Jude and Cardan Fanfiction

Chapter 5

     Months pass. At least, as well as they do in Faerie. Everytime Taryn or Oak visit I get questions of when they'll get to meet the baby or if we know the gender yet. The answer to the latter of which is obviously no as Faerie doesn't have such technology. But the wondering tugs on my mind as I go through meetings and when I finally roll into bed with Cardan, I broach the subject.
     "Humans can do such things?" His question doesn't surprise me. Cardan's knowledge of humans and the mortal realm in general is often lacking. He has no reason to know about human medical discoveries or technology. Really, I had no reason to know of it either, except for Taryn having relayed the information from Vivi.
     "They can, apparently." I roll over to fully face him, idly tracing one of the immaculate threads on his sleep shirt. I'm already tired but I've already started the conversation. "I could go visit Vivi and find out. Finally put my sister and Oak at ease of arguing over there being a prince or princess." Though the arguments have been funny.
     Cardan seems to think. He does it more often now, though a smile does tug at my lips anyway. "Don't think too hard," I say. "I worry you may hurt yourself."
     That earns me a scowl from my husband but he meets my eyes again anyway. "I'd like to know." His voice is quiet, soft, as though he's somehow thinking less of himself for wanting such things.
     I reach up and gently run my thumb over his cheekbone, smiling to myself. Sharp enough to cut out a girl's heart. Well, he'd certainly gotten mine. "I'll speak to Vivi then tomorrow. And we can find out. A prince or princess."
     Cardan smiles, a real, true, genuine smile that lights up his whole beautiful face. I had doubts at first, of the whole raising-a-child thing with Cardan, but everytime he smiles, excited at the thought of a child, his child, running around the castle's halls...the doubt lessens, until I can almost ignore it. Almost.
     The next day I pack up to go visit Vivi and Heather. I didn't really need to send them a letter, I was always welcome at their place, and Vivi will be more than happy to help me out. It's just the working up the courage to actually ask and go see the mortal doctor.
     Sure, I'd seen numerous faerie physicians and human midwives within Faerie to discuss everything. But somehow going to the mortal realm, to a mortal doctor's office, with a true mortal doctor, was something that set me on edge. I hadn't been to one in so long and this would be wildly different.
     Vivi seemed quite happy to help out and before long I was back at their house, a series of black and white photos in my hands. And an envelope that held the news I'd actually gone to find out. For some reason, I'd wanted Cardan to know first. Before I found out myself.
     With a thank you to both Vivi and Heather, and a few more minutes of talking and excitement, I head home. I leave my steed in the stables and head into the castle, to mine and Cardan's bedroom. My husband - despite myself, simply thinking of him as that still makes me smile - will return from his meetings at any moment. So I sit and wait, still looking over those photos.
     When Cardan returns, his eyes drift straight to the photos in my hands. His brow furrows. "What are those?"
     I look up and hold the photos out. "Here. It's- how they see the baby." When he takes them, gaze scanning over the length of each photo, I add hurriedly, just in case, "they're just duplicate pictures. It's just one baby.."
     Cardan takes a long moment, his long fingers brushing over the black and white photos, before finding my gaze again. "I don't know what I'm looking at."
     I smile before pulling him down to sit beside me and scooting closer to point out things in the pictures. "That's their head. And an arm, right there. And that-" I bite my lip to hold back my laughter. "I think is a tail."
     With a small huff that could've been laughter, or just plain annoyance, Cardan sets down the pictures and cups my cheek in his hand. "It's confusing. But lovely. Did they tell you what it is?"
     I turn and reach for the envelope. "It's in here. I-" I hesitated, holding it out for him. "I wanted you to know first. I don't know why."
     Slowly, he takes the envelope and opens it to slide the piece of paper out. I know there is only a few words written on it yet Cardan read it several times, as if needing confirmation. When he finally sets it down and pulls me into his arms, he pressed a kiss to my head. "A girl."
     Something flutters in my chest and I lean closer into him as one of his hands snakes around to rest against my stomach. A girl. A daughter. I let out a soft laugh. "My sisters are going to be ecstatic."
     Cardan moves his head to rest against my shoulder. "Oh, I dare say they'll be storming the castle the moment she's born to meet their niece."
     With a smile, I run a hand through his hair. But something nags at me again. Somehow, I'd always imagined a little boy like Cardan, with his inky hair and mischievous smile. But it was a girl. Would she be like me? Or a female version of her father? Could I even raise a daughter, having been raised how I was? How my sisters were? It's not like I had any positive role models to compare to.
     Cardan hums against my neck. "You're thinking again, darling."
     I huff. "I do that quite often, Cardan. Much more often than you."
     He straightens slightly and brushes the hair from my face. "Perhaps you think too much. You have more power and experience than you give yourself credit for. You've fixed this kingdom, and myself. A child will be nothing you cannot handle."
     The words ease my worries some. Not completely, I'm not sure they'll ever go away completely, but some. And so I pull my husband down onto the bed and curl up against him. Cardan holds me close, saying nothing more.

A/N - heyyy everybody. I started writing this when I started highschool and now I'm graduating soon :,) I'm so sorry I stopped updating. I was going to reread the books before I wrote anything but the inspiration struck me and well...here you go. Is it accurate and everything? Dunno. But it's updated. I'll try to keep up with it now but for now, enjoy the fluff.