3. New start

Aaron pov

"Noelani! Noelani, can you hear me? Answer me please!" my voice was breaking while I called for her! "Mira! What's happened? Before the explosions, did you see anything?"

"Your Majesty... When My Queen went to the bathroom, I followed her, even if I knew she didn't want me to...I did. I couldn't let her alone while pregnant. I love my Queen, Sire. She's like an older sister to me; she always was. I can't feel otherwise, even if I know it's wrong... I'm just a maid after all." Mira said with teary eyes. 

"So I waited for her outside. I knew she went into the men's bathroom, so I just stayed next to the door stopping every man from going in. When she came running and crying outside, I panicked. I didn't know what's wrong. And then, before the door closed, I saw King Kai and Lady Tal hand in hand in the bathroom." She started sobbing. "I felt her pain... My Queen's heart was shattered. She was broken."

"The f.....g moron! How dare he do this! I should kill him right now! But I know my Noelani wouldn't want this," I sigh while caressing her face. Her silver hair was damp now, and her skin was so pale and bruised. 

"Oh, Noelani! You poor soul..You didn't deserve that".

It's been eight days since the incident, and Noelani was still in a deep sleep. 

The doctors were afraid that if she didn't wake up in the next two days, the baby would be in danger of death. I couldn't let that happen. Not to Noelani. 

"Mira, you should go take a shower and eat something. I'll stay watching her," I said, sounding more like a demand. With a slight nod, she left the room. 

It was just Noelani and me now. I was holding her hand when she started thrashing violently. 

"Help! Help her, please!" I screamed as the doctors came in. They start checking her and running around. Her heart was beating so fast. Beads of sweat were visible on her forehead now.

"My King, you need to get out now, please! We need to operate on her urgently to save the child. Hopefully won't be too late." The doctor said, pushing me out the door. 

Mira came back running, breathing hard. She opened her mouth to say something but closed back as there's no sound coming out.

The doors of the hospital hall opened, and a curly black hairball jumped in my arms. 

"Daddy! Daddy! Are you sad?" Said my five years old son, Oren, wiping my tears with his little hands.

"No, my son, I'm not! But I'm so happy now, seeing you and your mommy." I said, searching my wife's, Erin, eyes. She gave me a small smile and kissed Oren's head and then my cheek. 

"Your Majesty!" Mira said to my wife, bowing her head. 

"Mira! I am so glad to see you're feeling better. Your arms are almost healed." she smiles, nodding back to Mira.

After 12 hours of waiting, it was just Mira and me...It was 2 am. Erin took Oren to bed around 11 o'clock. 

I was sipping on some hot coffee when the operation room's door swung open—one of the doctors was getting out with a crying baby in his hand.

"It's a girl!"  He said with a half mouth. My eyes went to bed behind him. It was full of blood. Doctors and nurses were trying to stop the bleeding. My heart ached. 

"Aa...Aaron...Aaron!" came Noelani's voice. I rushed past the doctors, and I took her extended hand in mine...

"Noelani!" I whisper. 

"Aaron...m-my baby! Ta, take care of my baby, please!" she pleaded while the tears that flooded her eyes were now streaming down her cheeks and neck. I nod, as I couldn't say anything. 

"Promise me, Aaron! Promise you'll take her under your wing...take her as your own. Don't let anyone know about her. It would help if you kept her safe, Aaron. Promise me, please." She pleaded again as more tears welled up in her eyes.

"I will," I said. "I promise to take her as my own."

Mira came in with the baby, who was now quiet and pulling at Mira blonde curls. She giggled, and Mira was smiling with tears in her eyes. "She is so beautiful, My Queen!" she said. 

"Bring her to me, please, Mira! I want to hold her one more time!"

"My Queen,  forgive me, but I'll say you're silly. You'll get to hold her every day from now, Mira said, looking everywhere but not at Noelani. 

Noelani burst into laughter but then started coughing violently till blood was coming out in the corner of her now almost blue lips. 

"I always like you the most, Mira! You always surprised me with that mouth of yours! I'd like to stay and hold my baby," she said, brushing her fingers on the baby cheek, "and listening to that mouth of yours. But my time has come, old friends." She was now looking between Mira and me; "and I want to thank you for being my friends and for showing me that there's no need to have the same blood to be brothers or sisters." A small smile was showing on her lips.

"I'll let my child in your care, hoping that you both will love her as you loved me." She put the baby next to her and extended her arms to hug us. And we embrace and cry together. 

After a few minutes, she released us from her embrace and turned her face to the now smiling baby.

"Evolet...Her name will be Evolet. And she won't know about her parents till the time comes!" She said, passing me the baby.

"But how will we know when the right time is, Noelani?" I asked. 

"You will! Trust me! Promise me you'll be by her side all the time, caring for her and help her be strong!" Then she closed her eyes with a sigh, and so was gone. Noelani was gone...

"I promise, my friend," I whisper, turning my eyes to the baby. She was watching me with big doe silver eyes, not knowing that she just lost her parents—such a cruel fate.

Evolet, the daughter of Water King Kai Zale and Air Princess Noelani Zephyrine, was now in my care.  She was now my daughter, Evolet Wood, a princess of the Earth Kingdom.