There was something weird about knowing your sister was pregnant by your best friend.

Like, knowing that they had sex.

Kaj was no prude, but it still made him feel like a damn right creep most days when that thought crossed his mind. It was also difficult to figure out which one he wanted to bluster at more; his sister for being grown up (purposefully forgetting that she'd already had foals once before) or his best friend for knocking her up.

Still, in the end, Kaj was happy. Deliriously so. Resplendence glowed (quite literally, but still) with happiness as of late. It seemed exploding at him, and then Quilyan returning as Kaj had tentatively dared to promise, had finally helped seal up the broken structures in her mind and soul. It was beautiful to see, and it had helped lift the darkness from the king's soul, to see her so happy at last. She deserved it beyond measure, truly. It was about time she found her happily ever after, and every time Kaj laid eyes upon her swollen sides he found himself unbelievably giddy.

Would his relationship with Resplendence make him an uncle? He never dared to ask, not desiring to be presumptuous, but in his heart he secretly yearned for the day of the birth. Somewhere in his design, the Gods had placed inside his heart a fatherly yearning that could not be extinguished. Foals were his weakness, and sometimes he wondered if he really could have made that compromise he'd mentioned when he'd fought with Kahlua. To see their big eyes look up at him, so fragile and new, Kaj would do anything he could to protect them from the horrors of the world. The ones that had left him tainted and scarred in too many ways, the ones that had hounded his sister to her early grave and made him suffer the loss of her love and light.

The king had no companion to keep track of Resplendence, no way of knowing when her labor was close. It prickled his skin the longer her pregnancy wore on, not sure what the proper Helovian time span for pregnancies was. His own time in the womb had been terrifyingly short, with how magic had influenced him from the start of his life. It was weird to see her grow with each day, and yet happily go about her business. It was perplexing, but Kaj had long learned to accept that some things in Helovia he simply would never understand. Even if it hurt to realize that.

Luckily, though he didn't personally have a companion with which to alert him when Resplendence went into labor, the brindled sister did. Valiance was a familiar shape in the sky, but Kaj glanced twice when the dragon's urgency shone through like a beacon. The anxious noises chittering between his teeth was just as worrisome, and without a second thought Kaj turned from whatever useless task he'd been doing and raced towards the winged companion.

He was so scared. What if she was hurt? What if she couldn't handle the birth? She seemed so impossibly small, so breakable in comparison to the mares Kaj knew of olde. Though she had an iron will beneath all her tears and ruination, he feared for her safety and well-being nonetheless. It was his job after all. So instead of sparing any time, the king thundered through the forest on heavy hooves, carelessly shoving aside foliage that impeded his progress, uncaring how they tugged at his hardened outer feathers and caught in his slowly growing mane. He had to get to Resplendence. He couldn't let her be alone, not again.

The fires were a distant warmth that flickered cheerily in the distance, helping to calm the sudden pounding of his heart as he came upon the scene. Quilyan was already knelt at the Doctor's side, and though Kaj had many misgivings regarding the painted stag, those would have to be overlooked in favor of his sister laying prone and prostrate on the ground. The king was swollen to his fullest size in his worry for her, nares wide and colorful as he heaved to regain his breath. He moved to go to her side, but a spotted youth with the oddest wings interrupted his progress, and just like that he was melting.

A gentle smile spread on his lips, impressed both by her extensive vocabulary and professional atmosphere. She'd make a good nurse or diplomat someday, should her passions drive her down those paths. Instead of allowing Quilyan to answer, he stepped in to do so, allowing his once-brother to take his time with his mate, console both her and himself while he handled the young spotted fae. "She is going to give birth, child," he informed succinctly, but with a warmth to his tone that was unmistakable. As for her question, his mind whirred with all those lessons he'd attended with Alysanne and Resplendence. Oh Gods, what was the herb for labor, again? It wouldn't be fair to have Resplendence answer, Gods knew she had enough on her mind in that exact moment, so Kaj struggled until he brought the name stubbornly to his reluctant lips. "Angelica. We need angelica. It's in the garden, but it grows in the Edge naturally. Could you fetch some please? It's a very tall plant, long leaves, it's summer so it should have pale flowers. If the garden is too far, look near the little rivers and springs." He prayed she'd retain the information and fetch it for them, she was far faster than Kaj's hulking form after all.

Finally he turned to Resplendence, taking vigil on her empty side and easing to his knees beside her. "Hello aardbei," he whispered fondly. "What are you hoping for? A son or a daughter?" He hoped she'd see it clearly for what it was - a distraction from the pain of the contractions, a way to find safe haven in her mind to overcome the ordeal, even if she'd experienced it once before.

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Ugh, that was really bad for some reason?? I'm sorry it'll get better.