The echoing thud against his door is what jolted the prince from his sleep, groggy blue eyes flashed as he rolled over in bed. His heart pounded and the man felt a profound sense of fear as he heard the doorknob turn. He had locked his door… right? Yes, he always locked it at night and especially the ones he spent without her because those are the ones he struggled to sleep the most. Tonight was one of the nights they spent apart and that meant an uneasy sleep for the young prince and he had finally found some peace a few hours ago… until it was disrupted.

As soon as he heard Gennadius’s voice, the man shut his eyes and resisted a groan of frustration. He was grateful she wasn't some sort of midnight killer, but he was not grateful for her disruption. The man really hadn’t wanted dark circles for the wedding and had even gone so far as to take the day before it off to focus on preparations and hopefully get more than a few hours of sleep each night. Clearly, he was going to too like a raccoon for the wedding and that was that. He buried his face in the pillow and held the blanket closer as she patted him, wanting to return to blissful unconsciousness. As always, Gennadius was determined to get her way.

Nilo’s groan of protest echoed through the room as she tore the blanket off of him. Luckily, he’d worn a shirt, but his arm still came to wrap protectively around his waist and he curled into a ball. “Gennadius,” The man moaned out, evidently displeased, “It will be there in the morning. I know for a fact it’s the middle of the night. Not to mention it’s raining.” As if to add to his argument, thunder boomed. It had been a late-night storm, but the prince had been up to hear it begin and wasn’t looking to go out in it.

He flinched as she yelled his name again. It was far too late for all this. Why did his mare have to betray him like this? Better yet, why had the stable hands woken her up? It was his damn mare! But… maybe this was better. She would have killed him had she found out he hadn’t woken her up to tell her. “It will be there in the morning,” He spoke again, eyes still not open. Not that you could see them anyways, because his hair had flopped in front of them, “Can’t we just go see it first thing? It’s not as if it’s going anywhere.” Nilo tugged the arm she had stolen from him, hugging it protectively against him once more.

If he had been more awake and less exhausted, Nilo probably would have dashed through the halls with her with their hands interlaced and the two laughing like children. Later, he would feel horrible for dismissing her excitement, but now he was just irritated about being awoken in such a manner. His fatigue was winning, making him both grumpy and stubborn. Not to mention the sound of the rain was pulling his mind back into the depths of darkness he so desperately wanted. He needed to be up at dawn… how many hours away was that? Nilo didn’t know, nor did he really want to think about it.

Nilo’s eyes finally opened and he glared at her, though it was unfocused and half-lidded as he struggled to keep them open. His body didn’t move from his spot, but ghostly eyes moved up to the form that held his comforter hostage with a look that could only be described as bloodlust. Though, even that was rather pathetic considering he was struggling to stay away. “Go back to bed…” He trailed, nestling into his pillow, “or stay in here, I don’t care. Just sleep, we can go see it in the morning. It’ll be up and running by morning.” Nilo tried to convince her, curling his body tighter against the cold air.

“I want to be there when it is born!” The woman gave a small huff, as she bounced on her toes, antsy and wanting to go check on Wicke. “And we have to go now Nilo! I want to be there for it to imprint on! The stable hands already said if I was there, I could be the one to towel it down. Which means NOW!” Why must the man be so stubborn! She just wanted him to come and be there but the damn prince clearly had no intention of going with her.

“I am not going back to bed you moron!” Her impatience had finally won over and she just had to make sure she was there for the foaling! So, her solution for the moment was tossing the comforter across the room out of spite and dashing back out his door. If they said she had time, she was going to come back and beat him out of the bed, but she just had to make sure.

Which is why the Colonel was yet again running down the halls, careening around corners, and bursting out the door that led to the stables. The short dash through the rain was unfazing as she slowed down once she was inside, not wanting to spook the mare in labor. But she was striding, her legs stretching out in an almost comical way to try and get there as fast as possible. Though, when she arrived and peered into the stall, the stable hand lifted up a hand to give her an approximation as best as he could tell. Ten minutes... and that was an iffy estimation.

And that sent her with long strides heading back towards the castle. The moment she felt raindrops, Gennadius was running, bursting back inside and flying through the halls at unprecedented speeds. The woman herself could have been a racehorse with the speed and determination which she ran. She paid no heed to the fact that her steps were practically thundering as her boots slammed into the floor and the sound echoed through the hallways. She was on a time limit damn it, and Nilo was going to be there, no matter what she had to do to get him to come. This was a special moment and she wanted her fiancé to be there.

Nilo’s poor door. The woman barreled through it, the door slamming against the wall with force when she shoved it open, hinges creaking at the abuse. Dark blue eyes snapped onto the figure of Nilo and she came sliding across his floor to stop near the head of his bed. “I swear you are coming! It’s supposed to happen in ten minutes max! I just wasted two getting here! I am not missing this and neither are you!”

It was with those words that she reached out to shake him rather violently. “No one can THIS tired!” She bent over him, a few wet drops falling from her hair which wasn’t quite yet soaked but it was getting there. “I am NOT missing this because of you, and I am NOT going without you!” Her final decision? A heavy thwap across his hip to try and get him moving at the same time as she grabbed the edge of his pillow to yank it out from under his head. “Nilo please!” It was a last-ditch effort, coming out in a desperate plea as if the whole world was going to crumble if she wasn’t there. Which it wouldn’t, but she would be disappointed.

When she left the man breathed a sigh of relief, though was irritated as he heard his comforter land across the room. He was forced to slip beneath the sheets. Although they were not as warm as the comforter, they would do. The silk was warm against his skin from his body heat and the man began to comfortably doze, buried deep within the folds of his bed, and rather happy at the newfound silence. Perhaps she would actually go to bed and leave him be. That would be nice. He could sleep and see the horse in the morning… then he could share in her excitement.

But it was wishful thinking. The man was just about asleep when he heard the thundering and not from the storm. No, it was from none other than his fiance. Apparently, she wasn’t giving up and was going to dig her heels in on this one. Why, Nilo did not know, considering it wasn’t even his horse and he evidently didn’t want to go. No, if anything, it made him even more irritated and he buried his face in his pillow, ready to dig his heels on this matter too. It was raining and cold, not to mention the fact he hadn’t been sleeping well with all the stress.

So, when she finally burst back through his door like an overexcited child, he nestled as deep as possible, hunkering down for the woman he called his fiance. It would have been rather humorous, the way he hid like a child avoiding trouble had the situation not been one of urgency. The squeaking of her boots as she slid to a stop informed him that she had officially come back to bug him. “Gennadius,” Nilo growled, over the whole affair, “I’m not going. Quit it!” The last bit came out a bit harsher than intended, but he was frustrated.

“I am this tired! I sleep hours after midnight and I’m up by dawn. I don’t need to be there, so leave me alone!” He argued, a loud snarl escaping him as she smacked his hip, eyes peeling open to shoot her a nasty glare. “I can see it in the morning, you don’t need me there.” His voice lowered as he tried to snuggle back in the covers, but the damage had already been done. Nilo was awake and unpleasant by any and all means. What the hell did it matter if she could towel it off? And imprint? It was a horse! It was her anyways and she could bond all she wanted tomorrow.

And again came the question as to why he had to be there?! Another warning growl escaped him as she pulled at his pillow and the man was about to fully snap but then… her plea. It was sad and desperate. Dammit… she really wanted him there, didn’t she? His face softened some, which eluded to him switching sides. Eyes somewhat adjusted to the dark and he could see how excited she was in the way she was antsy. “I hate you,” Nilo grumbled, finally sitting up in his bed and pushing his hair back out of his face with a hand. “So goddamn insistent…” Nilo trailed, it was more due to his foul mood.

He slipped off the bed and strode over to his wardrobe, which held significant fewer clothes since the vomit incident. He pulled out a couple of coats and the man tossed one at her with another low grunt as he slipped his own on. “I won’t have you getting a cold the week before our wedding…” Nilo trailed as he headed for the door. As his fingers touched the knob, and just brushed it mind you, the thing fell right off. A soft gasp escaped him and he turned to cast an accusing glare her way. “You so owe me for this, Gennadius.” He huffed before he stepped out into the hall, shoving his hands in the pockets of his tailcoat.

Gennadius was either missing or blatantly ignoring the cues that he was irritated and was close to snapping. In reality, they were just flying over her head, her focus completely on trying to get back in time and dragging Nilo with her. It only seemed right that he got to revel in her first moments with her, especially since the foal was from his horse, which he had so kindly given up for the eleven months necessary. Though, she had gone into labor a bit early, which worked out well for them since Gennadius hadn’t wanted to miss it, but she wasn’t going to postpone the honeymoon either.

She did catch it when he said she hated her, which was a telltale sign that he was getting up. The woman was practically vibrating, resisting the urge to just yank him to his feet. Her expression lifted into a wide grin as he managed to his feet and over to his wardrobe. Easily catching the coat, she slid the oversized garment on with ease, “I will not be getting a cold Nilo! It’s fine!” But her voice was near giddy in tone as she moved behind him, wanting to just shove him out the door.

Only briefly did her gaze bounce to the handle as it hit the floor with a soft clunk. Well that explained how she had gotten in. Honestly, she hadn’t thought she hit the door that hard, and granted, it had not been her intention. Nonetheless, it mattered little to her at the moment and she had the audacity to laugh. “Anything you want Nilo, as long as we get there in time!”

And with her slipping out behind him, her arm linked into his, as if she was going to take a steady walk with him. But, they were on a time limit so she lurched forward, dragging Nilo behind, as fast as he would go with her. “Come on Nilo!” Her words weren’t as rushed or exasperated as before, but much lighter and inviting. Thunder rolled overhead, but it seemed like such a cheerful sound to her, as did the rain. It all truly was wonderful! The spring showers, the gorgeous rumble, the wedding coming up (which was stressful for her as well with last preparations, but she looked forward to what it meant), and over all the wonderful change taking place with the season and their lives. And this was just icing on the cake!

The minute they got to the door, she practically threw it open and released him to make her third dash through the rain, head ducked until she reached the stable, smile so wide it spoke millions to what this all meant to her. Once inside, her strides were yet again at their comical length as she moved as fast and quietly as she could, getting to the stall. It was rather quiet in the stables except for the occasional snort from one of the other horses, and the beating rain against the roof. But what she noticed most was Wicke’s breathing, listening to her with excitement as it seemed they had arrived just in time.

The cutest of all little foals was born, so little and precious and everything about Gennadius lit up. But as things turned out, the stable hand didn’t have time to really help the little creature as miracles of miracles, it seemed Wicke was foaling a second! “There’s two!” came her excited whisper before she was waved into the stall to take care of the first. She eased in, quickly and yet slowly placing herself down by the little animal and grabbing one of the towels to start rubbing it down, dark eyes almost lightening in their very color with her joy.

The young foal was the cutest in her eyes, and she could care less about the second one coming at the moment. This one... this one right here, that she was imprinting on was going to be hers. The small black face, black legs, tail, and mane were so perfect. And then the stunning grayish-blue neck that seemed to fade into a white with grayish blue coloring splotching like large dapples. “Nilo!” she whispered his name, not daring to look away from her filly. “Can you see her? Isn’t she perfect?” The woman was using one hand to finish toweling off the little animal, using the other to stroke over its body.

All Nilo did was sigh as she dragged him from down the hall, walking only as fast as he had to in order to keep up with her. He yawned several times throughout the journey, still not overly interested and going for her sake. If she was willing to drive him damn near mad to get him to see a stupid little horse, then he might as well go with her. Not to mention that in the dim light of the sconces, the man could see her ridiculously wide grin and it made his mood somewhat lighten, but only somewhat. He was still irritated about being awoken like the castle was aflame.

When Gennadius sped off as they reached the door, Nilo stayed behind, trudging through with a hilarious frown on his face. For someone who was known to radiate positivity, the man had never looked more ill-tempered. Of course, he was definitely looking forward to their wedding and that had nothing to do with his mood. No, Gennadius had just caught him when he was already frustrated and had served to unintentionally make it worse. Not that the rain was helping either. It only further encouraged him to stew and made the journey to the stables seem like miles.

When he arrived, Nilo meandered back to the foaling stall and leaned on the gate, resting his chin in the palm of one of his hands. He only dozed for a moment until he heard her hushed comment from within. “Two? How nice…” He trailed before his eyes snapped open. Two?! That was rare… but what was rarer was two that actually survived the birth. His eyes flitted over to his mare, who lifted her head briefly to glance his way as if to give him a greeting. The mare and her owner had become rather fast friends since she had been fetched from the countryside castle and he had visited her every day he could, feeling rather bad for her since she had been isolated for the pregnancy.

Briefly, he entertained entering, just to perhaps rub her snout and talk to her. The poor thing had to be stressed, giving birth to not just one, but two foals. The man ultimately decided against it, not wanting to get in the way of Gennadius or the stablehand, even if the stall was large enough. He was simply afraid of messing up, so he figured he could just watch. When she called his name the man glanced over to her and shifted farther down so he could get a good look at the little thing. It was rather cute… he did have to admit that.

But what made it all worth it was seeing the pure joy on her face. To see all of her excitement and adoration for the tiny filly made his stony face warm up with the softest of smiles. To see the love of his life radiate like that… perhaps he wouldn’t exactly mind getting up at the ungodly hour. Although he had missed his horse for the past year, Gennadius deserved the foal and so much more. It had been his surprise to her that had finally come to be and it was in the form of a small filly whom she clearly loved with all her heart.

“She’s very pretty,” Nilo finally commented, not wanting to ignore her and dampen her joy. Granted, the man was still rather touchy and tired, but he could put on a happy face. Not to mention she was oozing so much excitement it was difficult not to share in it. “A perfect filly for a perfect owner, don’t you think?” Nilo inquired, but his attention turned back to his mare, who was huffing harder, clearly exhausted, though her job was not done. He was sympathetic but gratefully aware it was about to be over.

And soon enough, a second filly came into being. It didn’t have the markings that its sibling bore and was instead a simple silver in color, with black than ran up its legs. The stablehand glanced in his direction, gesturing towards it with the silent question of if he wanted to towel it off as well. The prince shook his head and kept his spot outside the stall, simply watching what went on within. As cute as the new filly was, the man wasn’t looking for a new horse to call his own. “It’s nice to think I’ll have my own horse back after a bit,” Nilo commented offhandedly, tired eyes landing on his mare, who was taking some time to rest after the quick, but intensive process. “Do you have any names for her, Gennadius?” Nilo questioned, giving an audible yawn.

If possible, Gennadius beamed brighter at Nilo’s confirmation that her filly was indeed perfect. The adorable foal was blinking and looking around now, big dark brown eyes taking in the new sights. The woman moved to gently run her hand over the creature’s muzzle, talking in low soothing tones while they waited for the second foal. But what caught her attention even more about her filly, was the white half star on her forehead. How could she have missed that? It was perfect! Her fingers traced the little splotch, filly lifting its head to stare up at her.

She did dare a moment to look away when the other foal was born. Two fillies. Wicke had given them two beautiful fillies, though Gennadius was forever attached to hers. The other was pretty too, a beautiful silver buckskin who the stablehand was now cleaning up. The mare, over with the process, gave off soft snorts, craning her neck to see her new babies as she shifted onto her stomach. Her long neck reached out, inspecting the woman’s filly first who was closer, brushing her nose against it.

The woman talked softly to both before scooting herself against the stall wall to allow Wicke time to bond with her babies. Blue eyes turned to Nilo and she nodded, smiling widely. “In her pasture at least,” the female chuckled, glancing back at the mare who was happily nuzzling both her babies. “But in a few months, she’ll be all yours again.” And her perfect little filly was hers... and she planned on spending as much time with her as she could before the wedding. There were a lot of things that still had to be done, but the woman was going to make sure she could continue to bond with the little animal.

“A name?” she repeated the words softly, scanning over her filly. She hadn’t really thought of a name yet since she didn’t know what it was going to look like. Gennadius went silent for a moment, calculating what a good name would be for her filly. But surprisingly, the name she came up with had nothing to do with the foal’s features in the slightest. Instead, blue eyes sparkled as she looked back to Nilo, “Dynasty. I’m naming her Dynasty.” The little filly was the first of Magistrate’s bloodline, and she also was born before the wedding that would continue the Van Aslan dynasty. It seemed quite fitting.

That and it was a regal name for a regal looking little foal. Well, as regal as a spindly, still partially damp, and clumsy looking little foal could. “What do you think Nilo? Isn’t it perfect?” The stablehand at the point had done all that could be and started to leave the stall, glancing at Gennadius to see if the woman was coming out too, to which he got a headshake. No, the woman planned on staying the night, or rather the rest of the morning, just to keep an eye on mother and babies. Everyone knew Wicke was as laid back as a horse got, so there was no fear of being trampled, and she had already proven not to mind her babies being handled.

“What are we going to do about the other one?” The woman asked after a moment, looking at the little buckskin. What truly was adorable about both of them was how ‘off’ their colors still were. They could identify the colors that they were going to be, but for Dynasty, her black at the moment was more of a charcoal and her splotches, as Gennadius figured, were bound to disappear. The silvery colors had an almost yellowish tint on her filly as well. But Gennadius had seen enough foals and has such a fascination with horses, that she knew better and knew the colors would concentrate beautifully.

“Are you going to name it?” Gennadius’s attention was back on Nilo, curious what he planned to do with it. It was technically his horse, considering the woman was offering one foal, under the assumption Wicke would only bear one. At this point, the woman was pretty much wide awake, though she knew she was bound to drift off after a little bit. But for the moment, she was quite happy. “I mean, I guess you have until she is two to figure out what you are going to do with her,” she chuckled warmly.

The foals were already beginning to try to stand, make wobbly failed attempts and face planting. It was the cutest thing, and the woman’s attention shifted back to little Dynasty. The little filly had her front legs splayed out in front of her as she shakily tried to get them in the right position so she could stand. Another small collapse and she paused for a few minutes before trying again. Gennadius was enchanted and her entire being was focused on the foal, Wicke seemingly just as entranced, though the mare herself seemed as though she was getting ready to get back on her own feet.

A brow cocked at her choice of name, which was a rather odd one, but elegant nonetheless. It certainly didn’t fit the little filly whatsoever at the moment, given as it was attempting and failing to even walk. Though, the man supposed it would grow into its name over time. “Yes, it is certainly perfect.” The man agreed, happy that the labor had been a successful one. Nilo had been rather worried about his mare, in all honesty, for she was smaller than average, but the mare had taken it all quite well and was a happy camper. Tired, but healthy.

When the stablehand exited Nilo entered, sliding down the wall to sit beside Gennadius while the foals were inspected by their mother. It was an incredibly adorable scene and the man couldn’t help watching with a soft smile. Time had certainly gone by, given as the man could still remember telling her that he’d had their horses bred in the infirmary. Had it really been almost a year since then? It was almost unbelievable, but the twin fillies were evidence of the time that had passed. Although the border incident and assassination attempt had been horrific times in their lives, Nilo liked to look on the bright side.

The pair had shared a myriad of experiences and had so many fun memories from it all. Wasn’t that the most important part? Not to mention they were getting married in only a week, promising themselves to each other three years following a rocky start. His eyes swept in her direction as she spoke again, pulling him from his thoughts. “I’m not sure. I don't exactly need another horse. My loyalty is to my dear Wicke.” To be fair, Nilo had forgotten about the horse's existence until he’d found her, ungroomed, and nearly abandoned in a stall.

“I don’t have the time to train another horse either and Wicke’s proven to outclass even the finest war horses in stamina.” He commented, watching the new little family interact, “I guess I could always just have someone break her, and she could be one of our spare horses.” He suggested, but it was clear he already didn’t like that idea. Nilo wanted the little one to have an owner to call her own. Someone who cared for her. The man wasn’t sure yet, but for now, he didn’t need to worry about that. The filly wouldn’t be separated from her mother for quite a while.

As for a name… the man didn’t exactly have one. Nilo hadn’t been expecting a second horse. He watched her take a rather wobbly step and a quiet chuckle escaped him. The horse would not end up being his, but he figured he could at least give her a name. If her future owner “Luna,” He spoke after a moment, deeming it fitting for the little mare of silver. “Since she’s the color of the moon.” Granted, the name was a little generic and simple, but he had always loved it and found it pretty. The small creature would wear it well with her shiny coat.

“And I guess we do have a couple of years at least. Worst case I go with my original idea and she’s a spare, but hopefully, I can find something more rewarding to do with her. I gave up my mare for a year, these children better have some purpose in life besides being pasture horses.” He laughed, shifting against the wall of the pen. His tiredness had disappeared for now, but he was sure it would come knocking soon. As thunder boomed overhead, the fillies seemed to comically bounce, afraid of the new, unknown noise.

The woman was pleased when Nilo moved to sit beside her in the stall. Instinctively she shifted closer to lean against him, beaming as she did so and pleased the man was there. It meant the world to her that she got to share the experience with him, even if he had been grumpy the whole way there. Not that she really cared in her excitement, and later it would amuse her to no end.

Dark eyes continued to watch her filly as Nilo spoke, listening to him explain how the other little foal wasn’t going to be his. Which made sense. The man was attached to Wicke, and had she still had Magistrate in full health, she doubted she would be this attached to Dynasty. But that was not the way, so her fond gaze stayed pinned to the foal as she finally managed to her hooves, little legs wobbling and shaky. It didn’t last long before she flopped back down and the woman gave an amused snort, especially when large brown eyes turned on her as if hurt that she found it funny.

“I like the name Luna,” Gennadius agreed, looking back at her soon-to-be husband, snuggling up against him. “It fits her well and maybe she will grow up to be even more beautiful. But I think Dynasty will be prettier,” she teased, bumping against Nilo with one of her silly smiles. And of course, she felt the need to duck under his arm as she said her piece, happily getting as close as possible to him. “We’ll find a place for her. She’s a fine filly.”

Her eyes closed as she got comfortable, though not to try sleeping in any way. Rather, just because she was so content with how things were. It was a great and exciting time, and one that held no stress which was a small relief considering how hectic things were. Then again, it was past 2am in the morning but that didn’t really matter to her. The thunder overhead caused her to smile even more, just appreciating the overall atmosphere. “It’s all so perfect,” she couldn’t help murmuring, though her eyes opened and she tilted her head back some. “But it’ll get better soon.”

Her gaze moved to the two fillies who were on their feet with Wicke having finally stood. The two tiny mares making wobbly, uncoordinated steps towards their mother, clearly hungry. “It’s amazing she had two,” Gennadius couldn’t help commenting. “Two fillies and both beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one quite like Dynasty, but her oversized dappling will probably fade. Still, it seems we got blessed with these two little ones. Guess Magistrate makes a good stud after all,” she laughed gently, knowing full well that Wicke was very much involved with what the babies looked like.

And then she sat up. It was slowly, the woman ever keeping in mind the fillies, but she still pulled away slightly as it was clear she had an idea. “What about Damien?” Reaching out, she pushed some of Nilo’s hair back as her head tilted. “He doesn’t have a horse and he could probably find the time to train and break her in. He’s done an awful lot for us, and we haven’t really been able to return the favor. I mean, who could even say if I would be here if it wasn’t for him? And he did get you Flower. Having a horse of his own might be good for him.”

Her look changed to one of adoration as she was now gazing at Nilo. “Thank you for coming with me. I wanted you to be here too. It felt wrong to come alone when this meant so much to me. I would never have even gotten a chance to have Dynasty if it wasn’t for you.” Gennadius moved to snuggle up with him again, practically climbing into his lap so she could be as close as a person could get and be able to watch her filly as well.

Nilo’s arm wrapped around her shoulders as she snuggled closer, glad she liked his name. It wasn’t the most creative, but it was fitting enough for the adorable little thing. He snorted as she claimed her horse would be prettier, “Sure Gennadius, sure,” The man teased, crossing his legs out in front of him, “We shall see about that.” He challenged, though it was meant more jokingly than anything. The woman deserved her moment to think her little filly was the most precious and perfect thing. With how busy the two had been, it was nice to slow down a bit, even if it was on the floor of a stable stall.

“I’m sure we will…” The man trailed, knowing that if they put their heads together they could find the filly a home of some sort. They had time on their side as well, since the horses certainly wouldn’t be full-grown overnight. Nilo had begun to doze again, his exhaustion returning as the excitement was over. The pair were left in peace and as odd as it was, he was more relaxed than before. A tired smile crossed his face as she spoke again and he kissed the top of her head. “I agree. It’s absolutely perfect, but it’s about to get so much better.” He replied, just as excited as she was about it all. It was a brand new adventure with the woman he loved and Nilo was beyond thrilled.

“It is incredible she had two and that both survived. That’s incredibly rare.” Nilo agreed, eyes opening to watch them stagger towards their mother, who was thankfully up and moving. That meant both her and her babies were in good health, which relieved his worries. “I have to admit, I had my concerns about this all, considering Wicke’s more of my pet than anything and she’s on the smaller side, but it seemed it all worked out. Who would’ve thought your alley cat stallion was good for something?” He joked, for the woman knew full well he adored Magistrate and it seemed their chosen pairing had worked out well.

The man was glad he was able to give her the horse, well aware he was the reason she was down a horse in the first place. Little Dynasty didn’t replace Magistrate in the slightest, nor would she ever, but she was a brand new experience that his fiance was thrilled about, so the man couldn’t be happier for her. In the end, it had all worked out and they even had an additional filly. It would certainly be fun to watch the two grow up together and he was looking forward to it.

At the mention of Damien, the man perked up. The gruff man wasn’t as big of an animal lover as the couple, but the filly was sure to be a gift he appreciated. Not to mention the advisor was one of their best friends. Damien was… a rather special person but no one could deny he was a rather fatherly figure, despite the fact he was a bit rough around the edges. So perhaps this would be a good gift for him, being able to have a horse to finally call his own. The man nodded enthusiastically before he even spoke, eyes glimmering through their fatigue with his excitement at the idea.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. It’ll give him something to do. The poor man's house is dominated by women, even if Bea stays in an inn across the street.” Nilo chuckled, shaking his head, “I hear he’s looking for a bigger place. Seems a one-bedroom apartment isn’t doing it anymore and since he refuses to let Isabella get within ten feet of a man, she should expect to be staying with him till she grays.” He snorted softly, happy they had come up with an idea of what to do with Luna once she was older. It was nice to think the foals were going into good hands.

It was clear the two were staying since Nilo wasn’t about to leave Gennadius in the stall all alone. It wasn’t that he was worried, it just seemed like the man should stay, even if she probably wouldn’t have cared if he had gone. Besides, he would rather be with her alone in a cold room. The man's smile was soft as the woman thanked him, clearly glad he had accompanied her. Nilo was happy he had, realizing that she had just wanted to share the experience and excitement with him. In the end, no matter how grumpy he had been, how could he have denied her that?

“I’m glad I allowed you to drag me out here,” The man’s murmur was soft and fond, “and I’m sorry for being an ass.” Nilo apologized, recalling how he’d snapped at her earlier for messing with him while he tried to sleep. “It seems I would have missed out on something meaningful without your persistence, but don’t make awaking me at an ungodly hour a habit.” Nilo shifted some so the pair could comfortably snuggle while they watched the foal and share each other's warmth. “Wasn’t for me? I simply provided my mare, don’t give me too much credit. Besides, we always wanted to breed them anyway, remember? This time we just had an even better reason to.”

The woman released a warm chuckle, dark eyes closing in the low lighting of the stall. “I'm sure Bea won’t be staying in an inn long. Damien’s going to crack soon enough and marry that woman. I wager you within the year. Once that happens, Isabella may have a chance.” She released another soft snort at the thought, knowing the advisor was hyper protective of his sister. Which perhaps was a good thing, Gennadius having a feeling the girl was bound to get herself in as much mischief as she could manage.

A content sigh escaped her as she rested her head to his chest, wiggling a little to get comfortable. “Don’t worry about it. You weren’t that bad anyway. Besides, now I know what to expect in our marriage when I get my whims to have early morning conversations,” Gennadius teased him, reaching her hand to playfully poke him, though her eyes never opened. Did she really plan on waking him up just to talk? No. But it was fun to say anyway.

Her hand moved so her fingers could run through his hair, the exhaustion finally catching up to her. The woman’s voice lowered to a soft murmur as she smiled, “Well, if you hadn’t been willing to breed Wicke, this never would have happened. So, I think I owe a lot to you. I now have the perfect filly, the perfect memory, and the perfect moment with my fiancé.” Hand falling from his hair, it wrapped around his torso instead, her focus shifting to listening the noises. The rumbling thunder, the falling rain, Nilo’s breathing, and the occasional sound of tiny hooves tripping up. Yes, it was perfect, and she slipped into oblivion with that thought.

There wasn’t long to sleep, considering that they had been up so early and they really needed to be up by dawn. And that was about the time the castle and stables would start coming to life. However, it seemed that certain horses took it upon themselves to be the couple’s alarm clock. Gennadius was just starting to stir, barely though, by the feeling of a looming presence. The woman was still asleep enough to consciously try and ignore it until it felt like some small fist punched her in the thigh.

Blue eyes snapped open and her head turned in time to see Dynasty’s spindly front leg reach out to paw her in the side, brown eyes blinking before a small muzzle bumped into shoulder. The woman couldn’t resist a smile as she was slowly pulling herself out of the sleep fog, leaning forward and ducking from under Nilo’s to be free of the sleeping prince. She personally didn’t want to disturb him so scooted away some to be greeted by a soft snort and another little bump, Dynasty clearly wanting something from her human mother.

“Hey gorgeous,” Gennadius said softly, reaching out to rub the soft black muzzle softly. This earned a jerk back of the head before the little filly made a standing bounce in the air, spun around, dashed to one side of the stall, turned and came barreling back. Dynasty put on her breaks when she got closer to Gennadius, but had so much momentum that she ended up tumbling head first forward and rolling right into the sitting woman. There was a soft oof that escaped her before she laughed softly, reaching out to tap to the soft nose. Little legs scrambled as Dynasty got back to her feet, spinning in a few circles before reaching to paw at the woman again, clearly wanting to play.

She was so entranced by her excited little mare, who wanted nothing more than to play, that she failed to notice what Luna and Wicke were up to. Well, she noticed that their mother had moved closer to Nilo and briefly caught her nuzzling the man to earn no reaction. After that, her full focus had turned to Dynasty, reaching out to playfully tap the filly who would end up trying to make a small dash around the stall and usually end in a tumble or a trip before returning to Gennadius. So the blonde did not notice Luna step up to the man and sniff his head, nor what happened after that.