An Heir and a Spare

"Ragnar," the feminine voice whispered.

I had gone to bed very late after being held in a meeting with Council members nearly all day and night. They were still co-operating, to a point, though were starting to push their luck and test the limit of my patience. I wasn't going to blow up like I did with Tiberius, that was a completely different situation, but I was left thinking that I may have to eventually remind them that I was the Emperor, and that while I don't expect the world to turn at my desire, if I have an idea that most of them even agree is good, why are they obstructing?

But that was beside the point, as I felt someone shake me and whisper, "Ragnar!" a little louder and more insistent.

I opened an eye to see Serana in the darkness, her face near mine. "What?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"Aela. She's ready to give birth."

My eyes shot open, causing my wife to giggle, as I got out of bed, almost tripping over my feet. "How is she?" I asked while pulling on a pair of pants and a shirt.

"She's fine, though the midwife believes the child is imminent."

"Guess we'd better get in there," I suggested, sitting down to put on a pair of shoes.

Serana led the way through darkened hallways, lit only by the occasional candle. Most stewards and servants would be asleep, though one or two rushed past, I assumed also to help Aela. On the threshold of her room, I stopped and took a deep breath, feeling another onset of nerves. Serana realised and turned to face me, grabbing my hand as she said, "You'll do fine. If you can run an Empire, you can certainly be a father."

My wife could always read my thoughts.

In addition to Aela on the bed and the midwife, there were a couple of priestesses, who I knew well and were experts in medicine. I didn't think Aela was ill, but the first hours and days of a child's life are some of its most difficult, so I understood why they were present. All eyes turned to me on arrival and I waved away any greeting. "Concentrate on whatever you're doing. Forget that I'm here."

Aela didn't say anything, her face contorted in what I figured was pain. Serana was immediately at her side, grabbing one of her hands. She looked at me and gestured with her eyes to where I should go, taking a seat opposite and grabbing her other one. Aela looked up at me, her forehead bathed in sweat, hair plastered to her face. "You did this to me, you bastard!"

"Don't say anything, Ragnar," Serana stated, injecting a little humour.

"It is just the pain, sire. She doesn't mean it," the midwife added.

Serana leaned down and whispered into Aela's ear, watching as she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. The midwife continued to give instructions, leading to Aela to occasionally scream rather loudly or groan with what I thought was more pain. I didn't know what to do except continue to hold her hand, feeling it being squeezed very tightly whenever the midwife told Aela to push.

It felt like a lifetime, but very quickly the midwife shouted, "I can see the head!"

Then Aela started to cry as the midwife urged her to continue. Within a few minutes, there was what felt like silence. I don't think there was, there was just so much going on it all became white noise. That was broken by the sounds of a baby's cry. There was a flurry of movement and more instructions before there was an announcement.

"It's a boy! Sire, you have a son."

I looked down at Aela, ready to tell her but she just nodded as she continued to cry. The midwife was ready to hand the baby to me, but I moved out of the way. "The mother should hold him first," I said.

Aela was ready to hand him to Serana, but she shook her head. "Ragnar said the mother, Aela," she said quietly.

I'd seen many spectacular sights during my lifetime, but none were as heart-warming as watching a mother hold her new-born for the first time. The change in Aela was near immediate. Here was something I knew she would spend the rest of her life protecting from anything that would want to cause it harm. The love she had for the child, that had grown inside her for months, was overwhelming, and rather infectious. Aela was crying. Serana was crying. The midwife wouldn't stop smiling. The other priestesses were now quietly praying.

I sat in stunned silence on a chair as I watched it all. "I'm a father," I muttered.

"Come here, Ragnar. Sit beside me," Aela whispered, seeing she was exhausted. I did as she requested as she handed me the child. I found holding it awkward. It seemed to come natural to her. I needed a little instruction. "What do you want to name him?"

"Do you have any ideas?"

Aela smiled tiredly. "He is your heir, Ragnar. I'm sure I'll agree to anything you say right now."

I glanced at Serana. "Aela is right," she agreed.

I looked down at my son, a rather pink, wrinkly little human, amazed that he would one day grow up to be tall, strong and my successor as Emperor. "I'll admit I have been thinking about it for a while now. I was thinking of instituting a new naming regime."

"How do you mean?" Serana wondered.

"You know how I gave us the last name 'Dragonborn'? I've been thinking about what we would do if we were to have children. I want to name my son after me. Ragnar. When he becomes Emperor, he will be Ragnar II. But I also want him to remember who I was when I am gone, so I was thinking of a last name. If you were to read old Nordic names, those who did not call themselves after the place they were born would name themselves after their father."

"So what will his name be?"

"Ragnar Ragnarsson, heir to the Dragonborn throne, Second of his Name."

Aela laughed quietly. "Two Ragnars? Gods help us."

I glanced at Serana, and handing the child across, she couldn't help smile. "Ragnar… I like it. Who knows? He may grow up to look just like his father. Perhaps with red hair like his mother though."

After we all had the chance of holding my son, the midwife quickly ushered Serana and I out of the room, saying Aela had to rest, and that she would then have to learn how to nurse the child and numerous other things about looking after the child. "And me?" I asked.

"You have an Empire to run, Ragnar."

"I want to be involved," I told my wife.

"And you will be. But Aela and I already make a good team. Once Lydia has hers, there will be three of us to raise two. And look at all the help we'll otherwise help. As long as you don't ignore their existence, we already understand how busy you will be."

"Dinner. We must always have dinner together. The four of us, seven when Lydia gives birth, then the child and Mjoll will join us. And I'll help with bedtime. Or, at least I'll try."

We walked back to our room hand in hand, letting go as we entered the bedroom to close the door. By the time I'd turned to head to bed, Serana stood in the middle of the room and, just like my wife could read me like a book, I could read her too. I took her in my arms as she sobbed quietly.

"I'm sorry…"

I gently shushed her as she continued to cry. It wasn't about Aela and the child. Well, it was. I knew exactly what it was. She had put up a brave front when first suggesting idea. She was excited all the way through the pregnancy of both women. But now the cold reality had hit.

"You know I wanted to…"

I shushed her again. I knew exactly what she wanted to say. And she didn't need to say it. But I stayed silent. Nothing I could say was really going to help her. Well, except saying "I love you." Even though she continued to cry, I know that would have made her smile, though perhaps only on the inside for the time being.

"I'm being foolish," she finally whispered.

"It was always going to be difficult. The only foolish thing was convincing yourself otherwise."

"She's going to make an excellent mother."

"I know."

"How is this really going to work?"

"You have it figured out already. You were always bound to worry once the child was born. Aela knows the score. She's your friend. You trust her. I trust her. We are going to be one big happy family once Lydia as hers."

"This is going to be so strange."

"Wouldn't trade it for the world." I leaned back and lifted her chin so she could look at me. Gently drying her cheeks with one of my thumbs, I added, "And the best day of my life is still the day I married you. Nothing will ever change that." Moving her hand over my chest, I continued. "There are now two people in here. You and my son. In a few weeks' time, another son or daughter will be added."

I watched as she took a series of deep breaths, before she finally returned a crooked smile. "Maybe I'm just tired," she said, half-joking.

"We both need sleep. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning. If not, I'm always here for, you know, talking, hugging, kissing… other things..."

That made her laugh, and after she kissed me and a smile formed that took my breath away, I knew things were going to be okay.

*****

One of my first acts as a new father, and Emperor, was to issue an Imperial proclamation, announcing the birth and the fact that succession was now secured. I wrote the proclamation myself, running it by a couple of my advisors, Lydia's replacements, who barely made any changes before they ran off, saying they would be up and around the city by mid-morning. In addition, they would ensure news would be spread across the length and breadth of the Empire, couriers being sent to each noble house in Cyrodiil, each Jarl in Skyrim and the five Kings of High Rock, while news would also be sent to Hammerfell.

Two days after the birth, a steward knocked on the door of my study. "Sire, there is a crowd outside."

"Whatever for?"

"They want to see the child, sire. The city hasn't seen an Imperial birth in decades."

"I'll check and see that it's okay with the mother. It's her decision."

"Of course, sire."

All our servants and stewards were aware of the situation, and although they were sworn to secrecy, they were all accepting of the situation. I'm not sure why, I guess they actually liked Serana and myself. Lydia was friendly to all the staff in the palace, and even Aela managed to develop friendships with people.

And, of course, Aela was quite happy to show off her child, though knew that in public, she would be in the background. She didn't care a bit, of course. In private, she was mother. And the public events would be very rare, having all agreed that our children would be afforded all the privacy possible while they developed.

The balcony doors were closed, but we could hear the noise from outside. "How big is the crowd?" I asked the steward.

"We don't have a count. Suffice to say, the entire city has been excited since the announcement."

"The people like us?"

"They've seen more of you in the short time you have been ruler than they ever saw of the previous Emperor, sire."

Another steward opened the doors and, with my tiny son in hand, I walked out onto the balcony with Serana. The noise was near deafening as we waved to the crowd, making sure I glanced back and gestured with my head for Aela to step forward. I didn't think the people were idiots, but from the height, distance and the ledge around the balcony, they wouldn't have seen too much.

"This is rather nice," Serana stated, "I think we're quite popular."

"We've just secured the legitimacy of the throne. Without an heir, this would have all ended very quickly. Now the people have stability. And I think they like babies as well."

Over the next month, we received numerous letters from across the Empire congratulating us on the birth, and no end of presents that, to be honest, we didn't particularly need, though the sentiment was appreciated. A letter from Balgruuf joked that it was just another thing he could add to the 'museum', while the letter from Elisif made both Aela and Serana shed a tear. She was delighted for us but there was heartbreak in the tone.

"Can she not remarry?" Serana wondered aloud.

"She can. The period of mourning expected would be long over. But you've heard her speak of Torygg. That was no arranged marriage. She loved him deeply."

I wrote her back immediately, hoping that one day she would write us the good news that she was now a mother.

Six weeks after the birth of Ragnar, I was pulled from a meeting with the Arch-Mage by Cyrus, Lydia's immediate replacement, whispering in my ear that Lydia was on the verge of giving birth.

Barely an hour later, I was the proud father of another son.

Sitting on the bed as Lydia held our son for the first time, I shared a concerned glance with Serana, who sat on the other side. Aela was sitting in a nearby chair, holding a tiny bundle in her arms. Serana smiled when I looked at her, it broadening as my eyes no doubt asked the non-verbal question. 'I'm fine,' she mouthed.

Looking back over the previous six weeks, I think my wife and Aela had grown even closer, bonding as friends over baby Ragnar. Obviously, Aela took care of all the nursing and feeding, otherwise Serana was helping more than anyone. We did have staff who we had employed as additional help, but I often found them outside Aela's room, replying to my questions that they were not needed. I would generally call one of my other stewards and they'd be given other tasks to do. I didn't want to let them go as I knew they'd be called upon to help eventually. Probably once the excitement and enthusiasm died down.

"So, what will his name be?" Lydia finally asked.

"Am I naming him again?"

"Of course. He is your spare heir."

"Be honest, Ragnar, you've been thinking about it since naming this one," Aela said.

Handing me my son, Lydia lay back and closer her eyes as Serana asked, "So, what will his name be?"

"I've been thinking of two names, actually. He'll probably only ever use the first, but I want to give him two."

"And they are?"

"In the name of the father, he would also be known as Ragnar. But…" I glanced at Aela as I added, "There is another man I wish to honour."

Aela picked up immediately. "I think you would render the old man speechless if he was here, Ragnar."

"Who?" Serana wondered.

Returning my gaze to my wife, I replied. "You never met the man. He was killed what feels like a long time ago. His name was Kodlak Whitemane. I only knew him for a few months, but the impact he had on me will be life long."

"I've heard yourself and the Jarl discuss him before."

"He was a great man, Serana. A warrior of honour, courage and wisdom," Aela stated reverently.

Holding up my son, I said, "You shall be known as Kodlak Ragnarsson, second in line to the Dragonborn throne. May my son prove worthy of wearing those two names."

"Ragnar and Kodlak, sons of Ragnar. We are definitely a Nord family," Serana said with humour.

Somehow, I'm still not sure how, it all managed to work. Aela and Lydia were responsible for feeding, naturally, but otherwise they made sure Serana was as involved as possible, though even I know that the bonds that formed between Aela, Lydia and their child was going to be different to any relationship Serana would develop, and I knew that continued to play on her mind. But, for the first couple of months after Lydia gave birth, my life continued as normal, the Empire continuing to require nearly all my attention, though I kept my promise. I was always there for dinner, and nearly always helped put both children to bed.

My wife did have her bad days, though. They were few and far between, but she did occasionally need a pick me up. It was never in front of Aela or Lydia, the bonds between the three women near unbreakable. It was an intensely personal thing and only something she could deal with. I did my best but there were times when even my hugs, jokes and simple presence couldn't pull her all the way out of her melancholy.

Until one night…

"Ragnar, I have a question," she asked, pulling my attention away from the sheet of paperwork I was reading in bed. I tried not to work in our private quarters, but Cyrus had dumped a pile of paperwork on me just as I was walking in.

"I may have an answer."

"I'm not joking, Ragnar."

The tone was pleasant, but the message was clear. I moved all the paperwork onto the side table and gave Serana my undivided attention. "Okay, what's the question?"

"You know how we discussed before and after we got married about adopting a child?" I nodded. "I love the two little bundles of joy we have now. But they are not my own. I know I can't have my own, but I've been thinking… If we were to adopt a child, find a new-born, then I don't know, I guess I'm feeling I'll bond with that child like Aela and Lydia have bonded with their child."

"So you want to adopt?"

"Yes. Preferably a girl. We have two sons. I want a little girl. Would you not want a daughter?"

"Of course. Are you sure about this?"

"I've been thinking about it since we got married, Ragnar. But it was never the right time, with how busy we were, and then with you becoming Emperor, and then with having to assure you have an heir…"

"I wasn't thinking."

She lay her hand on mine. "You're always thinking, Ragnar, particularly of me. You've been far more worried about how this will affect me than anyone else. But I have been thinking about it more recently, and I think adding another baby or small child to our growing clan wouldn't prove too difficult. What do you think?"

"Okay."

"Okay? That's it. Okay?"

"If you want adopt a child, Serana, I'm not going to say no. You know I've been on board with the idea since I mentioned it. So, let me talk with a couple of people. I'll find out how many orphanages are in the city."

"There are four. I've already asked."

I couldn't help chuckle at her eagerness before adding, "Okay, and I'm sure there are quite a few children. There always are, for some reason. So, I'll ask someone to look into these orphanages and, if you really want, we'll go visit them and perhaps they'll have what you're looking for."

I must have pleased my wife, as her clothes quickly disappeared, as did mine, and I think what we did next sealed whatever deal we had agreed. Not that it was a deal. I knew she was desperate to have a child she could call her own. And I would do practically anything to make my wife happy. Except invade another country. That would be a step too far.

Though I would think about it.

The next day, while Serana was with Lydia and Aela, I had a chat with Cyrus. I hadn't known him particularly well when he worked directly for Lydia, but once he had taken over most of her responsibilities, I'd come to appreciate his talents. I complimented Lydia for recruiting well too.

"Cyrus, I have a favour to ask."

"Of course, sire. What do you need?"

"I need you to keep this between me, yourself and perhaps one or two of your subordinates at most. Understand?" He nodded. "I need you to go to the orphanages within the city and find a child for my wife and I do adopt."

"You already have two sons, sire."

I couldn't help smile. "I'm aware, Cyrus. My wife would like a daughter. And, to be honest, so would I. So, see if any orphanage has a girl to adopt."

"How old or young?"

"As young as possible. My wife can't nurse, but I'm sure there is a way it can be done."

"I'll get right to it, sire."

"When you or anyone has news, come straight to me. I'd like to surprise the Queen with the news."

"Should I let the orphanage know you're coming?"

"No."

"Very well. I'll return as soon as possible."

Further proof that I had good people working for me, he returned that evening with good news. One of the orphanages may have what we were after. Taking instructions on where it was, I thanked him profusely, offering him a bottle of fine brandy as reward, which he only took after I insisted he did, taking his offer of sharing a glass at a later time, before I quickly hurried to our private quarters to gather my wife.

Wearing overcoats and hoods to hide our identities, Delphine made sure we had at least two escorts as we headed out one of the secrets passages. The sun had disappeared, but braziers and torches had been lit, though the sky was also clear and the two moons would probably have been visible if out in the countryside. We found the orphanage without too much hassle, and I tried to gently knock on the door. That got no response, so I had to bang on it.

The door flew open a few seconds. "Who in oblivion is banging on the door at this hour?" the woman yelled. Her face fell once Serana and I lowered our hoods. "Oh, Your Maj…"

I put a finger to my lips. "Do not worry yourself, madam. We're here incognito. Please don't draw attention to us."

She nodded, now rather nervous. "Of course, of course. How can I help?"

"May we come in and speak in private?"

"Yes, yes, please come in."

I ushered Serana inside as I turned to one of the men escorting us. "Just wait out here. We should be okay inside. They're only kids, right?" The guards shared a glance and a smirk, and I figured I'd just said something stupid.

Finding Serana in an office, the woman introduced herself as Mariana, the owner of the orphanage. We introduced ourselves, not that we needed to, before Mariana asked the obvious question. "We're all aware of the children born, sire, mam. Why do you want to adopt a child?" She paused, before adding, "Not that I would complain. All these children need a home. It's just surprising."

"We would like a daughter. We haven't been blessed with one yet, and believe adopting would be the right thing to do. Give an unfortunate child a loving home."

"Would you like to meet them all or are you after something in particular? The question may seem harsh, but prospective parents will generally come with an idea or who they would like to adopt."

"A little girl," my wife replied, "As young as possible."

"Ah, I think I may have someone you would like to meet." Then she glanced at me. "A gentleman was in here earlier today, asking a number of questions about the gender and ages of all the children we have here." I just smiled, as Mariana said nothing else. Serana just grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers and squeezed.

Mariana escorted us into the living area, where at least a dozen kids of various ages were playing around, likely in the few minutes they had left before bed. They all appeared well fed and their clothing wasn't too bad. I'd never been in an orphanage myself, though I'd heard rumours that not all of them were pleasant places for children to grow up. On appearances, though, this one didn't look so bad.

In another room were at least half a dozen cribs. All were empty except one. Beside the crib sat a woman who Mariana introduced as Porcia, one of her assistants. We gathered around the crib as Mariana explained. "We found her on our doorstep no more than a week ago. No idea who left her. No idea as to when she was born, though we think she's no more than a couple of weeks old at most. No name. No… anything."

"No-one has come to claim her?" Serana asked.

"No. And, unfortunately, this is not an unusual state of affairs. It's more unusual during peace, but when war is afoot, there are many women left alone to raise a family, and if they are pregnant when their husband is taken away to war, they simply cannot cope. That is when orphanages such as ours can struggle with demand. But we always take in a child, abandoned for whatever reason."

"Can I hold her?"

Mariana smiled. "Of course."

Serana already had plenty of practice handling infants, so within seconds, she had the tiny human in her arms, cooing away. She looked at me and glowed, and I knew her mind was already made up. Mariana noticed as well.

"I'll get started on the paperwork. And, of course, you will have the honour of naming her. We haven't done so yet. It didn't feel right, believing someone was bound to adopt her quickly."

Back in her office, the paperwork was easy to sort out, though having to enter 'Ragnar and Serana Dragonborn' was definitely going to lead to some interesting questions coming my way from interested parties. I didn't want to lie on the form. I knew we were definitely doing the right thing, for Serana and for the child.

"What would you like to name her?"

"I'm not sure," I replied, looking at Serana.

"What was your mother's name, Ragnar?"

"I can't, Serana. I've already named one of my son's after my father. Why don't you choose?"

"Because there is no reason why you shouldn't honour your mother. My mother is still alive, and doesn't need honouring in that fashion."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't say if I wasn't. Though what about her last name?"

"We use the old Nordic fashion again. The male takes 'son' at the end. The female adopts the mother's name and the old Nordic word for daughter."

"Which is?" Serana wondered.

I looked at Mariana. "Our daughter will be known as Julia Seranasdottir."

My little family was now complete.