Old Stories: Lawrence Sees the Children, 768

A continuation of Lawrence's return to Ratherwood.

he nursery of the royal children was quieter than usual. The young Prince sat with his toy knights and thought as deeply as his infant mind would allow. His tow sisters each lay in their cribs, playing clumsily with bells suspended just within their reaches. Peter looked up and giggled at little at them.

The door opened and their parents entered. Josephine was proud to show Lawrence how fair and bright their children were. The King was eager to see his son, seventeen months older now that when he first saw him, and to see the Princess for the first time. His eyes were wide with anticipation as he entered the nursery, smiling broadly.

Lawrence put one arm around his wife's waist and put his lips gently on her sweet billows of fragrant, golden hair. In the few moments he had been reunited with her, he had realized that he loved her more now than eve before, and that he would keep loving her more and more, with no ultimate.

Peter looked up and smiled. "Mama!" he cooed. Lawrence could but stand and look at his children.

The Queen looked up and smiled. She knew that look wee, the "the wonder at the miracle he saw before him. Lawrence kissed her and murmured softly, "Thank you!"

Josephine stooped and lifted Peter. Proudly she presented the child to his father. Peters eyes went immediately to the King's beard. His attempts to pull it off were futile, so he gave up and looked at his mother. "Where Ah-Reek?"

The Queen laughed. "Erik's sleeping, little man. Look, here is Peter's daddy! Daddy! See?" The King laughed, too. After a moment, Peter decided his wooded knights had waited too long, so his mother set him down to play.

The King looked over at the girls. "Which is Caithness, and which is Elaine? Oh, how sweet they both look!"

Josephine nodded. "Aye. And I see thou canst not see the difference, either! Here, let me hold Caitie, see? She has curlier hair. Thou shalt hold Elaine, if ye wish."
"No, let me hold them both. I'm quite strong enough, " Lawrence insisted.
Josephine laughed. "I know," she said dreamily.

The King took both babies in his arms. "They are so perfect! I cannot ever thank thee enough! Thu has borne for me alone these fine children! I could not be more grateful!"
The Queen hand gone to the other side of the cribs. She smiled emotionally and said, "I am so perfectly happy, so, proud 'tis thee that fathered t hem. I would have no one else to do that. My children have the greatest man alive for a father. An 'tis to my eternal joy that they do."

"I love thee!" the King said abruptly. " I love thee more than my lips can tell, nor my hear! Oh, Josephine!" His voice failed a moment. He looked at Josephine. Her face was flushed, her bosom with heaving with love and desire.
Lawrence put the princesses down gently in their cribs, looked again at Josephine, his eyes wild, and gasped. "I want thee so!"

She went to his arms and held tight to him. She could barely breathe, her passion was so great. His eyes were shut, his head inclined towards the floor, his cheek pressed against hers. Lawrence's passion was so great that he was sweating, and had to take breaths in gulps. He buried his face in her neck let the hunger for her subside a little.
Lawrence lifted his head and smiled into her eyes. He kissed her. Then he smiled again into her eyes. He lifted her and swung her about, laughing. "This time I shall stay as long as is in my power! It will take much to steal me from thee again!" He wiped away a tear of joy from her cheek.

"Come, let's go and meet thy friends!"