Page 84 of Hope Forged
“You must be Ziamee,” the mudya said, beaming at her daughter from Illan’s other side. “Welcome, I’m Macy, and sit, please.” She sank into a chair, her baby in hand.
Ziamee chose a chair, her attention switching between Macy and Xeus. Wait, as inKingXeus?
“How was your trip?” thequeenasked, making faces at her daughter.
Illan glanced at Ziamee and offered her his hand. When she took it, he rested their clasped fingers on his thigh. “Pleasurable,” he said.
Her cheeks bloomed.
Illan cleared his throat, his gaze lingering on Ziamee’s face. “Though you giving birth came at an inopportune time.”
“My bad,” Macy said with a giggle. “Next time, I’ll try not to inconvenience you.” She stuck her tongue out at Illan.
It was such an unexpected action, strange and comical, that a giggle bubbled up from Ziamee’s belly. She managed to smother it but gave Illan’s fingers a squeeze.
“I have read Brac’s report,” Xeus said, offering his son to Kanzo, who didn’t hesitate, taking the bundle to his chest and falling into a pace. “Their disregard of life sickens me, even for their own males.” He grimaced. “Alllero is dying. Though her heir is acting in her stead, I do not know for how long. I fear the treaty we had with Maloid might be in the past.”
“Has been for a while and without our agreement,” Kanzo said. “We have been kept in the dark. About all of this.”
“I do not like being played for a fool,” the king muttered.
“Their sheer audacity has me speechless,” Kanzo said. “Durn’s destruction was so long ago, which implies they planned this.”
“Alllero could not have known,” Xeus said. “I cannot believe she was complicit.”
“I suggest we…askthe Maloidian Ambassador Barro,” Kanzo said, tapping the baby’s back with the gentlest of touches.
“Yes.” Xeus rose, gave Macy a kiss on her temple, and strode to the door.
Kanzo placed the baby in Ziamee’s arms and followed his king.
“Stay with Macy,” Illan said, pinching Ziamee’s chin to hold her still for a sweet kiss. “We will not dally.”
She stiffened, torn between cuddling the baby and going with Illan. After all, she was Durn, too. Just then, said baby hiccupped and decided the matter for her. She smiled, so tempted to bury her face in his sweet smell.
“Does he have a name?” she asked as soon as they were alone.
“Nowthatwas an argument of note. It’s Etterian tradition to reuse the last few letters of names, denoting lineage. In Xeus’s case, his father was Prius, his son Vytus, and his brother Citus.”
“And what name did he have in mind?”
“Kacy,” she said, then burst into silent giggles. “I prefer Dius. Sounds strong, right?”
“So who won?” Ziamee asked, snuggling back to better cradle the baby, who’d dozed off.
Macy hummed. “We both did. He’s Dius, and she’s Kacera.”
“That’s pretty,” Ziamee said, wondering what Illan would want to name their children. A discussion for another time, or more specifically, when he got around to telling her he loved her. Properly.
“Are you hungry? Want a coffee?” Macy stifled a yawn with her shoulder. “Sorry, new mom. We don’t get much sleep.”
“Mom? I like that. It has a certain warmth to it.”
Macy closed her eyes and leaned back. “What do you call your mother?”
“Mudya.”
“Mm, unusual.”
