Book 01: Day and Night

But something else was starting to happen to Maya. She started to feel strange within herself. But kept shaking it off thinking it was just being tired, as which she was feeling. But Kairn could see something was wrong with the young woman so pulled her aside from view. "What's wrong Maya?"

Maya playing dumb. "Nothings wrong, why do you ask?"

Kairn gave her a look that a mother would a child. "I can feel you're hiding something. What's wrong?"

Hanging her head before looking to her and smile a little. "Just a bit run down is all. It's nothing."

The older woman nodded a little. "Sure, come, let me look after you for a change."

* * * * *

Twenty minutes after disappearing into the old healers hut, Maya stared at her in disbelief. "I can't be. I made sure I couldn't."

Kairn shrugged. "You have all the signs there child and the enchantments never fail to tell the truth in these matters. Do you want me to get Kay'n so you can tell him the news?"

That frozen Maya. "Oh no, we hadn't even thought about having children. What if he doesn't want them." She couldn't help but start crying. "What if he's discussed of the idea of having them, I can't tell him I'm carrying his child Kairn."

The old drow chuckled and gave her a gentle hug. "If it's true that you embrace your love each night, I'm pretty sure that meant he wanted to have a child with you. Dark elf men can decide what they want to shoot dead or live swimmers you know."

This shocked Maya even more. "You mean he's been intentionally trying to have a child with me, without even telling me!"

This made the drow laugh even more. "He might not of known how to do it. It has to do with their emotions. If they love the woman that much, all they can think of is to father a child to them," laughed more, "Look at Royl and Zara, he loves her that much they have eight children together."

This made her cry even more. She didn't know if she was ready to bring a child into the world, she didn't know if Kay'n knew what he was doing to her, at that point of time, she didn't know anything she thought she knew.

The old healer patted her arm. "I'll go send for him then you can sort everything out in your mind." With that, she left her hut and got one of the young men to go and find Kay'n and to bring him to her.

* * * * *

By the time Kay'n had arrived, Maya had calmed down and sipping a cup of tea. The old healer patted his arm, giving him a knowing smile before leaving the couple to talk.

Kay'n could feel how distressed Maya was and walked quickly over to her, kneeling beside her, trying to turn her to face him which she did reluctantly. "What's wrong, my love?"

She was trying to find the words to tell him so decided to be straight forward. "Do you ever want to have children with me?"

That question had him worried, making him think she wasn't able to have children but answered her honestly. "Of course I do. I want to show the world how we feel about each other by bringing a new life into our world. One day I hope we can.. But if we can't then so be it, we will show them with our actions ..." He lightly touched her cheek. "What's wrong, what happened?"

She hung her head down, not being able to look into his eyes. "then it looks like we're going to be showing the world."

This took a moment to sink in to what she was saying, then it hit him. "You're carrying my child?"

She nodded, still not looking up.

She didn't see the bright smile across his lips or him standing up quickly. She only knew something was happening when she squealed when he picked her up and swung her around, before hugging her close. "You have no idea what this means. I love you so much Maya, you've made me the happiest man alive." And kissed her deeply.

She was a little shocked with his actions but hugged him close. "So you're not upset? You're happy about me being pregnant?"

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Of course I'm happy, I'm over the moon with the news!"

Tears started to fall down her cheeks again as she hugged him close. "I thought ... I thought you'd be upset I let it happen. I thought you might be disgusted by the idea of having a half breed child ..."

Sitting down with Maya in his lap, he wiped away her tears. "Maya, I love you with all my heart. I would never leave you. It would kill me to do so," He kissed her softly.

She kissed him back and squealed again when he picked her up and carried her the way home.

* * * * *

Over the next months, the news spread that the wood elf healer was pregnant. It even got back to the wood elves. Even though they didn't know who the father was, they just knew their Maya was with child and they were happy about it. The other races that brought the news made sure none of the wood elves would know it was a dark elf who did it or that they were happy together.

But soon the second year of Kay'n and Maya being together came. She was in the last stages of her pregnancy and started to feel stranger as it went on. She in the end not leaving home without Kay'n there, just in case something happened to her. During the seventh month of the pregnancy, the centaurs had gifted them two horses for travelling, to make it easier on Maya which she was grateful for.

Kay'n was working in his blacksmith lean to when he heard Maya scream. He raced inside and went straight over to her as she panted against the table. "What's wrong ..."

Her breathing was heavy. "Get Kairn, somethings wrong ..." He didn't need to be told twice and quickly mounted the horse and disappeared into the forest.

She was still a month off the due time, and knew something was wrong with her and the baby. She took careful steps over to the bed and screamed out again and fell forward, her shoulders and head hit the bed as she kneeled there panting hard. She looked down and saw blood pooling at the front of her skirt and couldn't help but cry, whispering. "Please little one, be safe ..." then prayed to her goddess. "Please mother of all, take me and not my child. My child must live ..." She crawled onto the bed and curled up to get comfortable and tried to breath through the pain and relax herself as much as possible.

* * * * *

The Queens seer quickly went out to her in her chambers. "Something is wrong my queen, send the healers to her now!"

The Queen looked over to the seer and nodded and started to give orders out as she left her chambers.

The seer had been telling her visions of Kay'n and the wood elf and was going to make sure nothing went wrong with them. She had her personal agenda sorted out over the months and knew exactly what she was going to do.

* * * * *

Kay'n had taken one of the horses to get to the village quickly and they were back within twenty minutes of leaving Maya alone. Kay'n heart was racing with the safety of his lover and their child.

Kairn had to hold on with the hard push on the horse, and not really liking horses, she knew it would be the only way to get back to the young wood elf.

As soon as they arrived, Kay'n helped her down to hear another scream from inside the cottage which Kairn quickly went into and straight over to Maya with a worried look with the amount of blood that was soaked on the elf's dress and bed. "Oh my dear ..."

After another thirty minutes, the bleeding was controlled but the labour was still proceeding and nothing Kairn did was able to stop it.

Kay'n was pacing back and forth with a wild look in his eyes when men in the royal uniforms appeared out from the forest and walked towards him. Kay'n hissed. "What do you want."

The Queen and her healer appeared just after he spoke and he bowed his head to her, she motioned the healer to go inside to check the girl before looking over to Kay'n. "To help. I will not let that girl die no matter what she is, she is to important to die on us at this point of time.."

The healer didn't have to be told twice, he had already questioned the Queen to why he should help a wood elf and thought they should just let the girl and the devil child inside her die. Which was answered with a blow to his stomach from the Queen's bow and told to be quiet and do what he was told to do without question.

* * * * *

When the healer entered the room, he quickly asked, "What have you done so far?"

Kairn looked over to him, seeing the royal emblem on his chest, "She's bled but I've stopped the bleeding, but the child still wants to be born now. Nothing is working to stop it."

He nodded and walked over to the wood elf and hissed which made Kairn give him a dirty look, but she decided not to say anything just yet. He put his hand on Maya's forehead and transferred some of his energy to her which made her open her eyes. "Wood elf, your child wants to be born now, so you will have to push, I'll give you the energy to give birth and then you can sleep all you want after it is born," he had venom in his voice.

It was clear to Maya and Kairn that if this royal healer had a chance, he would kill her with no thoughts at all. So Maya just nodded and looked to Kairn who was moving down between Mayafs legs and nodded to her. gYou know what to do Maya, do what you tell other women to do.h

Maya nodded a little and concentrated on what she had to do, on the next sharp pain, she screamed again and pushed as hard as she could, "That's it Maya, just a few more like that ..." Kairn said.

Deciding to take Kairn's advice to what she does tell other women in labour, she laughed a little to herself through heavy breaths. Kairn looked up to her with a arched brow. Maya just answered with, "You'll hear it on the next one," then a moment later, "I hate you Kay'n!" she screamed out as she pushed.

That made Kairn giggle and the other healer looked shocked at what she just said.

Kay'n turned quickly to the door when she said she hated him, he shook his head with a soft chuckle and started to pace again. The Queen arched a brow at the scream and the way Kay'n acted. "She hates you?"

He smiled a little. "She tells other women to scream out what they think of their mates during the push. So I'm guessing she's giving birth to my child so planning on verbally abusing me during it."

The Queen smiled, she might just like this girl after all.

Back in the cottage, Maya was breathing hard, trying to keep as relaxed as she could, and screamed out again, "You bastard, never again will you get between my legs!" then started to pant again to control her breathing.

The old healer smiled at her. "That's it Maya, not long to go, just a couple more good pushes and you've done it, my child."

Maya's breathing started to quicken, and screamed out louder than before , before everything went quiet except for the cry of the baby as it was born. Kairn quickly cut the baby free as the royal healer took over while Kairn cared for the child and cleaned it up a bit before taking it over to Maya, Kairn said, "You have a baby girl," and placed the baby in Maya's arm.

Tears ran down Maya's cheeks then her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out. Kairn took the baby knowing it would of taken a toll on Maya and gave the royal healer a serious look. "You have better save her because if she dies, I will have your head for it," the old healer warned him.

The royal healer heard but ignored what she said, it wouldn't just be her after his head but the Queen as well.

Kairn finished cleaning the baby up and smiled, the baby girl had dark skin like her fathers but it had a hint of brown to it instead of jet black and the thin cover of hair was a mousey brown which was lighter than her mothers. Kairn wrapped the baby up and took her out to meet her father.

Kay'n was pacing more with all the quiet in the cottage, all he wanted to do was burst in and care for his love. When the door open, everyone looked towards it and Kairn walked out smiling. She went straight over to Kay'n and handed him the little bundle she carried. "Meet your daughter."

He stared down at the little creature that was handed to him and smiled a little, running his fingers lightly over the soft skin. "And Maya, how is she?"

Kairn shook her head. "That royal 'healer' is seeing to her," she wanted to call him something else but decided she wouldn't seeing the Queen was there. She bowed her head to the Queen as she walked over to see the infant before going back inside.

After about ten minutes the royal healer came out wiping his hands, he bowed to the Queen who was holding the child and arched a brow at that, he never had seen the Queen take someone else's child like that before and it threw him a little before seeing Kay'n then understood what was going on. "My Queen, I would like to suggest to take the ..." deciding to pick another word from what he was going to call her, "Girl and the baby back to the palace so she can get proper care. I'm sure Kairn can do it but just to be on the safe side."

The Queen looked at Kay'n and he nodded then she looked over to the healer. "Then do it, make her as comfortable as possible for the journey," she handed the baby back to Kay'n. "Did you already pick a name?"

He smiled taking his daughter and nodded, "Yes, her name is Nasrin."

* * * * *

Two days later, Maya woke up. She sighed a little and looked around. Frowning a little before getting nervous and sat up slowly. The room was just as large as their cottage, but dark even though the window was open. On the chair next to the bed slept Kay'n and she smiled, flinching a little she lent over and touched his hand lightly. He looked up quickly and smiled. "Welcome back, my lover," and climbed onto the bed next to her.

She looked around again and whispered, "Where are we?"

He lent back against the headboard and she snuggled up against him. "We're in the dark elf's main city. The Queen was kind enough to let us stay in the palace until you recovered."

Nodding a little against his chest, moving her hand over her flattening stomach and jumped up. "Is the baby alright, we didn't loose her did we?"

He smiled and kissed her forehead and moved back off the bed and over to the cot and picked the sleeping child up and took her over to her mother. "She's right here, what did you want to name her again?" deciding to double check the final name before confirming it with the Queen.

Sitting up she watched Kay'n bring the baby over to her and when she held the baby properly for the first time she softly said, "Nasrin." She looked into Kay'n eyes and kissed him as he settled in the bed with her again. She said, "I'm sorry I didn't give you a son. I know how men always want boys to follow in their footsteps."

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Well just have to try again and again til we get me a son." She giggled but it stopped when there was a soft knock on the door, before it opened and a tall woman walked in with a old woman walking a few steps behind her. Kay'n bowed his head to the both of them. "Maya, this is the dark elf Queen and her Seer. They both wanted to meet you as soon as you woke. And hearing what the Seer can do, they're here." He kissed her forehead and gently took the baby from her.

She bowed her head when he told her who they were, "It is a honour to meet you, your Majesty, and you as well, Seer." She looked at him worried when he took her baby from her.

He said, "If we want to be together without problems, then it has to be done. I'll be back soon." He kissed her before he left the room with their child.

Maya was more nervous than before, she sat up in the bed and tried to look as presentable as possible.

As soon as the door was closed and the three women were left alone, the Queen walked over to the bed and looked at the wood elf. "So tell me, what has you infatuated with Kay'n?"

She blinked at the question and the bluntness of it. "I'm sorry your Majesty, it isn't infatuation with Kay'n, I do truly love him. I'd die for him if I had to."

The Queen nodded as she walked around the room. "Is it love or just lust after something forbidden?"

Maya started to put her defences up. "Your Majesty, if I didn't love Kay'n I wouldn't of gone through with the pregnancy. I'm not the type of woman to throw myself at someone I don't have feelings for." Deciding to be honest all the way, "He took my purity, Your Majesty, I gave it to him freely and he gave me a chance to stop. And even so after these years with him, I still love him and more each day. I wouldn't change my life for anyone."

The Queen huffed at her words, "I'm sure you could have any man you desired being niece of the King of your people. Shouldn't you be with some high ranking wood elf."

Shaking her head a little. "Rankings mean nothing to me, the King did give me a choice of picking my own partner when I turned down multiple suitors because I felt drawn to none. Until I met Kay'n, I wasn't attracted to any man. I love Kay'n and nothing will change that."

The Queen looked over to the Seer and got a nod in return before looking back to Maya. "So you are happy to be with a blacksmith dark elf, an enemy to your people."

Maya was getting angry now. "Your Majesty, I don't mean to be rude. But what I feel is what I feel. I love Kay'n. I don't care what race he is, he is the man I love and who I want to be with for the rest of my life.."

The Queen stared at Maya hard. "Seer, tell me."

Seer went over to the bed to stand at the side of it. "What she says is true, she would lay her life down for him, as he would for her. She isn't like the others, my Queen."

The Queen looked over to Seer and nodded, "Then it shall be, call him back in." Seer went to the door and motioned Kay'n to come back in, he went straight over to Maya, the Queen spoke again, "Have you told her the truth yet?" looking at Kay'n.

He shook his head. "No my Queen."

She nodded and looked at Maya before looking back to him. "Then you better before we proceed so it won't be to much of a shock at the wedding."

Maya blinked. "Wedding?" looking between the Queen and Kay'n for answers.

He nodded a little, he was glad he was holding their baby. "Err, yeah. It's law that when royalty have their first child they are to marry the other parent."

She stared. "Royalty? But you're a blacksmith, you don't go around with a escort or anything."

He nodded a little and became more nervous. "Well, I've trained most of the guards, but I didn't teach all of my tricks to them, so when I feel eyes on me, I know how to disappear."

The Queen rolled her eyes. "Just tell her alright."

He flinched, "Yes Mother."

Maya blinked. "Mother?" Shaking her head, "I heard the Queen only had one son, Dea'kar. He's meant to be a real ladies man. Last I heard he had many women after him." then laughed a little.

Seer and the Queen both joined the laugh and nodded, but Kay'n said, "Yes, I changed my name when I got tired of women wanting me for the crown. They were only interesting in pleasing me instead of having a life with me. So I took up blacksmithing permanently and started travelling, looking for the one woman that would have me for who I am and not what I am. So in the outside I'm known as Kay'n, inside the palace I'm known as Dea'kar."

This threw Maya into a spin. She shook her head a little then looked at the Queen. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. If I had known I would of stayed away from him." Tears started to roll down her cheeks, "I'm so sorry," pulling her knees up and hugging them as she cried.

The Queen arched a brow at the sudden outburst from the girl. "Does she know our ways?"

He shook his head. "It's never been brought up."

"Alright.h The Queen sighed and went around the bed and sat down next to the girl. gI donft think you understand how our system works. I think the wood elves go with one married couple of rulers, correct?h

Maya nodded, "Their of the same race, if it's interrace marriage, they have to step down."