SquidgeWorld Archive

Unexpected
by Danii

"It's twins!"

"What?"

"Twins! There are two heartbeats! I could hear them as I lay down on you stomach! It's two heartbeats, not one!" Wolf exclaimed, bouncing up from their bed. HuffPuff, who was sleeping in the room above and who wasn't quite awake yet, thumped on the floor for him to be quiet.

"But it's twins!" he howled upwards. That was answered by another thump, though this one decidedly heavier. In a few seconds, Wolf's sister was in the doorway to the couple's bedroom in her night gown. She was out of breath and looked a bit groggy, but the smile on her face was easily seen.

"So, it seems we were both right. A boy AND a girl," HuffPuff said calmly, though it was easy to see that the calm was simply a front; she was just as excited as her brother.

"Indeed!" Wolf exclaimed, jumping back into bed carefully and kissing his wife, "Ah! My beautiful love, you have outdone yourself this time! Two children for the price of one! Not that I consider anytime with you a price, my succulent, ever-so-sumptuous, mate for life..."

The two started to kiss again and were about to do more than that, but HuffPuff's presence was felt, and they stopped.

"I'll be going now," HuffPuff said with a smile when they both looked at her guiltily, "Need my rest. Have a good time..."

And with that she walked out.

"We..need..to..find her..a..boyfriend." Virginia said in between kisses.

"Don't worry...dear, I've got it all...figured out..." Again, that smile she couldn't resist.

"How long?"

"A few...months?"

"Good."

And then they went at it whole heartedly.


**************Six Months Later************

They were in the middle of breakfast when the message came. A rider, obviously a messenger, knocked on the door, handed them a letter, and then left. Wolf, who had received the letter from the rushed man, opened it up and smiled so wide it seemed the top of his head was cut off. He read it through a couple times for the girls, who, still groggy from waking up, couldn't believe it:

"King Wendell White,
Ruler Of The Fourth Kingdom,
Does Hereby Invite The Lord Wolf,
The Lady Virginia,
And Guest,
To The Traditional Cinderella Ball.
All Eligible Ladies Of Suitable Age Are Invited For Their Chance To Woo The King And
Become His Bride.
Rank and Title Mean Nothing This Night.
Please Dress Appropriately."

"Wow..." Virginia and HuffPuff chorused.

"We must get your outfits!" Wolf exclaimed, grabbing each of their arms and heaving them out of their seats, "And we must do it quickly! The royal decree will go out any day, and we must get the finest clothing before the rush!"

Virginia and HuffPuff, though excited, were still a bit tired, and shared a look which could be said to read "I elect to shoot all morning people." They then turned this look on Wolf, who brushed it off.

"Give us about a half an hour." HuffPuff said quietly, "to wake up. Go cut wood or hunt or something."

Wolf began to run out the gate to do just that, but stopped at the doorway. "You always used to wake up early, Huff! What's with you?"

"That was when I had three crazy older brothers to take care of who would complain if breakfast wasn't there when they woke up. I've gotten very friendly with the idea of waking up AFTER the sun rises since then..." Her look told him he had better go. Now. He did just that.

"Does he think all the herbs I use at the bar get there by little elves? Hummf."

Virginia looked at HuffPuff and said, almost resigned, "We had better get dressed. He'll probably get back here in fifteen minutes, and we have to get up anyway..."

When Wolf came back, as Virginia had predicted, early, he was happy to find the two women he loved dressed and ready to go to town. His wife, despite, or perhaps because of, her enlarged state, looked beautiful and she seemed to glow in the early sunlight. His sister was quite a vision, though he'd always thought she was just a beautiful, if not more so, than their mother. He was so proud and amazed that women like these loved him. Both were wearing riding dresses, Virginia in a dark blue, and HuffPuff in a lighter shade. Virginia still didn't feel comfortable with the clothing of her husband's land, but she wore it, and she had to admit it suited her. She smiled when Wolf walked up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Okay" he said, "The dress shop opens in ten minutes. I checked, after I got that nice little wild boar in the woods. We should get going now."

And so they did. The town they lived nearest to was Whiteville, a small trading town just outside of King Wendell's castle. While the town had many dress shops and fabric stores, all in the town knew DeBrabant's to have the best merchandise. They had never shopped there personally, for they were only buying some simple cotton or wool fabric usually, but it had a good reputation. It was just as well that they opened early enough for Wolf. However, when Wolf pulled out his bag and began to count his money, Virginia got a little confused. "Where'd you get that?"

"Um...winnings..."

"But I thought you spent all our winnings on our furniture and the restaurant. Not to mention our first date..."

"Um...I did."

"So, how do you have even more now?"

"The restaurant."

"Wow."

"Yeah" Wolf said with a breath, "It's amazing what you can make when you don't have to pay taxes..."

"Okay..."

"Yeah..."

They were stopped from more random mutterings by HuffPuff, who was trying to usher them in to the shop which had just opened. When they got in, they were amazed by the assortment of bright colors and textures. The salesman walked over to them immediately.

"Good morning, milord, how may I help you?" he asked politely, though there was a little sneer to the 'milord' part.

"We require two dresses. The finest in the shop. One for my beautiful sister and one for my gorgeous wife."

"Are you sure, milord, that you will be able to afford such fine quality merchandise?" Again, the sneer stained the words coming out of his mouth.

HuffPuff growled a bit and looked like she was about to say something, but Wolf silently asked her to let him handle it with a hand on her shoulder. She nodded, and let him speak.

"Sir, I assure you, I have the money required to dress these two lovely ladies in your finest merchandise. Do not ask again, or I will take my business elsewhere, and tell others to do likewise." Virginia was a little amazed. He really looked like a lord as he said it. He sounded like a lord. Wolf sounded like he truly belonged there, which, as a paying customer, he did. He was giving the man a glare fit for royalty. Something about it tingled at the back of her mind, some small comment he had made once, but when she tried to think about it more, it slipped from her.

"So sorry, milord," the salesman said with a bit of humbleness, "This way..." The once-rude salesman lead them to the back, where he showed them a variety of dresses in all different colors and designs. Wolf rejected most of them as being too plain, and each of the girls only tried on about 4 dresses each. In the middle of all this, the salesman was called over by the owner of the establishment. The three watched as the over-confident young man was pulled into a room, where, Wolf and his sister reported, he was begin chewed out for rudeness to customers. When he came back, he was even more helpful.

They picked out two dresses each, one in the latest style and one which was a bit of a classic. Virginia got one which fit her now, and one for after the birth, the first in a deep wine red, the second in a lavender-blue color which brought out her eyes nicely. HuffPuff picked out two dresses, one in silver and blue, the other green and gold. Both looked wonderful on her, but Wolf insisted that his sister wear the blue one, and his wife wear the red. However, Wolf himself declined trying on any of the suits they also had. He said he was going to wear the same outfit he had worn on their first date, which they discovered later, matched almost perfectly with Virginia's dress.

Everything was going according to Wolf's plan.

***

The night of the ball had arrived. Wolf had hired a coach (minus the quartet on top this time) for them, and they arrived just in time. When they exited the coach, they were immediately grabbed by one of the servants, who said that had to stand in the line to be announced.

"But I though this was a Cinderella Ball." Virginia sighed, "Rank and title aren't supposed to count!"

"Yes, but they still announce it anyway, just like any other ball. Alot of people, including bachelors, come just because it's a ball. If the king doesn't pick a girl, there are at least ten more there to pick her. Not that it matters. We all get masks after our names are announced, not that anyone really remembers all the names anyway..." Wolf explained.

"Then why do it in the first place?"

"Tradition."

"Ah."

They were interrupted by HuffPuff, who pulled her brother aside for a moment.

"You did tell her what she's going to hear when she gets out there, didn't you?" HuffPuff whispered anxiously.

"Not exactly..." Wolf murmured back.

"Just make sure she doesn't fall down when she hears it, understand? I won't have you shocking my sister-in-law and causing her to fall down the steps!" The last was said with a smile, but HuffPuff kept her grip on her brother.

"I will always be there to catch her, and if I don't, I'll sit by her bed till she recovers from fall. Just like you did, Huff, or should I call you Countess Luna Greyson?"

"Shhh." his sister hushed him, "You're almost up!"

Actually, they were next. Luckily, the person in front of them had a very long list of names and titles. He moved back up to Virginia's side, entwining his arm into hers. He took a look at himself and his wife in a mirror in the hall. They matched quite well, both in dress and everything else, he concluded once more, and he had to admit they looked a handsome pair. Finally, they were up. The servant guided them to the draped doorway. As they walked through, a man shouted their names.

"Duke Wolf Greyson and Duchess Virginia Greyson of the 2nd Kingdom! Heroes and Saviors of the 4th Kingdom!"

Virginia almost fell down. It had to be a mistake. She looked up to her husband, expecting him to yell at the announcer for the mishap, but when she saw his face, she had to believe it was true. That was what she had seen that day in the dressmakers. And that little comment he had made? About being "practically royalty" so many months ago. She felt like kicking herself. Actually, she felt like kicking him, but for now, she kept her composure and finished the walk to their table. Him, a Duke? And to think, her a Duchess?

They received masks of red on the way to the table with their name on it. As they reached their seats, they heard HuffPuff being announced.

"Countess Luna Greyson of the 2nd Kingdom!"

Her quarrel with her husband forgotten for the moment, Virginia, and Wolf, watched as Luna descended the stairs with wolf-like grace. She looked absolutely stunning in the blue and silver dress, and one look at Wendell proved it was appreciated. When she was off the stairs, she was given a blue mask and started her way to the table.

"Is Wendell having side affects from being a dog or is he just in love with my sister?" Wolf asked his wife, hoping that she wasn't about to hit him over the title thing, "Because I can see his tongue from here, and he isn't waving back to me."

Virginia smiled, then kicked him under the table. "I can't guess, YOUR GRACE!"

"Oh, so you are mad?"

"I should think so, dear..." Virginia said in a too-calm voice.

"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise!"

"Well, I didn't! It's a bit important!"

"Sorry..." He put his head down an whimpered a bit.

"That won't work. Now, how in all the Nine Kingdoms are you a duke?"

"Would you like me to explain, brother?" said HuffPuff, who had just made it to the table and was sitting down,

"No. No. You have a good time, HuffPuff, or rather, Luna" answered Virginia for him, "I think the King is entranced and I wouldn't want you to miss your chance. Besides, I want him to tell me himself..."

HuffPuff knew trouble when it told her to go dance, and she did just that. When she hit the dance floor, she was approached by a well dressed man in white. He wore many medals, and he looked familiar. HuffPuff hadn't really looked at anyone but her brother during her walk down, and so didn't recognize the king when he asked her to dance.

"Love to" she replied simply. And they headed out on to the dance floor.

Back at the table, things weren't going so well. "So, you are the cousin of the current Queen Riding Hood, the son of Queen Riding Hood I's daughter, Scarlet, who fell in love with the grandson of Old Grey, the wolf who had tried to eat Red Riding Hood I. Is that about right?

"Yeah."

"And your mother was skipped over to become Queen because of her marriage to your father, and your aunt, the current Queen's mother, gave you the titles and some land as a gift after your mother's death."

"Yeah."

"And the current Queen Riding Hood, who's your cousin, Crimson, is sitting over there in a blue dress glaring at you and I."

Wolf turned around to ascertain the last part, then nodded. "Yes."

"And there was no other time you could have told me this?"

"You didn't ask?" Wolf replied lamely.

She kicked him again, but didn't respond verbally for a moment. Finally, she said "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay. I love you, and I understand. Just one question, though. Two really."

"What?" Wolf answered, looking ready to please his wife since he had screwed up, "I'll tell you anything, just ask!"

"How are you ruling your duchy from our little cottage?" Virginia asked, looking honestly interested.

"It's mostly forest, but the parts that do need ruling have their decisions brought to me by letter and I simply choose then. I have a wonderful steward named William who actually takes care of most things. It's always been that way.

I'm not much good at sticking around, never had a reason before, and it works out quite well. I visit every year and check everything out, always at a different time of the year to keep everyone on their toes, and William makes sure everything works properly. My sister rules her part of the area from her cottage in the woods, though recently she has been doing as I have. That's why she didn't show up until the time we came back, almost a month after the news hit the people. She was looking for someone to help her, a steward. Luckily, she found Tomas, who has been doing the same thing as William since she came to be with us."

"Oh. And the other thing is, where did you get that money to pay for the dresses? I checked the restaurant. All money is where it should be..."

"William also sends me the bit of taxes that are my share. I used this season's share to buy you two the dresses."

"Okay."

"Glad everything's out in the open now..." Wolf sighed. Then he glanced at the dancers, looking for his sister. He found her in the arms of King Wendell, and they were dancing and talking together. Wolf was impressed. He hadn't thought Wendell could perform the two at the same time. But he seemed to be doing well, because HuffPuff was laughing and smiling like the young girl she was. Wolf went over, hugged his wife, sat down next to her, then pointed to them. Virginia looked and smiled. They shared a kiss. It was a good night. But not over yet...

************

This went on till midnight, the snuggling and watching, that is, with obvious food breaks. When the clock was about to ring for midnight, everyone paused. This was the moment. The time when the king was to announce if he had found a bride among those at the ball. The middle of the ballroom cleared. Wolf couldn't find HuffPuff anywhere, but when he did, he gasped.

There she was. Standing next to King Wendell. And he was holding her shoe. It was too good to be true, but for once, it seemed, it was true.

"My friends, colleagues, and subjects, I have found the shoe of the one who is to be my mate for life, my better half, the love of my life, and my queen. In my hands, it rests, and while it is not made of glass, it is none the less the most beautiful piece of footwear in the entire world, for it's place is upon the foot of the one I love. I have never met her before tonight, much to my great displeasure, but the hours I have spent with her dancing and talking have told me that I love her. Now, as tradition states, I will try the shoe upon her foot.

HuffPuff, who looked as awed as anyone else there, put up her foot immediately. She was so happy, she was smiling warmly at the king, as if they had grown up together. They were truly in love. This was certainly, Wolf concluded to himself, a Happily Ever After success. Just as he had planned.

The shoe, as it was supposed to, fit. The entire ballroom erupted in applause.

"Will you marry me, Luna?" asked Wendell loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Yes," replied Luna, shining brightly, "I love you Wendell."

Another eruption of applause. Virginia and Wolf started a standing ovation, but suddenly Virginia grabbed the chair.

"Wolf, get you sister..."

"What? Huff? But this is her moment! She just got asked to marry Wendell and accepted! I'm so happy for her!"

"Well, so am I, dear, but this is THE moment, THE day, THE time, and apparently, THE place!"

"For what?" asked Wolf, but as he turned around to sit, he saw exactly what was going on.

"HUFFPUFF!" thundered Wolf through the ballroom.

HuffPuff's head snapped over to where her brother and sister-in-law were sitting and took in the situation. She then kissed Wendell, and told him "Duty calls!"

She was there faster than anyone could imagine. Wolf was panicking, or rather, not panicking, but rather, there was a vacancy in his thinking. He was running around, tail beating in his pants leg, yelling incoherently. Virginia on the other hand, looked like she was in pain, but a great deal calmer than her husband.

"Could you help me out, Huff?" Virginia asked in a strained voice.

HuffPuff picked up her sister-in-law completely, then ordered a room made ready. Everyone was more than happy to comply, and those that weren't got a stern look from the king and a foreboding growl from the countess-soon-to-be-queen. The king, Wolf, and HuffPuff, still carrying Virginia, made their way to the room quickly. HuffPuff set her down in the bed, then gave her a quick examination.

Everything seemed okay.

"I'm cold..." murmured Virginia.

Wolf immediately began running around looking for firewood for the fire.

HuffPuff took a moment and set him down.

"So it's going to be one of these, is it?"

Wolf didn't respond other than again trying to get firewood. Then HuffPuff got real close to his face and said, in the gentle way one talks to a three year old, "Wolf, dear. I'll take care of Virginia. I want you to go down and cut some firewood. Yes, lots of firewood to keep Virginia and the cubs warm. And if you finish, you can go hunting to get food for Virginia and the cubs. Okay? Lots of food"

Wolf nodded almost violently. "Wood. Fire. Warm for cubs. Food. Lots of Food. Food for the cubs. Food for Virginia." He repeated it several times as he ran out the door.

"Oh boy" said HuffPuff at his leaving form, then she turned back to Virginia. " Okay, Ginny. Let's do this..."

************************

"Wood. Fire. Fire for warm. Warm for cubs. Warm for Virginia." muttered Wolf as he ran down into the courtyard. A kindly servant, the one who had grabbed them earlier, recognized the symptoms of soon-to-be-father syndrome, and gently directed him to the log pile.

When Wolf got there, he stripped off the fancy shirt, and began chopping with a frightening fervor. The air seemed to fill with woodchips as Wolf cut piece after piece of firewood. He put Juliet the axeman to shame, and finished almost the entire pile before he realized it was getting so dark he couldn't even see the logs to hit them anymore. He looked at the shadow that was the big pile of firewood, decided it was enough, then headed into the woods.

"Food. Food for cubs. Food for Virginia. Food..." he continued as he walked into the woods. Animal after animal he stalked, bringing each on back individually and placing it in front of the wood pile. He stopped only when, on his last trip to drop off his work, a servant handed him a large flagon of ale and a plate of porkchops. While Wolf devoured them, he heard the servant congratulate him.

"For...what?" he said around the mouthful.

"Why for the two beautiful babies your wife had last night! And your sister!? What a fine midwife for one so young!"

"Babies? Babies!" cried Wolf and he immediately started running to the room. The servant tried to grab him, but Wolf, with his great speed and power, merely dragged him. When he got to the door, he found Wendell standing there smiling. "Babies?"

"Let's go and meet your children, Wolf..." said Wendell, after detaching the poor servant. The young king then took Wolf's hand and slowly guided him to the bed in which lay Virginia. HuffPuff was sitting on the bed, but looked up to greet her brother.

"Hello, Wolf." she said, sounding older than her years, "How would you like you met your new babies?"

Wolf nodded quickly, then moved closer to the bed. He saw Virginia first. She looked tired and wain, but, nonetheless, there was a satisfied little smile on her face. In her arms, she held two babies, one wrapped in a pink sheet, one in a blue. Both were asleep right now, and they looked so peaceful, like little angels. Both had a little black fuzzy spot on the top of their heads, and Wolf could see the tiny little tails of the infants tucked into the sheets. He smiled.

"Aren't they beautiful, Wolf?" Virginia asked in a near-whisper.

"Yes" he answered, his mind finally returning to his body, "They're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Just then, the eyes of the little boy peeked open and looked right at Wolf.

"Would you like to hold your son, Wolf?" HuffPuff asked.

"Yes. Please..."

"Make sure your gentle and support the head, dear..." his sister said as she handed him his child. He took the baby boy with care, sniffing him to let the scent fill his nostrils. The baby giggled, then lifted his arm toward his father. Wolf smiled again.

"What are we going to call them?" Virginia asked.

"How about Lunette and Nicholas?" he didn't know where he got the names, but they just felt right.

"Beautiful"

And as Wolf looked at the child in his arms, the child in his wife's arm, his wife lying in the bed, his sister smiling at him, and the king patting him on the back, he realized just how lucky he was. Just how blessed.

"So it seems we have three new additions to the family" Wolf said at last.

"What?"

"Nicholas, Lunette, and Wendell" he said, smiling and cuddling his child, "A son, a daughter, and a brother!"

Wendell looked touched, and smiled at Wolf. He really wasn't such a bad fellow.

There was a blissful silence.

"If this isn't happily ever after," Wolf said at last, "then I don't know what is!"

Fin
Hoped you liked it!