Cathrine put her head between her hands as she listened to the screaming going on between a very pregnant Angela and a hot-tempered Toya. “If I had a sliver of gold dust for everytime something stupid came out of that dumb face of yours I would be rich,” Angela screamed at Toya who was on the edge of her seat barely staying.

“Well if I had a sliver of gold for every time you made a stupid mistake I would be even richer. Some goddess you are. You can’t even manage to keep yourself alive and have to rely on others to pull you back in.” Toya slammed her fist into her throne as they sat in the circle of queens.

The other three queens were looking on with interesting. What had started as a simple jest from Angela had turned into an all out cat fight. “You need to watch your mouth before I sew it shut.”

“Oh yeah totally afraid of your sewing abilities. They are just as shitty as your plans normally are. I’m so impressed with your ability to lead your court.” Toya had crossed the line as the other queens sunk back into their seats far away from the explosion that was bound to happen.

“You little Shit,” Angela yelled as she almost forced herself up out of the chair and after her sister’s throat. Toya tried to dodge and Angela had it firmly as she shook Toya by the neck.

“Now Angela, we can’t kill her for being stupid,” Cathrine cooed from the back of her chair.

“No, we can’t. You are right but I can teach her to not be an ignorant moron.” Angela dropped the youngest queen who was having a coughing fit.

“Gods, pregnancy has gone to your brain. That’s just what you needed, an extra reason to be stupid.” Toya coughed out her insult as Angela turned on her heel.

“You know what… I know what will fix you.” Angela whisked her finger around in a circle. “There.”

“There what?” Toya yelled. “What the f*ck did you do?!” Angela just smirked and went back to her seat. “Angela, what did you do?” The voice was low as Toya climbed back onto her throne from the cold floor.

“You’ll find out. I know just how patient you are,” Angela gave her sisters and niece a smile. “I do believe that’s enough fighting for together. Toya you should get out of here… We all know how much you hate being dragged.

“I swear to god Angela when I find out what you did… I’ll return it ten fold!” Toya stomped her foot as she got up and left the inner circle of the castle. “Stupid bitch thinking she can tell me what to do and how to do it… can’t even keep herself alive.” She was muttering under her breath as she made her way back home.

“What did you do?” Cathrine was amused as she looked over at Angela innocently.

The pregnant Goddess let her fingers drum on her belly before looking at her sister. “Nothing,” the other queens groaned as it seemed like Angela wasn’t going to spill the beans on just what she did to the youngest sister.

As Toya got to the White Court’s mansion she flung the door open and sounded pissed even more so than before. “Angela has some nerve. She gets worse when she gets pregnant.” She slammed it and found Blaine. “How the hell am I supposed to deal with her if she is choking me?” She knew that Blaine understood that quite possibly Toya was asking for it. She ran her hands up and down her neck since it was sore.

“Damn, she has a temper right now.” It was a hushed tone before she took a look at Blaine. “Angela did something. I’m not sure what it was but she actually might have cursed me! I’m telling you pregnancy goes to that woman’s head!”

Blaine hadn’t been too hard to find these days, in fact he had spent a good majority of this week in the forge attached to the mansion. He liked to give his weapons a personal touch, so it was only fitting that he smithed his own tools and weapons. On today’s menu, he was crafting some heated steel into that of a broadsword with his hammer. After several good strikes, he overlooked it to make sure it was in the right shape and banged it a few more times. Between the wife and children and grandchildren, he felt blessed yet he also enjoyed these times where he could have some peace and quiet from the bickering and whatnot that the women of this family could bring. At least he had Jayden to share in the annoyances and such a thought made him chuckle before he continued to work on his sword.

In-between strikes, Blaine could have sworn that he could hear his darling wife. When he heard the door fly open and looked to see her face, he could tell that she was furious. He shook his head, already aware prior that she was meeting with the other queens and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that once again she and Angela were at each other’s throats. Dipping the sword into a barrel of water nearby, he let it sit there while he lifted the goggles away from his eyes and onto his forehead. The heat made him into a sweaty mess and only now did he enjoy the coolness of the air she brought into the room. “What were you two speaking of this time?” He saw the damage done to Toya’s neck and usually his wolven side would be furious with whoever would dare harm his mate. Unfortunately he knew it to be her sister and this wasn’t anything new. As to which one of them ran their mouth off first, he couldn’t say for certain

“Probably by not getting into a scream contest with her, love.” He glanced back and took the sword out and laid it onto his table. It looked to be in great shape and he would have to admire his work latter. “Especially because of that. You of all people should know how pregnancy makes women. At least she didn’t turn you into a child.” But apparently something did happen and she was “cursed” in someway. Groaning to himself, he undid his work apron and cross his arms. “Relax Toya. I’m sure by now we would have seen what she had done to you…hopefully. I doubt she will really kill you or anything. It’s probably something minor, like…losing your voice?” That would possibly stop their fighting, but he doubted it. Toya was at good at communicating with her fists as she was with her mouth. If anything, Angela’s curse would have made things much more worse. Blaine went over to his wife and caressed her face. 

“Also, you know not to be in arm’s range of her. She might be pregnant, but I doubt if it did anything to her speed really”, he chucked.

Toya thought back on the court meeting and took a sigh. “It was over the movement of slavers in the desert. I may or may not have told Angela that she didn’t know what she was doing in the recovery effort of the victims.” She realized that she had maybe been a bit rash but she was stubborn and wasn’t about to admit it to her husband. Though it did appear on her face even though she refused to say it.

“I don’t think she would even go so far as to turn me into a child,” Toya looked amused as she thought about. “The other three would make her raise me and she would regret that.” She laughed a bit wishing that was what she had done.

She snuggled her face into his hand and smiled up at him. “You’re right… Maybe she is just talking shit. That would be her… trying to make me think she did something when she didn’t.” She took a deep sigh and leaned up to kiss her husband.

“Have you been working hard? You haven’t shown me your work in a while.” She smiled and tried to be the sweet tender wife that Blaine had grown used to when they were all alone like they were here. She peeked around him and smiled. “I should let you touch up my flame blade. You do excellent work and are only getting better.”

Why wasn't he surprised to hear what she did? He knew his wife for awhile now and just like clockwork, she went and said or did something she shouldn't have. Especially when it came to her older sister. He swear that those two might have disliked one another at times, but would be truly miserable if something befell the other. There was enough prove in the pudding when Angela "died" a short while ago. She didn't have to say anything to him, he could read her body motions and facial expressions to figure it out for himself. Blaine frowned deeply at her, "Oh really? I think she would after the amount of fun you had with her when she was a child. But I rather not have to hear you screaming to ride on the big, scary wolf." As much as he was joking, he could see a young version of Toya driving him up the wall. Actually he could see that happening to just about everyone else as well.

In truth, he was hoping that Angela wasn't seriously plotting something on her; but the woman was clever enough to make it so that they wouldn't know until later on. He really, really hoped that wouldn't be the case or there was going to be quite the few headaches all around. Blaine immediately forgot about it the moment his lips met with hers. Not too many saw this side of Toya; he knew she could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but she was generally a good woman. When she wasn't causing trouble, getting into fights on the streets or jumping off of dragons.

"Just making some more blades. That one you saw me working on was my fifth one." Her comment made him give her a sour look, "You know damn well that the sword won't let anyone but two people so much as hold it. And last I checked, I not on that list, woman."

Toya curled up on him and pouted up after they kissed. “Well, I know that… but maybe you could teach me how to make it better? It is getting dull… It needs some love just like I do.” She tugged at him softly. “It could be fun right?” Even at her age, she had her wants and desires just like he did. For some reason, it was really coming out in this moment not that she minded.

She softly tugged him over to her more as she leaned against the wall and looked up at him with big green eyes. They were a lot more soft than usual not that he would think it was unusual. This was just for him, probably if she wasn’t ever this way they wouldn’t work well but he knew how to soften her. Only he knew how softened she was under her pain in the ass mentality.

“So you can show me your swords… skip showing me the swords now and do it later.” She wanted to play with him and she wasn’t too sure what order she wanted everything to be in was. “Unless you are scared of the big bad dragon?” She pouted at him and laughed. He was the only one who could be even close to touching her now.

"I'd figured that you would know how to do so, considering your connection with fire…and things that hurt." She didn't have those nicknames for nothing; she was like a wildfire. But somehow he knew how to quell down the flames. It didn't seem all too hard, at least for him anyway. Other than their children, he didn't think anyone else was capable of calming her down enough to see the gentle side. He wrapped his arms around her, and held onto her with care. There was a bit of a size difference between the two of them, that much was for certain.

"I'll show you how to, if you'd like. Just make sure you are prepared for the heat", he chuckled as he kissed her on top of her head. He found himself being pulled away from where they were standing and up to a wall nearby. The wolf looked to his mate as he felt lust taking over and his hands found themselves around her hips. Even after so long, they could carry on like they did in their younger years. Some would say that they could act like teenagers, something that their youngest daughter loathed to admit whenever she saw them together.

"Could show you something, all right", he whispered into her ear before kissing it tenderly. The heat of the room didn't feel like it bothered him now, not that he was paying that any mind though. What he was drawing attention to was his wife. "If I was scared, would I be up against you, like so?" His arms wrapped around her tighter and he kissed her neck. "What's the big, bad dragon gonna do now, eh?" With that he kissed her with a hunger to be with her in private now. As far as he could tell, they wouldn't be interrupted up here.

People would have said he was crazy outside of their children who got to see this side once in a blue moon. She was a different type of peaceful with them but this side was gentle and loving if only for the wolf in front of her.

The queen gave a grin after he wrapped himself around her and kissed the top of her head. “I’m always prepared for the heat… Naked or otherwise.” It was more of a jest for how they met but she was also a fire elemental. She bathed in the heat of everything around her.

A chuckle left her lips as he tickled at her ear with her breath. “Perhaps you have a taste for danger?” She moved her arms around him and kissed him back filled with the very same hunger as he had given her.

The Wildfire probably would have roasted anyone who dared to interrupt them. They made his special little area their playground for the time being and seeing as their precious little grandchildren were currently out of the house they could make all the noise they wanted.

At the end of their game, she curled up with him on the floor and snuggled into his chest softly. “This was a good day.” She chuckled and kissed his cheek. “We have a lot of work to do outside of this.” But that could all wait after all she did love what they had there.

–

Pure bliss as it would be wouldn’t last very long in the Rose family anyways. The odd fire that sparked between Blaine and Toya did not go away, not that they thought it was different. They couldn’t tell from how it usually was so they didn’t know anything was different. They sneaked away from their duties to pay extra attention to each other.

Soon though approximately three months from the time that it happened Toya was laying down with a large bowl of sorts puking her guts out. Blaine was pacing the end of the bed like a madman.

When it ultimately came down to their relationship, Blaine and Toya’s wasn’t so complicated. They went through as many problems as others did, but they had been together for so long that they knew how the other worked and what to do for them. It also helped that they were alike in someway; mainly their tempers but Blaine’s was much more controlled than hers in certain areas and vice versa. Physically, they were like young lovers, perhaps a bit too much. It showed as they ravaged one another throughout the forge room, making all the noise they wish without worrying about their children or grandchildren coming inside to investigate. Tender, rough, it didn’t matter to him as they enjoyed their time together from start to finish.
 
They somehow ended up on the floor and he was tired but sated. He looked up to Toya as she laid on him and chuckled. “Is it? Even with your scheming sister plotting against you?” He couldn’t help but to laugh heartedly. He wrapped an arm around her beautiful body and enjoyed the heat coming off of her. “Nah, I prefer not”, he kidded, but she knew that he knew that they did have to get up eventually and carry on throughout the rest of the day.
 
Not that their duties ever stop them from rendezvousing when they pleased. Throughout their entire marriage, around 30 years or so, the passion didn’t die for them. As strange as it was, perhaps they didn’t look at it like that.
 
—-
 
Blaine looked down at his wife as she threw up into a bowl. Jayden and Aurora were there as well; the boy held another bowl ready to receive his mother’s sickness while the girl rolled her eyes and tried to stay as far away as possible. “Hunny, sweetheart, darling…please for the love of the gods tell me you ate something bad…”, Blaine pleaded to his wife. Unfortunately he had been through this three different times with four children with her and Toya had been through it two more times as well. If there was a sign of her carrying another child, he would know. “I hardly think that’s the problem”, Jay sighed as he placed the other bowl down right beside his mother.
 
“Not when you two were going at it like bunnies”, Aurora spoke bluntly before receiving a stern look from her father and immediately quiet down. “That’s besides the point. We…well, we have been careful…” Toya had the potions to make sure that they wouldn’t get pregnant again, and yet here they were. Those potions were good for a long time, so he was unsure as to what happened. Then a thought came.
 
A thought that hadn’t been in his mind for the last three months.
 
“Son of a… You two, watch your mother. I’m going to the Red Rose Manor.” He abruptly left them and marched from their home all the way to the Manor. As he went inside and stomped towards the main room. The people inside knew who he was, and with the look of anger written across his face, they knew that he wasn’t playing around. Lucian had been in his room when one of the servants informed him of his uncle’s arrival and mood. Sighing, he headed towards the room he was in. “Uncle Blaine, what’s the…”
 
“Lucian, where’s your mother”, he said in a low voice. “She and your Aunt Toya are going to drive me up a wall. Is she here?”
 
Lucian shook his head and Blaine pulled out a flask and took a deep drink from it. “Then we will wait until she hears that I’m here. We have things to discuss.” He can’t believe that this was happening again.  

Toya groaned up at her husband as she continued to get sick. She knew with most of her morning sickness she would be like this for only a few hours before it stopped for the day. She was blubbering up to her husband and children as she continued to get sick. She was so thankful for her oldest with Blaine that it hadn’t crossed her mind about what Angela had done to her.

It didn’t take long once he had gotten to the Red Court for one of Lucian’s sisters to run off and fetch their very, very probably about to explode pregnant mother from her realm. She strolled in like nothing was wrong and tilted her head as she watched Blaine drink from the flask. “Now Blaine… What on earth is going on? I haven’t seen you this upset since that time I smashed Toya’s face into the table at the Refuge.”

Angela rubbed her belly and felt her twins kicking and moving quite pleasantly. “I mean I thought you would have wanted another son in that sea of daughters you have.” There was a smirk on her face.

He paced about in the same manner that he had back at home, all the while Lucian watched on nervously. He was used to dealing with Toya's temper, not her husband's so he was a bit uncomfortable. Blaine couldn't believe all this; another child was coming for them. As much as he loved his children, he had plenty of girls as it were. All under one roof, it was enough to drive any man mad. And now Angela pulled something to make them have another one, he knew it to be true. The clues fit too well together to just be mere coincidence.

As his sister-in-law arrived, he looked at her with narrowing eyes. He didn't know what was going through her head then or now. Perhaps Toya was right in suggesting that her own pregnancy was afflicting her mind. "Yes, and Krys still mentions it every now and then. And all over damn pies too." Of course he also got on his wife's case when he learned that she used their youngest in that little scheme. "I don't know what you two have against one another, but why punish me too? I was ready to have an empty nest, but lo and behold, I'm getting another little pup."

He groaned pathetically and came over to her. "Why, why, why? I have five daughters and three granddaughters already, why another girl?" He got on his knees and fell onto her leg. "Why Angela, why did you…wait…what?" Blaine stopped and looked at her with disbelieving eyes. Was she messing with him as well? He stared up at her like a true idiot and his mouth hung open. "Uh…a son, you said? But…" Right now the wolf felt torn; he was pissed that she pulled something like this yet he wasn't overly upset at having another boy. But with that, a question arose from him that he couldn't help but to voice. "Wait, how did you know your plan would work anyway? What if we didn't…have relations, then what? How did you know?"