Chapter Ten

A year has passed since the fateful night and with it Shariar's promise has been fulfilled.

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They had buried their baby with all the pomp and circumstance deserving of a royal prince. But not a month had passed before the new Chamberlain and the other officials were pestering Kay about an heir.

He steadfastly refused to yield. Deep in his mind a voice kept telling him to wait. For what he did not know, but still he waited.

Then Mirial began to manifest some strange symptoms. The healers were baffled. Try as they might they found nothing wrong with him. Which is just what he wanted them to know.

At first he had resigned himself to being without magic for the rest of his life, like any other commoner. Yet it was not so. He had retained a weaker version of his elemental powers. Granted he could never make a sophisticated creation like Dreian and the twins, but still he was not powerless. Then he discovered the greatest surprise of all. The red spot on his belly had returned.

It frightened him at first. He felt perhaps Quiax'n was not totally gone. Yet, it might just be part of Shariar's promise to him.

When the symptoms came he could not deny it to himself. He was carrying Kay's child again.

As before he hid it from the servants and other courtiers. They held fast to their believes and refused to accept his redemption. Kay was the only one who knew.

It all came out the night of the birth. An event of such magnitude could not pass unnoticed.

So it happened that on the very night the people were celebrating their deliverance from evil Mirial gave birth to his second child.

He had tried to escape the festivities, it was the last thing he wanted to celebrate. However been the Ragghyr it was his duty. Also the priest would drive him crazy if he did not assist.

The Ragghyr made his presence , hiding as best he could a very advanced pregnancy.

In the middle of a song, he let out a mournful cry . Sweaty and weak he hung on to Kay as his body experienced the intense pains of labor.

There was no time to move him to privacy. The child was coming swiftly.

Kay served as midwife before the startled faces of all those gathered in the room.

Angry cries arose from the crowd. History was repeating itself in their very eyes.

The priest advanced belligerently towards the King, his "wife" and child.

" You dare to threaten our lives again! This foul "bitch" has conceived not once, but twice , proving his unnatural state! If you value your live surrender them both, or face death with them!"

" I am Kay Salgis the First, King of Jureal, Son of Shariar, no one threatens me or my family!" Kay's eyes were brimming with arcane might.

" Stain not your hands with the blood of my foolish servant, for in his way he serves me as devoutly as you do!" The voice that uttered such words was well known and loved by Mirial and Kay.

It was the Glory of Shariar filling the chamber. The whole assemblage fell to it's knees at the sight , except for the Lord of Nightshadow and his followers. They merely bowed in salute to the deity.

" Shiu Nan du, seek not to harm them for they are under my protection! "

The Supreme Priest, though awed at the sight of his God/Goddess, could not quench the doubt within him. " How can this be he is a Nightshadow?"

" Aye! Yet he is as much of the light as you!"

" But, .... then... how could he conceive without Quiax'n's dark blessing?"

" The right of birth once given can not easily be denied. All sons of Nightshadow, since Fois's first son, have been and will be of a new race. This is their distinguishing trait. Only in Fois , a being who was magically altered, was this an unnatural trait, easily removed. To Mirial it is as basic as the lungs you breath with. It is only the strain of sharing their beings with Quiax'n that prevents all Nightshadows from bearing more than one child. They exchange their unborn children for power." Shariar smiled down on Kay, Mirial and their infant . A faint translucent finger stroked the baby's golden locks.

" This one is blood of my blood, cleansed by it's mother's sacrifice. They have earned their happiness." Shariar's form became so brilliant that it was almost dazzling and then it dissipated, leaving only a shining aura and an echo of it's voice. " Now my promise has been fulfilled! "

Kay held Mirial tightly in his arms kissing him softly,and whisperingto him . " I love you!"

Mirial whispered back." I love you as well."

In his arms, under Shariar' s loving light, a newborn child smiled.

End of Book One