Chapter Text
Every day the twins took more and more after Cardan. The eyes, midnight hair, the sharp cheekbones. And the nose, she didn’t know where it was from. It wasn’t hers, or Cardan’s. But she had yet to find any signs of a tail, which she was grateful for. Diaper duty sounds infinitely harder with one of those to worry about.
Their naming ceremony had been a drag. Jude spent the entire time waiting to snatch the babies out of the grand maester’s arms. The fae had come from all over to pay their respects to the new prince and princess, some even going as far as bestowing gifts. Jude listened very carefully as they were being granted, ensuring her children weren’t paying an unknown price, but they were small boons. Socks that would always find their way back to the castle, a balm that would soothe gums when the time came, and even a puppy from the human world, courtesy of Vivi.
At the end of the ceremony, she caught Taryn and Vivi snickering when Cardan announced their names. Princess Carwen Greenbriar and Prince Junot Greenbriar . Her husband had been prepared for either outcome but found himself at a loss when he realized there were two. If Jude was being honest, so did she.
Now, in the royal chambers, Jude stood over their bassinets. Tatterfell kept insisting the twins be moved to their own rooms. But they weren’t ready. She wasn’t ready. It had only been two months, and they were still so small.
Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she sank into the embrace.
“Let’s never do that again,” Cardan said, planting a kiss on her cheek.
“Oh, you are not the one who went through the worst of it,” Jude retorted.
“You’re right.”
“That’s it? ‘You’re right’?”
Cardan’s laugh filled the room, “I give you the win and still get in trouble?”
“Shhhh, you’ll wake them.”
“Carwen’s already awake. Doesn’t miss a thing, just like her mother.”
Sure enough, a pair of shiny dark eyes looked up at her. Cardan reached around to take the small bundle into his arms. Jude watched as he gently rocked the princess back to sleep. Carwen’s little fist shot in the air and with a chuckle, her husband gave it a quick kiss. The look in his eyes almost made her heart burst. She knew what it was, wonder. And disbelief. Jude felt it too.
“I think they’re going to be just like you.” When his eyes met hers, she could see the glimmer in them.
Jude smiled, “Please. They don’t look anything like me. If I hadn’t birthed them, I would’ve thought you’d made them yourself.”
“You didn’t see Carwen try to murder me just now? Definitely you.”
“She was stretching.”
“Already covering for her,” Cardan said, lowering the princess into the bassinet.
With a roll of her eyes, Jude sat at her vanity to remove the pins that gathered her hair. She was sure that if anyone was going to be doing the covering it would be Cardan. With a glance over her shoulder, she caught him whispering something into Junot’s bassinet. Already conspiring. She didn’t know if she was prepared to deal with three of him.
The last of the pins came out and Cardan stepped over to run his fingers through her hair. It was much longer now thanks to the pregnancy. Down to her navel. Jude closed her eyes as Cardan’s touch sent shivers down her spine. How could she ever think anything would change?
“Thank you, my love.”
At Cardan’s words, her eyes snapped open. She met his gaze through the mirror but the expression there was...different. He looked at her the same way he’d looked at Carwen.
“For what?”
“For everything. You’re everything, Jude.”