with her until the baby is born but she said she would be fine alone. In the end, Liliver came over the days Cardan had to work. Liliver liked to call it their “girl time” before the baby got there.

It was about 7 o’clock pm when Jude decided to get a shower. Cardan was off at 8, and he was bringing home food which was right up her alley.

Now dressed in her pajamas, which consisted to be some stretchy legging and Cardan’s t-shirt, she made her way back to the bedroom. When she met the threshold of the bathroom and bedroom, she felt wetness run down her leg. She paused. All she could think was “Is this really it?”

She called for Liliver. “Hey, Bomb!”

Liliver was there in a couple of seconds. She saw Jude’s pale face and immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jude stuttered, “Umm I- I think my water broke.”

Liliver looked down and saw the puddle of water gathered at her feet. “Oh okay, yeah. So, let’s just go sit down on the bed, I’ll clean that off the floor, and I’ll go call Cardan, okay?”

They slowly made their way to the bed. Liliver got a towel and put it over the fluid to dry it up, and got her phone out and called the man of the hour.

“Hey Cardan, I need to come home. Now.”

There was a pause. And then he seemed to find his words, “Uh, why? What’s wrong?”

“Well, all I have to say is ‘are you ready to go have a baby?’ Jude’s water broke.”

Heavy, nervous breathing came back to her, “Oh my gosh, really? Okay, okay, I’m leaving now. Is she okay? Crap, no she’s probably not okay, what am I thinking, she’s having a baby. Do I need-”

Liliver stopped his rambling, “Cardan, stop, Jude needs you to come home. Everything’s okay right now. I’ve got it handled.”

“Okay, I’m leaving right now.” With that he hung up.

Bomb helped Jude get some shoes on and braided her hair so it was out of her face. Knowing if it was down, all her hair would stick to her face from the sweat that was already starting to bead on her head as her contraction got stronger.

After she finished having one, Liliver asked, “Jude, have you been having contractions today?”

Panting, she said, “Yeah. I thought it was just Braxton-Hicks contractions, but I guess I was wrong.”

“Why didn’t you tell us? Cardan would have stayed home with you.”

Jude glared at her. “Exactly, Cardan would have stayed home and fussed over me. I don’t want someone taking care of me, I’m a big girl.” No, what Jude didn’t say is that she’s scared. And saying it aloud makes everything a reality, and she is not ready to admit that yet.

Not fifteen minutes later, Cardan comes through the front door. He walks quickly to their bedroom. He sees Liliver and Jude on the bed. The former rubbing Jude’s back through her contractions.

Cardan bends down in front of her and gives her cheek a kiss. He grabs her hand and waits till the contraction passes, rubbing small circles on the back of her hand.

When it is over with, he tells Jude, “I’m going to change my clothes real quick, and we will head out, okay?”

Jude nods her head. Cardan can tell how nervous and stressed she is.

He gets up, changes into some sweat pants and t-shirt, puts some Nike high tops on, and goes back to Jude, bending down in front of her, “Okay, you ready?”

Tears immediately fill her eyes, which isn’t a shock, she cries about everything these days, but when her body starts to shake with nervousness, Cardan knows this isn’t her just being an emotional basket case.

He immediately has his hands cupping her cheeks, “Hey Love, what is it? What’s wrong?”

A sob wracked through her, “I’m scared, Cardan, I’m so scared. What if I fail her? What if something goes wrong?”

He put his hands on either side of her stomach, “Hey I’m scared too. But guess what? We get to meet our little princess today or tomorrow, and that’s all that matters. She is going to be so loved. You’re going to be an amazing mom, I know you will be. She is going to love you so much. It’s okay to be scared, but don’t doubt yourself.” He gave a kiss on the lips. “You’re so strong, nothing is going to go wrong.”

Jude opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment a contraction hit her, and the words dissipated from her lips. But Cardan was there to rub her back, and tell her to breathe.

After it was over, Cardan grabbed the baby bag from the living room and headed out to the car with Jude. Liliver promised she would clean up a few things and lock the house before she leaves. Cardan thanked her, internally grateful for such a friend.

Cardan helped Jude into the car, and then got into the driver's seat. He blew out a big breath, and a wide smile bloomed on his face. He looked at Jude and said, “Let’s go have a baby.” He leaned across the middle and put his hand on Jude’s belly and kissed her lips excitingly. It made Jude smile right back.

The car ride wasn’t too bad. Even though Jude grunted and cursed, she didn’t complain once. She held onto Cardan’s hand while he drew circles on top of it, asking if she was okay. Which just aggravated her.

Once arriving at the hospital, the nurses took her back to a room. The room had machines, obviously a hospital bed, a chair for Cardan, and in the corner was a little bed for the baby to be checked out in. It was so surreal to them.

Cardan helped Jude change into her hospital gown, and helped her lay in the bed. The nurse came and put monitors on her stomach, one looked at the baby’s heartbeat and the other could tell when contractions came and how strong they were. The nurse then started on IV to put her on some fluids.

Doctor Tatterfell came in to check how far she was dilated. Which was a 5, she couldn’t believe she was already halfway there. Hence, she has been having contractions since this morning so I guess it does make sense.

But now, at 10pm, the contractions hurt bad. She held Cardan’s hand like it was her last lifeline. And Cardan, the ever encouraging boyfriend, let her, and he massaged her back and whispered sweet nothings about how good she was doing and how strong she is.

She got into different positions throughout the hours to try and relieve some of the stabbing pain that pursued every 5 minutes.

After finishing having one, Jude said, “Cardan, next time massage my lower stomach and my lower back at the same time. It might help.”

So that’s what Cardan did. It seemed to be the best right now to relieve some pain. Soon a nurse came in asking if she wanted an epidural which she immediately said yes.

They again checked to see how dilated she was, and they told her she was at a seven, and then they went ahead and gave the epidural.

Soon, Jude was numb from the belly button and down. Cardan held her hand as the needle went into her back. He couldn’t believe how big the needle was though, he was very nervous for her, not that he would tell her that. But she took it like a champ. Cardan let her know that much too.

Now she was laying back down, getting in a comfortable position on her side. Cardan wiped a cold rag on her forehead, she had sweat quite a bit in the last three hours.

He laid the rag down on a tray and muttered, “You’re doing so good, baby. I’m so proud of you. Rest now while you can, okay? I’ll be right here if you need me.” He was going to sit in the chair they had provided him.

Jude spoke quietly, “You rest too.” Jude ran a hand over her stomach. “I have a feeling we won’t be sleeping much tomorrow.” She smiled up at Cardan.

Cardan softly laughed and kissed her lips right before he went down and kissed her belly.

Soon they both were resting and asleep. Jude got about 2 hours when she started to feel the numbness wear off. She didn’t wake up Cardan, wanting him to get as much needed sleep as he could get.

Taryn came in while they were still sleeping. Jude wanted someone there that could document this moment, and Taryn said she would happily record and take pictures of this monumental day.

But soon, the pain increased, which means her groans of pain got louder. Unfortunately, she couldn’t keep it quiet enough, and Cardan heard it. He rushed to her side and grabbed her hand.

After the pain subsided a little, she called out, “I feel a lot of pressure, Cardan.”

His eyebrows shot up, “You feel like you need to push?”

She nodded her head.

Cardan spoke quickly, “Okay, wait just a second, let me get a nurse.”

Cardan opened the door, went out the hall a little bit and got a nurse. In no time, Jude’s team of nurses and her doctor came into the room.

Doctor Tatterfell checked her and said, “Okay Jude, when you feel another contraction go ahead and push.”

Some nurses held her legs back while Cardan held her hand and let her squeeze it to the point of it feeling like it was breaking.

After 15 minutes of pushing, Cardan muttered into her ear, “You’re doing so good, Jude. I’m so proud of you. You’re almost done.” Cardan could tell how tired she was.

She pushed again and panted, “I can’t. I can’t push anymore. It hurts and I’m so tired.”

Cardan looked past her legs and back at Jude, “Jude, honey, you can do this. She’s almost here. She’s already crowning. We just need a few big pushes, and she’s here. I know it hurts, and you’re tired, but it’s going to be so worth it when this is all done.” Tears started to well up in his eyes.

Jude put a determined look on her face and breathed in deep, and pushed.

Cardan mumbled to her, holding her hand, “Push, push, push, push. Good job, baby.”

This happened two more times, and on the third push, Jude felt relief. She then heard her baby girl crying, and her baby was placed on her chest. She gathered her up in her arms, admiring the little body that wailed with life.

She couldn’t help the tears that fell from her eyes, couldn’t help the sob that tore from her throat. She heard the nurse ask Cardan “Dad, would like to cut the cord.”

He did, and turned back to his girls. Jude heard a sob to her right, and turned her head to see Cardan with the widest smile on his face, tears falling from his eyes.

Cardan looked at Jude, kissed her forehead, kissed the baby’s head and said, “She’s so beautiful.”

Jude sniffed. “She is.”

They took the baby away to be checked by the nurses and doctors while they cleaned Jude up from the rest of the birthing part.

Taryn was still there and did her part. She took pictures and recorded like she was supposed to. She cried while she did it. This was an experience she would never forget.

They weighed the baby and checked her height. She was 7.4 lb and was 19 inches long. Born on May 28, 2020 at 1:09 am.

Soon the nurse came back over with the baby. “Okay. Here she is.” She gave the baby to Jude. “Do you plan to bottle or breastfeed?”

“I plan to breastfeed.”

“Okay then let's see how she does.”

The nurse helped her get the baby to latch, it took a couple of tries but she did it. After the nurse saw everything was going well, she left the room along with Taryn to give the family some alone time.

Cardan cupped the baby’s head as she fed from where he stood, “Jude, you baffle me. You brought this sweet baby girl into the world, and you did amazing. You did amazing carrying her for the last 9 months. And now we get a lifetime of happiness together.” He gently grabbed Jude’s chin from where she was looking at the baby so she would look at him. “Jude Duarte, marry me.”

Jude’s eyes widened and she whispered, “What?”

“You make me the happiest man in the world. I want to live with you forever, I want to raise our children together as husband and wife. I want to attempt to be the man you deserve every single day for you and our family. You bring out the best in me. So will you make me an even more happier man if that’s even possible today and marry me?”

Jude eyes filled with more tears and she nodded, “Yes, Cardan, yes, of course.”

They kissed as the baby unlatched herself. Jude broke the kiss and looked down. The baby had gone to sleep. She looked at Cardan and smiled, “Okay, dad, are you ready to hold her?”

Cardan nodded enthusiastically and held out his arms. Jude met him halfway and gave him the baby. He sat down in his chair by the bed and gazed adoringly at her.

And for the hundredth time that day, Cardan cried. He let the tears roll down his face, unashamed. This was the happiness of his little family, his baby girl that had dark brown hair, and looked to be like golden brown eyes from the little bit she did open them, and his fiancé that blessed him with all this joy.

He looked down at his baby and ran a finger down her cheek, and with a thick voice, breathed, “Welcome to the world Liam Rose Greenbriar. I’m your daddy.”

All Cardan could think of was he was so thankful that Jude gave him one chance.

taglist:

@ummmcutie

@aelin-queen-of-terrasen

@afexiss

@roseygirl25

@mi-mavencalories

@spideygirlstuff

@deargreenbriar

@b00kworm

@thequeenofeveything

@munchycow

@aesthetics-11

@booksrmee

@akaloto

@hauntedfreakdeputyhero

@hurema

@dorkzrul

@curlyredqueen06

@tanaquilpriscilla

@queen-of-glass

@emmabookworm08

@charrise

@ireallyshouldsleeprn

@elriel4life

@xxxanimangxxx

@ironicallyanemic

@dirigibledinosaur

Let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the tag list. Bolded tags don’t work.

#jurdan fanfic #jurdan fic #jurdan pregnancy #jude x cardan #cardan x jude #cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #tfota fanfic #tfota #The Folk of the Air #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #abigail writes

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slightlyrebelliouswriter23 · 2 years

Text

JHMYY Masterlist

Summary: Three years after the events of QON, something has gone terribly, horribly wrong. Despite careful preventative measures, Jude has somehow gotten herself knocked up. No matter that it was by her husband, Cardan, who loves and adores her. No matter that she loves and adores him in return. This is a disaster of immense proportions. There are heads to be had. A Jurdan Pregnancy Fic.

Fic Rating: Teen/Mature

CW: angst, nightmares, brief descriptions of murder/blood/vomit, eventual smut

Read on AO3 | More fics by me

↠ Chapter 1: Kiwi ↠ While visiting the mortal world, Jude thinks she’s coming down with a fever and loses a bet.

↠ Chapter 2: Baby Won’t You Please Come Home ↠ Jude returns to Elfhame, furious and terrified. As she works up the courage to tell Cardan, reveries and nightmares haunt her.

[more chapters under the cut]

↠ Chapter 3: Tell Me Baby [In Progress] ↠ Cardan tells Jude about how he found out she was pregnant. More pieces fall into place.

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wanderingpages · 6 months

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ok idk if anyone remembers this or knows what I’m talking about but I was just thinking about this, there was a writer in this fandom and I wanna say they wrote some pregnancy au type jurdan stuff? It was good I guess but when you got to her blog she just complained about not getting notes and how she wrote better than most other people in the fandom and idk a whole bunch of toxic shit lmao am I crazy like that exited didn’t it?!? I’m lowkey too scared to try to find the blog lmao

Omg what ?!

#asks #I’ve never seen anything like that #I don’t ever see anything toxic from this fandom?#I also never looked for jurdan pregnancy AUs bc ew 🤮#yes I’m aware I wrote a whole pregnancy au lmao #did not love writing it tho lmao

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ghoustlysoul · 2 years

Text

Those Desired Words

Summary: After ending the curse, Jude has been burden with the emotional toll of what she feels for Cardan, yet she struggled telling him till now.

Word Count: 3890

Warning: Smut, swearing, tqon spoilers, and pregnancy

If you read this, I am so rusty with smut, but after rereading the series I had to.

— — — —

Staggering inside the moon-lit bedroom, the shadows casted from the silver lining metal, shaped as forest creatures, concealed in the glass panes were fracture by the drunken High King. The High King of Elfhame, stumbled gracefully, across the shadows, sending them in disoriented spirals, which he danced with while humming a horrific tune, easing his sleeping queen out of the rest she rightful deserved, and fought for.

After the past few escapades thoroughly displayed, the queen’s energy dissolved somewhere between receiving her newly found titles of Serpent Slayer and High Queen of Elfhame, and the addition serpent dawning her nightmares left her uneased. However, Tatterfell—her servant since childhood—halted her scolding, swapping her daggered words for a better weapon. Instead of merely mentioning the lavender herbal tea, she left a small cup on the miniature tree nightstand beside her; a beautiful addition she grown from the bark flooring while practicing the magic she carried from the land, tree stands with thick roots twisting up into tinier—vine like—branches, autumn brown leaves springing out from the edges and mended together like solid metal. Despite her earlier refusals, the High Queen decided differently that night.

Drearily, her leaded eyes peeled open. She flicked her eyes to the nightstand, catching the empty spot where the quaint teacup had resided. Tatterfell. Rolling her heavy-lidded eyes, they nearly collapsed into a disoriented dizziness threatening to send her back to sleep. “Cardan?” she rasped quietly. Her eyes unable to adjust quite right despite the moonlight.

“Jude, my violent queen, my sweet villain,” Cardan chuckled, his quicksilver smile dawning his vulnerable face. Drunken himself kind. “My curse, my cure,” he purred lowly, prowling the edge of his bed as the High Queen propped herself up. Cardan kicked his silver toed boots off, tripping up over himself till he spiraled over the massive in heart of their royal chambers.

“Cardan,” Jude sighed. “Is this how it is to be?”

Cardan muffled giggled filtered into their honey-gold sheets. He pushed up slowly, letting his face fall lazily into his hands. “How what is to be? If you wish grander words spilled from my lips, then I shall grant your desire. Perhaps, I ought to assemble the most gifted mortals to accompany me, and I shall shout ballads of my endless love, my never-ending love.”

“Never,” Jude remarked, “Cardan, never is quite a ways away. I may never reach it.”

“Jude, my darling Jude, I might be incapable of keeping us alive till never, yet my love, my heart’s content, it will reach never,” Cardan’s dizzying words spirals Jude’s mind.

She might had consumed whatever wine or ale he simmered down. It was a mighty excuse if she ended throttling the king.

Cardan, slowly, climbed his way up the massive mattress, his onyx eyes glazed as if the stone was freshly forged from the fire which birthed it. He displayed either arm on the outside o of her shapely thighs thickened during the years Madoc spent drilling and training her, honing her wildness into a sharp sword—one worthy of cutting through anything. Sadly, the exiled general had neither truly appreciated his daughter capabilities nor strength. She was grander than anything Grimsen crafted and forged. Deadlier than any of his curses. An enchantment no fair folk’s magic amounted.

And she, solely till Oak came of age, was his delight. His endless, ongoing joke to torture and tease till never caught them by the ends of their hair, yanking them down to the reality they gradually ignored.

Cardan kissed the smooth side of one Jude’s legs stuck out from the coverlet. He chased several gentle kisses to the bend of her knee with that wicked mouth of his till her legs vanished beneath the silk. He groaned softly, wrapping his hand playfully around her calf. He flexed his hand slowly, and he massaged the mortal flesh beneath his hand, warm with the blood running through her. Grinning wickedly, the High King nipped Jude’s skin. His sharp fang drew the smallest noise from his queen, his wife.

As if Jude knew the moment the thrilling idea provoked Cardan, she paled, and the dim moonlight highlight the reddish glow beneath her cheeks. “Cardan,” she rasped quickly, jerking her knee closer, yet the drunken king thought otherwise as he kept her firmly in place. If anyone was to mover her, it was to be him. “Do not think of it, my king. You are drunk.”

“As you should be, my queen,” he lyrically responded as if his magic teased his voice, dawning the beginning of an enchantment. “It is a celebration to last a month! A celebration of you and I. Why have you retired to our chambers? No guard is posted outside the door.”

Unsure if Cardan’s words were suggestive, Jude leaned closer. The space between the queen and king thinned, yet there was so much separating them. And she partially burdens the blame. If only she removed her armor as quickly as Cardan. “I retired as I am tired. Why have you left the celebration?” she inquired, glancing at the slant of the moon. There were a few hours left till light came dawning the land, and the fair folk found themselves a resting place till the endeavors resumed.

“What is a celebration without the queen?” Cardan mused. His raven hair fallen into the eyes the color of the same spilt black ink.

“A tiresome queen never made for good company,” Jude heard herself saying without much content.

Cardan, frowning, saddled between Jude’s legs, and a hefty sound came from the back of her throat. The queen’s eyebrows risen. The king merely curved the daggered smile Jude had come to admire in a way moths do with flames. Cardan crushed the silk spun blanket against the mattress, leaving Jude little room to pry the coverlet over herself. “You ought to find better reasoning, my queen. Has my sudden transformation left you sadden? Were you wishing to rule the throne as yours, and yours alone?”

Jude tipped her head back, and the shooter strands of her chestnut roasted hair falling loose and framing the sharp details of her face. Cardan trailed his hand slowly over her smooth skin, rubbing the taut muscles always strained to flee in a moments notice. “Cardan, I thought I craved power, and power alone, yet the hatred for you that poured so thickly through me anytime I crossed over a raven’s feather quill, or I wore a sliver golden ring, or I saw a tail swindling to and frow, or I went on your brother’s missions had consumed my being so thoroughly I knew nothing else than to think of you—”

“Tell me again, my sweet villain,” he whispered lightly, the sweetness of the wine far gone from his lips.

“What again? Please, do not interrupt. I must say the issues of my unresolved mind and armored heart,” Jude murmured. The opportunity was slipping. Her armor tightening. Her mind sharpening.

“Tell me you hate. At least, then, I am aware the depths of this marriage, and I may armor my heart once more—”

“Cardan,” muttered Jude abruptly, “if you do not wish to find what your tail tastes like, then hush.” Jude slid her own hand to meet Cardan’s, intertwining their fingers together. She brushed her thumb over his signet ring, tracing the symbol of his lineage. Her eyes flicked upwards, and she almost came undone. Those beautiful ink eyes glimmering with bit of golden star dust. The gold was haunting. Almost taunting. A reminder her king’s midnight eyes were completely glazed in gold when Cardan had been cursed. “My heart is armor as yours is stone, yet you held a depth of feeling, which you confounded in me, and if I were not to do the same…if I were to go another moment without telling, then I would be the serpent.”

“Then tell me, Jude. Whether you love or hate me, I plead you to tell me the heaviness shielded behind that armor of yours, so I may know how to act, how to be, around you,” Cardan exhaled as if he were the one saying those desired words all over again.

“I love you, Cardan,” Jude whispered shallowly, the words barely strung into the open. She spoke the words as a dead greedy man refusing eager ears where his treasury resided, and Cardan eagerly bent so close, catching every detail. The shutter in her breath, the heavy reside woven as if she had been gutted on a battlefield than sitting in their chambers.

“Tell me, again.”

“Cardan, I love you, and I will love you till never comes and beyond,” she vowed.

“Mortal promises are not worth much,” Cardan claimed, and it took Jude a brief second to realize the light teasing.

“You must wish to have your tail stuff into that formidable mouth,” she threatened tauntingly.

Leaning towards the High King, she reached past him. Quickly, she grasped his flickering tail and laughed the moment Cardan released a strangled noise, somehow a low growl and chocked moan. She ran her hands along his fury tail till she brushed the tuft ends. Gleaming, Cardan released an involuntary purr, and he quickly eased Jude onto her backside, tearing the silky blanket aside. He drew an eased breath, staring darkly down at the woman he loved, at his queen.

Jude brushed her fingers through his raven locks, pushing the strands behind his blade tipped ears. Her thumb brushed the golden hoops fastened in his ear, trailing to the bottom of his lobe. She twisted a golden chain piece of metal dangling in the lowest part of his ear, and her fingers continued, tracing the curve his jaw—the jawline that had cut out her own heart—and touching those wicked lips. Her eyes met his, and her heart slowed as if she followed into the beyond.

“Cardan, there’s another heaviness weighting my heart, and I must relieve it,” she murmured, catching her eyes on his thinned lips plastering a frown, and those dark eyebrows drawn closely together.

“Perhaps it ought to wait, my queen. I need you. I need all of you, and I will be damned if I am not inside you once more,” he growled against her lips, seizing the corner with a small kiss. He trailed his lips down, down, down, roaming the most tender parts of her jaw and neck that drew noises Jude had not known she could create.

She tried catching his jaw and steering his eyes back on her, yet she found them bounded by one of his hands, tucked between their rising chests. “Cardan, please…”

“Jude, let me show you the way you make me feel. You know I cannot lie, yet I can deceive unless you ask me directly. Please, let me love you,” he pleaded.

Cardan, her cruel prince, her wicked king, begging was an unholy sight. Jude inhaled and held it in. Her mind spun, snatching on any cohesive thought, yet as quickly as one formed, it dissipated into the nothingness of her mind. “Cardan, let me tell you this, and if you wish to continue, I give you a whole week’s worth of my time.”

Cardan growled lowly, nipping the corner of Jude’s soft lips. Inhaling a slow breath, he stiffened atop of her, and his eyes narrowed upon an intoxicating smell. A smell he had been too intoxicated and overwhelmed, with Jude lying in their bed, to notice. “How long?” he demanded, trying to articulate the seldom nights they had alone since Jude return and his own rebirth. “How long, Jude?”

“How can, how can you tell?” She stammered, her voice falling low. Refusing to meet those dark, golden ebbed eyes, she felt the heaviness of them crushing her.

Unable to stare at the woman beneath him, Cardan rolled, not caring his tail crushed beneath him. He thought their scheming and secrets were done. At least between them. How foolish though, to believe a mortal at their word. As deceitfulness and ruthlessness bounded his nature, strategy and lying bounded the queen beside him. How were they to rule as one if they could trust as one?

Cardan, while Jude breathed heavily beside him, rolled onto the edge, his bare feet cooled by the bark floor. A hand caught his shoulder, yet he shrugged off the contact. “My own wife cannot trust me,” he muttered.

“Cardan, I trust you…I was frightened, and I have been so frightened since…”

“Since when, Jude? Is it me that frightens you?” he asked calmly.

“Yes, you frightened me. The moment you transformed into that serpent I was frightened. I found out prior and had yet found a time to tell you. Vivi scented the change when I was dressing for the arrival of Madoc right before…” she kept her strength through the entire explanation, until the end. She crumbled thinking of the serpent. Serpent Slayer.

She bared the title Serpent Slayer. Slaying the serpent, ending one of the only pieces of Cardan she had left without knowing cleaving the beast’s head from its body would end the curse, releasing the High King. The serpent’s death meant Cardan’s death, and though, the power and influence of binding the serpent to her forever was desirable, she had to free the High King. Even if he was released to the beyond.

A part of him remained with her. She rubbed her flat belly.

“The curse took me,” Cardan finished. “You’re so reckless, Jude.”

“I am reckless when it comes to you, my king,” she said.

“Foolishly, reckless,” he declared, tugging her carefully into his lap. Jude crashed against him, curling her fingers around his outgrown locks of velvet black hair, winding the ends and pulling. “Not to mention the lack of guards, Sir Fend should be with you at all times, understood?”

Jude rolled her eyes, “I am capable of handling myself.’’

“I know, love, I think you are the only one who is, but it will be by your command or mine, she will be with you,” Cardan declared as if he was declaring war itself. He pressed his wicked lips against Jude’s, bounding her to him. There needn’t be anymore word exchanges, just Jude and him. Him and Jude.

Working his fingers underneath the rosy robes, mossy vines embroidered along the arms, Cardan pushed the tied robes up Jude’s thighs and pass the widened curves of her hips, a perk of her mortal body the High King loved gazing at. However, he was greedy, taking every part of her she would allow him to have, and he devoured each part until they molded themselves together; lips clashing in a battle, Cardan disarming her with quick swipes of his tongue and brief nips of his teeth.

Jude moaned lowly into her husband’s mouth. She pulled him closer, pressing her clothed chest to his, yet she ached to strip the dew green tunic off his body. Trailing her fingers down Cardan’s neck, she fumbled quickly on the frustratingly golden buttons, and slowly, she worked each button through the small sewn slit. Each button she unraveled, a feverish kissed replaced it till she reached his lower abdomen. Then, the impossible feat was his black breeches from which she ripped the tunic free from and ran her hands back up Cardan’s chest. He chuckled lightly, grasping Jude’s wandering hands and pressing kisses on the inside of her palm.

“I thought you wanted me?” she teased Cardan, rolling her hips against him while Cardan stripped—really shredded—the robe from Jude’s shoulders, letting the flimsy material bunch around her elbows, exposing her breast to her king.

“I do, and I will,” he growled lowly, bucking his hips harshly against hers, and he claimed her wide hips with his hands. He kept her firmly against him, watching her breast bounced as they moved against once another. “Fuck—” Cardan muttered, pushing his face against her chest, and he quickly closed his lips around her nipple.

Jude threw her head back, digging her dull nails into Cardan’s arms; she clutched tightly as if she might disappear if it weren’t for him, his body, his love, keeping her grounded. “Cardan,” she cried softly, biting her lip as he teased her nipple. He sucked gently, tongue swirling over her hardened nipple, and he kissed softly to the other, taking it gently between his teeth.

An encompassing heat arose within the pleasured queen. An intoxicating warmth dampened between her legs, and she heard Cardan inhale a frighteningly deep breath. “Jude, you smell so sweet,” he muttered against her breath, prying his mouth away.

His kissed her brashly, preventing himself from laying Jude out on the bed and sliding between her legs; he would be there till the sun rose and long after it fell. Pulling away, his eyes traced her warm skin illuminated in a silvery shine and her chestnut hair fleeing the braid she knotted it into. Trailing his eyes down her chest, he devoured the heavy rise in his chest, and he felt her clenching thighs around his waist. Every bit of her surrounded and drowned him, taking him completely by surprise as he knew he’d never tire of undoing her.

She may forever undo him with hers skilled tongue and schemed mind, yet as he held her captive, undoing her entirely, he knew this was how did so to her.

Cardan gripped her hips like an iron band, watching Jude closely. Jude released a soft mewl of laughter as her husband’s tail swayed joyously behind, and she briefly wonder if his tail was ever an indication. Dropping her hands to his breeches, she unlaced them lazily till she could work her hands beneath the waistline, and she trailed her fingers over her husband, touching his hard member. She listened to his labored breathing and felt his stiffened muscles, each ticking up with tension as he waited.

Slowly, she freed his member from the breeches, thanking whoever she must for the lack of the fair folks’ modesty. Their bodies never adorned undergarments, and sometimes, during grand festivities they bore no clothes, lost to the winds and the lands. Working her hand slowly up and down him, Cardan tightened his hold on her, almost bruising her tender flesh, yet Jude partially paid any mind. Having him leave marks on her, they were still figuring out things in bed as Jude did tend to bruise easier than her husband’s past lover, left her slightly drunken. It was a symbol other than their spoken promise that Cardan was hers and she his.

Yet, none of the marks hurt, nothing ever hurt. Cardan always made sure.

Cardan shared a darkened look, quick glimmers sparked around the blackened iris, as he pulled Jude entirely against him, entering her in a swift movement. Chocking on a breathless moan, Jude sealed her eyes shut and leant her forehead against her husband’s. He filled her so thoroughly that she was lost in a delirious state, mouth slightly parted. It was, perhaps, the only way Cardan managed to silence his wife, the High Queen—his member buried deep in her, and Jude clenching tightly around him as he adjusted.

“Are you with me, my darling?” Cardan rolled his hips slightly, grinding deep inside her.

Jude shuddered lightly, Cardan brushing each sensitive place. He always found every perfect place, drawing her higher and higher with each roll of his hips. Nodding her head meekly, the High Queen sluggishly rested her head against the king’s shoulder, too heavy to bare the weight herself. “Y-yes,” she stammered lowly, meeting her husband’s movements in a dazed pattern.

Cardan released a breathy chuckle into Jude’s chestnut hair, and he pressed a tender kiss there. He dragged her hips forward, hands tight around Jude. He moved her forward and guided her through the slow motion as he fucked inside her. Deeper and harder, he ensured their hips in perfect movements. Losing every part of herself, she sputtered a weakened breath. Fitting onto her husband’s thick length stolen everything—her mind, her heart, her body—at blade point as she had done to him all those months ago. She was breathless. She was thoughtless. The only thing grounding her was the way Cardan pressed everywhere she needed inside her, soothing and igniting a blazing fire all at once.

He snarled against her neck, lapping his tongue over the sweet skin salted by his wife’s light sheen of sweat. Jude found herself in their paced movements, drawing out the grand evening. She lifted herself up Cardan’s thick member, and she dropped down. Her loud moans chimed higher as she built the friction inside her stomach—a slow burn, forged brighter and hotter as they entangled themselves together.

Jude’s chest fastened the rate it heaved, crashing into Cardan’s heated skin. Her hardened nipples brushed the fair folk’s taut chest, sending jolts of delectable ecstasy, and she shivered violently despite the warmth spread over her skin and overtaking everything inside her. The heat crawled beneath her skin, each nerves sent ablaze as the warm unfurled and swept from the bundle inside of her stomach. It tightened in turn with the way she grinded and bounced on Cardan’s hard member. Her thighs trembled—from the work and the waves of pleasure that crashed over her, and they threatened to send her drowning in the abyss of it all. Her stomach tightened. Her skin raised with little bumps. Her nipples swelled with intense heat. Her walls clamped around Cardan.

As she drew closer, Cardan all but slowed the pace. He snapped his hips violently into, groaning greedily at the warmth of his wife. He sunk further into her, overtaken the way she felt around him. He cursed profoundly against her skin. Clashing his canines over Jude’s warm skin, he sank his sharp teeth into her flesh. The fresh blood swirled on his skin made him hum while Jude cried sharply, her voice loud and rough, as she sunk down on Cardan, clenching tightly on his thick cock as she unraveled.

Jude’s muscles trembled uncontrollably as she let go, the threatening waves crashing over and taking her to the peak of her high. She collapsed against Cardan. Completely unmoving, aside the little twitches of her body and her uncoherent moans, she was only held steady by the High King’s body that still thrust deep into her. Cardan fucked deeper and deeper, muttering Jude’s name like an oath as his entire body tightened then shuttered. He released deep inside the wetness of his wife, watching as she came undone once again before him.

As he drew his face back, he peered down at his wife. Everything about her wholly appearance left him confounded. The beautiful, blissful drawn expression on her heart shaped face. The messy sprawl of her braid. The way her body twitched as Cardan rocked shallow inside her. The little droplets of blood splattering shining, heated skin near the inflated puncture wound on the juncture of her neck.

Craning his neck down, Cardan lapped the drying blood. “That was a pleasured delight,” he hummed against Jude’s flesh, “hopefully, the remainder of your pregnancy will be so.”

Jude lazily rolled her eyes, keeping them closed tight. She hummed softly, “if you behave, my king.”

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abruisedmuse · 3 years

Text

A Strange New Scent pt.2

*I’d like to thank @nicolivesinbooks for asking the important question of how long until Jude notices? Answer: not that long. This should also be the end of this fic lol. However, it was meant to be a one shot so who knows right?

A Strange new scent: part 1

I awoke feeling as though I slept most of the day. One swift glance to glass panes on my left told me it was morning still. Exhaustion lingered in my body still. I imagined it the way faint ripples echo in the water after you throw a rock in a lake. For all of my mortal existence I could not recall feeling this tired. Queenly duties have been strenuous as of late.

As I shifted my worn body upright, a slight knot twisted firm in gut. I shook it away, the quick movement and lack of hunger due to be the cause. I was greeted with a gentle breeze along my bare skin. That seemed to ease the tiny bout of nausea or it could be thanks to wafting scents of ginger, lemon, and peppermint. Strangely enough, every deep inhale I took of those smells eased the tight knot of nausea.

"My sweet villian." I turn to find Cardan sitting on the chaise near a table. A small tray of morning delicacies before us along with a pot of tea. My husband, it seemed prepared me a cup. It is now, I realize the source of that scent as I watch the swirls of steam rise and dance with one another above the porcelain cup. "You’ve slept well?"

I nodded "Yes. Though I could sleep the day away if we did not rule faerie."

He smiled knowingly to himself before beckoning me with an open palm, "Come wife."

Cardan had something to say, I realized. Usually I would bait him into saying it, but I was too tired and the illness in my belly would not wavery fully. Simply put, I was in no mood for once to goad him.

Shifting my weight once more to the edge of our bed. My feet touching the floor as I reached for spider silk robe hanging on a chair. A gift from Kaye. I remember Roiben's look of boredom when she beheld the item before me. Cardan enjoys it. He enjoys it more when I have just the robe on and and no more. Which is exactly what I am in the process of doing. I slid my arms into their place wrapping then tie loose around my waist.

I crossed the threshold, not caring how my hair looked as I reached for Cardan. My hand gliding over the cool metal of his rings then the warmed palm. His hand curled around mine while pulling me to his lap.

On the small silvered tray I noticed how simple the arrangement was. Biscuits, various jams, and berries mainly. All of it made that stomach knot to tighten more than it was. I opted for the tea, taking a long drag of the comforting scent before an equally long sip. Settling the cup down, I feel Cardan's arms wrap around me, pulling me flat to his chest. The tip of his nose brushes over my shoulder. He takes in a deep inhale just like I did with my tea. I can tell his smile into my skin is wide and glowing like the moon.

"That new scent of yours is stronger now." He murmurs lovingly. The heat of his breath against my neck.

I stilled.

I had forgotten. Before I fell into a deep slumber Cardan mentioned a new scent. To my knowledge of fae there were few reasons a mortals scent would change. Death, sickness depending on the severity, after being intimate, and, I swallowed hard at the final one, pregnancy.

Logistically speaking pregnancy could be an answer. I was not dying and even if it was due to passionate moments, Cardan knows that smell. For it to be sickness, my husband would not be happy and calm. No, he would been frantic and never leaving my side. I'd have to stab him to at least point he'd need aid just for moments of rest.

"Why would it be?" I question

A hand cups my jaw as he turns me to face him. His coal black eyes shine with what can only be described as pure happiness. "I think wife. You already know."

To my surprise, I do.

We have been married now for four years and have discussed the prospect of a child. I haven not been drinking moon tea as much anymore. Thinking over the past few weeks, how my breasts have felt tender and heavy. My tunics and pants fit tighter, I believed it to be bloating from my cycle coming up. Which is now dawning on me is late. However, due to my training regime is not fully surprising. The on coming nausea, the tiredness. It hits me then, the tea Cadrdan ordered; Peppermint, lemon and ginger all of which fight off sour stomachs.

Elation runs with abandon though me and I adjust myself in his lap, "I think I'm pregnant."

Cardan gives me a knowing look. My heart squeezes at the adoration in his expression. His hands find my hips. Not my hips. They land under my robe and over my flat stomach. His thumb sweeps around my navel. "There is no I think about it my sweet villain, my darling wife." He pauses lifting a ringed finger down from the bottom of my ear to my chin. I welcome to sensation and the gooseflesh that follow. "Though I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out." He speaks in jest.

The softness in my face turns murderous. "Careful husband," I say in warning. "I have more reason to stab you now than ever."

He laughs the sound annoyingly joyous as his lips grace my temple. "I am looking forward to it. The reason." He rests his palms back on my belly. "And the stabbing."

My forehead rests against his. The news hasn't settled in me yet the way it has for him. Most likely will not until it is confirmed. Even so, he knows I'm thinking three words: So am I

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#jurdan #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #jurdan fanfic #the folk of the air #tfota #twk #qon #tcp #high king cardan #high queen jude #high queen of elfhame #high king of elfhame #a strange new scent #anon #prompt #pregnancy #userbecs

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anonniemousefics · 4 years

Text

The Nine Terrifying Moons | Chapter Three

Fandom: The Folk of the Air | Jude + Cardan

Synopsis: Based on the response to this post. :) Jude’s not sure what she expected motherhood to be like, but it isn’t this.

(SO MUCH FLUFF HERE. Really. Just. The fluffiest. I can’t help myself.)

Chapter Three: The Third

I think maybe I am meant to be a cautionary tale, not a happy ending.

I think that someone who has manipulated and lied and schemed as much as I have is destined only for tragedy.

And now it’s finally come for me.

I think this over and over again, like a spell I’m chanting to grant myself some measure of grim acceptance, while Cardan and I ride a ragwort horse all the way to the mortal realm. It’s the best course of action we can come up with in the moment of panic.

The moment I knew we were facing a potentially devastating complication, I wanted – no, needed – a human doctor.

Pregnancy is rare among the Folk, and I now find I’m not interested in trusting faerie midwives with a decidedly human condition. If there is something wrong with me, or with our baby, I want to know what it is, everything about it. I don’t trust anyone who might want to strike a deal for my child’s wellbeing or concoct some potion that, while saving the pregnancy, also gives our baby a third eye or snaggle-teeth or an appetite for blood. I’m also having flashbacks of a conversation long ago with Oriana, when she divulged details of Oak’s horrific birth. How there’d been complications that had cost Liriope her life. How Oriana herself had carved the baby out of her friend’s stomach.

I shudder hard at the recollection and press my cheek hard against Cardan’s back as we ride, my face between his shoulder blades. Hard pass. On every bit of that. Just – one massive hard pass. We are finding a real doctor.

Cardan didn’t even argue. Though he insisted it was time to tell The Court of Shadows, if only for safety reasons while we made an unannounced, unplanned emergency run to the mortal realm.

Nothing goes like either of us had hoped. There are no tears of joy. There are only tight, grim expressions and tense words while plans are made. How we will prevent our enemies from learning of the child and our absence. How we will remain protected while among mortals.

I have hardly a word of help to offer, and that alone is horrifying. I have always schemed and survived – it’s what I am. But there, instead, I can only sit with a hand at my flat stomach, my sole focus on willing this little rebel in me to hear her mother’s first command.

Don’t go. Please. I love you.

Please stay.

Please.

I’ve resented this for weeks, and now I’m begging for the nausea, the aches, the exhaustion to stay – all of it. Any reassurance that I’m not losing this newfound love before I’ve even really gotten to know it.

But I also wonder if I should just accept fate. I have always felt from the beginning that I did not deserve this. That I am stealing a happiness that I have not earned.

“How are you faring?” Cardan asks me over his shoulder, the whine of the wind in my ears. We’re somewhere over the sea, jostled by the roll of the ragwort horse’s gallop beneath us.

“The same,” I answer. Sick. Dizzy. Terrified of what comes next. Unconsciously, I grip his body to mine harder. He’s tense, every muscle on edge. This is unlike any journey we’ve made yet. There’s nothing to fight, and still everything to lose.

“Nearly there,” says Cardan, but it sounds like he’s saying it more for his own benefit. He hates the journey over the sea, the precariousness of ragwort horse travel. I’m not in any state to offer reassurances, or even tease him to lighten the mood.

Sure enough, the clouds part, and the city lights along the coast of Maine wink up at us. It’s evening, and dark beneath a heavy rain cloud, and as soon as we’re low enough, we’re being pelted with sheets of rain. By the time the ragwort horse alights its oaken-hooves on the pavement, Cardan and I are both soaked to the skin.

We dismount, invisible beneath a glamour, at the far end of a hospital parking lot. The sign at the entrance glows with a red cross and the name, Down East Community Hospital. It was the best I could think of to do at a moment’s notice: instruct the ragwort horse to find us an emergency room.

I wrap my arms around myself as Cardan holds out a hand to gather up the horse. The leaves of its mane and the bark-like coat of its body begin to curl in on itself, like a plant rolling in on itself for the night. A moment later, it’s only a few leafy twigs that Cardan can hide in his pocket.

We both look absurd, and I’m just now realizing it. We look like we’ve just run out of a community theatre dress rehearsal for a low-budget melodrama. Cardan’s tried to dress down, but he’s still Cardan, and he’s wearing tight black trousers and tall boots over his calves. He’s thrown one of the zip-up hoodies I keep in my wardrobe for trips to the mortal realm over a loose white shirt. He also must have been feeling particularly festive this morning after last night’s romp, and he’d gone and added a bit of kohl to his eyes before I’d woken up and shit hit the fan. And he’s still wearing gold rings all over his fingers and in his pointed ears. Combined with his soaked, inky hair, he looks a bit like a member of an 80’s rock cover band who’s recovering from being pushed into a pool.

It’s kind of nice. He rarely looks a mess. It makes me feel like we’re in this together, at least.

For my part, I didn’t let Tatterfell braid my auburn hair today, and now it’s just long and windblown, so I’ve tried to pull it all to one side to keep it managed. I’m wearing a simple pair of brown trousers with little silken flats that were my least flashy pair of shoes. I’ve got a shirt and olive-colored vest on beneath a hoodie similar to Cardan’s that was supposed to keep me warm, but now it’s sopping wet.

We both pulls the hoods on our sweatshirts up over our heads as we make a mad dash for the automatic sliding doors of the ER, racing against the onslaught of rain. Once we’re inside the vestibule between sliding doors, I stop a moment to grab Cardan’s arm and gather myself. He puts a bejeweled hand over mine, his expression tightened in concern.

“I’ve never done this before,” I confess, breathless. Hospitals, emergency rooms, doctors. It’s all foreign to me.

“I’ve done it even less.” Cardan’s looking more pale by the minute. The rising terror in both of us is palpable.

“I should call Vivi,” I spout, and Cardan’s nodding furiously in agreement, for once graciously not pointing out how he’s been saying this very thing for weeks.

But when I look around, there’s not a phone in sight. There’s only a poorly lit waiting room on the other side of the glass vestibule, and bored-looking nurses waiting at intake windows. Shit. Shit. How do mortals do this? How to they get treatments for mortal ailments and weaknesses and not fall to pieces fretting over their inherent, inevitable vulnerability in the process?

Suddenly, the surety of immortality is looking rather cowardly by comparison.

“Maybe one of the nurses will let me commandeer a phone,” I mutter, and I let my fingers slide from Cardan’s arm to his hand. My palm is starting to sweat when he laces our fingers together, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

The glass door to the waiting room slides with a hissing whisper, and inside there are people crowded in the cheap chairs lining the walls. Somewhere, a toddler is wailing out of sheer boredom while the evening news anchors jabber on a TV mounted in the far corner above a potted plant. Cardan’s already drawing stares with his ominous, messy appearance. He found a beanie in the pocket of the sweatshirt to cover the pointed tips of his ears, but there’s still kohl streaking his prominent cheekbones. I’m gonna need to clean him up at some point.

Right now, all I’m focused on is slipping into the first open intake seat and figuring out how in the hell I’m going to see a doctor for the first time in my mortal life. I am going to be brave. I have trained for nothing less.

“Hi, how can we help you today?” says a warm-looking middle-aged nurse behind the desk. She has short grey hair and floral scrubs, and a pair of readers perched on the bridge of her nose. Her badge says her name is Josie.

“Um.” My mouth feels dry, but I push on anyway. “I am—I am pregnant, and, um, I’m having some…” I draw in a shaking breath. Why is this so hard? “Some bleeding. I think I need to see a doctor right away.”

“Of course, honey,” Josie says, and peers over her readers. “Have you spoken with your OB?”

“I don’t have one,” I shake my head, my face starting to flush as Josie’s concern increases. I’ve never felt like I belonged in the mortal realm, and it’s never felt more apparent that I’m an outsider.

“Okaaay,” Josie says, slowly, adjusting her readers as she turns to her computer. “Let’s get you registered. Name?”

I hesitate again. I’ve never given my name in any sort of official capacity here among mortals. Especially not since I’d gotten married. What do I want to be called?

“Jude Duarte-Greenbriar,” I hear myself answer. From the chair beside me, Cardan titters a little amused laugh to himself and then bites it back when I shoot him a look. He likes the sound of it, too.

“Okaaay,” Josie says again, pecking at her keyboard. “I’m gonna need you to spell that for me, honey.”

I appall Josie further as the registration process yields the fact that I have neither a driver’s license nor an insurance card. With each of Josie’s judgmental sighs, I can sense Cardan stiffening with repressed irritation next to me, and it’s only stressing me out more. I should have had a talk with him first about promising not to curse anyone. I’m half-expecting Josie to sprout cat ears at any minute.

“While we can’t legally decline services based on insurance,” Josie says, doing little to suppress her concern, “I will need you to sign this agreement that says you understand that, since you are not presenting insurance today, you will be personally responsible for the entire cost of today’s visit.” And she shifts a clipboard toward me.

“Oh, look, love,” Cardan suddenly chimes in. He slides a wet leaf from his pocket across the registration desk as his voice takes on the heady, dangerous quality of magic. He’s conjuring a glamour. “I think you can see all of the insurance information you require here.”

“Oh, good, you found your card!” Josie exclaims, delighted, as she takes the leaf and begins happily clacking away at her keyboard.

“Do not get carried away,” I hiss at Cardan while Josie’s distracted. “That should be a one time thing.”

But Cardan just slits his kohl-lined eyes at me, looking like the smug bastard he’s always been, and leans an elbow on the registration desk, throwing Josie a coy smile. The glamour in his voice when he speaks again is just as sinfully seductive.

“And Josie, my sweet,” he says, “you’ll let my wife borrow your phone to speak with her sister, won’t you, dearest?”

“Of course, Mr. Greenbriar,” Josie replies, with the charmed-sweet smile of the glamoured. She shifts her desk phone to me, handing me the handset. “Just press nine for outgoing calls, honey,” she tells me.

I’m frowning at Cardan’s wicked smirk as I accept the phone.

“I don’t think that was entirely necessary,” I whisper to him while Josie types away. He grins at me. I don’t really want to admit that he’s just been pretty useful, and he knows it.

Regardless of how ill-gotten this privilege is, I do need Vivi. I dial her cell phone, one of two numbers I know, and wait while it rings.

And rings.

“She might be screening her calls,” I say to Josie, sheepishly. “Her father is…” Oh, how to describe what Madoc is like these days. “…over-bearing and tricky.” And I hang up and try again. Josie gives a tight, uncomfortable smile, peering over her readers.

“You are not concerned about how unusual this is,” Cardan tells her, the glamour dripping off his voice, and I smack his arm to get him to stop. Josie settles again as the phone keeps ringing.

I have to hang up and dial two more times before Vivi finally picks up. She sounds irritated when she answers.

“Vivi, this is Jude,” I say, slumping in relief that she’s finally answered.

“Jude? Seriously? What?” The annoyance in her voice vanishes as she’s scrambling to understand. “You’re calling me? Where are you? Are you ok?”

“I’m at the Down East Community Hospital emergency room,” I say. “Can you come?”

“Oh, my God.” It sounds like Vivi’s suddenly frantically looking for her keys. “Yes, I’m coming. I’ll be there. Why are you there? What’s going on?”

“It’s a lot to explain over the phone,” I say, slowly, white-knuckling the handset. “I’m ok, and Cardan’s here, but I just really need you.” I hate it more than anything, but I can’t keep the frightened younger sister out of my voice now that I’m actually talking to Vivi about this. The first rush of relief hits me when Vivi replies without hesitation:

“Ok. It’s gonna be ok. I’m on my way.”

I let out a long breath as I hand the phone back to Josie.

“The nurse will call you back when they’re ready for you,” says Josie, and gestures to the crowded waiting room. “Have a seat.”

“Or--” Cardan starts, leaning forward, and I know he’s about to throw out another glamour to speed things along. In the blink of an eye, I clap a hand over his mouth before he can say another word.

“Thank you,” I tell Josie, through a gritted smile, and urge Cardan to move along.

“Your moral stance on glamours ought to have a loophole where our child is concerned,” Cardan gripes as we shuffle to the nearest available two chairs.

“You Folk are like addicts with glamours,” I snap back as we take a seat. “You don’t know when to stop.”

“I believe I’ve proven myself capable of great restraint,” Cardan says, looking miffed for a moment until a People magazine on a nearby table catches his eye and his curiosity of mortals gets the better of him.

He has the right idea, I think. Distraction would be the key to getting my mind off the blood and not falling apart right now. I’ve done everything I can at this point, and now we must wait.

I busy myself for a moment by wrapping the cuff of my sleeve over my fingers and wiping off the rain-splattered streaks of kohl off Cardan’s face, so that the father of my child looks less like the troubled D-list celebrities his People magazine is trashing. He’s not drawing any less attention, but there’s not much either of us can do about that. If you’re not accustomed to the allure of the Folk, it’s nigh impossible to not stare and stare and try to decipher what it is about them that’s so otherworldly. But at least now they’re staring for the right reasons and not at his ruined eyeliner.

With nothing more at arm’s length to distract me, I rest my head against the wallpaper behind me and let my vision go unfocused in the general direction of the TV in the corner. I don’t want to think about the whining toddler in the room, who’s mad at his mother for not bringing the right stuffed animal with them to the hospital. What would I do with a half-human child in Faerie who fell ill or wounded? What would we do? Would the land let Cardan heal him? Would we have to make this journey again? What if I forgot the right stuffed animal, too??

Amazing that I’m suddenly assuming this child is going to survive whatever’s happening now, I realize, and this worry spiral is helping no one.

Once upon a time, I’d been the girl determined to become a thing feared. What has happened inside me, that I’m now this terrified woman? I hate it. I hate it, and I don’t know how to stop it.

“You’re not afraid of that everything will change?” I remember asking Cardan, three moons ago. I had thrown out the last of my birth control that day. We’d snuck away from a revel to lie beneath the massive tree that grew out of the top of the palace of Elfhame, staring at the stars above and dreaming of what they could hold.

Cardan looked to me, his hands behind his head in the loam, his crown slightly askew. He smiled, and the moonlight made him almost too beautiful to bear.

“I cherish every change you’ve ever brought me, Jude,” he said, and he stretched out a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers softly lingering at its rounded edges. “I don’t see why this should be any different.”

“You’ve not always felt so gracious about the changes I’ve foisted upon you,” I pointed out. “And you don’t get to exile me now if my parenting pisses you off.”

I’m not sure what I thought he’d think of such a statement, but it was out in the night air anyway. His gold-rimmed eyes darkened as he pulled his hand back, folding it over his chest. I watched him as he stared up at the stars again, waiting for his response, and with each second, regret began to sink in.

“I consider myself fairly thick-skinned,” he said at last, “but that was uncalled for.”

“I was teasing--” I started, but he shot me a dark look.

“There was a measure of truth in your voice,” he countered. “You don’t lie as well as you think you do.”

“I don’t see what you’re so put out about,” I huffed, pulling back to glare at the night sky. “You weren’t the one living in exile.”

“Not this again,” Cardan groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face. “Five years, Jude. It’s been five years,” he sighed into his palms.

“And now we’re discussing children, and it’s a very large and potentially aggravating change,” I said. “Maybe I am a little wary.”

“Of me?” The moment I saw the unguarded devastation on Cardan’s face, it was like I’d slapped him, and not in the fun way. I wanted to be swallowed down by the loam, covered in a grassy grave. Everything about this was awful. I wanted children with this man. Why was I dredging up ancient history?

But Cardan had been right. There’d been a measure of truth to it. It’s been a deliriously wonderful five years, but we are not entirely new people. We have a terrible past. And I feared what demons a significant change like this could summon.

When I didn’t answer right away, Cardan sat up so his back was to me, burying his head in his hands.

“Cardan…” I shifted so that I was propped up on my hands.

“What else can I give you to make this right?” he fretted to the ground in front of him. “I have given you everything. Every part of me, everything you see before you. It was wrong for both of us to take our games as far as we did, but I would have thought by now--”

“It was an off-handed comment made in poor taste.” I wanted to put a stop to everything that was happening. Rewind the whole evening.

Instead, he looked over his shoulder at me, visibly aching.

“I will not be like my father. I refuse it,” he retorted, and when I cocked my head to the side, not understanding, he went on. “Eldred collected consorts and sired children the way some people curate shoes: to suit his vanity. And I have that in spades already; there’s no need to spawn more. What I would want for a child, more than anything, is to not know what it is to grow up as an accessory. To not fear that his mother will be discarded. Jude, if you cannot trust so little of me, then this is poorly timed. Perhaps we need another five years. Or ten. Or however long you require.”

I sat up and scooted next to him, tucking my chin against his shoulder.

“I trust you,” I assured him in a whisper, and, as if he couldn’t help it, his eyes closed as he leaned his head towards mine. He smelled like oakwood and leather, like everything I’ve ever wanted. “I would not still be with you if I did not trust you.”

I wanted to push back the thick curls from his forehead, and so I did. And held my palm against his jaw as I leaned my forehead to his while the stars twinkled overhead.

Five years later, and sometimes we’re still finding little bits of armor that need to come off. For me, becoming a fearsome thing is not an option for handling motherhood, just as Cardan refuses to mirror his father’s vanity. But when I take off this bit of armor, this need to be feared and respected, it feels as if there is nothing underneath yet. Only vulnerability. Only terror.

I think of it now, in the ER waiting room of the Down East Community Hospital, while I snake my arm through his, looking at him while he’s ogling People magazine. He looks a mess, and there is no one I trust more. I’m still not convinced we’re shining examples of excellent would-be parents. But I’m afraid and vulnerable in the worst ways, and there’s no one I’d rather see me through it.

“Eldred would never have done something like this for any of his consorts,” I point out to him in a whisper, and he looks back at me with a pleased smirk.

“You are my wife,” he indicates, and gives my cold knuckles a swift kiss before turning back to whatever filth is engrossing him in People.

“Jude Duarte-Greenbriar?” There’s a nurse at the emergency room door calling my name. I draw in a breath. Here we go.

The nurse in blue scrubs takes my vitals and makes us somewhat comfortable in a makeshift space where we’re surrounded by taupe-colored curtains on three sides while I wait on a hospital bed. There’s a squeaky grey plastic chair for Cardan to sit on, and no more TV or People magazine – just the assurance that a doctor will see me soon. And then we’re left with our dread to stare at the taupe curtains around us, listening to the squeak of hurried shoe soles against linoleum and the occasional beeping of hospital pagers. The air is acrid, like someone’s tried to scrub it clean, and it’s making my stomach lurch. It must show on my face as I swallow hard against the rising bile, because Cardan swiftly hands me a blue plastic barf bag that the nurse has left him in charge of. He’s wary of my empty threats to aim for his shoes.

“Jude, are you decent?” calls a voice from the other side of the curtain. “You have visitors.”

The curtains scrape against their tracks on the ceiling, and I can’t hold back a relief grin at the sight of Vivi and Heather.

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God.” It’s all Vivi can say as she sweeps in to wrap me in a hug.

“Hey,” Heather graciously greets Cardan while the two are awkward to the side. She’s looking effortlessly cool, with her shoulder-length pink hair in soft waves. She has holes in her jeans in all the right places, and she’s wearing a breezy, colorful boho top that shows off her brown shoulders. I try to give her a wave while Vivi is squeezing the life out of me.

“What are you doing here?” Vivi demands when she pulls away, holding me by the shoulders. She’s given her golden hair a short, edgey chop that almost hides the pointed tips of her half-fae ears when it falls the right way. She tends to favor t-shirts and jeans, but today she’s in tight black pants and a grey v-neck under a jacket, and I’m hoping I haven’t interrupted a date.

“Well.” I shift a glance between the two of them, simultaneously gladdened that they’re here and nervous with how I now I have break the news. “This isn’t how I wanted you to find out…” And then Vivi gasps.

“Are you pregnant?!” she squeaks.

“Oh, my God, V,” Heather rolls her eyes. “You can’t ask people if they’re pregnant.”

“She’s right, though,” I interject. “I am.”

“Jude!” Vivi exclaims, fondly, and takes my face in her hands, and, for a brief moment, I realize this is all I’ve been wanting for weeks. I grin, sheepishly. Then Vivi narrows her cat-like eyes at Cardan.

“You knocked up my sister?” she jabs.

“Bold of you to assume it’s mine,” he quips back, and Vivi feigns a disgusted gasp as throw the empty barf bag at him.

“Force of habit,” Cardan tells Heather with a shrug.

“Congratulations, Cardan,” Heather replies, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

“But why are you here?” Vivi turns to me again. “Does Taryn know? Does Madoc?”

“No on both counts,” I shake my head. “It’s early. And we’re here because--” Ugh, I hate this. I hate this. “I started bleeding.”

“Oh, no.” Heather’s face is etched with genuine concern. It’s been a roller coaster of a few minutes.

“But why are you here?” Vivi tries again, and I see what she’s getting at. Why not be seen to by the royal midwives?

“I’m mortal,” I say, quietly. “This is a mortal thing. I felt like I needed a mortal doctor.”

And Vivi takes my face in her hands.

“I completely, one-hundred-percent agree,” she says, whole-heartedly, and there’s relief there, too. She’s always wanted me to spend more time in the mortal realm.

We crowd around the hospital bed for a while to catch up. Heather makes a run to the vending machine to bring back some snacks, and soon the tightness in my chest is releasing and unwinding. This was the distraction I needed. For a few minutes there, I could almost forget what had brought us to this weird, curtained-off corner to begin with.

But then the curtain scrape on the track again. There’s an orderly waiting there in blue scrubs, pushing a wheelchair.

“They’re ready for you in ultrasound now, Jude,” he tells me, and indicates that I’m supposed to ride in the chair. I bristle at the gesture. I’m not sure of the last time I’ve been asked to do something so vulnerable and humiliating. I am not ill. I don’t need this.

Vivi notices and puts a hand at my arm.

“It’s just standard hospital procedure, Jude,” she says, in her tone of voice she uses to convince Oak to eat vegetables.

So I comply. Heather and Vivi tell us they’ll wait for us to get back, and then we’re off. Cardan follows the orderly, and every once and awhile, I hear him having to jog to catch up – he’s easily distracted by what all the mortals are up to in this place.

I’m wheeled into a dark room with an exam table. Next to it is a bunch of strange equipment I’ve never seen before – screens and wands and all sort of buttons. A technician waits for us there, a woman in pink scrubs with a badge that says her name is Brenna. Her dark, curly hair is pulled back tight against her scalp, and she has kind brown eyes that smile when she tells me to make myself comfortable on the exam table.

“And is this Dad?” Brenna wants to know, cheerfully waving Cardan in to have a seat on a grey plastic chair next to me.

“Not my dad,” I say, not understanding the question at first. Then it dawns on me. “I mean, he’s the father, yes. Of the baby.” Oh, my God. This is off to a great start. Cardan’s trying very hard to not laugh outright at me and failing miserably. His laugh comes out like one long snort.

“Happens all the time,” Brenna says, with another cheerful wave, which makes me wonder why she’s still asking it, then.

“First baby?” Brenna now wants to know, making small talk while she’s queuing up her equipment.

“First everything,” I reply, hoping that will explain my nerves. “First baby, first ultrasound, first try.”

“Oh.” Brenna sounds impressed and looks to Cardan as she wheels around in her swivel chair. “Nice shootin’, Tex,” she tells him, with a wink.

“Thank you, Brenna,” Cardan accepts graciously, puffing out his chest a little. I roll my eyes.

“This may be the only time I’m ever complimented on my marksmanship,” he tells me. “Let me have this moment.”

“All right!” Brenna interrupts. “Let’s see what you’re cookin’ in there, mama.”

She rolls up my shirt and tucks in some scratchy paper into my leggings. Then squirts some cold gel across my abdomen. I watch in fascination while she rolls her device over my stomach, and then she turns her screen to us.

“And here’s your little guy,” she says. “Or gal. Can’t tell yet, obviously.”

For a moment, time stops.

Next to me, Cardan draws in a breath.

Something squirmy and alive curls and stretches in the grainy black and white pixels of Brenna’s screen. It doesn’t look quite human. Or fae. It looks kind of alien, if I’m being honest. But I can see its tiny limbs and the outline of its perfectly round head, and it’s moving. Like a manic little seahorse, our little shrimp is bobbing all over the place, alive and well.

“Looking good,” Brenna says, and Cardan barks out a surprised laugh. I’m smiling so hard my face might break.

“Oh, I was sure I’d stabbed it,” Cardan sighs in relief, slumping in his seat, and it’s my turn to laugh.

“That’s not actually possible,” Brenna tells him, and maybe now he’ll believe it. “Let’s see if we can hear the heartbeat.”

She clicks and clacks at some buttons, then turns a knob. Pushes a little harder on my abdomen.

A fluttering, steady whooshing sound fills the speakers in the room. I don’t know when I grabbed Cardan’s hand, but I’m squeezing it hard now. I glance at him. He’s utterly transfixed on the screen, his dark eyes wide, his lips parted. He looks like how I feel when I’m in bearing witness to great and ancient magic.

This isn’t all vomit and exhaustion. This is happening. This is real.

We are making something new. Something entirely unique. Like magic.

“Ok, this might be your issue.” Brenna breaks the enchantment, zooming in on something dark on her screen. My heart, which moments before felt like it might burst, squeezes and contracts in panic now.

“This is a sub-chorionic hematoma,” she says, pointing to the screen and making some notes. “The doctor will explain all this to you.”

“What is it?” Cardan’s voice is tight, panic thinly-veiled. “Is it dangerous?”

“They’re pretty common,” says Brenna, not looking at us while she takes measurements and notes. Like she drops these kinds of bombs regularly. “It’s basically an accumulation of blood between the uterine wall and the fetal membrane. It can cause bleeding, especially as the baby gets bigger and jostles it around. They usually resolve without much issue.”

“Usually?” Cardan’s not assuaged.

“Well, again,” Brenna says, looking at him sidelong, “the doctor will read this and give his advice. But it can increase the risk of miscarriage in some cases. Not always, though. The doctor will tell you how he wants you to treat it, but it usually involves some bed rest or limited activity, nothing too strenuous or crazy. Don’t go horse-back riding!” And she laughs as if only a crazy person would get on a horse while pregnant.

I look to Cardan. He looks to me. It’s hit us at the same time.

The ragwort horse.

How the hell are we getting home?

“Huh.” I barely had time to digest my realization about the ragwort horse before Brenna was back with more. She swivels the device on my stomach around some more. Cocks her head to the side.

“Are either of you a twin?” she asks.

Cardan points at me like I’ve done something wrong he doesn’t want to be blamed for.

“Why?” I ask, slowly, cautiously.

“It does run in families,” Brenna says, and turns the screen to us again. “And I’m seeing two babies here.” She looks back at Cardan. “And on the first try, Tex,” she says, looking impressed again.

Now, nothing feels real. I think I might leave my body. There are two squirmy aliens in the black and white screen, the lazier of the two now floating into view. Brenna adjusts the knobs some more to bring the new heartbeat into focus, just as strong as the first.

“Jude.” I can’t decipher what Cardan’s feeling now. He looks unlike I’ve ever seen him before. Something between elation and sheer dread is warring between his wide eyes and furrowed brow. He grips at the beanie over his hair like he’s trying to keep his own head from flying off.

“Are you and your twin identical?” Brenna asks. I nod, stupidly.

“These, too,” she nods, and points at the screen. “See: they’re sharing a sac.” She draws in a deep breath. “This does elevate the risk more, with the hematoma. The doctor will go over all of this with you. But I’ll bet he’ll want you on some kind of bed rest. Weekly check-ups. That sort of thing.” And then she squints hard at the screen. “What is that?” she wonders aloud. “Is that a tail?”

“You don’t see a tail,” Cardan says, but he’s so flustered and shell-shocked, he’s forgotten to use the glamour.

“I think I might, though.” Brenna squints harder.

“You don’t see a tail,” Cardan says, louder and hurried, this time with the weight of magic heavy in his tone. “Everything you see looks normal to you.”

A glamoured smile flutters over Brenna’s pleasant features as she lifts the device from my belly and clicks off her equipment.

“Everything looks normal,” she hums, happily. “Congratulations, you two.”

“Everything but the hematoma, right?” I cock my head to the side as she rolls away her swivel chair. “The doctor will speak to us about that.”

“What hematoma?” Brenna’s still smiling as she stands with her clipboard. “Everything looks normal. I’m going to call an orderly, but pretty much you’re free to go. Congratulations!”

“Cardan,” I accuse under my breath as she leaves, leveling a glare at him.

“You are carrying twins.” He’s just agape at me, either unaware or unrattled by how the poor wording in his glamour just muddled everything.

“The doctor won’t know about the hematoma now!” I exclaim.

“We’ll scrounge up another one somewhere,” Cardan waves me off. “Jude. Twins.”

It’s not helping me feel any better, him saying it over and over again. I slump into my hands, weighted by disbelief and frustration. What am I going to do? This can’t possibly be real, can it?

“I am going to get so huge,” I moan into my palms in self-pity. I know it’s vain, but at the moment, it’s all I can think. In the land of willowy Folk, I already stick out like a sore thumb. Now I’m going to be a sore and massively swollen thumb.

Cardan’s shifted to stand in front of me on the exam table. And he runs his hands up and down my arms, almost reverent.

“You are magnificent,” he reassures me, softly, and presses a kiss against my head.

“Why are you not freaking out?” I ask, and pull him by the hoodie pockets so I can hug him again if I need it. I think I may need it. “This is two babies. We don’t even know Thing One about taking care of one baby, and now there will be two.”

“We may require a few more house cats,” Cardan jokes, and when I scowl, he asks, “That’s still not amusing? I shall persist. One of these days.”

“You know, I hear that’s a mortal fatherhood trait,” I point out. “Persisting over and over with the same unamusing joke to the embarrassment of everyone around you.” And I wrap my arms around his waist as I look up at him. He’s warm, and everything is a little more bearable when he’s close and smiling.

“I think you are implying that I’m excelling at fatherhood so far,” Cardan grins down at me, and I’m surprised to see it looks as if his gold-rimmed eyes are glistening.

“Are you all right?” I ask, softening at the sight. He blinks, furiously, as he buries his long fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck, holding me close as he looks over my face.

“I just--” His voice is hoarse when he starts, so he clears it and tries again. “This is more than I ever dared to consider,” he says. “I did not dream that this kind of life would ever be an option for me. Family that looked after each other, that loved each other – that always seemed to me to be a strictly mortal gift. As if the Folk had bargained for everlasting life long ago and forsook all hope of familial love in the process. I had accepted that it wasn’t mine to have. But you.”

He shifts his hands so that he holds my face, and I feel swallowed by the adoration in his admission. All I can do is close my eyes as he holds me. I can think of nothing else when his nose brushes my forehead.

“I am overcome by all you have given me,” he whispers, and I think I might cry. My hands twist in the fabric of the sweatshirt he wears.

“I love your words,” I whisper back, “but you give me too much credit.” I pull back to look at his mirthful, glistening eyes and say: “If it were left up to me, I would never have given you twins.”

He laughs outright, unguarded and thrilled.

“Lucky for me, then,” he says, and kisses me.

I have kissed him hundreds, maybe thousands of times. We have shared passionate, unbridled kisses and desperate, devouring kisses. We’ve kissed at quick partings, and we’ve kissed with soft, gentle comfort. I like everything about them all. But this is something entirely new, something that surprises me still. It’s filled with gratitude and promises and dreams of the future, and though it is intimate, I would not have felt ashamed if someone had walked in.

It’s the kiss of complete trust, and in that moment, I feel assured that, in Cardan, I have not made a mistake. There is much to figure out still. But this is right.

So, we will have twins. I will meet this challenge with resolve. For right now, anyway, the quantity of babies is the least of our concerns.

“How in the hell am I supposed to get home?” I ask, the moment we pull apart. Cardan rests his hands on my shoulders, screwing up his beautiful mouth in thought. The ragwort horse. The bed rest. The doctor we must scrounge up somewhere. There are a dozen new bullets swirling on a to-do list, and none of them lead us back to Faerie any time soon.

“I haven’t the foggiest,” he confesses. “Which further complicates matters, because there is absolutely no chance that I am leaving you here.”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” I say, and press back a smile. “And also glad,” I add.

Cardan meets my smile with a little wicked smirk of his own.

“Is it time we scheme together once again?” he asks.

We cannot get home until this is resolved, and we cannot leave Faerie ungoverned. I have no idea where to even start on this problem.

But that’s certainly never stopped us before.

There’s a knock at the door. The orderly has arrived with the wheelchair to take us back to Vivi and Heather. I give Cardan a secret, knowing smile.

“I suppose it is,” I agree.

-----------------------------

Tag list! Let me know if you’d like to be added: @yellowavocadopit, @dagypsygirl, @ireallyshouldsleeprn, @booklover-sleeplover, @mwejh, @courtofjurdan, @faeriequeenofwest, @sugawsites, @loveyourselfsolid, @owl0y0s, @feelinglikecleopatra, @akaloto, @charrise, @persephxnecoven, @raging-bisexual-alert, @rteme, @nahthanks, @emmabookworm08, @elorcanislife, @snusbandxknifewife, @poeticbrownmermaid,

#the folk of the air #tfota #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #jurdan #jurdan fanfic #vivienne duarte #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #post-qon #babies!#baby fic #pregnancy fic #fluff #jurdan fluff

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snusbandxknifewife · 4 years

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Jurdanweek2020 Day 2 pregnancy/labor

Hey y’all so this is based on the story of my birth, because I’ll be damned if my mother didn’t play the part of Jude Duarte while my father acted as Cardan. In this fic, Jude is so sure that their daughter won’t be born on her due date, that she drags Cardan to the mortal world. Things go downhill quickly.

“Cardan shut the fuck up, we are fine!”

Cardan Greenbriar had tried for hours to convince his very stubborn—very pregnant—wife that maybe a trip to the mortal world this close to her due date wasn’t the wisest idea. Naturally, she stomped her foot and crossed her arms over her swollen belly and that was that, off to the mortal world they went.

“Jude, my love, will you at least let me carry your purse?” He would keep trying to help her until she finally snapped and killed him.

Jude wasn’t happy about having to carry a purse now, but she was unable to lean down to strap a knife to her thigh and her breasts had grown too large for her to force a dagger between them without risking injury, so a handbag was her only option to carry her weaponry. Cardan, wisely, had long since decided that questioning his wife’s ability to even wield a knife in her current state wasn’t the smartest move.

She huffed and shoved the bag square into the center of his chest before turning on her heel and waddling her way down the baby aisle of the local Target.

She had no mortal maternity clothing, so she’d settled for wearing a simple dress of flowing silk, held closed by a belt just under her breast and giving way to the large belly that she always kept one protective hand on. Cardan walked closely behind her, his mortal sneakers squeaking against the linoleum floor as he tried not to remind himself that this was very stupid.

Jude Duarte Greenbriar, his wife and the High Queen of Elfhame, had given new meaning to the term stubborn today. As the entire palace tittered with excitement over it being the baby’s due date—she would forever curse herself for sharing that information from her human OBGYN—she’d lost her cool. A strongly worded letter had been sent to every one in her family and any courtier or guard close enough to the royal chambers could hear her screaming at her husband about how “THE BABY WILL NOT BE COMING TODAY SO EVERYBODY CAN JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!”

Then she’d decided that they needed something called a “pacifier,” whatever that was, and next thing he knew they were walking into Target.

Jude had wanted to go alone, but Cardan had been wise enough to insist that Fand and the Bomb accompany them. She’d finally given in, but only once they’d promised to stay out of sight the entire time.

He was, naturally, fucking panicking. Today was their daughter’s due date, and now that Jude had gone and told everyone off, all their family and friends would be preparing for the upcoming Christmas festivities, set for two weeks in the future. They had no way to get in contact with anyone if the worst were to happen.

Jude picked out a set of pink pacifiers with different zoo animals drawn on them. Evidently unsatisfied, she then set about grabbing every baby blanket and stuffed toy she could possibly reach. Cardan was bemused, but chose to hold everything she handed him, rather than fight her.

“Do we need diapers?” She asked, both hands under her belly as she looked over her shoulder.

“Our baby will be fae,” he reminded her. “No need to worry about all that.”

He couldn’t help his snort of laughter as she looked heavenward and thanked the gods.

Then she was back on her quest, looking for something or another that they suddenly, desperately needed for the baby, despite her not even knowing it had existed a few minutes ago. When her eyes catch on a baby pink stuffed lion on the top shelf, she got up on her tippy toes and reached for it, her fingers just barely brushing against its little feet.

Cardan, seeing his wife struggling and being comically taller than her, reached over and plucked the little toy with ease, not noticing how Jude froze when he did.

Her face twisted in anger and disgust and she stomped her foot once more. He, thinking he had somehow offended her by helping her out, was halfway through apologizing before she loudly announced that she thought she’d just peed herself and he needed to go get her new panties while she went to the bathroom.

She left in a flurry of silk skirts and wild hair, headed for the woman’s restroom and leaving her poor husband behind with an armful of baby products and a rogue thought about how uncomfortable it must be for mortals to have to do things like go to the bathroom.

After so long with his Jude, he had come to love all her mortal quirks. Her rounded ears were his favorite part of her body and her dulled senses made it all the easier to surprise her. But he still found himself occasionally wishing that she wasn’t a mortal, now solely because he saw all the discomfort it brought her. Pregnancy had kept her sick and cranky for nine full months. He’d never known a fae mother to have such terrible morning sickness, and he had no idea how mortal women did anything while pregnant, given how often they had to pee.

“I’ll get her the panties.” He about jumped out of his skin when the Bomb popped up behind him, like she’d been lurking just one aisle over and had heard everything.

By this point in the pregnancy, he’d long since learned when he just needed to shut up and go with the flow, so he went about purchasing all the new baby products with a few leaves glamoured to look like mortal money. When he looked up, Target bags hanging from his fingers and handbag firmly situated on his shoulder, his wife was waiting by the exit with her arms crossed.

“The Bomb promised to stay away,” she explained with a scowl. “Why’d she bring me panties?”

“She promised to stay out of sight,” he countered as lovingly as he could in an effort to calm her. “I’d say, as long as she didn’t come in the stall with you, she kept her promise.”

He transferred all the bags to one hand so he could grab hers. Jude, scowl still plastered across her face, took his hand and led him out of the Target.

“I want donuts.” She switched her direction mid-step and started stalking down the sidewalk towards the little donut shop in the same plaza as the Target.

Cardan sat across from her at a two-person table in the donut shop for close to an hour, just watching as she angrily ate three glazed donuts. He’d left their shopping bags outside for Fand to grab and have sent back to Elfhame.

It was as he watched Jude eat her third donut that he began to sense something was amiss. Every so often, his darling little demon of a wife would get inexplicably angrier, her brow furrowing and her nostrils flaring and her teeth grinding down. Then, after a minute or so, she’d go back to her calmer level of pissed off.

As Jude announced that she wanted to go buy something called “pads” for after the baby’s birth, Cardan started paying more attention. He grabbed her handbag and kept his other hand firmly on the small of her back, feeling how she’d tense up for a few minutes and then go back to normal.

Holding Jude’s brand new supply of extra absorbent pads, and the few extra things she’d spent an hour dragging him around the store for, Cardan fully began to panic. Jude’s episodes were getting longer and closer together.

He’d done enough reading to know she was having contractions, and he’d done enough reading to know that when you have contractions two minutes apart, you aren’t getting on a ragwort steed and making it back to Elfhame.

When Jude went to the bathroom again, Cardan was ready for the Bomb.

“She’s in labor,” they announced simultaneously.

“Send word to her sisters and have the healers ready for when we return.” Cardan let out a sigh. “I think we’re having this baby in the mortal world.”

“I’ll call Vivienne.” Just like that, the Bomb was gone.

Cardan could fall to his knees and weep with relief at the reminder that Vivienne lived close. She was only a few minute’s drive away, she would know the way to the hospital, she’d be able to help him get Jude in the damn car.

By the time Jude was out of the bathroom, Vivi had broken a minimum of seven laws to get to them and she was waiting outside the front door, heavy parka pulled up over her pointed ears and dark sunglasses blocking her cat eyes.

“What’s all this?” Jude looked ready to murder Cardan, and he didn’t doubt she could do it even with him having all her knives. “Cardan, I wanted to be alone!”

“Jude, you’re in labor,” he announced, doing his best to keep his voice calm. Internally he was losing it, but he didn’t think that letting her see that would help the situation.

“No I’m no—“ she breaks off with a growl, her face contorting in anger right on time with the counting in Cardan’s head. From his reading and the stories he’d heard, he expected tears or screaming when her contractions got this bad, not to have her hide her pain behind a wall of pure fury.

He opened the car door and threw their shopping bags in, offering a hand to his wife and desperately trying to coerce her into the car. “Darling please, we need to get to the hospital. I don’t know how to deliver a child, and I don’t plan on finding out today.”

“They’re just Braxton-Hicks,” she tries again, almost whining. “I’m not having the baby today!”

“Baby says otherwise,” Vivi calls out from the front seat as Jude once again tenses. “Now get in the damn car, it’s a fifteen minute ride to the hospital.”

“We can’t go to the hospital!” Jude digs in her heels and looks to Cardan with wide eyes, suddenly coming to terms with the fact that they were in the mortal world. “Cardan, our baby has pointed ears and a tail!”

They’d been going to regular OBGYN appointments and seeing ultrasounds of the baby so they’d have an idea of what animal characteristic their child would present, glamouring the doctor after every visit. They knew that their little girl had a tail like her daddy. That would be a fucking problem if the hospital noticed.

“You focus on the hard part and leave the glamouring to me, darling,” he said with a kiss to her forehead.

Vivi had to threaten to knock her out and drag her into the backseat before she finally gave up and climbed in, grumbling the whole time.

“Cardan, start timing.” Vivi threw an old wristwatch over her shoulder and he caught it mid-air, marking the time and then staring at his wife as his sister-in-law did her very best to break the sound barrier with a beat-up SUV.

By the time they made it to the hospital, Jude was silent, save for her episodes of heavy breathing. A minute and a half apart now.

They pulled up to the women’s center and Cardan picked his wife up like she weighed no more than a feather. Vivi sped off, promising to go pick up Heather and return with food and a baby bag, since they were going to be in for the long haul.

Cardan made it to the maternity ward check in and was suddenly faced with the fact that he had literally no idea what to do here. Back in Elfhame, Jude would’ve had the baby in the comfort of their private rooms, with healers waiting on her hand and foot. The sterile smell and white walls of this mortal hospital made him infinitely more nervous than the comfort of their home would’ve.

“Hello sir,” the receptionist lady started, eyeing how he held his wife and how she didn’t seem at all panicked, and deciding that she has another father who had no clue what’s going on. Her tone was somewhere between soothing and mocking, like she’d dealt with this sort of thing all day. “If you’d like to fill out these forms—“

“My wife’s contractions are a minute and a half apart,” he cut her off, his fear somehow taking a backseat and his voice coming out with all the authority of a High King.

The receptionist’s eyes went wide. “I’m sorry, what?”

He maneuvered Jude so he could throw the watch down on the desk. Then he counted down from five and, right on time, Jude tensed with a contraction.

Then it was a flurry of movement, the receptionist throwing the papers to the side and calling for a wheelchair as Cardan stood dumbfounded. A nurse took Jude from his arms and settled her in a wheelchair before running through a set of double doors, leaving him to chase after her.

They ended up in what looked like a little sitting room with a table in the center. Then, as he watched, the nurse hit a few buttons in the wall and the whole room transformed. The two chairs pulled away from the table and the table unfolded into a bed, lowering down enough for Jude to climb up.

His wife was far past claiming that the baby wouldn’t be coming today. She’d gone somewhere within herself, both hands on her belly and focus written in every line on her face.

He helped the nurse undress her and tied her into a hospital gown while they strapped her into a bazillion different monitors. Soon, her heartbeat filled the room and he was watching all the screens, utterly terrified by his confusion.

“Can you give a urine sample?” A small nurse with a sickeningly fake grin asked, holding up a little plastic cup.

“Not with my baby’s head in the way,” Jude grunted in response, her teeth grinding down and one of her hands reaching for her husband’s. “Can you get the doctor?”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad, sweetie, let’s see how far along you are.” Cardan’s brow twitched at the offhanded way she spoke to his wife and he found himself gripping her hand harder to keep her from swinging for the nurse as the woman bent under the blanket, pulling Jude’s knees apart.

She was down there for a few seconds before popping back up, that smile even bigger as she said, “you’re at about nine centimeters. Don’t you worry at all, I’ll go get the doctor!”

Cardan, unaccustomed to speaking to many mortals, would’ve never thought twice about her words, if it weren’t for the way Jude snorted at the nurse all but sprinted out of the room.

“She’s lying,” Jude observed, sounding callous.

“My love?” He turned to her, new fear sprouting in his stomach.

“The nurse is lying about how dilated I am.” She nodded after where the woman had run out. “They have you start pushing at ten. She checked me and then said I was a nine and ran. That’s what they tell you when you’re at a ten and the doctor isn’t here.”

That comment leaves his mouth tasting like ash and she must see something amusing in the way his face changes, because she gives a little laugh.

For the next ten minutes or so, nobody came in except for one nurse who tried to force Jude again to give a urine sample, only getting blood and one pissed off couple for her efforts.

Jude turned onto her left side and Cardan sat on the bed by her hip, fingers carding through her hair and opposite hand rubbing her back to help her through a contraction.

They were like this when the door slammed open and a man, wearing a suit that most definitely wasn’t even close to sterile scrubs, ran in.

“I’ll be right back!” His hair was wild and his jacket half off as he held out both hands, almost like he was telling them both to wait. Just that quickly, he was gone again.

“What in the hell—“ Jude broke off with a groan and her heart rate spiked. Cardan may not know a lot, but he wasn’t that stupid, he knew this baby was coming soon.

A minute or so later, the door crashed open again and the doctor skidded into the room sideways, his scrubs pulled up to his elbows and a nurse tying on his cap as he finished adjusting one of his gloves.

“Let’s have a baby!”

Cardan watched in fascination as the man picked up what looked like a magic wand with a bulb on the end. He held it high above his head and pressed a button, causing the bulb to flash and all the lights to come out of the ceiling and angle towards the wand. The doctor then ordered the nurses to get Jude on her back and aimed the lights between her legs.

“Jude, did you see that?” Cardan asked, his jaw on the floor as he battled between awe at mortal technology and amusement at how his wife was now lit up like a stage. “The lights followed him!”

“I’m a little busy!” Jude hissed back and Cardan suddenly remembered that, oh yeah, his wife was literally in labor, and he should probably be paying attention to that instead of the lights.

“Shit, sorry!” He gripped her hand once more and kissed her forehead.

The whole room was alive with movement as the doctor got Jude in the right position and she began to push. One nurse was watching the monitors, keeping an eye on both mom and baby. Another was trying to force Jude to take some oral medication called Tylenol, because she had nothing to ease her pain, and Jude was batting her away. A third nurse held an oxygen mask to Jude’s face and kept one of her legs back.

Cardan held his wife’s hand and kept his other hand on her knee. He tuned into her, watching how a preternatural calm took over. The only thing giving away her pain was how she was nearly breaking his hand with every contraction.

He knew that a lot of woman were in labor for a long time, and that some pushed for hours, so this all seemed to be moving quite quickly. He kept his eyes on her face, on how focused she was on their baby. She still wasn’t crying, wasn’t screaming in pain. She just looked angry with every push, like she was using her fury to keep her cool in the situation.

Then something changed, just a little. She’d been pushing too hard, hadn’t stopped long enough to recover. For just one moment, Cardan saw fear flit across her face.

“I can’t breathe!” Cardan’s heart leapt as his wife cried out and he frantically ran through his options, trying to find something, anything to do to help her.

Then the nurse with the oxygen mask made a mistake.

“I just don’t think you’re trying very hard,” she snapped at Jude. It was the same woman who’d lied about how dilated Jude was.

Pure, unadulterated rage grew from the very pit of his stomach, but he didn’t get the chance to unleash it. Instead, he watched his wife’s eyes go murderous, her face go as blank as it did every time she held a knife to someone’s throat.

She stopped pushing and sat up, raising one finger to point at the nurse’s forehead like a witch laying a curse.

“GET THE FUCK OUT!”

It was the loudest he’d ever heard her scream, and her shout was a low bark instead of a shrill order. She was a general ordering a court marshall, the High Queen ordering an execution, not a woman going through the pain of childbirth.

The nurse fell back in shock, turning to him like she expected him to counteract his wife’s wishes.

“Get the fuck out!” He waved a hand to the door and made a face at the very idea that he’d even think of going against his wife’s word when she was busy birthing his daughter. How fucking dare this woman?

The nurse, now completely flabbergasted, turned to the doctor, who had only looked up when he heard the screaming. He took one look at Jude’s face and told the nurse to get the fuck out.

Jude grabbed the oxygen mask from the nurse as she left and held it to her own face, turning back to the ordeal of childbirth with twice the ferocity of before. It wasn’t a minute afterwards that the crying of their child filled the room.

Cardan threw himself full-force into glamouring away their daughter’s ears and her tail, a short little tail of fluffy black fur, sticking out like a sore thumb the way a kitten’s tail always does. The nurse and doctor didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary as they laid the little girl on Jude’s chest and asked Cardan to cut the cord.

She had a shock of midnight black hair just like her father and she certainly shared her mother’s temper as she angrily cried her little heart out, her face turning red.

Jude didn’t relax as they took her away to clean and measure her. She stayed focused on the rest of the birth, nodding her head to Cardan to tell him to keep an eye on their daughter.

It wasn’t until the little girl was weighed and cleaned and wrapped in a blanket that Jude keyed into the fact that it was over, their baby was here. She took the child in her arms again and wept, holding her as close as she could.

Cardan reaches a finger out, running it over the tiny pointed ear that only he and Jude could see. In response, the baby flexed her little hand and showed that she had the claws of a housecat.

His heart swelled with an emotion he couldn’t really describe as he took in the sight of his wife and daughter, his two girls.

The next two hours consisted of Vivi and Heather showing up, the Bomb in tow with a carriage to take them home since there was absolutely no way Jude was getting on a ragwort horse in her state. Vivi couldn’t believe that the baby was already there, just a half hour after she’d dropped Jude off. Cardan had to glamour their way out of the hospital after stealing the baby from the nursery, removing a little pink bow from her forehead that they’d affixed with toothpaste.

“Who the fuck puts toothpaste on a baby?” He raised an eyebrow at Jude from across the carriage, holding their daughter during the ride back so Jude could lay down.

It was a mess getting her out, especially so soon after birth. He’d had the Bomb ensure that healers were waiting in their chambers to help her in ways that the mortal doctors couldn’t, so he knew that it was best to move them both as soon as possible, but it still hurt him to see how drained she was.

“I can’t believe they put toothpaste on our baby,” he continued, looking down to where his daughter was watching him intently with big black eyes. He knew then and there, as he looked to her, that he was in trouble. He’d never recover from how much he loved this little girl.

“What in the world are we going to name her?” His whisper filled the carriage and Jude blinked back tears once again. Just seeing him with their little girl did things to her heart that she didn’t even know could be possible.

“Well,” she started, doing her best not to move too much, “why did your parents name you Cardan?”

“I don’t pretend to know why my parents did anything,” he snorted. “Why were you named Jude?”

She smiled up at the carriage ceiling. “I was named after a song that my mother enjoyed. Hey Jude. It was by a band called The Beatles.”

“You’ll have to show me the song sometime.”

She laid her hands on her belly, which still looked pregnant, and studied how her husband’s long fingers curved over their bundled up daughter.

“How about Lucille?”

He made a questioning noise, obviously having gotten lost in their baby’s eyes.

“Lucille,” she tried again. “The band who wrote the song I’m named for had another song, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. We could name her Lucille and only ever call her Lucy. It would make it all the harder to guess her truename.”

“Do you ever stop scheming, my darling nemesis?” He smiled as he turned the name over in his head. He liked the idea of naming their little girl after a song, especially a mortal one. He wanted her to be proud of her roots.

“Not when it comes to protecting my family,” she promised, her voice suddenly grave.

Cardan just smiled again and looked up at his wife, at his whole world.

“Lucille Greenbriar,” he tried the name out. “Little Lucy.”

Jude’s face softened once more and she reached out to take the baby, tucking the child close to her chest as they sailed over Elfhame.

“I like it,” he announced.

~~~~~~~~~~~

For those of you keeping track at home, here’s a list of things that:

My mother actually did during labor/my birth that Jude Duarte 100% would’ve done:

•Refused to believe I would be born on my due date. Was so adamant that she called every family member and told them to leave her the fuck alone/stop fucking asking about the baby/there was no way the baby would be born on her due date so shut up

•Confused her water breaking for peeing on herself

•Had to be threatened with physical violence before she’d go to the hospital

•Had to remind a nurse that she couldn’t actually pee with a bABY’S HEAD IN THE WAY DIPSHIT

•Called a nurse out for lying

•Pointed at the nurse who told her she “wasn’t trying that hard” and screamed to GET THE FUCK OUT

•Took no medication because she was a fucking boss, held her on oxygen mask after she fired the nurse. Didn’t cry or yell, just got angry

•Had her baby 30 minutes after showing up to the hospital. On the baby’s due date

My father literally did during my mom’s labor/my birth that Cardan Greenbriar 100% would have done:

•Stood by and let his wife call all the family yelling, even though it was two weeks from Christmas and he knew they’d have no way to get in contact if the baby came (everyone was 15 hours away and it was pre cellphone)

•Started timing his wife’s contractions and then dragged her into the car when they were 2 minutes apart after a huge fight

•Slam dunked on the receptionist when they checked in

•Was in awe of the hospital technology

•Literlly, I’m not kidding, when the doc did the whole “lights pointing at the wand” thing and aimed all the room lights at his wife’s crotch he actually yelled “Honey look! You’re a star!”

•Backed his wife tHE FUCK UP when she fired a nurse (the doctor also literally told the nurse to get tf out that really happened. He also really 100% did slide into the room with scrubs half on)

•Asked a nurse why the fuck she put toothpaste on his baby

•Named his baby after a song

My parents’ best friends did that Vivienne would’ve done:

•Brought the baby bag because the dipshits forgot it

•Went “what the fuck do you mean the baby is already here it’s been half an hour”

•(not in the story but) Offer the pregnant lady fried chicken and then never make it iT’S BEEN 21 YEARS SIR WHERE IS HER CHICKEN

•Help no-longer-pregnant lady sneak out cuz she didn’t wanna be there anymore

~~~~~~~~~

Tag list: @cardan-greenbriar-tcp @hizqueen4life @slightlyrebelliouswriter23 @thewickedkings @aelin-queen-of-terrasen @cheekycheekycheeks lol just tell me if you wanna be added

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clockworkgraystairs · 4 years

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O.M.G!!! I loved your recent jurdan fic sooo much!! Can you write when she tells Cardan she’s pregnant?? Can Cardan get emotionally excited??I love their softness and excitement... love you 😍

Hello dear!!! Thank you so much for your words!

I’m sorry it took me long but my job is a pain in the ass and I don’t have as much time as I would like to write. Buuut here it is!

It also came out longer than I expected bc apparently I can’t keep things easy.

Anyway, ENJOY! LOVE U TOO!

~~~~

JUDE TELLS CARDAN SHE’S PREGNANT

Jude had spent half of her life learning how to face danger.

Years and years of training, creating strategies, fighting and even killing when she needed to.

Gods above, she was the Queen.

The High Queen of Elfhame, and she was shrinking on one corner of her sister Vivi’s bathroom; staring at the little pharmaceutic device, the third one, showing the result.

Jude carved her face with shaking hands.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” She muttered, her breathing harsh.

This was supposed to be an ordinary weekend.

One year had passed since her official coronation and occasionally she liked to spend a day or two at the human world with Vivi, Heather and little Oak. Sometimes Cardan came with her, partially she suspected, since he’d caught some fascination for Sephora stores and some human customs, he claimed, he wanted to experience.

This time though, he’d stayed back in Elfhame, to attend some meetings Jude didn’t want to be part of.

Everything was going fine, they went to the park, to the movie theater and at last to the pizza place near her sister’s house, where Oak asked for Jude’s favorite to honor her visit. What she didn’t expect, was the sudden nausea that crept up her stomach as soon as the pizza arrived, making her ran to the toilet in a couple of seconds.

It didn’t take much time for Vivi to suspect what was going on, even with Jude’s insistence on it probably being a stomach bug.

On their way back to her apartment, she bought Jude three different pregnancy tests under the argument that “one could never know”. Then filled her with orange juice and waited. And waited.

So here she was. With three positive results. Pregnant.

A loud knock on the door made her jump. “JUDE? Is everything alright?? You’ve been there ages! Are you done??”

“Let her be Viv, don’t make her more nervous than she already is…” That was Heather.

“What? I’m not. I just want to know if-”

Jude stood and opened the door stopping her mid-sentence.

Two pairs of eyes stared at her expectantly. She pursed her lips and took in a deep breath.

“So, apparently I’m pregnant.” She said to no one in particular. The words sounded strange in her mouth, as if she wasn’t the one saying them.

“Are… are you sure?” Viv’s face had lost all track of emotion. Jude quirked an eyebrow and handed her sister the pregnancy tests.

What came next was a bunch of screaming and “oh my gods” and Heather swearing she’d dreamed about it a few nights ago. Maybe something else about a bet between her sister and Madoc.

Jude was only hearing half of it. Instead her mind was worrying about one thing only. Cardan. How in hell was she going to tell him? How was he going to react?

She didn’t even know how she felt.

They didn’t talk much about the subject. Some comments from the Court members about them providing heirs had quickly turned into inside jokes she and Cardan occasionally teased each other with. But joking about it was very different to this. To actually being pregnant. To carry life inside her that someday would become a baby, a child. For her to become a mother. For them to become parents.

How was a parent supposed to be to begin with? She’d grown up with her kidnapper, a cold-blood murderer as the only parental figure. Her husband didn’t have a better role model.

And now they’ll have to raise a new creature into this world. It was too much to digest in one day.

The next morning, she returned to Elfhame. Still with no clue of how to tell Cardan the news.

She found their chambers empty, and took the chance to take a bath and put on her queenly clothes before going to search for her husband. She needed to tell him immediately, before her sense of fake bravery vanished.

“Last time I saw him, Your Highness, he was on his way to his mother chambers.” Fand told her. Jude rolled her eyes and groaned, that was the last place where she wanted to go but her hands had already started to tremble, if she waited more time she wouldn’t be able to do it.

One step away from Asha’s door she hesitated. Jude had meant to knock, but the door was already half-opened and she could hear voices coming out.

“Seriously Cardan, how long are you going to keep this up?” Asha sounded annoyed. “You had your fun with the mortal girl, why keeping her at all?”

“She is my wife.” Was all he answered.

Jude leaned just a bit so she could peer inside the room. Cardan stood before his mother, who rested on a pile of cushions. His back faced the door so she couldn’t see his expression.

Asha sighed.

“That didn’t stop you from vanishing her once. And we are not at war anymore so I doubt her fighting skills are needed much.” she shrugged. “Aren’t you just bored already?”

Jude could see Cardan’s fist tightly closed. “I don’t see why my personal decisions affect you mother, nor why should I explain them to you.” His voice sounded strained. “As for Jude, she is no weapon just designed for war, and her staying is not for you to decide or even mention.”

Asha’s lips quirked just a little. “Ah, I see now. My dear son, are you not capable to see all of the pleasures you are denying yourself just for a whim?” She raised to her feet and rested one of her perfect hands on Cardan’s shoulder. “It is not rare for Kings to take mistresses, and let me tell you, I know several beauties who would do anything for the opportunity.”

Jude’s ears were ringing with rage. How dare she suggested such thing? To even consider the possibility of Cardan taking some vulgar… she shook her head, not even finishing the thought of it. She was so focused in her desire to take Asha’s head and slam her into the floor she couldn’t hear his answer.

Asha laughed in a cruel way that make Jude’s stomach turn as she came back to reality. Oh gods, was she going to be sick again?

“You ought to think of the future of your people too, you know. Elfhame will need an heir someday. And do you think the folk will not prefer a precious pure fae, instead of some half breed…” Asha’s eyes darted to the side and locked with Jude’s, making her heart skip a beat. “With filthy human blood?”

Jude took a step back, feeling tears stinging behind her eyes. She knew what Asha was doing, that bitch, knowing she was listening behind the door. But it didn’t matter, not as her heart hammered with such intensity it was starting to hurt. Not as her throat closed in anger and impotence, making her hard to breath.

So she just turned and rushed far from there.

Somehow she reached one of the back balconies and stood there, staring at the sea under her. Jude knew she would be a filthy human for some of the folk for the rest of her days. She’d grown with that knowledge and she didn’t care anymore. But now, it was not only her. It would never be only her ever again. Was she really that stupid for allowing this to happen to someone else? Not only someone else, but her own child? Would Cardan even agree to the idea?

Minutes passed. Even hours maybe, but she didn’t move. She felt as if she’d forgotten how to.

Light steps sounded behind her.

“Jude?” Cardan’s voice somehow filled her with something between peace and anxiousness, remembering why she was searching for him in the first place.

She didn’t answer, so he continued. “I ran into Sir Fand a while ago, she told me you were looking for me. I should have been there when you arrived, I am sorry my love.”

Jude shook her head, “It’s okay.” Her voice was faint, almost a whisper. She still didn’t dare looking at him.

“Jude, is there something wrong?” He came closer to her, now standing by her side. Cardan searched her gaze but she looked down. “Have… Have I done something to upset you?”

Jude’s heart hurt at his tone.

“No, no you didn’t.” She wanted to tell him everything was okay, that he didn’t do anything wrong, that she was perfectly fine. Except she was not. She just didn’t know what to say first or how. “And yes, I was… looking for you.”

She felt Cardan’s hand take hers, soft as a feather. “And you were looking for me on the sea? Unlikely, but I appreciate the effort.” He chuckled for a second, and then went back to his worried voice. “I am here now. Will you tell me what is that troubles you? You look as if you just had a nightmare.”

That wasn’t unusual. More than once Cardan had woken her up from some bad dreams, usually ones in which he didn’t return after Jude cut off the snake’s head. It always left her pale and shaky. Sometimes it happened the other way around, but they always found comfort in each other’s arms.

She bit her lip and took a deep breath. “I don’t think your mother would appreciate being called a nightmare, even if she usually is.”

He gave her a wide grin before furrowing his brow in confusion. “Funny, I was just with her right…ah.” Realization crossed his eyes, Jude watched him clench his jaw. “You went to my mother’s chambers. You heard us.”

Jude nodded and held his hand tighter. “I heard some of it. Many of the folk will always find me to be inadequate, that’s nothing new. But I hadn’t heard any mention of it in so long that, for a moment I, I let myself believe that-“

“Jude, stop, you cannot possibly think you are not good enough. Look at what you have done for Elfhame; anyone could see that!”

“That’s not it. I know I have done things for them, saving some of their asses and stuff.” She shrugged.

“Then I am not understanding, Jude-“ With his free hand he reached for her cheek and cupped it, tugging her into a hug.

“I’m pregnant.” Her voice was almost a whisper, but she felt him froze.

Without letting go of her, he leaned back, wide eyed and openmouthed. “What did you just say?”

“Cardan I’m,” She closed her eyes and said louder, “I’m pregnant.”

She didn’t open her eyes, afraid to see his reaction. But instead of saying anything he just gasped and pulled her back into his arms. Jude felt his heart beating fast against her hands.

“When did you find out?”

Now it was Jude’s time to chuckle. “Yesterday, even though I was feeling odd for the past days. Oak invited me a pizza but it made me sick, Vivi guessed the rest and I took some tests.”

Cardan didn’t say anything letting her continue. “When I came back I looked for you to tell you, mostly because if I didn’t right away I would be too scared to do it after. But…”

“But you found me with my mother,” He sighed. “And what she said…gods, Jude I am so sorry. I ought to throw her back to the Tower of Forgetting.”

She couldn’t say the thought was not appealing.

“Every day of my life since I got here I was reminded of how I was different. Sometimes in the cruelest ways.” Cardan started to say something but she continued. “I am over it now, I know who I am, and I am happy with it. With you. But the thought of my own blood going through the same thing is… I am afraid of it being as hard as it was for me. I am afraid of not knowing how to make it different. Of not knowing how to be a mother. And most of all, I am afraid of not knowing how you feel about this.”

There. She’d said it. She felt herself shake, but it wasn’t until a few seconds had passed, that she realized it wasn’t her. “Cardan?”

He let go of the embrace but raised his hands to cup her face. His eyes were shimmering… and wet. He was smiling in a way she’d rarely seen, leaving her breathless for a moment.

A tear escaped his right eye and Jude quickly caught it with her thumb, still puzzled about what she was seeing.

“My love, I feel nothing but happiness at this moment.” He kissed her forehead. “I know we usually joke about this but, one part of me always wished for it to became true one day. To love and raise as we weren’t. Giving us the chance to become better than the ones who should have taken care of us.”

Jude didn’t realize she had started to cry too until he kissed her cheeks and felt them cold. Cardan looked down at her belly hesitantly, “Can I?” He asked.

She nodded and pulled his hand to where someday she was going to be the size of a watermelon. He touched her with such delicacy and devotion she almost couldn’t believe this was happening.

“We are going to have a baby.” It seemed as if he said it in order to really believe it.

“We are going to have a baby” She repeated. Beaming with emotion. “I don’t know about you but, I think the first one who should hear the good news is Asha, hopefully she’ll have a heart attack and let us be.”

Cardan laughed and shook his head. “You are insufferable, my sweet villain. But this time, I am afraid I agree with you.” At that, he took her hand and guided her back inside.

Maybe, just maybe, she shouldn’t be afraid at all.

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