Shilo's New World

Chapter 23

A while passed by before a joyful yell came from inside. "It's a BOY!!" Rowan roared with pride. His hands gripped tightly to his wife's.

They shared a small smile as the doctor handed the newborn to Rowan.

The baby cried out as Rowan stared down at this small creature. A sense of hope and wonder filling him. "Shy...he's perfect." Rowan whispered. He lowered the child to Shilo's eye level.

She smiled sweetly at the baby and waved her fingers at him. "Hi.." She spoke softly. "I'm your mommy."

The baby quieted down as his parents admired him. "This is your daddy.." Shilo put a soft hand out towards Rowan's chest.

Bellamy and Caspian made their way to the room to check out the commotion that Rowan had made. They found him sitting on the side of Shilo's bed staring down into her arms where their new bundle of joy lay peacefully.

The two men stepped carefully inside the doorway. "Congratulations Shilo..." Bellamy said softly.

"Ah! There you are." The doctor said to Caspian. "You sir need to be resting." He grabbed the young king by the collar and dragged him back to his own room.

"But I was going to see the baby..." He whined as the doctor pulled him out.

"He looks just like you." Shilo said to Rowan as she studied the baby. "He has stripes..." She pointed to a spot on his arm where the stripes were darkest. "Why isn't he fuzzy?" She looked up to him for anwsers.

The large man chuckled and gave his wife a soft kiss on the head. "It'll come in as he grows. Plus you aren't very furry either my love."

Shilo giggled weakly as her gaze went back to her son. "Ah...I see." Her fingers danced over the tiny feline ears of her child.

Bellamy smiled through the heartbreak. He was a mixed bag of emotions. Overjoyed, jealous, sadness, exhaustion. Feeling out of place and on the verge of tears, he headed outside to get some air.

"You and me chair, are about to be great friends..." He said to himself as he sat down.

Back inside Shilo cradled her baby closely, rocking him slightly. "What shall we call him?"

Rowan put out a single large finger towards the child, who cooed and pulled his father's finger into his hand. Rowan's chest filled with pride as he watched the newborn with curiosity.

"Lovely couple, huh?" Caspian's voice rang out gently from the doorframe to the house.

This caught Bellamy off guard. He took a moment to focus on the young king. Trying to keep his true emotions hidden. "Yes.." He sighed out. "They sure are." His gaze drifted off into the distance again.

Caspian joined stared off as well for a moment or two before trying again to see what the problem was. "Something on your mind friend?"

"Sort of..." Bellamy sighed, not really in the mood to talk. "I guess I'm just homesick and missing my family." The rocks crunched under his foot as he shuffled it around.

Caspian nodded to himself, tucking his arms around his torso. "I can empathize." He took a deep breath. "I have no clue how I'm going to regain my home, muchless my kingdom."

Bellamy looked back at the king's worried face. He had almost forgotten about the emerging war. "How are we going to get it back?"

"By any means necessary." Rowan's deep base came from around the corner.

"Don't you have a child and wife to tend to?" Caspian asked snarkily, as if to jokingly say this wasn't his conversation.

"Shilo's learning how to nurse..." His face softened as he looked uncomfortable. "I figured I'd give her some privacy."