"What a lovely day," Bella a woman in her late twenties whispered, her voice soft and warm as sunlight. One hand rested protectively over her round belly, the other gently brushing aside loose strands of her honey-brown hair. Her eyes a calm shade of dark glimmered with maternal joy.
From behind, a pair of strong arms slid around her waist. Edward Everlong pressed his cheek against hers; his lips curled into a gentle smile. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, ash-black hair tied loosely behind him, and sharp grey eyes that always softened when they looked at her.
"Yeah," he murmured into her ear, "it's almost time for…"
Bella standing with straight back, suddenly gasped. Her knees buckled without warning.
"Birth? Bella!" Edward increased his strength to not let her fall. Panic flashed across his usually controlled face. "What happened?"
"I… I think it's coming," Bella breathed, her voice strained as waves of pain rippled through her.
"Call the midwife! Quickly!" Edward shouted.
The servants, startled at first, immediately sprang into motion. Footsteps echoed through the house. Before the midwife arrives, fresh sheets and boiling water were been prepared for no further delay on her arrival. The Everlong home usually quiet in the late afternoon transformed into a storm of frantic activities.
Edward carried Bella to the birthing chamber, laying her on the bed with trembling hands. The room filled with the scent of herbs burning gently in a small clay bowl meant to ease labour pain. As the midwife arrived and began her preparations, Edward was thrown out of the room.
He stood in the hallway, moving like a rabbit, his heartbeat loud enough he could swear even the walls heard it. Edward Everlong one of the master's weapon refiner of Cardial kingdom, the man whose blades adorned royal halls was trembling like a leaf. Three years of marriage. Three years of waiting, at last the time has come for his family to increase in number.
And now… finally…
The cry of a newborn rang like a thunder to his ears.
Edward froze.
His heart leapt. Without hesitation he pushed open the door and entered inside.
The midwife, a middle-aged woman with silver hair tied in a neat bun, with a mature vibe held a small baby wrapped in warm cloth. Her hands glowed in faint green aura as if nourishing the baby.
She bowed slightly. "Congratulations, Sir Edward. It's a boy. Perfectly healthy. Lady Bella is fine as well she will recover in no time."
Edward's usual calm shattered into pure joy. A name they had decided even before he was born came out of his mouth like a small whisper "My Kelvin… my son is finally here!"
He approached in slow steps; breath unsteady and carefully took the baby, how was still crying into his arms. Kelvin's tiny eyes as if attracted towards a magnet looked at Edward and smiled, for Edward it was like the rise of the morning sun and for a moment, Edward felt the world stop. The child smile was faint and fleeting, but warm enough to melt steel.
Edward laughed a full, sincere, overflowing laugh.
He walked to Bella's bedside and gently placed Kelvin in her arms.
Bella looked tired, sweat clinging to her forehead, but her smile was more captivating than ever. Her fingers trembled as she touched Kelvin's cheek. "Look at him… my little Kel."
Kelvin gurgled and curled his small hand around her finger with surprising strength.
Edward chuckled. "We should celebrate this happy moment with the world, to let them know, Edward Everlong has become a father"
Bella rolled her eyes lovingly. "Alright… but don't overdo it. Just take care of Kelvin."
He kissed her forehead, then leaned down and kissed his son's tiny brow. "Just rest. I'll handle everything."
Edward stepped into the grand hallway, a wide corridor lit by crystal lamps and decorated with picture hangings of dragons, swords, and blooming vines. In the center stood an oval-shaped crystal held by an intricate silver frame.
He lifted his hand.
Thin red lines began forming in the air around his fingers, weaving together like threads of invisible ink. Symbols emerged; ancient runes, fluid and sharp, each one swelling with subtle power. It was a spell known only by trained mages. Energy Transmission, a method of sending long-distance messages through a medium.
When the circle was complete, he slapped it lightly.
The spell shot forward like a streak of lightning and vanished into the crystal. Light pulsed brightly inside it, humming as it broadcasted the message across the kingdom:
'Kelvin Everlong has been born'...
The glow faded a few moments later, but the ripples it created… did not fade.
Across the capital, unseen powers stirred.
......…
In a chamber so dark not even shadows dared remain, a hooded figure knelt with bowed head. Before him towered a tall man in a cloak of pitch black, his presence suffocating in the silence.
"My lord," the kneeling figure whispered, voice trembling. "Edward has become a father of a boy."
Silence ceased to exist at this news in the chamber…
A low, chilling laugh echoed. "Ahahaha… good. Take ten mana crystals and present them to my lovely nephew."
"Yes, my lord." The figure dissolved into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.
But not everyone welcomed the news.
Elsewhere, a venomous voice hissed, "Do whatever it takes to kill that boy. I want Edward family ruined… as they ruined me!"
.........…
Far away, within the golden walls of the royal palace, the king sat upon his throne, reading the very same message Edward had sent.
His once-bright eyes dimmed as he finished. The faint glow of monitoring magic around him faded like a dying flame.
He exhaled slowly. "what to expect from a commoner's bloodline"
Beside him, an advisor bowed respectfully. "Shall we start monitoring the boy, Your Majesty?"
The king waved a hand dismissively. "No need. A mere commoner's son with no destiny isn't worth watching."
A cold smirk crept onto his lips. "Let Edward have his joy. Sooner or later, the world will remind him of his place."
Soft laughter drifted through the empty throne room not loud or vicious, but cold, confident, and final.