Zephirion’s POV

Seven months and two weeks.

I was convinced my wife was not carrying a child.

She was carrying a dragon hatchling, one more terrifying than me, Valerion, and Caelum combined.

Aeris had become an unstoppable force. She couldn’t walk much anymore, so she had fully embraced her role as Queen of Commanding Everyone Around.

And none of us were safe.

“Zephirion!”

I inhaled deeply, preparing myself for whatever new demand she had. I walked into the chamber, only to be met with a pillow thrown at my face.

“You took too long!” she huffed, crossing her arms.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "My love, what is it this time?"

She pointed at her swollen feet. “I want a massage.”

I raised a brow. “Didn’t you just have one this morning?”

She pouted. “And now I want another!”

I chuckled, kneeling down beside the bed and taking her foot into my hands. “You are lucky I love you.”

She smirked. “Oh, I know.”

Before I could even start, the doors burst open.

“We have returned!”

Valerion and Caelum strode in, looking far too amused.

“Again?” I muttered.

Valerion smirked. “We wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Aeris’s eyes gleamed as she pointed at them. “Good. You two can brush my hair.”

Caelum’s smile vanished. "What?"

Valerion took a step back. “Hold on—”

“You heard me.” She flipped her long, silky black hair over her shoulder. “I’m too tired to do it myself.”

The two brothers exchanged horrified glances.

Caelum leaned toward me and whispered, “We should have never come back.”

Valerion sighed in defeat. “Fine. But I swear, if this baby inherits your stubbornness—”

“It will,” I cut in, smirking.

They groaned.

Aeris smirked, enjoying every second of their misery.

After a moment, she suddenly gasped. “Zephirion!”

I panicked. “What? What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

She pointed at the food on the table. “I hate that.”

I blinked. “You just said you loved it yesterday.”

“Well, now I hate it.” She crossed her arms. “And I need something else.”

Caelum muttered under his breath, “This is a nightmare.”

Valerion sighed. “This is our nightmare now, too.”

I exhaled, rubbing my temples. “Fine. What do you want?”

She smiled sweetly. “I don’t know. But find it.”

Caelum groaned. “She’s worse than when we left.”

Valerion nodded. “She’s unstoppable now.”

I just sighed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Anything for my Queen.”

She beamed.

And I knew one thing for certain…

The next two months would be the real challenge.

The Beginning of a New Life

Zephirion’s POV

The room had been filled with laughter and complaints just moments ago.

Then everything changed.

Aeris suddenly gasped, her hand clutching her belly. Her face twisted in discomfort before she let out a sharp breath.

I immediately tensed. “Aeris?”

She winced, her other hand gripping the sheets. “M-My belly…” she whispered. Then her eyes widened in shock. “It hurts.”

A chill ran down my spine.

And then—

A splash of water spilled onto the floor beneath her.

Everything froze.

I heard Valerion mutter, “Oh no.”

Caelum took a step back. “Oh no.”

Aeris, wide-eyed, turned to me. “Zephirion… I think—”

“THE BABY IS COMING!”

For the first time in my life, my heart stopped.

Valerion and Caelum? They panicked.

“WHAT DO WE DO?!” Caelum shouted, running in circles.

“GET THE PHYSICIAN!” Valerion bellowed.

Aeris screamed in pain, and suddenly, I was no longer frozen.

I snapped into action, lifting her gently into my arms. “Hold on, my love. I have you.”

She groaned, gripping my arm tightly. “I swear— if you ever do this to me again— I will—” Another wave of pain made her cry out.

“I know, I know,” I murmured, kissing her forehead. “Just breathe.”

The palace erupted into chaos.

Servants ran back and forth. Valerion practically threatened the physicians to hurry. Caelum looked seconds away from fainting.

And me?

I carried my wife to our chamber, holding her as if she were my entire world—because she was.

I whispered to her through every contraction, my lips pressed to her damp forehead. “I’m here. I’m not leaving.”

Her fingers dug into my arm, desperately clinging to me.

And as she cried out again, I realized something…

I had faced countless battles.

I had ruled a kingdom with an iron fist.

I was the feared Dragon King.

But nothing— absolutely nothing— could have prepared me for this.

Waiting in Agony

Zephirion’s POV

One moment, I was by Aeris’s side, holding her, whispering reassurances as she clung to me.

The next thing I knew—I was outside our chamber.

The heavy doors slammed shut before I could even process what happened.

I blinked.

“What just—”

“You got thrown out.” Valerion’s voice was far too amused for the situation.

I turned my head slowly to look at him and Caelum.

“…Thrown out?” I repeated.

Caelum smirked. “Let’s be honest, brother. You were forcibly removed.”

I scowled. “By whom?”

“The midwives,” Valerion snorted. “You were in the way.”

I clenched my jaw, my hands twitching. “I was holding her hand.”

“You were suffocating her,” Caelum corrected. “Seriously, Zephirion, you looked like you were the one in pain.”

I didn’t dignify that with a response.

Instead, I turned back to the door, my ears straining for any sound.

And then—

Aeris screamed.

My entire body froze.

It wasn’t the usual complaints, the playful threats, or the exaggerated groans of her pregnancy.

This was real pain.

Raw.

Agonizing.

And I could do nothing.

I placed my hand on the door, resisting the urge to break it down and storm inside.

Valerion and Caelum went silent beside me. Even they weren’t joking anymore.

The hallway felt suffocating.

Each second stretched into eternity.

More screams. More cries. More pain.

And I—

I was powerless.

The First Cry

Zephirion’s POV

Time stopped.

For what felt like an eternity, the only sounds in the castle were Aeris’s screams, the rushed voices of the midwives, and my own unsteady breathing.

I had never felt so helpless.

I was the Black Dragon King—ruler of all lands, feared by many. And yet, in this moment, I was nothing more than a man standing outside a locked door, praying for the safety of the woman I loved.

Then—

A new sound pierced the air.

A cry.

Small. Weak. Fragile.

But to me, it was everything.

I staggered back, my chest tightening, my heart pounding.

Aeris’s screams had stopped.

And now—now there was only the sound of our child.

I pressed a hand to the door, my breath unsteady.

“…That’s…” My voice came out hoarse.

For a second, there was silence.

Then—

"AAAAAHHHH!!!”

Valerion screamed so loudly that the entire castle probably heard it. His golden eyes were wide, his mouth open in shock.

“OH MY GODS, I’M AN UNCLE!” he yelled, grabbing Caelum by the shoulders and shaking him violently.

Even Caelum—who was always composed, always brooding—looked like he had been struck by lightning. His silver eyes blinked rapidly before—

A laugh escaped his lips.

Not his usual sarcastic chuckle.

A real laugh. A joyful, disbelieving laugh.

“…I’m an uncle,” he whispered. Then, as if realizing it fully, he threw his head back and laughed even louder.

I had never seen him smile like that before.

I barely had time to process their reactions because the chamber doors finally opened.

One of the midwives stepped out, her face flushed with exhaustion, but her lips curved into a gentle smile.

“Your Majesty…” She bowed. “You may see them now.”

I didn’t wait.

I rushed inside.