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A free woman is relieved
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The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman thinks of the past
"Ben?!" Astrid runs into the house followed closely by her little brother. She ruined his stone castle, trying to play with it and now the boy is after her for revenge. "Help! Mars will kill me!"Ben doesn't ask any questions. Her big brother, who is always on her side, never does. He just drops the fire logs he was holding and picks her up, lifting her up on his shoulders. He is very tall and for little Astrid she feels like being at the top of the world, where no one can hurt her."Astrid! I will cut your hair for this! You will look like a boy! You are flat like one anyway!" Their little brother, Mars, comes running in with a pair of rusty scissors in his hands. They are the scissors their mother uses to trim the bushes in the garden."Mars! Didn't mother forbid you from playing with those? You up for a beating, idiot?" Ben kicks him in the stomach, throwing him on the floor like a sack of potatoes. "Are you a baby? If you have the energy to play with rocks, go to the mill and help
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman is reunited
Loras looks confused but says nothing as he follows the weird reunion in front of him. Astrid is barely capable of articulating a full sentence, while Ben just stands there, saying nothing."Ben... Wha... What happened... You... How?""Your Majesty. My lady. I am here to consult you." He finally says with a voice that not in three lifetimes could make her forget. The voice of her older brother."Ben... It's me. It's Astrid." She tries again, getting up and slowly moving closer to him."A pleasure to make acquaintance, my lady. It's indeed an honor to be able to serve the king's favorite." He answers with a small reverence and starts unpacking his medical bag.Astrid grabs his shoulder and shakes him violently."Ben! Ben! It's me! Ben!" She shouts and cries not even knowing what she's feeling at the moment. She got him back and at the same time, she didn't."Astrid. Calm down!" Loras jumps to hold her back as the medic continues to look at her with a distant expression."No... No, Lora
The Dragon's unexpected mate The free woman's brother
"Ben, please. Let's just talk for a moment.." Astrid pleads with him, but her brother looks at her like she just grew another head. "Please...""Astrid, this may be our only chance...""But I don't want to leave.""You... want to stay here? Because of the child? There are ways to get rid of it. And sister, if you want to keep it we can find a way to do that too, but we need to run away first.""Ben! Listen to me for a second! I do not want to leave! Now sit down and let's talk!" Astrid loses it and snaps at her brother. He looks at her in shock, but he sits down on the bed. "How are you alive?"He clears his voice, looking away. The memories clearly pain him and he doesn't want to recall them but he knows he must."That beast knocked me out. When I opened my eyes... everyone... Mother, father... all our brothers... they were laying there. Slaughtered by the brutes that took you. I could still hear you scream and cry. I tried to crawl to the door, but I couldn't feel my body, the world
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman finds out the fate of her brother
When she opens her eyes later in the day, the first thought on her mind it's that it became fucking ridiculous how often she just loses consciousness. Like... once a week she opens her eyes in a totally new place than where she closed them. If her life was a book, every other chapter would start with her coming back from a blackout.The second thought pulls her into a more serious subject. Her brother.She looks around, realizing that she is in her room, so the kidnap/rescue plan failed. But how? And what happened to her brother?"Esmee?" Astrid asks, trying to get up, but her head is spinning like crazy."Lady Astrid? Are you awake?" Esmee comes rushing in. "You gave me such a scare...""What happened?" Astrid asks before pointing to her dress; signaling Esmee to help her get dressed."I heard you screaming inside... I was so scared, but you ordered me that I shouldn’t enter under no circumstance. I wasn't sure what to do so I ran to the guards. The king was coming to you anyway and
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman reconnects with her brother
The next few days were like walking on the edge of a dagger. No one said anything argumentative, everyone was waiting to see how things would develop. Astrid started to go on walks with Ben and he didn't seem to mind the guards that were ordered to watch them, but he avoided talking about anything important. Instead, they reconnected, shared memories about their family, and just exchanged pleasantries. It felt good to talk with her brother, but the distance between them was evident. Life pulled them apart and no matter how hard they try to ignore it, they are now strangers to one another."Mars would always complain that you take my side. Even though he was the youngest." Astrid remembers her most annoying brother fondly. Death has the power of erasing sins from the memory."When I grew up, I was expected to be the one that they all leaned on. Teach them, protect them. Because, you know, I was the oldest. But I would look at them and think... I was their age too and no one protected m
The Dragon's unexpected mate The free woman enters labor
A few months pass by unbelievably quietly.It was like the harem had entered a dormant state where no drama happens. Up until tonight. Astrid had barely fallen asleep after tossing and turning for hours. This baby better be coming soon. A while ago everyone was scared that it was too early and now it's two weeks pass the due date and he is still sitting comfortably, while her insides are all pushed into a corner."My child is giving his mother a hard time?" Loras ask as soon as he sees her appear in the world between their souls."Everyone assumes this child will be a boy. What shall we do if it's a little girl? I, for one, will be much happier. Showing that weird wizard wrong.""He's an astrologist, Astrid.""He's a scam. After all, he has half-half chances of guessing and he gets a ton of money either way."It's been months and she still can't forget that old frog."If it will make you feel any better, for our next children, we will not ask him the gender. It will be a surprise." L
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman gives birth
When Astrid opens her eyes her mind flies to the irony she found a while ago. She really is fainting a lot. When she was young, she can't remember to ever do that.She finds herself in the space in between souls and she is happy to see that at least she is not dead. Not yet. Remembering the last things before waking up here, she starts to panic."The baby..." She whispers to herself pacing around the empty space. "Come on, Astrid! Wake up! Wake up!"She tries to slap herself, but she doesn't feel anything. Her soul is not built of anything material. Time passes differently here, like the hours are minutes so the longer she stays, the more worried she gets.That's why she is so relieved when she sees Loras appearing in front of her."Astrid! You need to wake up!" He says like she can just snap back to the reality."The baby. What happed? Why are you here?" She bombs him with questions as she realizes that his being here means that he is asleep in the real world. Loras wouldn't have fal
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman recieves letters
"He looks like an old man. Bald and without teeth." Ben comments as Erik grabs his finger with his little hand."How can you say that? Look how chubby he looks. Like a dumpling." Astrid protests. Her baby really is chubby. All babies are, but hers is special, hers is perfect, simply the best."A fat old man, then." Ben continues to taunt his little sister."I will tell him his uncle said that when he will be older. He will order your execution!""Heard that, little Erik? Your mother is a tyrant!""How is it going with the legislation?" Astrid asks, feeling the need to change the subject. She loves spending time with Erik and the attention and love he receives from others, but talking about the baby all the time makes her go crazy sometimes. Loras isn't saying a word about the legislation as he knows she would want to get involved and get stressed out over it as she always does. It's been two weeks since she gave birth and the medic was clear about the do’s and don't’s. Mostly about th
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