Queen Rapunzel's Story

Lufgaw was sitting alone in his chambers processing the large amount of information he has received today, he replaced his torn tunic dress with an attire worthy of a the King of Effledus in preparation to celebrate what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life and that was slowly becoming one of the worst since the he had become the King of the Magic Kingdom, the enemy had giants, dragons, even dark fey and last but not least the hellish creatures like dragons, He made a mental review on countermeasures they would need.

The Giants had a fairly thick skin which made difficult to kill but were weak against magic and Effledus troops were prepared to perform that feat either the magical beings or those unable to use it, the last consistently attacked the heels and once the giant fall they smash their necks, of course Lufgaw didn't bothered in the whole process and ripped their throat directly though that action was too reckless for anyone else, to deal with the dark Fae would be wise to use the division of enchanted creatures their speed and instinct was the most appropriate to overcome the effect of Combat Glamour in the worst case they could use a powder of Rowen fruit although that could affect their own troops.

Now he just need the information about those called Darahurne for now Lufgaw knew that they were physically inferior to dragons considering the fact that the creature's head came off fairly easily.

For some time ago the king was listening an incessant whisper but ignored it until he felt something pulling his hair, the whisper became a voice he recognized as that the Pixie he send with the Captain Tipst to pick the Towerlot Queen.

"What happens?" the pixie who was nervous as feared retaliation for pulling the hair of the king replied, "His Majesty, the Captain Tipst wants to know if you allows the entry of three people who aren't on the list, two children of the Queen and a guard of Towerlot" Lufgaw sighed, the last thing he wanted on this day was to have more humans moving through the castle but more likely that the Queen of Towerlot wouldn't come if her companions are refused entry.

"Fine, allows them" he said reluctantly and stood, he didn't get to leave his room when the pixie returned "Your majesty, they are already in the castle, in the Great Hall", Lufgaw kept in silence and began to walk towards the mentioned room to greet personally the guests "Announce to the Queen Sereya that her friend is in the castle" The Pixie dissapear quickly.

"Welcome to the Royal Castle of Effledus" Lufgaw greeted the guests as soon as his footsteps echoed through the great hall, the Queen of Towerlot preserved the beauty spoken in her stories and her two children had some of that too, the man had the unmistakable aroma of the Mer so the King found dubious the history of him being a guard, "Do you understand my words?" Lufgaw spoke in Mer language, in the Great lake lived a Mer tribe so the king knew how to speak the language though wasn't sure if it was the same spoken in the ocean, the legends told in the tribe say that decades ago a group of Mer appeared in a lake of Effledus after a storm but it was the first time that Lufgaw saw one who walked on two legs.

The presence of the Mer distracted him for a moment but he quickly focused back to the Royal Family of Towerlot "I am Lufgaw King Effledus, I would rather meet you under other circumstances instead of the bittersweet that brings us together on this occasion" his eyes fell on the Aquila and Tipst and he only said "Good job," by now probably part of the celebration had already begun in the halls of the castle so Lufgaw should guide guests there though considering the state of the hall he should answer their questions.

Just then Sereya walked into the royal bed chambers " No need to find me pixie I am hear and I heard" She said reguarding the pixie she too had to change clothes her belly had become quite large and she felt as if she was about to pop she went to their wardrobe and tried to find a dress big enough for her and finally found one that tied in the front that could be loosened. She kissed her husband"s cheek and remained silent then went to the Great hall to visit her friend. When she saw her her face lit up aside from the motherly glow the pregnancy gave her already. She diidn't know that she was to have this child any minute now.

Captain Tipst heard the same unearthly howling that Aquila did. The boom and shaking of the floor was even more unsettling. He looked up at the hole in the ceiling, where the darker stories above could be seen, straight up to the roof. The damage done to the beautiful palace was just beginning to soak in. His fists shook. This attack was unforgivable.

Aquila flew up to investigate, but Tipst stayed as he saw the King approaching. He bowed with reverence to Lufgaw, then stepped aside as the Beast King introduced himself to their guests.

Queen Rapunzel was wide-eyed and uncertain about all this trouble in Effledus. The palace looked like it had been catapulted, and the booms made it seem like it still was under attack. Who was yelling about doom and the end of everything? Rapunzel stayed close to her son and daughter. She gained some relief when she noticed that they were still optimistic enough to tease one another. There was still hope, as the twins were ever her source of optimism.

“I’m honored, King Lufgaw. Tank you for your invitation, and accepting the attendance of Ainra and Nanji, and our guard,” Rapunzel introduced with a curtsy. Like Airna, she suppressed her accent when visiting other kingdoms. She had not spent much time in the King’s presence before, only Sereya. It felt almost like meeting him for the first time.

Lir bowed to the King, copying Nanji. He found bowing to be awkward in his fin-less form. He was surprised to find the King speaking in his tongue. The accent was strange, not as perfect as Airna’s Mer, but it was still recognizable.

“I understand you, Your Highness,” Lir replied, relief and pleasant surprise in his voice. “I am Liryamm, son of King Guurstas, of Ittamarr. I am in debt to these kind royal Dafarzians.” He glanced sidelong at Airna, remembering that he had not told her much of who he was. Somehow it had not come up, explaining that he was actually a Prince of the sea realm. He felt embarrassed that he had not told her.

At that moment, Queen Sereya entered the hall. She reminded Lir of the most beautiful of shells, more radiant than a hundred thousand pearls. And her pregnant belly was comparable to an inflated puffer fish. He passed a hand over his eyes and averted his gaze. It was a custom of the Mer, to always avoid looking upon the wife of another, especially if she is the most breath-taking sight above water.

Rapunzel’s face blossomed with a smile when she beheld Sereya. “Sereya, my dear! How are you?” She closed the distance between them and clasped their hands together. A hug was a little out of the question, as they both carried bulging bellies, Sereya’s more so. In fact, it seemed just plain impossible that Sereya’s belly should be so large! Rapunzel was sure that she had been pregnant longer, and yet she was not nearly as big.

“How long have you been pregnant, love?” Rapunzel asked Sereya, a little uneasily.

Captain Tipst had bowed to the Queen with the others. How he loved his Queen, but in a patriotic, loyal-to-Effledus way and nothing more. Her beauty did not move him like it moved the humans and the beasts. He was fey, and such beauty was common-place to him.

“My King, Lady Aquila brought it to my attention that there is an occurrence in the stories above us. I will follow her and investigate. Please, my Lord, do not be troubled.” He bowed yet again to Lufgaw and donned his helmet. As graceful as a dragonfly, he lifted into the air. His pixie followed after.

Captain Tipst landed next to Aquila, stunned by the great white mass before him. The floor reeked of dragon vomit. He had an idea that this may be Mortimus the White Warden, but his mind would not accept that such a great dragon would be collapsed on the floor in such a manner. And the others gathered were complete strangers to him. And two of them were humans! The other was a cat and a dragon, which seemed much more commonplace in Effledus. He gave the feline and the dragon a nod of acknowledgement and respect. But humans!!

“Do you humans have clearance to be here?” he questioned them. Both of the human girls looked rather shady, like Beard dealers. He looked at them with plain distrust.

Queen Rapunzel released a surprised laugh when Sereya spoke of being pregnant for “a matter of hours.” Since Sereya also laughed, she assumed it was joke. Rapunzel had heard of a lot of odd things in her life, but a gestation of less than day was not one of them.

But Rapunzel had the feeling that Sereya was not kidding. She looked down at Sereya’s belly again and she could literally see the fabric stretch as the belly grew.

“It can not be...” she breathed, her eyes growing large. “Sereya, has someone put an enchantment on you?” Rapunzel knew that her friend had never really been normal, as her extraordinary beauty marked her as belonging to a league all her own. But having beast children that grew at this rate??

At that moment, a pixie whizzed towards them. It was Eth, Captain Tipst’s pixie wearing her leaf armor and helm. The pixie came to halt so she could best address King Lufgaw and Queen Sereya.

“Your Majesties,” the pixie said in her high-pitch trill of a voice. “A guard has been killed in the Eastern hall! A darahurne took control of Mortimus and devoured the guard! And Your Majesty, Mortimus is alone now with the Prince of Spindewas!”

Sereya nodded "I dont think so" she said tilting her head it was a thought though. "Right now I feel like I'm about to go into labor though" she said closing her eyes her belly feeling tight and her spine hurting. "I need my husband" She gasped and bit her lip. She didnt know what to do since this was her first pregnancy "Oh god" She said as the contractions started getting worse and extremely painful.


(ooc: Hmmm what if somebody on the enemy side cursed her or something?)

Despite the news brought by the pixie, Rapunzel was focused on Sereya. She remembered her own pregnancy, those years ago, and saw the waves of pain beginning to hit the young Queen. It was not wise to doubt when a pregnant woman announced that she was going into labor.

Rapunzel had a sense of disorganization as she looked about her. There was all this bustling and chaos in Effledus, what with the party and the Darahurne breach. She could not help but feel that the Queen was being overlooked. She decided to take charge. King Lufgaw may be at hand, but this was not his domain.

“Sereya, you don’t need your husband--you need a midwife,” Rapunzel told her. She wrapped her arm around the Queen to give her support. “Airna, dear, why don’t you come with us and support her other side?” She beckoned to her daughter. She also called out to some servant women who were carrying plates of food past.

“The Queen needs help! Show me to her birthing chamber!”

With this pronouncement, they were now flocked with attendants. Even if they had to half-carry Sereya, Rapunzel was determined to get her to a private and comfortable chamber. “Come along, Sereya. Walking will help. And try to slow your breathing...”

---

Liryamm, in the meantime, caught a familiar scent in his nose. It was briny, aquatic, pleasing like underwater flowers. It was also reminiscent of his mother’s sea cave... a place he would approach with caution.

Lir drew nearer to the scent, drifting away from the group. He could see beyond the hall into a walkway where Fey folk and enchanted animal folk ambled. These were the guests going to the dining hall, for the celebration.

The whiff of the ocean came from a figure that glinted in the magic fire-lit torches. Her skin was layered with fine iridescent scales. Her back was retreating, weaving among the others, and yet it appeared that she was walking... on two legs.

Liryamm was intrigued. Perhaps this Mer-smelling creature was like him, and had through some circumstances lost her fin. He passed a look back at his company. Nanji seemed to be unoccupied.

“You go to the party?” Lir asked him in halting Dafarzian.

Ainra nodded to her mother and helped her take Sereya to the birthing chamber. "Mama, She will need ta stand. I'm afriad t'a child has already begun ta breach." She told her mother, assessing the situation quickly. She mid-wifed many childern back in Dafarzian. Sometimes, she'd had to help when they had difficult pregnancy. She found that standing made the child come more easily. She knew she should probably find out what the murder was about, knowing her scatterbrained brother had completely forgotten about it but she needed to help Sereya.

Nanji just watched as his mother and sister helped Yaya into the birthing chamber. Nanji rubbed the back of his head, he wasn't sure what to do and then he noticed a beauitful creature walked pass him and Lir. Nanji smirked handsomely. " Who t'at be? She be goregous..." He swooned, nudging Lir and then heard Lir's broken Dafarzian. "Huh?" He said and then what he said resigstered. " Oh, Yea. Might as well. " He said and made his way in to the party. Began talking and mingling, Something he was always good at, dragging Lir along with him.

Sereya attempted to slow her breathing as she waddled and was slightly panting. Her stomache was cramping up horribly. "I dont know if I can make it to the chamber...its all the way across the castle...I need my husband with me, I can't have this baby without him please someone find him" She gasped and frowned when she heard that she was going to have to stand "I dont think I will be able to stand for it my legs feel like they are bout to give out. She bit her lip she didnt know that she was having triplets though it would explain why she was so huge, two girls and a boy did weigh alot.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at Ainra and Rapunzel "I'm so scared I've never done this before its ...its..." she suddenly passes out her body hurting and convulsing.