Chapter 71: Chapter 70. Better World
Roxanne sat on the porch of the Wyndham estate, her gaze fixed on the endless stretch of sky painted in pale morning hues. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of wet earth after dawn’s mist. Her mind wandered back to her father’s words, "To take Kaelindor, you must be willing to break it first." It had been five days since that conversation, yet the weight of it lingered like a shadow she couldn’t shake.
From the doorway, Vivianne watched her silently. Roxanne’s posture, calm yet distant, told her enough; her wife was lost in thought again. Vivianne hesitated, her fingers brushing against the wooden frame of the door. She wanted to speak, to share the news she’d brought, but she didn’t want to intrude on Roxanne’s rare moments of quiet.
But Roxanne, always attuned to her presence, turned her head slightly and smiled. She didn’t need to look to know Vivianne was there. She always knew. "Come here, Vivian," Roxanne said softly, as she stretched out her arms.
The simple gesture broke the stillness of the morning, inviting warmth into the chill air. Vivianne’s lips curved in a small smile as she stepped forward, the soft creak of the floorboards beneath her feet the only sound between them.
Vivianne smiled faintly, stepping out into the cool morning air. And putting herself on her wife’s lap, Roxanne’s hand reached out instinctively, finding Vivianne’s waist and guiding her closer. Roxanne put the comforter to wrap around her wife’s body and kissed Vivianne’s forehead.
"You’ve been thinking about it again," Vivianne said softly, her voice barely above the sound of the wind.
Roxanne hummed softly, her gaze never leaving the pale expanse of the morning sky. "Father’s words don’t leave easily," she murmured. "To rule Kaelindor, you must first break it. He made it sound simple." A faint sigh escaped her lips, her jaw tightening as she spoke again. "But every piece we break... someone bleeds for it."
Vivianne shifted closer, her voice gentle. "Do you think, if you ruled the continent, the world would be safer for our future children?"
Roxanne tilted her head slightly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Without all these divisions? Clear laws, balance, one solid alpha to lead?" She reached out and twirled a strand of Vivianne’s hair between her fingers, her tone turning firm, certain. "Not could be. It should be."
Vivianne chuckled softly, her eyes warm. "Especially if you’re the leader. You’re the strongest of the mixed bloods, right?"
"Yes," Roxanne said, then turned to look at her wife, brow furrowing in mild confusion. "Why are you asking all this?"
Vivianne’s smile deepened. She took Roxanne’s hand gently and guided it to rest against her stomach. Her voice trembled just a little, but her eyes shone with quiet joy. "Because I want to know," she whispered, "do you think you can make a better place for our children?"
For a heartbeat, Roxanne didn’t move. Her hand remained pressed against Vivianne’s stomach, the warmth of her palm sinking into her skin, but her mind, her entire being, froze. The morning breeze carried the faint scent of blooming wyvern lilies across the porch, soft and sweet, and somewhere in the distance, a songbird called. But Roxanne heard none of it.
Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Her eyes widened, dark red irises glimmering in disbelief as her breath caught in her throat. "Vivian..." she finally managed, the name trembling on her lips. "You mean, ?" Keep staring at Vivianne’s stomach, then her face, and back and forth.
Vivianne nodded once, her smile trembling but full of love. "Yes. We’re going to be parents, your grace."
Roxanne’s eyes flickered, confusion warring with shock, disbelief melting into realization. Then, without warning, the composure of the mighty Alpha, the cold-blooded Grand Duke of the North, the demon, shattered. A small, choked laugh escaped her, half a sob, half a gasp, as tears began to well in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, but they spilled over anyway, tracing warm, glistening lines down her cheeks.
"You’re serious?" She whispered again, her voice breaking on the edge of laughter. "You, you’re carrying our child?"
Roxanne choked on her words, the reality of it hitting her harder than any battle ever could. For a moment, she simply stared at Vivianne, her expression flickering between awe and disbelief.
The thought had never even crossed her mind. Because of her Alpha constitution, she was too volatile, too destructive. Every rut she’d ever had was a storm barely contained; her heat burned too fiercely. She would break any omega before her; her rut was passed with her massacring the monsters in Dreadfang Mountain.
And now, with Vivianne, not only can she control her rut, but she can also give her children. Something she already gave up the moment she knew about her nature. Vivianne nodded again, and that was all it took.
Roxanne’s restraint collapsed completely. The emotion that had been pressing at her chest, joy, disbelief, love so fierce it burned, finally burst free. She let out a sound that isn’t quite a cry nor a laugh, but something deeper, something primal. It rolled from her throat like a wave, resonant and commanding, filled with power that reached far beyond the Wyndham estate.
The air shifted. Leaves trembled in the garden. Every mixed-blood, omega, and alpha within miles felt it, the undeniable call of dominance wrapped in uncontainable happiness. Roxanne’s energy didn’t roar like a beast’s howl; instead, it throbbed through the air, an invisible pulse that made hearts quicken and spines straighten. It’s the instinctual language of the alpha bloodline, a call of authority and belonging.
Vivianne gasped, clutching onto her wife’s trembling arms. "Roxanne, " she whispered, but her voice was drowned out by the surge of warmth and power radiating from her mate.
Across the manor grounds, knights paused mid-step, heads bowing low before they even realized what they were doing. Servants froze, hearts pounding as an unfamiliar thrill coursed through their bodies. It isn’t fear. It’s a reverence, the instinct to submit to a true leader; even Ian and Rose feel it in their bones.
Even miles away, in the imperial capital, those attuned to her bloodline might feel a faint ripple of her presence, like a storm announcing itself over calm waters.
In his room, Ashkareth raised his head from his desk, a slow grin tugging at his lips. "She’s getting stronger," he murmured, his voice equal parts pride and challenge.
Beside him, Morwenna tilted her head, a soft, knowing smile curving her lips. "Far stronger. You can feel it too, can’t you?" He continued.
"Just submit," his wife replied.
Ashkareth’s grin widened, his eyes glinting with battle-born excitement. "Not until we fight," he said under his breath, his knuckles cracking. Then, softer, almost with awe, "She sounded happy."
Morwenna’s smile deepened, that quiet maternal warmth never leaving her expression. "Then let her have this moment," she said, rising gracefully from her chair. "I’ll go check on her." Ashkareth leaned back, arms crossed, the echo of his daughter’s power still humming faintly in the air like distant thunder.
And back at Roxanne and Vivianne’s room, the alpha is looking excited. "By the god, Vivian!" Roxanne’s voice cracked as she buried her face in Vivianne’s neck, her tears soaking into the soft fabric of her nightdress. "You don’t know what you’ve done to me..."
Vivianne only smiled through her own tears, brushing her fingers through Roxanne’s hair. "I thought you’d be happy."
"Happy?" Roxanne lifted her head, laughing breathlessly through her tears. "I’m complete."
And then, unable to contain the overwhelming joy bursting from her chest, she scooped Vivianne up effortlessly into her arms and spun her around the porch. Vivianne gasped, laughing as the cool morning air swept around them, her hands clutching at Roxanne’s shoulders.
"You’ll drop me, you fool!" She protested between laughter.
"Never," Roxanne said, still crying and smiling all at once. "Never. Not you, not our child."
-
A soft knock broke through the laughter and chaos on the porch. Roxanne, still holding Vivianne in her arms and spinning her gently, froze mid-step. Her ears twitched slightly at the familiar pheromone behind the door, her mother’s scent, calm and regal as ever.
"Roxanne," came Morwenna’s smooth voice from outside, "if you’re quite done shaking the entire estate with your joy, may I come in?"
Roxanne blinked, still breathless and teary-eyed, before shouting, "Come in, Mother!"
The door opened, and Morwenna stepped inside with two maids in tow, both struggling not to stare at the sight before them: the Grand Duke herself, disheveled, eyes glistening, holding her blushing omega wife in her arms as if she’d never let go.
Morwenna raised a brow, though her lips curved with unmistakable amusement. "Put her down, darling, before you accidentally squeeze your wife, and tell me, why are you so happy you nearly shook the house apart?"
Roxanne turned to her with a grin so wide it nearly split her face. "I’m about to be a parent," she said proudly, her voice brimming with joy as she strode closer, still refusing to let go of Vivianne.
Morwenna blinked, her composure faltering for the briefest moment. Then her expression softened, warmth blooming in her eyes. "I can smell it," she murmured, her gaze landing on Vivianne with something tender and reverent. The two maids behind her exchanged quick glances, realizing what that meant, but wisely kept silent.
She then took a slow step forward, her expression softening into something almost awed. The air itself seemed to hum faintly around them, Vivianne’s scent gently filling the space. "Sweet heavens..." Morwenna whispered, closing her eyes for a moment. "That scent, it’s like cinnamon baked into warm bread. So gentle, so rich."
Vivianne blinked, her cheeks flushing pink. "I... smell like that?"
Roxanne’s brows drew together, confusion flickering in her crimson eyes. "How, how do you know that?"
Morwenna smiled knowingly, folding her hands in front of her as her tone turned both teasing and wise. "Please, child. You think you could hide something like this from a spirit bearer? I could feel it the moment I entered. The energy between you two, it’s changed. Softer, brighter. And her scent..." She inhaled lightly again, smiling at Vivianne. "She used to smell like peaches, didn’t she? Sweet and playful. But now, cinnamon, comfort, warmth. That’s a mother’s scent."
Roxanne froze, eyes wide, staring at her wife as if seeing her anew. Vivianne’s blush deepened, her lips parting in a shy smile as Roxanne’s arms tightened protectively around her. Morwenna’s voice grew gentle. "Congratulations, my daughter. The gods truly blessed you both."
After Roxanne carefully set Vivianne down, without another word, Morwenna swept forward, her long gown whispering across the floor as she reached for Vivianne. She took the younger woman’s hands gently, eyes misting over. "Oh, my dear girl..." she whispered. "You’ve given this family something even power couldn’t create: a future."
Vivianne smiled shyly, and Morwenna pulled her into a motherly embrace, one arm wrapping protectively around her. Behind them, Roxanne stood still, smiling helplessly as tears slipped down her cheeks again.
Morwenna looked back at her daughter with a grin. "Congratulations, my daughter. You’ve finally made me a grandmother."