on
Darius' Secrets
Prologue
Darius looked around him, he didn’t recognize the place. The Mountain ranges were in the wrong direction and the river flew the opposite way, Where am I? he thought, At least Mane always guides us. he said a silent prayer and continued to walk towards the mountain.
Darius continued his long walk toward the mountains and the night slowly gave way for the dawn, illuminating the landscape in a brighter light. Where am I? looked confused and scanned his surrounding, when a sharp scream attracted his attention.
He dashed towards the sound, what is this that I’m wearing? in his confusion he didn’t even care to focus on himself, This… he looked at his clothes as he continued to run towards the distressed scream, This isn’t Dawn’s uniform.
The deep blue cloak behind him bellowed as he dashed at full speed. His shoes were oddly lightweight and allowed him to run faster, What the hell is going on?
Upon reaching the source, he found a family surrounded by large, tiger-like creatures that he didn’t recognize, Is this a dream? “Please help us.” the mother plead with fear in her eyes, “Please help my children.” she said to him.
Without a second thought, almost like a reflex, Darius pulled out a sword from his back and charged toward the tiger-like creatures. He spun around gracefully, cutting them up. When did I learn to handle a sword… his eyes popped out when he looked at the blade. It was a pure black blade with an unornamented hilt, This is… This is the Dawnbringer. Darius recognized Diana’s blade.
Part 1
Darius was in his crimson red and gold uniform and felt the familiar weight of his spear in his hands as he walked behind His Majesty King Wylmar the Third, the king of Dawn.
Darius looked around and found himself marching behind the King in the palace of Iyokolan, What was that about? he pushed the thoughts out of his mind and continued to walk with his Majesty along the long, wide, and well-lit corridor.
“Darius,” the King called out as the continued to walk down the corridor.
“Yes,” Darius found himself to be more alert, “Your Majesty.”
“If things go sour,” King said in his usual, nonchalant voice, “I trust you can handle it.”
“Yes, My Liege.” Darius continued his alert march behind the King as they turned into another corridor, Are we moving in circles? he thought, before quickly dismissing the idea. No.
Darius found himself longing for his wife, Diana as the convoy waited to be ushered into a room, I miss you. he gripped his spear tightly, Something is going wrong with me, I need your help.
“King of Dawn, the protector of the Land of Sun, His Holy Majesty, King Wylmar the Third.” a guard wearing a dark blue uniform of Iyokolan announced the convoy’s arrival.
King led his convoy into the room behind an ornate, wooden door and Darius followed. Why are we hear? I don’t seem to recollect! Darius hid his confusion from his soldiers and fell quietly behind the King and at ease.
“Wylmar,” a man at the very end said with a cheerful voice, “I hope you found your accommodation comfortable.”
Darius gripped his spear tighter and prepared himself for a fight, Who dares talk to the king on first name basis?
“Leonhard,” His Majesty said with delight, “Thank you for your hospitality.”
Darius relaxed his grip as he came to his senses, Yes, we are here to sign a peace accord with Shaedgard, to settle the age-old dispute once and for all.
The King walked up to Leonhard and began chatting. Darius stood his ground, gripping his spear tightly and watching the room for potential danger, That dream… Darius found himself wondering about the weird dream he had.
“King of Shaedgard, Ruler of the Realm, His Majesty Emperor Vyzer.” the guard announced as the door to the room creaked open. Darius his head to identify potential danger. He gauged Emperor Vyzer’s Guard, who wore a dark black uniform lined with white.
“Vyzer,” King Leonhard clasped his hands together and walked towards the Emperor, “I hope you found the accommodation comfortable.”
Emperor Vyzer turned his head slowly, observing the room with keen eyes, “Leonhard. So gracious of you to give us a comfortable suite in your Palace.”
Leonhard gave him a suite in the Palace? Darius thought, His Majesty Wylmar was given a quarter on King’s summer castle, a few miles from here.
Leonhard cleared his throat and everyone in the throne room fell silent. Darius stood near the King of Dawn, his eyes darting around the room looking for threats. “For a hundred years now, the throne of Dawn and Shaedgard have squabbled over the issue of the rightful heir.
“I’m here to broker peace between two of the most powerful Kingdoms on the continent. Peace between the two Kingdoms will have a ripple effect, affecting every nation on the continent.”
“We all want peace,” Wylmar said in his unusually dominating voice, “We want Shaedgard to acknowledge Dawn’s sovereignty.”
“You make me laugh, Wylmar,” Vyzer said with a mocking voice, “Your family is Shaedgardian, you are my subjects, and therefore your kingdom belongs to Shaedgard. Pledge your loyalty to the throne of Shaedgard and we’ll all have peace.”
“My family may be Shaedgardian, but my forefathers conquered Dawn and paid in blood. Countless soldiers loyal to my family have died.”
“Alright,” Leonhard interjected, “I, as a neutral third party, propose that Shaedgard gives up their claim on the Dawnite throne, and in return, Dawn pays a fief.”
“That is outrageous, Leonhard,” Wylmar said, his voice sounding angry, “Paying a fief basically means Dawn is a vassal of Shaedgard.
“That is unacceptable, we are a Kingdom in our own right. Dawn was built by the blood of my forefathers.”
Leonhard sank in his throne, “We must find a way to resolve our issues, Wylmar, your people are suffering because of this dispute.”
“And they’ll continue to suffer as long as it means to be free from the shackles. Leonhard, we are proud people. We cannot accept someone else’s rule. If Shaedgard wants Dawn so desperately, they’ll have to fight for it. My people won’t relent.”
“Leonhard,” Vyzer smirked, “If he wants war, Shaedgard is more than happy to oblige.” Vyzer got off his chair and left the room.
“Wylmar,” Leonhard said from his throne, “This is absolute madness, you’ve been at war for a century. You can’t possibly hope to continue, like this.”
Wylmar looked at Darius who ordered his men to gather around the King, “We will end this dispute once and for all, Leonhard. Dawn shall never fall, no matter how great the cost.” Wylmar turned around and walked towards the door. Darius followed behind, gripping his spear tightly, ready to defend the King.
“What does this mean, Your Majesty?” Darius asked once they were out of the Palace walls and into the icy, cold breeze of the north.
“Darius,” Wylmar said, looking up at the sky, worshipping Suryos– the sun god, “It doesn’t change a thing. We’ve always been at war with Shaedgard. But at any rate, we must prepare for a bloody battle.”
Interlude
Darius, the Centurion of Dawn, found himself wearing the strange deep blue, hooded uniform. Why do I keep having this dream? he thought to himself. He took the dark black blade hanging on his hip and stabbed himself with it, That should wake me up. Nothing happened.
Darius sighed and turned, What the… he found a huge army standing at his back, their faces blank with fear and they shuffled anxiously from foot to foot. Why are they staring at me? Darius thought as he walked up and down the long columns of soldiers.
Without a thought, he pulled out his sword and began speaking a strange tongue, one he hadn’t heard before, Okay, so now I’m inventing languages? he strained himself to stop this nightmare, Did I just say, ‘for the glory of, Asicuria’? Darius found himself passionately talking to the soldiers.
“For the Glory of Asicuria!” the soldiers cried, preparing themselves for a battle. Darius mounted oxen and charged forward. Who mounts an ox, my dreams are getting weirder.
As they charged forward Darius finally saw the enemy host and could feel his body shiver. row after row, column after column, unit after unit of enemy soldiers waited patiently for Darius’ charge. A deep red blanket covered the earth.
“For Asicuria.” Darius roared as he saw the enemy taking an offensive stance and preparing for an earth-shaking charge. Darius sat on his oxen, his heart throbbing with adrenaline. He whispered something incorrigible under his breath and his sword, a blade of black and unornamented, turned into something else entirely– a five-pronged spear, unornamented and aged.
Earth was scorched with dancing green flames anywhere Darius pointed his sword. Screams of agony filled the air and the smell of burning, charred flesh hung over the air like an omen of destruction. A few moments later half the enemy forces were annihilated as Darius’ five-pronged spear turned back into the normal, unornamented black sword.
“To victory,” he pointed his sword towards the enemy lines as the distance closed in.
Darius looked around and found burnt corpses of the dead as he continued his charge, So much death… he thought to himself.
Part 2
Darius found himself standing against the window parapet, his knuckles white from gripping the window sill too tightly, What… What is happening? he shook his head to clear the confusion.
“Darius,” his wife, Diana called, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Darius turned and smiled weakly, Diana. he embraced her in a tight hug, “Are you alright?”
“I think I’ll be.” Darius smiled and paced in his room, a quarter granted by the Kingdom to centurions and their families. “Where is Tallis?”
“He’s sleeping.” Diana pointed towards the cradle where Darius and Diana’s newborn slept peacefully, unaware of worldly woes. Darius smiled and cradled the little baby in the nook of his arms. He’s so peaceful.
Darius placed him back in the cradle and rubbed his forehead, What are these dreams all about? he thought, I seem to be getting them more and more frequently and at random times. he looked around his room and saw Diana’s Dawnbringer lay in the corner, sheathed, Why do I see Dawnbringer in my visions?
He approached the sword and was about to wrap his fingers around the hilt when someone knocked at his door and he turned immediately. Diana had reached for the door and opened it, “Sir,” a soldier wearing a deep red and gold uniform with a star pinned to his uniform said as soon as he entered the room.
“Lyon,” Darius forced a weak smile still dazed by the vision he had, “Why are you here?”
Lyon, a newly promoted knight in his century produced a piece of parchment and handed it over to him. Darius unfolded the piece and read the contents. Slowly his face turned grave and he shook his head, “Western corp is being summoned for war.” he said looking at Diana, who was also a knight in Darius’ century.
Diana nodded, caressing little Tallis’ forehead, “I’ll let my sister know about this and as Tallis’s spiritual mother, she’ll look after him while we are away.”
“Yes,” Darius handed the parchment to Diana and dismissed Lyon who was nervously looking at Diana, “So much war, so many deaths,” he whispered to himself.
“What did you say?” Diana raised an eyebrow.
“Nothing,” Darius decided against sharing his visions with her, “I think Lyon worships you!” he teased her.
“I think, Lyon needs some guidance in how to live his life and I’ve been showing him a path forward.” Diana picked up the sword and unsheathed it, revealing the black blade, “I think I’m more like a spiritual mother to him than a love interest.”
Darius eyed the sword nervously, before turning away to face the window.
The field was crammed with Dawnite soldiers. Everywhere Darius turned his gaze he saw grey tents, silver armor, and deep red and gold. His Century had been allocated an area near the very center and he led his soldiers in strict lines.
Soldiers from the Western corp looked at Darius’ century with contempt as it was a common fact that his Century had never seen any losses and always had a moral high ground in the way they carried their duty.
Darius tightened his grip around his spear and continue to march toward the allocated area. Being the most elite Century in the western corp, they were close to the King and Lord’s tents.
He thumped his spear into the ground as a signal to raise camp here. “Darius,” Diana approached him, “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” Darius hid his annoyance well and smiled, “I’m fine.”
A soldier wearing the King’s sigil walked up to him and gave him a parchment. Darius unfolded it and found it signed by the King himself, “I’m being summoned.” he told Diana, “Make sure they don’t fight with other men.” he followed the Royal Guard, There’s going to be a lot of deaths. he thought as he looked at the encamped soldiers around him.
The Royal Guard carrying King’s order stopped just outside a larger regulation tent. Fit for a king.
“He’s waiting for you.” Royal Guard got to his position and stood at attention.
Darius steeled himself reining in his mind from wandering and slid inside the tent. The carefully placed mirrors in all the corners of the tent created an illusion and the tent appeared to be larger.
In the middle, King was accompanied by Lord Titus of Western Corp, lieutenants of the three divisions, and a handful of centurions. Darius bowed his head and went to his knees, “Your Majesty.”
“Darius,” King nodded at him and asked him to take a place to his left with a slight tilt of his head. He turned his attention to his advisors, “What do you recommend Lord Titus? What course should we take?”
“Your Majesty,” Lord Titus pondered for a quick second before turning to face the King, “I’ve some good strategies, but this is a good learning opportunity and I’d like my men to come up with recommendations.”
“Fair enough,” King said with suspicion, “General Rodryk, what do you recommend?”
“Sir,” General Rodryk of Vanguard smiled, “We must push straight for their jugular and land a devastating blow to the enemy.”
“Hmm,” King raised an eyebrow, “Will the Western corp be able to stand against the might of the Shaedgard?”
“Yes,” General Rodryk said with shaky confidence, “Western Corp can defeat Shaedgard.”
“Lieutant Derrik?” King turned to the Lieutenant in the rear guard, “What strategy do you recommend?”
“Your Majesty,” Lieutenant said, bowing his head low, “I think I agree with General Rodryk. But we shouldn’t charge head, we need to isolate our fights with Shaedgard, break the mighty army of Shaedgard, and beat them one at a time.”
“That sounds a clever plan,” King said, “Why don’t you and General Rodryk lay out a detailed attack plan and share it with Lord Titus.”
Attacking head-on is madness, Darius thought while the King asked each of his trusted men to devise a strategy.
“Darius,” the King finally turned to him, “What strategy do you recommend?”
“Your Majesty,” Fighting head-on will only lead to more deaths, more sorrow… he thought as he stood speechless.
“Darius,” King asked again, “What do you have in mind?”
“Your Majesty,” Darius started, “We’ve been at war with Shaedgard for a hundred years now. We can’t afford a head-on fight with them. We may be able to defeat the Shaedgard in isolated battles but the casualties would be high. Our Kingdom…
“Sir, Our Kingdom will not have the ability to protect itself in the future if we fight them head-on.”
“Are you suggesting,” King’s anger was beginning to boil underneath, “We give up and return home?”
“Your Majesty,” Darius bowed low, “That would indeed be the best course of action, but no, that is not what I was suggesting.
“We must break them, destroy their ability to raise an army, and wage war.”
“And how will we do it?” King asked with a raised eyebrow, listening to Darius attentively.
“Shaedgard’s economy depends on two things: Their ability to mine gold and their ability to feed their soldiers. Unlike Dawn, they have fertile lands and can hence collect more taxes.
“We must target these. We must attack these resources and render them unable to pay their soldiers.”
“Hmm,” King leaned forward on the desk, waiting for more detail.
“We can send in three centuries into Shaedgard territory and destroy small farming villages. We can also plunder from the mining villages.
“With this,” Darius continued, “We’ll only risk losing three centuries.”
“What if Shaedgard decides to attack us?” General Rodryk asked.
“They can attack us,” Darius turned to face Rodryk, “But they won’t be able to carry on with the war for a long time. Destroying the economy is the only way to win this war.”
“Hmm,” King nodded, “That is an interesting idea. Darius why don’t you draw a detailed plan and present it to Lord Titus. You’ll have full authority to lead this mission. In the meantime, General Rodryk, prepare for a head-on fight we are not sure how Shaedgard will react to this blight. We must be prepared.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You are dismissed.” King waved his hands and one by one his most trusted men filed out, “Darius you stay back.”
Once they were alone in the tent, “You’ll have full authority in this mission and if it ends well, you’ll be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.”
“Your Majesty.” Darius bowed and filed out of the tent.
Interlude
Darius, the Centurion of Dawn, found himself wearing the strange uniform. It was more decorated than before. His black sword was ornamented with ruby that created a cacophony of colors.
Darius looked up and found strange faces staring back at him nervously, What is going on? This is getting more and more frequent. he thought but he could hear himself on a rant, berating his loyal followers.
“You dare defy my order?” Darius heard himself shout angrily, “You want to fight me? The Emperor of Asicuria? Yield and you may live.”
“We’ll not bow to a tyrant.” one of the men who were in shackles stared at him defiantly, “People of Yaria will fight till the bitter end. We are a republic and we’ll not be ruled by anyone but us.”
Darius laughed and then roared with unrelenting anger, “People of Yaria will suffer for your arrogance, Rayce.” Darius raised a hand and one of his loyal followers beheaded the chained man. Darius laughed as the head rolled.
“I want them eradicated,” Darius said when someone presented him with the head of the dead leader. “Kill the men, enslave the children, and rape the women, I want Yaria to be forgotten.”
Part 3
Darius found himself surrounded by his men who waited for him to speak up, “Sir.” Lyon swallowed and asked, “Your orders?”
Darius scanned his surroundings and reorient himself in reality, What the fuck is happening to me? he thought. Three centuries of men waited in an orderly manner just outside the base camp of Western Corp. Diana stood with her Squad and looked at him with concern.
Oh, right. he nodded to himself and turned to face the two centurions. Two women named Ayra and Genyfer waited for his command with straight faces. “Ayra, take your century west and south. You are to destroy every village you find in your way. Poison their waters, burn their crops, and kill their cattle. You can kill anyone who raises arms against you. But there shall be no killing of the innocent. No slaves are to be taken, and no women are to be raped.
“Genyfer, you have the same orders, but you’ll go west and north.” Genyfer and Ayra nodded and went back to their centuries and relayed the order, I hope they fall it strictly.
“Diana,” Darius spun on his heels holding his spear tightly, “Your squad will be the reserve, you are not to engage in a fight unless absolutely necessary.” Darius redirected his attention to a lean man with a scarred face, “Surias, your squad will be the Vanguard and will be responsible to engage first. I don’t want any head-on battles, we will try to stay hidden as long as possible and attack from the shadows.”
“Fyana,” Darius turned his attention to a woman with close-cropped hair and a hard face. But when Darius looked at her she blushed and tried to avoid any direct eye contact, “Your Squad will be responsible for scouting. They have the most experience traversing unknown territory. You’ll send your soldiers in all directions ahead of us, relaying information back to me. Have a unit in reserve to send messages to the other two centuries.”
“Yes,” Fyana blushed red but maintained her posture.
“Ludryk,” Darius turned to his final knight, son of Lord Titus and the least experienced in this century, “Son, you will ride with Surias and use your archers to support his squad in battle. You will fall all orders Surias gives you, without question.”
Ludryk nodded but Darius had a gut feeling that he wasn’t going to follow his orders so he called Fyana forward and leaned closer to her, “I want Ludryk followed.” Fyana blushed and whispered weakly.
“Darius,” Diana approached him, “Are you alright? You’ve been acting strange.”
Darius forced a smile and nodded, “Yes, Diana. I’m alright.”
Darius’ century had spent the entire Moon cycle terrorizing the Shaedgardians. Mane had waxed and waned as his soldiers burnt, looted, and destroyed the Shaedgardian economy. Tonight, they had camped in an abandoned castle on the river Svena.
“Centurion Darius,” Lyon of Diana’s Squad bowed his head low and waited silently. Darius’ nightmares had become more and more common. What is happening to me? he wondered as he peered out of the window and watched the western horizon turn purple as the sun sank behind it.
He turned and said in a soft voice, “What is it, soldier?”
“A scout has just returned from the west,” Lyon said staring at his feet.
Those visions? Is it from my previous life? Is it from my past? Darius lost himself in his chain of thought, They are getting terrible. So many deaths, so much sorrow.
“Sir.” Lyon called his attention, “A scout has returned.”
“Hmm,” Darius nodded and started towards the door, “Where is he right now?”
“With Diana.” Lyon blushed.
“Hmm.” Darius went down a flight of stairs and into a room where Diana was waiting with a scout, writing everything he said on a piece of parchment, She’s so beautiful and strong. he thought as he circled and stood beside Diana.
“Lad,” Diana looked at the soldier, “Tell us what you saw.”
“Sir,” the young soldier who was soaked in his own sweat said with fear in his voice, “A Day’s march from here, a Shaedgardian host is gathering, some five hundred men strong. It isn’t massive by any scale but they are heavily armored and have some three hundred mounted soldiers.
“I was able to get in close to them and overhear them. They are planning to march our way, box us in, and try to kill us.”
“Hmm.” Darius couldn’t help but find himself wondering about his visions, Was I really a tyrant in my past life? he thought, Is there such a thing as past life?
“Darius,” Diana said. She looked worried, “What are we to do?”
Darius couldn’t collect himself, his thoughts ran back to his visions, “Diana,” he leaned in a whispered, “Will you be able to take care of this?”
Diana looked at him uncertain what to say so she nodded and turned to Surias, Fyana, and Ludryk and said, “We’ll make a stand here. Ayra and Genyfer are at least a day’s march away and might not be able to come and aid us. Fyana, you will send your fastest scouts toward Ayra and Genyfer and ask them to Save our Souls.”
“Surias,” Diana turned to her once Fyana had left the room, “You will take charge of the east wing of the castle along with 2 units from my squad.”
“Ludryk and I will take the west wing of the castle which is more prone to attacks.” she stood up and turned to face the fire and let it warm her face, “Prepare for a battle till death.”
“Yes,” Ludryk and Surias bowed low and dismissed themselves from Darius and Diana’s presence.
“Darius,” Diana said placing a hand on his shoulders, “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting strange.”
I should just tell her. “Diana,” he said embracing her, “I’m terrified.”
“Darius,” Diana caressed his hair, “We’ll win this battle, we’ve always won. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“Diana, I’m not afraid of this battle, I’m afraid of myself.” he turned to face the fire, “I’ve been having visions, terrifying nightmares and I think they are from my past… My previous life.”
Diana looked at him with love and listened to him with patience. “In these visions, I was a soldier, a centurion of sorts and I fought my way up to the very top. I conquered the entire world, killing countless people.”
“It is just a dream.”
Is it? Darius thought his eyes darted to the corner where Diana had rested her unornamented black sword, That sword… That sword could be the key.
“Diana,” he pointed towards her sword, “Can I see your sword?”
“Dawnbringer?” Diana reached for it and pulled it out of its scabbard, “Why?”
“In my visions,” Darius said, “I wielded a sword, a magical sword that looked exactly like Dawnbringer.”
“You think my sword is a magical sword?” Diana inquired and offered him the sword hilt first.
Darius eyed Dawnbringer, Was it really Dawnbringer I saw? he thought as he carefully examined the blade without holding it, This writing… it looks familiar. “What does this say?”
“It says Sun and Fire.” Diana said, “That is what my father told me anyway.”
“Hmmm,” Darius tried to remember what the words inscribed on the blade meant. Should I hold it and try to say the incantation I hear in my visions? he thought, That is way too risky…
“Darius,” Diana said, “Worrying about the past is affecting your present and our future.”
“Hmm,” Darius wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the black blade. At first, he expected it to transfer into something else but nothing really happened. Then ten heartbeats later his mind was flooded with memories. What is happening to me? he panicked as nightmares of death and destruction filled his mind.
The visions slowed and Darius found himself wearing the strange blue uniform and holding a woman bleeding from deep cuts, “Please,” Darius begged, “Someone help her.” but no one could. He sat in the middle of a battlefield filled with corpses of the dead. Not a single living soul in sight. “Please. Someone… Please…” he begged, tears streaming down his cheeks. The woman in his arms smiled and tried to wipe the tears off his face before falling limp.
Darius wailed with sorrow, holding the dead woman in his arms. A gentle breeze carried the smell of burnt flesh and rotting corpses. “What have I done…” he screamed, “What have I done…” he screamed but there was no one who could hear him. No one could take his pain away.
Darius looked at the sword, “This is all because of you.” he talked to the sword as if it had a mind of its own, “You pushed me… You made me kill her…”
Darius steeled himself and whispered an incantation under his breath and threw the black sword across, “I’m done with you…” he said angrily as he took off his blue hooded uniform and threw it away.
Darius, the centurion of Dawn woke up in a moving cart. The sun was beating gently down on him, heating him against the cool mountain breeze. He looked around confused and tried to search for Diana.
“Darius,” Diana sat by his side, cradling his head, “You are awake.”
“What happened…” Darius saw Diana had a deep cut across her cheek and her left hand was supported by a sling around her shoulders. She looked tired and her eyes were swollen red, “what happened at the old castle?”
“Genyfer and Ayra were able to save us…” Diana said, embracing him tightly with her good right hand, “I was so worried about you… You just collapsed in the middle of our conversation.
“I tried to wake you up, snap you out of your comatose… But…”
“I’m alright, Diana.” Darius lied as he tried to straighten himself against the edge of the cart.
“You are not…” Diana said, “I’m worried about you Darius.”
“Diana,” Darius said, That sword… That sword is real… My past… “I’m going to be alright.”
“How?”
I don’t know that yet, Diana. But I know one thing, I have to stay away from Dawnbringer. I need to find out who I was, I need to find out who I’m. he thought to himself without answering Diana
“Darius,” Diana said wiping tears that had welled up in her eyes again, “I’ll always be by your side.”
“Diana,” Darius said, “I need to do this on my own. I need to find out who I’m…”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m… I’m going to resign from my post as Centurion… I’m going to renunciate my life, this material life and find my spirituality.”
“Darius,” Diana said, “What about Tallis?”
“He’ll have you!” he said tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ears and kissing her forehead, “He’ll have a strong mother to look after him.”