Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince-Chapter 361 : The First

Lucius stared in wonder at the bundle in his arms. He was confused at how something so small, so insignificant in the eyes of the world threatened to steal away his every breath. The creature's sharp cries rang in his ears, but despite the unpleasantness, he wanted nothing more than to remember the sound for the rest of his life.

The birth had gone smoothly for the most part, but it took all of Rena's energy. She was resting in the bed after exerting everything she had to bring this small thing into the world. Lucius sat at her bedside, refusing to move away until she awoke. The instant she had the strength; he wanted her to hold their daughter.

Adellia approached with a wide smile with Rubellia at her side. Both women looked down at him with fond gazes. Lucius looked to his birth mother and gestured for her to receive the infant. "Your granddaughter. She needs a name." he whispered.

She took the bundle into her arms. "Thank you, my dear. Let us see…what shall we call you little one?" Adellia cooed at the baby while stroking her cheek with her finger. "Penelope. Lady Penelope Kane."

"Our little Penny." Rubellia giggled off to the side. Adellia smiled and passed Penelope to her other grandmother. She was born with a full head of black hair like his. And though it was only for a moment, Lucius was able to see she had inherited her mother's gorgeous, green eyes.

Lucius glanced down at Penelope's left hand. As Lyrah had warned, his daughter was Marked. A small symbol on her left hand was glaring against the backdrop of her pale skin. Parts of it reminded him of his own, while other parts did not. As far as Marks went, it was a rather aggressive design. "Lyrah?" he questioned. "What is that Mark?"

Lyah's silver eyes shimmered in the torchlight. "Unfortunately, brother dearest, I do not yet know. Perhaps you should ask our mother."

Adellia glared at her daughter for a moment. "You know as well as I, that I will not use my prophetic abilities for personal gain. The fact you still do is a conversation we will shelve for a different time."

"As you say, mother." Lyrah answered. The coldness to her tone was something that he did not miss, but chose to ignore.

Instead, he stood and left the room briefly. During the birth he had heard the clamoring of people at the base of the tower. Familiar voices carried up the stairwell, but they remained stationed near Wally's temporary residence. Kalliope, Jade, and the rest of the group greeted him as he stepped off the final stair. They were joined by Wally and, surprisingly, Princess Lefae. Her blank stare seemed to bore into him, but he ignored the subtle pressure she put into it.

"Lucius!" Jade nearly tackled him to the ground. "How is Rena? Is she okay? And the…"

He gently patted the back of her head. "Please. Go meet my daughter. Little Penelope."

Jade's eyes shimmered with tears as she rushed up the stairs. Desmond approached him and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. With a comforting smile he transitioned the move into a quick embrace. "I know this is strange, but allow me this to congratulate you." The man pulled back and paused for a moment. "I suppose since you have taken my sister as your wife this makes me an uncle for the first time. Two more times coming soon it seems."

Lucius smiled and patted the man's shoulder in thanks. They separated and the man went to join his twin at the top of the tower. Kalliope approached and kissed Lucius passionately before taking Desmond's hand to assist her up the stairs. For a moment he was confused why she did not wait for his own assistance, but then Princess Lefae approached him. Her demeanor indicated she had something to discuss.

"Lord Carmichael is not present in the kingdom at the moment. He will be upset to have missed the birth of his great-granddaughter." She said simply.

"He will." He nodded. "What is it you want from me, Princess."

"Just Lefae for you, Lord Kane." The woman said while fanning her face lightly. "Take today to enjoy time with your family. I shall remain here to keep unnecessary individuals from wandering too closely in Lord Carmichael's place."

"I should thank you for that. But why."

"You interest me Lord Kane and that is something I find rare in this world. I would be happy to explain more in detail later. Perhaps in a day or two you should join me for tea. We have much to discuss. I had a suspicion before, but now that we have met so closely… well, we share a fate it seems." Lefae responded simply. Her large eyes looked at him unblinkingly.

"You would entreat a Marked One to tea?" he wondered. "How strange of a royal interacting so closely with someone 'cursed by demons' like myself."

Lucius glanced down and saw Lefae's gloved hands. She followed his gaze and nodded. She sheathed her fan before gingerly removing her gloves. No Mark.

"I am not 'cursed' like yourself. Though the cross I bear is one marked on my own soul, it is not so visible as your Mark. We will discuss more in time. Please, for now, enjoy your family. Until later, Lord Lucius Kane."

The strange princess bowed her head slightly before turning to select a book from a shelf Wally had installed a while ago. It was clear the conversation was over, so Lucius bowed slightly before silently rejoining everyone in the room above. Thanks to his hearing, he was able to tell that Rena had awoken and that Penelope's cries had been sated.

Upon entering the room, he witnessed his gorgeous wife nursing their daughter while Natalie and Mylene wiped down Rena's hair and face to clean them somewhat of the sweat she had accumulated. Penelope ate her meal voraciously, earning giggles from the surrounding women.

Kalliope's eyes glimmered with excitement while she rubbed her abdomen. "She is utterly gorgeous." She whispered.

Rena smiled, "I am sure your child will be as well."

"Yes, dear. It is so wonderful that I will have two grandchildren so soon. I am sure that your child and little Penny will be great friends."

"Her children." Lucius corrected, interrupting the conversation. "Kalliope is carrying twins."

Everyone in the room gasped at once. Their eyes and hands immediately gravitated to poor Kalliope's stomach. The wolf-girl's ears flattened momentarily and Lucius felt a growl develop in his throat. The sound quickly dashed everyone's attempts and earned him a few surprising looks. "She is uncomfortable with so much attention at once. Give her space." He grumbled.

Lyrah gave him a strange look whose meaning was hard to discern, but he threw it aside to approach his wives. Rena rested a hand on his chest. Kalliope wrapped a hand around his arm and nestled her head against his shoulder.

"I'm more than fine. I was surprised is all. Will you be as protective of the much meeker Jade soon?"

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Jade yelped for a moment, her skin turning as red as a cherry. "I took preventative measures. I would like to spend more time with just us before becoming a mother… unless you want otherwise?"

Lucius shook his head. "No. I think it is a fine idea for waiting. Soon our family will have three children. I think it a good idea for us to adapt to that. Granted, it will be easier with three, maybe four mothers."

Rena counted on her hands. "Well, there's me, Kalliope, Jade—congratulates on that by the way—who else, my love?"

"I made you a promise. I intend to make good on it. Though I will not take a wife on a promise as that would be disingenuous to both myself and her. But I do intend to spend more time with Natalie."

The maid in question took in a sharp breath. Her face seemed to match the shade Jade's took on. Lyrah giggled and elbowed her best friend in the stomach. "Good luck." Lyrah turned to stare at Lucius once more. "Who knows brother dearest, it could be more than four. There is quite a lovely woman at the base of this tower after all."

Lucius suddenly felt more concerned about the invite to tea.