Ivan's Queen

Amelia Romanov’s P.O.V.

End of March.

Location: Central Kingdom.

I stare down at my little boy as I stroke his cheek gently. His lips are turned up into a cute pout as he sleeps peacefully. It was hard to get him to go to sleep after feeding but an hour later he had thankfully drifted off into a deep slumber. It has only been two weeks since he was born so I’m finding it quite difficult to adjust to the parent life.

All the work is now on Lazarus and Nova’s shoulders as I’m struggling to get some rest. Everyone had left just a few days ago and that includes my mom. However, I regret telling her that I would be fine. Of course, everyone in the castle has been so caring towards me and my son but I guess I’m just finding it hard to manage everything on my own especially when I’m still in the process of healing from giving birth.

Ivan has yet to return but I’m hopeful that it will be any day now. Dad and uncle Vulcan traveled by ship to the central kingdom and when they got off at the harbor they reported that Ivan’s scent was a few hours old. So that means that they are close behind him. The main harbor that we use is quite far from the castle but a day has passed since their call so now it’s just a waiting game.

Will he still remember me? I wonder to myself. It will hurt me to see that he doesn’t but him returning home safe and sound matters much more than that. I turn to my baby when he whimpers and rub his stomach to soothe him. Whispering to him that I’m here and peppering his soft skin with kisses I watch as he settles down again. He’s so precious and I can’t imagine what I would do without him. I would go crazy if anything happened to him that’s for sure.

“Amelia!” Nova’s excited voice filters through my mind as she all but screams into the link. “Ivan –”

Everything fades away once she says his name. Is he here?! I wonder before getting off the bed quickly yet quietly. My heart hammers away in my chest as I race towards the door but it opens before my hand can clasp around the doorknob. I feel tears brim my eyes and stream down my cheeks at the sight before me.

“Ivan.” I whisper as I take him in.

All his emotions slam into me as the mate bond is strengthened once more. His mind is blocked off and because of that I don’t know what to expect. He’s dressed in a cream colored tunic with shorts that reach his knees and shoes. I notice the scar on his temple but other than that he looks okay. But I know that the damage lies underneath those clothes. I’m afraid to do or say anything because I’m not sure if he remembers me. But he came up to our room. Surely he does? I think to myself.

“Amelia.” He breathes and graces me with a handsome smile that I’ve missed so much. “Come here, Солнышко.” (Little sun)

A strangled sob escapes me as I throw myself at him the moment he steps into the room and closes the door. I almost sigh in bliss as I feel the familiar sparks and tingles again as our bond rejoices over the contact. Oh, how much I’ve missed this. He wraps me up in his comforting embrace before his lips come crashing down on mine. I’m still crying softly as he kisses me and hold onto him tightly for fear of him disappearing. I waited for him for so long and he’s finally home. What’s even better is that he remembers me!

“I’ve missed you so much.” He picks me up and twirls me around with a laugh. “I’m home! I’m finally home!”

“Ivan, don’t be so loud.” I plead softly as he places me back down on the ground.

“What – why? What’s wrong?” He mutters in confusion with brows furrowed as he pulls back.

“Nothing’s wrong.” I smile as I caress his cheek. “Our son just went down for his nap and he gets very grumpy when woken up.”

“W-What?” He breathes before his eyes widen comically. “My...I-I have a son? You...what?!”

“After you went missing I found out that I was pregnant.” I smile as I watch him process everything. “I gave birth to our son on eighteenth March just two weeks ago.”

“C-Can I...see him?” He asks timidly when he notices the small bundle on our bed.

“Of course, come.” I grin before taking his hand and guiding him to where our baby sleeps peacefully.

“Wow...” He trails off and his wide eyes brim with tears as he falls to his knees by the bed. A breathless yet pained laugh escapes him as he glances up at me. “He looks just like me!”

“Yes.” I chuckle as I kneel beside him on the floor. “He’s even got your eyes. I was quite jealous when I realized he doesn’t have one single feature from me.”

“I missed it all.” He states hoarsely and his bottom lip trembles as he turns to me.

“Oh, Ivan.” I murmur sadly and hug him as he cries softly on my shoulder.

“I wasn’t there, for your pregnancy or the birth!” He sobs and his anguish shatters my heart. I can feel through our bond how heartbroken he is and his guilt slams into me.

“I know it won’t be the same but I was adamant that you were going to come back so we all filmed everything.” I pause before smiling sheepishly. “Well...not everything since I was uncomfortable of the camera filming down there.”

He laughs in between his quiet sobs before calming down as I rub his back in soothing circles. “Thank you. It won’t be the same but it’ll be more than enough.”

“Do you want to hold him?”

“W-What?” He stutters before shaking his head fearfully. “No, what if I drop him?!”

“You won’t, trust me. I’ll show you.” I grin before standing and picking up our son carefully. “Remember to support his neck.”

“He’s so small.” Ivan whispers as he takes him into his arms.

I grab my phone and open the camera to take some pictures. But at that moment, our son opens his eyes and blinks up at him. I start taking photos and videos as I hear Ivan’s breath hitch loudly. He’s staring back wide eyed at the same green eyes that were inherited from him. And then, a wobbly smile slowly spreads across his lips as our baby grasps his finger and clenches it as tight as he can.

“Hey, little guy.” Ivan whispers as tears fall from his eyes. “I’m your dad. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to welcome you to the world but I’m here now. I won’t leave you again, I promise.”

So much hurt and guilt filters through our bond and I try my best to reassure him. Sending him only love in return I close my eyes and show him every memory I have of my pregnancy and the birth. I also send him my memories of our baby during his first two weeks.

“I love you.” He murmurs as I open my eyes to find his tearful ones. He pulls me close and wraps an arm around my waist before pressing a firm kiss to my lips. “I’m so sorry, for everything.”

“Don’t be.” I whisper as I take a seat on the bed beside him. “You’re here now and that’s all that matters.”

He nods sadly before looking down at our son again. “Did you name him?”

“Raiden Romanov, just like you wanted.” I chuckle as I stroke his soft hair. (Pronounced rye-den)

“You remembered?” His question comes out more like a soft statement as he smiles brightly at me.

“Of course, I remembered. You were so stubborn!” I chuckle quietly and watch as he grins before pressing kisses to Raiden’s face.

While we were on tour we had talked about starting a family and I had asked Ivan what he would name our daughter or son. He had been adamant on naming our first son Raiden and had dismissed all my suggestions. When I started thinking about names his choice struck out the most and I knew I couldn’t name my son anything different.

I watch with my heart bursting in joy as Raiden coos and kicks his legs about to catch his father’s attention. He certainly gets all of it. Ivan lifts him up and hugs him by placing Raiden’s head in the crook of his neck while holding his head and legs. His eyes are closed but a happy smile graces his lips as he inhales our baby’s scent.

“I love him so much. He’s so tiny and perfect.” He mumbles contently before opening his eyes to meet mine. “My family.”

He holds out his arm and I grin before cuddling up against him and Raiden. I’m so happy to have him back and send a thank you to God for answering my prayers. I relax against him as he showers us both with affection before he suddenly pulls back and stares at me in concern.

“Are you still in pain?” He asks worriedly as his thumb traces my dark circles from all those sleepless nights. “You look exhausted, Солнышко.” (Little sun)

I nod with a weak smile. “The stitches are just taking their sweet time to heal.”

“And I haven’t been here to help you care for Raiden.” He whispers with a sigh as he pulls me into a tight embrace. “But I’m here now and I promise to be the best father to our son and take good care of you.”

“I don’t doubt that.” I smile as I press a kiss to his jawline. “Will you tell me what happened and where you’ve been?”

“Of course. Let me just put him down because I think he’s fallen asleep again.” He chuckles as he holds Raiden up to confirm.

I watch as he wraps him up in his blanket and lays him down in the middle of our bed. Ivan smiles softly as he caresses Raiden’s cheek with a look of adoration. He presses a lingering kiss to our son’s cheek before coming back to me. Draping his arm over my shoulder he holds me tight for a moment.

“We were halfway there when Liev attacked us on the mountainous path. Him and his men didn’t waste any time to push our warriors over the edge before doing the same to me. I fell out of the windshield and landed on a ledge.” A shuddering breath escapes him which makes me hold his hand in mine. “I...I thought I could make it but they shot at me. The bullets were laced with Wolfsbane and silver so it caused Maksim and Konstantin a lot of pain. They couldn’t help me anymore and I ended up slipping off the ledge and falling.”

“Are they okay now?” I ask as I wipe a stray tear from my cheek.

“They’re fine and very excited to meet you again.” He chuckles with a playful roll of his eyes. “I woke up near the end of February. Edgar, the man who found me, took care of me and brought me home, told me that I had slipped into a coma because when I fell off the ledge my head hit the ground badly. I stayed in their village until I had healed fully and then we set out to bring me back home.”

“We must thank him properly for helping you.” I smile up at him and watch him nod in agreement. “Did you remember anything when you woke up?”

“Nothing at all except for hazy memories of what happened on the mountain.” He sighs heavily with a shake of his head. “It was a slow process to get my memories back. I only started to remember my family and you when we were travelling back home. But thankfully by the time we docked at the harbor I remembered everything.”

I mirror his wide grin and give him a tight hug. “I’m so happy! Dad and uncle Vulcan reached the village you stayed at and someone told them that you had lost your memories. I was worried you wouldn’t remember any of us when you returned.”

“They were looking for me?” He asks with wide eyes.

“Of course, they were.” I reply gently as I caress his cheek. “We found Liev too. He’s in the dungeons.”

“I want to see him.” He growls darkly and I nod before calling Benno and Hendrix to guard Raiden while we are gone.

We leave just as they come inside and make our way downstairs. Using the back exit we leave the main castle and enter the building where the prison cells are. The usual four warriors greet us as we reach the area Liev is being kept. They open the door and let us in but I stay back and let Ivan do what he needs to do.

“Hello Liev.” He utters darkly as he unlocks his cell.

“I-Ivan...p-please, have m-mercy!” Liev cries which only makes Ivan angrier.

“Funny. You left me for dead and now you beg for my mercy?” He growls as he opens a cabinet that needed a pin to be unlocked.

I watch curiously as he takes out two syringes that are filled with a bluish green liquid. However, I quickly realize that it’s Wolfsbane and that Ivan is going to kill Liev in the same way he tried to kill him. Liev screams and thrashes against his chains as Ivan makes his way over to him. He tries to reason with Ivan but his pleads fall on deaf ears.

“Although you are in my prison that has the best security system I will not jeopardize my mate and my pup’s safety.” He snarls and Liev’s eyes widen in shock at his words, especially hearing that the Lycan Kingdom now has an heir. “May the Moon Goddess unleash her wrath upon you.”

“No!” Liev roars just as Ivan injects the Wolfsbane in his veins.

Ivan backs away with an emotionless mask as he watches Liev thrash and cry out for help. He locks the cell before throwing the syringes in the bin and washing his hands. Ivan then makes his way over to where I stand and wraps an arm around my waist. We make our way out of the cell and Ivan tells the warriors to get rid of the body once Liev is officially dead.

We walk back to the castle and upstairs where Hendrix and Benno sit in our room. They look up at us with curious eyes before grinning in satisfaction when Ivan tells them that Liev is dead. However, at that moment Lazarus mind links me to say that they have arrived.

I turn to Ivan excitedly. “Uncle Vulcan and dad are downstairs. Shall we go meet them?”

“Yes!” He breathes and stands with excitement. He starts rushing towards the door before stopping and turning around. “Wait, did they see Raiden yet?”

“No.” I smile as I pick our baby boy up. “Why don’t you meet them first and then we’ll introduce Raiden?”

He nods before taking my hand and helping me downstairs with Benno and Hendrix hot on our heels. As soon as we reach the end we see uncle Vulcan and my dad waiting for us alongside the rest of the Romanov, Reid and Antonov families. Nova and Lazarus also wait for us with excited grins. Everyone cheers and I watch with a happy smile as Ivan runs forward to hug his parents and siblings. He then greets everyone else and I laugh when my dad and Ivan hug each other tightly.

“Don’t ever do that to us again!” Aunt Aurora scolds with tears in her eyes as Ivan hugs her tightly.

“I’ll try not to.” He jokes which earns him a swat to the arm. He then turns to my dad and Uncle Vulcan before taking their hands and pulling them towards me. “Dad, uncle Kaden meet Raiden!”

Both grandfathers lean in and fawn over the new addition to the family. Uncle Vulcan takes Raiden from my arms and peppers kisses to his chubby cheeks. He’s wide awake now and cooing happily as he kicks his arms and legs about. Dad hugs me tightly and congratulates me before his attention is completely taken by Raiden. He showers his grandson with love and both men comment on how much he looks like Ivan.

“Did you pick a godparent, Amelia?” Dad asks to which I shake my head in reply.

“Me!” Both Nathan and Mikhail yell as they run over.

“She’s my sister!” Nathan argues as Mikhail takes Raiden into his arms.

“He’s my brother!” Mikhail smirks smugly before a wicked glint enters his eyes. “Plus, I’m cooler. Watch.”

Before any of us can stop him Mikhail creates a small ball of fire in his palms and holds it up. He grins when Raiden stares curiously at the fire but it drops when aunt Aurora smacks the back of his head hard. She scolds him with a fierce glare which he ignores and turns to Ivan and I with a pleading look.

Ivan chuckles as he wraps his arms around my waist from behind before talking to me through our mind link. “What do you think?”

“We’re sticking with Ayla like we decided. These two will probably lose our baby!” I huff as Raiden is handed back to me.

“Sorry boys, but Raiden’s godparent is Ayla.” Ivan announces only for Nathan and Mikhail’s jaws to drop.

“Excuse me?!” They shout in outrage but are cut off by Ayla’s excited squeal as she shoves them out of the way.

“It’s only fair!” She smirks before taking Raiden and peppering kisses to every inch of his face as he makes loud noises of delight.

“Dibs on being the godparent for the next baby!” Nathan shouts before laughing manically at Mikhail when he snarls in frustration.

“Not going to happen. I’m older than both of you which makes me next in line.” Valentina smirks smugly when they both groan in disappointment.

Eventually, everyone settles down before Ivan heads into his office and comes back with an elderly looking man. He is dressed in simple clothes like Ivan and his eyes are grey but wrinkled at the corners. His hair is white along with his long beard and he is using a wooden staff to support him as he walks. I assume this is Edgar and it’s confirmed when Ivan introduces him.

“Thank you for taking care of Ivan and bringing him back home, Edgar. We appreciate everything you’ve done.” I step forward and shake his hand.

“It was an honor, your majesty.” He smiles warmly as he pinches Raiden’s cheek gently. “Congratulations to both of you!”

“Will you join us for dinner, Edgar?” Uncle Vulcan asks before everyone chimes in as they try and convince him to stay.

“If it’s not too much trouble.” Edgar smiles before following us towards the dining room. “But I’ll have to get back to Naomi soon. She worries too much when I’m gone for long.”

“Don’t worry Edgar, I’ll have my men drive you back safely.” Ivan chuckles as he pats his shoulder.

I smile at the two and am just about to head inside when Ivan grasps my hand and pulls me back. I stare up at him in confusion as he watches everyone disappear before turning to me. He wraps an arm around my waist as his other hand caresses Raiden’s head. Emerald eyes that I love so much are filled with adoration as he presses a firm yet lingering kiss to both of our foreheads.

“I love you, Amelia.” He murmurs softly as he pulls us into his comforting embrace. “I love you for being strong. I love you for not letting our home crumble, for powering through your pregnancy, for thinking of including me and for delivering our perfect baby boy. I love you for giving me my own little family. You’ve made my life complete and although we will have more obstacles in the future I’m so grateful that I have someone like you by my side.”

“You’re making me cry!” I laugh as my eyes brim with tears. “I love you too, Ivan.”

“I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know how much I admire your strength.” He grins cheekily as he wipes my cheeks. “You are so perfect.”

His lips come crashing down on mine and he kisses me passionately. I feel him pour his love for me through our bond and I return the gesture which makes him smile into the kiss. But our little moment is cut short when Raiden squeals loudly and his small hands tangle themselves into our hair. Chuckling at his insistence to pull us apart I loosen his grip carefully as he struggles to escape my arms. He makes grabby hands at Ivan who lights up at the sight of our son wanting his affection.

“Now give him to me!” He grins as he takes Raiden. “Daddy’s got some catching up to do with his little pup!”

Raiden shoots him a toothless smile as he accidentally shoves his hand into Ivan’s mouth. I follow them into the dining room while watching Ivan act like he’s going to eat Raiden’s hand. Soft noises escape him as he stares up at Ivan with wonder and listens to everything his dad is saying. The sight warms my heart and makes me feel fuzzy on the inside.

I finally have my happy every after.