5
Galen awoke to a canopy of wispy clouds lazily floating in a powder-blue sky. Two concerned, but happy faces suddenly obscured his vision and as they came into focus, tears clouded his vision again as neither of the two faces were that of his Ellie May. "Galen? Are you alright?" Miranda asked.
"My lord?" Matilda asked.
"I was afraid of this," Miranda said. "That's why I wanted to try and overshadow it with the prospect of a show."
"I understand," Matilda said. "He told me about his world in the many conversations we had. He must have loved this Elle very much."
"Don't speak as if she were dead, Mattie," Miranda cautioned. "To him, she's still alive."
"My apologies, my lady," Matilda said. "I'll cancel the evening meal."
"You will do no such thing," Miranda said. "And how many times must I tell you to address me by my name in private?"
"Sorry, Miranda," Matilda said. "It's difficult when I've addressed you by your title for so long. And... you don't want me to cancel the evening meal for tonight?"
"Absolutely not," Miranda said. "I've had this planned out for days. He's marrying you tonight. He just doesn't know it, yet." She grinned wickedly.
Galen shook his head slightly and blinked as he sat up. He looked up at the two women from his seated position. "What happened?" he asked, confused.
"You passed out, my love," Miranda explained.
"Right after finding out Lady Miranda was going to bear you a child," Matilda said with an excited grin.
Galen looked up at Matilda, then at Miranda. "You're... pregnant?" he said, disbelieving.
Miranda's own excited grin was etched in place on her face and she nodded. "I am."
Galen reached a hand out and touched her belly as he gave a nervous laugh. "I'm going to be a father," he said, almost disbelieving. "I'm going to be a father," he said more forcefully. Then, he kissed Miranda excitedly and exclaimed, "I'm going to be a father!"
"Yes, you are, my love!" Miranda giggled.
In his reverie, throwing all caution to the wind, Galen kissed Matilda as well before throwing back his head and laughing as he stood up. "WHOOOO! I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER!!!" he yelled.
Matilda giggled at him. "I hope he's this excited when he puts a child in me," she said, then gasped and put a hand to her mouth as she realized she said that out loud. Miranda winked at her knowingly.
Galen continued to shout and people started showing up seemingly out of nowhere to see what all the commotion was about. Galen started running through the garden and adjoining courtyard as he yelled, "I'M GOING TO BE FATHER!" at the top of his lungs to anyone who would listen. Groundskeepers started clapping and laughing happily for him as he continued to yell.
Miranda and Matilda stood hand in hand under the archway between the garden and courtyard, watching as Galen began to get hoarse as he yelled excitedly. "At this rate he'll be too exhausted to marry me tonight," Matilda said, giggling.
"Oh, don't be so sure," Miranda said and kissed her lover on the lips. "Come on," she said, ignoring the shocked stare Matilda gave her after the kiss. "Let's go reign him in before the whole countryside hears his bellowing."
As they approached him, Galen rushed forward and skidded to a stop on his knees before Miranda. Wrapping his arms around her backside he gripped her ass, kissed her belly, and looked up at her with all the love his soul could possess. "I'm going to be a father," he hoarsely whispered.
"So I've heard," Miranda said and giggled as she put her arms down around his neck.
He stood suddenly and kissed her passionately. Breaking the kiss, he shocked Matilda with a passionate kiss as well. Pulling back from Matilda he said, "Would you excuse us, my darling?" and without waiting for an answer, picked Miranda up in the princess carry and carted her away, leaving a stunned Matilda gawking at his back. Miranda had shrieked at the sudden move and then laughed happily as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked back at Matilda. She winked knowingly at her retreating form and nestled into her husband's shoulder.
Galen took Miranda straight back to their room and made love to her for the rest of the afternoon. Many orgasms later, Miranda was spent and lay on her back, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Galen had lain his head on her lower abdomen, his ear pressed against her pubis, and even though he knew the child in her belly didn't even have a heartbeat yet, he still spoke to it as he traced soft circles around her bellybutton with his fingers.
"I can't wait to meet you little one," he said. "Your daddy loves you so much already. If you're a boy, I'll teach you everything I know about how to hunt and fish and protect and provide for your family. If you're a girl, hell, I'll still teach you how to do those things, too. You'll know how to do everything a man does and more. No coddling for my baby girl. No misconceptions about what a girl can and can't do. As a matter of fact, as soon as I'm able to, I'm going to make a decree throughout Spellthorn, abolishing the patriarchal law that says a woman can't do everything a man can do."
Miranda smiled lovingly and stroked his hair as Galen talked to their child. "We have to prepare a celebration," she said when he paused to take a breath. "The invitations to the surrounding nobility have already been dispatched."
"Even dickface?" Galen softly cooed to her belly, kissing it softly.