Raidyn
It's been a week since the grand opening of the new and improved orphanage. Byrd worked incredibly hard and it showed. The children all loved it, my people loved it, and I love her. Her compassion is obvious and I hope my people see her first queenly act as such. I want them to adore her just as I do.
While I started my day off with a jog and a visit to make sure that the orphanage was running smoothly, I know the remainder of this day would be horrible in comparison to this hopeful start. All the preparations for Daneria's funeral were in place. Her body has been dressed and today Byrd and I will join her family in lowering the casket into the ground at the cemetery. I already know the family will be a mess, especially Flora's parents. No one deserves the pain of having to bury their own child and I'd rather die myself than have to do what they are going to do today. How do people say goodbye to those they love? How will they ever truly let this go? It's all questions I've been stumped on and am working through answering myself. I know with every passing day the pain gets duller and the whole idea of celebrating their life and the type of people they were all is supposed to make it easier and more acceptable, but it isn't always the case, I would know. No matter how much I try to honor my parents legacy, the guilt is always there for me. It killed me to see Byrd with guilt, especially how unjustified it was. Cynric makes his own choices, he has his own actions and I will always resent him for causing Byrd the pain he pas and plans on continuing to. I wish that I could just kill him, but I hold back for Byrd. He is her father and I know that since she retrieved her memories she's had a different view of him. She seems to wean between her feelings because she remembers him as a different man.
We found out that Cynric's threat was empty, or at least it appeared to be so. He should've known Byrd wouldn't come to him, she is everything to me- I couldn't just let her go, even if she wanted to I would stop it. Not to mention, she is pregnant and would never risk Hollis in the process. With Byrd and I, our kids mean everything to us, something Cynric probably thinks, but has gotten mixed up in his delusional head. I remember when we first went to the Lost Kingdom and he was trying to invalidate our marriage and our baby with Arleigh. Gods, it hasn't even been a year since then.
I snap out of my thoughts to play on the playground with the orphans. A couple of young boys want to kick a ball around with me so I go from chasing around the little buggers to doing that. It is much more enjoyable than my thoughts anyways. Before heading out, I take one last look around in admiration. I have the most amazing queen there is and there's no denying that. Pride swells in my chest with every sight of this place and the smiles on the faces of all the children. I continue on the rest of my jog having decided to take another lap before heading back to the castle.
I walk into the chambers with sweat dripping down my body. Byrd is sitting at the table reading, flipping through scholarly books she must've received when I was gone.
"Hey." I smile over at her. I'm so damn proud of her. Incredible wife, mother, and Queen. "I let you sleep in this morning, I'm sorry, you just looked so peaceful. I hope the scholars didn't yell at you too harshly."
"No, they didn't yell at me too harshly." She looks up to smile back at me. "I always have the pregnancy excuse, I just told them I had morning sickness."
"Pregnancy is a blessing in every which way, huh?" I joke. "You most certainly make it work for you." I purr.
She blushes. "How was your morning?"
"My morning was great. Can't you tell?" I chuckle and wipe sweat beading from my forehead.
"I can tell." She stands up and wraps her arms around me.
"I've got to go take a bath. Are you sure you want to be hugging me right now?"
She chuckles. "Maybe then I'll just have to take a bath with you."
