EPILOGUE
XADE
Xade watched, amused, as his mate rushed around the courtyard, making sure everything was ready for the party. The human appeared to be much more panicked than a tiny, casual half-birthday party warranted.
“These lights should be on already,” Caden said, gesturing to the tea lights floating at the edges of the courtyard. A palace worker nodded and ran off. “And I think we need one more chair. How did we end up missing a chair?” Another worker rushed back into the palace.
“Caden,” Xade said. He knew exactly how to calm him down and bring him back to the moment. “How does Alona look?”
The redhead rushed over and looked at his daughter in Xade’s arms. “She looks great, of course,” Caden said, the stress melting from his expression. “Well…” He went and picked a purple flower from a bush in the courtyard and returned. He tucked the stem into Alona’s headband. The baby gurgled. “How about that?”
“Precious,” Xade said. “You’ve truly transformed this courtyard. It looks magical.”
“I just hope our guests think so.”
Xade put his free arm that wasn’t holding Alona around Caden’s waist. “I do not think our family and closest friends will mind if the tea lights are on or off, or if we must fetch a chair for them.”
Caden shrugged. “You’re right. But I still want to do my best, you know?”
“I think that they will simply be impressed by the work you’ve put into making this party happen. It is not a tradition to celebrate the six-month birthday on Zata, so the fact you have done anything at all is impressive.”
“Okay,” Caden said, pulling away and laughing now. “You don’t need to lay it on so thickly. I’ll try to stop worrying. But I do have to go change really quick before they start arriving. See you in a bit.” He gave Xade a quick peck on his cheek and left.
Xade sat down at the table laden with hors-d'oeuvres and bounced Alona on his lap. She laughed. The sound never failed to make Xade smile. He pulled her into his arms and she relaxed against his chest.
“Ba… Ba…” She started to babble. “Ma… Ba…”
Xade listened carefully for something like “papa” or “dada” or “eda,” the Zatan word for father, but she had yet to speak her first words. He knew that a half-human baby would likely not begin to speak for a few months longer at least, but Zatan babies often began to utter simple words around six months. Truly, no one knew what to expect from her development.
Xade still marveled at the simple fact that Alona had been born. He thought back to the time he hadn’t even been sure that a human male like Caden could become pregnant. And now here he was, with a little girl, something everyone he knew had told him could never happen.
He wondered if Caden would notice if he had a snack before the party began. The fruit on the table looked amazing. Looking around to make sure Caden wasn’t returning, he leaned over and popped a small sour fruit into his mouth and savored the bright taste.
“Excuse me,” a voice said, coming from behind him. Xade turned around, holding Alona tightly. He hadn’t even noticed the elderly Zatan man come into the courtyard.
“Who are you?” Xade asked. He didn’t recognize the man, and he wasn’t wearing the robes of a palace worker. He had small round glasses, short graying hair, and was wearing a long blue robe.
“I am Professor Oreen, from the university,” he began. “I do research in the biology department–”
“Are you here for Alona?” Xade asked, cutting him off.
“I heard that today is her six-month milestone and I am very eager to chart her development at this time,” the professor said, taking a step toward them.
Xade sighed. How did these over-eager Zatan researchers keep finding them? He would have to have another talk with palace security.
“I must ask you to leave,” he said, not hiding the irritation in his voice.
“I only ask for a moment of your time. I simply would like to weigh her and–”
“Professor Oreen, as your prince and Alona’s father, I command you to leave us alone. I understand your professional curiosity but this is completely inappropriate. If I hear of you trying to reach my daughter without my permission again, there will be consequences.”
The professor looked around nervously. “I apologize,” he said, seeming to understand that Xade was completely serious. “I will… I will have my office contact the palace with an official request.”
Xade said nothing. The palace had been receiving countless of requests from universities and laboratories across the planet to access Alona for research. Nearly as many requests had come for Zane, Noah and Arex’s baby, as well.
However valuable such research might be, the royal family had decided to keep the scientific study of the Zatan-human children within the palace. Palace doctors and scholars were keeping close tabs on the children’s development and working on reports that would be released to the general public in due time.
Seemingly realizing he was going to get nothing more from Xade, the professor finally left the courtyard.
Xade let out a breath of relief that there had been no need for the situation to escalate. There had been some close calls in the previous weeks, but so far, he had not felt the need to call security or defend his daughter physically from these researchers without respect for boundaries.
A few moments later, Caden returned, wearing a charming light purple robe that matched the color of the flowers in the courtyard. He looked beautiful.
Xade was glad that he had been able to handle the situation with the professor before Caden had returned. His mate hated when the researchers found their way into the palace and the situation only would have added to his stress. Perhaps he would tell him later, but it wasn’t important. The man was gone and he wasn’t coming back – though that didn’t mean no more researchers would attempt to reach them.
Arex and Noah arrived next, with little baby Zane sleeping in a sling across Noah’s chest. They all exchanged hugs and were soon sitting around the table, chatting. The rest of Xade’s family arrived a moment later as well, but the king and the queen only stopped by for a few moments before they had to leave for a meeting. Dr. Mayza came as well and remarked on the fantastic health of the babies.
A palace worker named Axa also came, but mostly sat and ate fruit quietly while the others talked. She was a shy Zatan woman who watched and cared for Alona if both Caden and Xade were somehow unable to and would also be Alona’s tutor as she grew.
The baby seemed to love the attention. Between naps, she was very content to reach toward the party attendees and be held by everyone. When Zane eventually woke up, the babies spent some time on their father’s laps sitting next to each other. The way they always smiled when they saw each other made it clear they would not only be cousins but also lifelong friends.
By late afternoon, the table was nearly cleared of food and all the guests had left except for Arex and Noah. Caden was taking a turn to hold Zane and was deep in conversation with the baby’s parents. They were chatting about a possible group trip they could take together when the princes had time to spare. Alona chewed on a teething ring in Xade’s lap.
The contentment Xade felt in that moment made his heart purr. He had his first child in his lap and his mate and husband next to him, smiling and laughing at something Noah had said.
My child and my mate.
And to think he had thought he would never find his mate, when really his mate had just been a human all along. His patience had truly paid off. Caden – his true love, his mate, his husband, his partner in childrearing…
Xade had noticed that Caden had even begun to pick up on many Zatan political subtleties as he learned the Zatan language and spent more time in the palace. Xade had a feeling that Caden would turn out to be a valuable ally and advisor in ruling the southern lands.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Caden said, bringing Xade out of his thoughts.
Xade hadn’t even realized he was staring at his husband as he thought about him. The prince leaned over and kissed Caden on the lips.
“I am simply thinking of how much I love you,” Xade said, settling back into his seat.
Caden’s cheeks grew flushed, his smile widening.
“Oh,” he said. “Well, I love you too.”
“What have you done to my brother?” Arex asked, laughing. “You’ve turned him so soft.”
Xade watched as Arex turned to kiss his own mate lovingly on the top of his head, smiling.
Feeling utterly content, Xade could think of nothing more he wanted from life – except perhaps another child. Zata was experiencing peacetime, he had a mate and a child, those he loved were with him and in good health, there was a warm breeze, his stomach was full of delicious food…
Everything was perfect. Just as it should be.