Ivan's Queen
Chapter 28 - Road to Healing

Ivan Romanov's P.O.V.

Mid-March.

Location: En-Route to the Central Kingdom.

Currently it's the first week of us being on a ship that will bring us to the central kingdom and so far I'm loving it. Edgar? Not so much. The poor man has been terribly seasick but I must admit that watching him grumble curses at the water is quite funny.

As soon as we had set sail my memory of how much I love the water and any water activities came back. Alongside that, my memory of my family came back and I remembered that I have another sister and brother, Ayla and Mikhail. Ayla is my twin whereas Mikhail and Misha are twins. I also remember my parents and what everyone looks like.

I remembered when dad taught me how to swim and always joined me whenever I wanted to go kayaking, water skiing, surfing and sailing. Of course, mom would always scold him for the possibility of me getting hurt but he would always sneak me out.

"By that smile on your face I'd say you've remembered something!" I look up as Edgar walks over to me.

"I remember my family, the Romanovs. Bits and pieces about me and my life are coming back a lot quicker now." I grin excitedly as he takes a seat opposite me.

"You're nearly there, Ivan. I'm sure that by the time we reach the castle you'll remember most of your life if not all of it." He pats my shoulder before we lapse into silence.

I look back out at the sea again as the blue waters glint under the evening sun's rays. I keep remembering a pair of gorgeous blue eyes but I don't know who they belong to. Every time I remember them though I get lost in my thoughts.

I play with the gold band that now sits on my ring finger. Edgar had given it to me when we were in the carriage. Apparently I had it on when he found me. He told me that I have a mate and married her last October. Unfortunately, he didn't have a picture to show me but I feel like the eyes I keep remembering are hers. Amelia.

I wish I could remember our memories together.

"I know you can show me my memories. Please, can I see my mate?" I beg my beasts.

They have been very hesitant and scared to reveal my memories to me as the first time they tried I suffered a great deal of pain in my head. It had been too much to handle and the memories had overloaded my mind. However, I have felt them helping me to recover my memories by showing me small bits and pieces.

"We just don't want anything to happen to you again, Ivan." Konstantin sighs as he paces around in my mind anxiously.

"You are our priority. We want you to heal, not go back to square one." Maksim adds in before addressing Kon. "However, we could try?"

"Please! I just want to see her. I know those eyes are hers and its been driving me crazy not being able to remember what she looks like." I plead with them but mostly Konstantin as he's the most stubborn.

"Fine. But you must tell us immediately if you start to feel pain." He grumbles before sitting down.

"I will, I promise!" I grin excitedly.

It's quiet for a moment before they show me some memories of her. She has long wavy brown hair with the most beautifully unique blue eyes. Her smile is enchanting and she's got the softest features. My breath is taken away immediately as I take her in. She's sweet yet sassy and her rosy cheeks make her look so delicate. Her figure is slender and she's smaller than me, only reaching up to my shoulders. But whenever I've held her she fits perfectly against me, made just for me.

Hesitantly, my beasts show me my memories of my childhood spent with her. I had a crush on her when we were young and it reignited once I met her again at my parent's pack. A soft smile slips onto my lips as I see the time we've spent together at the castle after I brought her to the kingdom. Goddess, she's so perfect.

Unfortunately, my thoughts are interrupted by the increasing sound of panic from the sailors. Edgar and I frown at each other before standing and making our way to them. Captain Noah looks frustrated as he bellows out orders to the crew that is running about. We ask him what's wrong and he sighs heavily before pointing at a small island in the distance.

"John's spotted sirens around that island there. We're in trouble because some have started to swim towards us." He grumbles with furrowed brows as he looks out at sea before turning to the crew member who's manning the wheel. "Give a wide berth!"

"Aye captain!" He shouts back before turning the wheel rapidly.

"Bring out the wax and chains!" Captain Noah shouts as we help to drag them out.

We all work fast on putting wax in our ears and chaining ourselves to the masts and other parts of the ship. Each of us have a weapon in our hands in case we're attacked and they come onto the ship. My heart pounds erratically and my eyes widen as I catch sight of a few of them. They remind me of mermaids with their tails but more dangerous and wicked.

Of course, they look quite beautiful and enchanting but I manage to catch their dagger like teeth as they open their mouths to sing. In addition to that they also have gills on their ribs, deadly looking talons and a barbed stinger at the end of their tail. They are deadly looking creatures and I'm so glad I can't hear them right now.

The ship powers on full speed and steers to one side as we keep giving them a wide berth. However, I gasp as a siren jumps up and clutches onto a sailor with her talons. But she's slipping and he screams in pain as they dig into his skin. We watch with fear and sadness as she drags him over and the sirens instantly grab him. Some take his arms and legs and pull his body underwater while some choose to follow us as we speed onward.

Some of the sailors by the edges swing their weapons and hit back at the sirens as they try and come onto the deck. It feels like forever but we eventually lose sight of them when the waves begin to get rowdy. Captain Noah makes the decision on when we remove ourselves from the chains. A liquid is passed around to soften the wax in our ears but it will take some time for it to become fully removable. I'm able to partially hear again and it's such a relief.

"Let's get through these waves first and then have dinner!" Captain Noah shouts out slightly louder this time. "We will mourn Jake once the sea is calm!"

I take a seat as my racing heart tries its best to calm down. Edgar comes over and sits beside me in the middle of the deck. He shakes his head angrily before picking at the wax in his ears. I stare out at the treacherous waves as the ship makes its way over them and try to process what happened. A man has just lost his life because of sirens. He won't be returning to his loved ones. Although I didn't know Jake I feel a deep sadness over what I had just witnessed still. These sailors risk their lives to travel across the sea knowing that one day they might not come home.

"Are you alright, boy?" Edgar squeezes my shoulder as he leans in. "First time seeing sirens, eh?"

I smile weakly and nod in agreement which makes him sigh heavily. "It's always hard to see someone go. Those creatures are vicious!"

When the waves start getting bigger and water floods the deck Edgar advises we should move inside with a pat on my arm. We make our way downstairs towards our cabins and I nod at him when he tells me to rest and that he'll call for me when it's time for dinner. I enter my cabin before almost sagging against the closed door with a deep exhale.

I just want to be home already.

Amelia Romanov's P.O.V.

Location: Central Kingdom

Time: 5 a.m. 18th March

"Oh my god!" I hiss as another contraction hits me and I squeeze Nova's hand.

She stops guiding me down the stairs and turns to me with worried eyes. I focus on controlling my breathing and feel it pass before nodding at her to continue. We make our way down the staircase and towards the infirmary. Nurses instantly take me and help me to my room so that I can settle down. I lay on the bed and groan in pain as another contraction wreaks havoc inside me.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to get anything?" Nova asks as she crouches beside me.

"N-No, I'm okay for now. Just stay with me, please." I sigh heavily when another contraction passes.

"Of course." She murmurs with a smile as she helps me get comfortable on the bed.

I was sleeping when I felt a gush of water flow between my legs. Instantly I knew that my labor had started and I had called Nova upstairs. She had helped me to the infirmary so that the doctor could check up on me before we went back upstairs so that I could try and speed up the process of dilation.

It's now five in the morning and I have dilated to eight centimeters. The contractions are happening fast and it won't take much longer for me to get to ten. But dealing with the pain has been the hardest thing. I feel its intensity throughout my whole lower body and it's like I'm going to be sick. Thankfully, I'm soon given pain medication so it's helping somewhat.

My mom arrives next with aunt Aurora in tow and the sight of them makes me sob uncontrollably. Everything hurts, I'm terrified and I miss Ivan so much right now. I wish he was here. They help me breathe through the contractions and do everything they can to ease my pain until the nurse does another check before announcing that I'm now ready to push. I certainly feel like it due to the major pressure down there. My legs are put into stirrups and I lay back slightly in the correct position before the doctor comes in.

"Alright, ready Amelia?" Doctor Sarah asks with a comforting smile.

I nod and she tells me to push. The intense pressure I feel down there reduces the more I push so that's a relief. The women crowded around me encourage me to keep going as I struggle due to the pain. Tears escape the corners of my eyes as I tuck my chin into my chest and give it all I've got. I focus on my breathing when the doctor tells me that the head has fully crowned.

"One last push, Amelia. You've got this, come on." Doctor Sarah encourages me and I feel a renewed burst of energy course within me at the thought of meeting my baby boy soon.

For the last time, I push with all my might and cry out tiredly. But the second I hear my baby's loud cries fill the room my own eyes fill with tears. I see him and sob as he's placed on my chest. Immediately, I stroke his back and try to calm him down. He blinks a few times as his eyes adjust to the lighting and they're a bright green. I would have thought they eye color would be blue at first before changing but my doctor told me that because of supernatural genes things like eye colors develop quickly. He has a head of black hair too and looks exactly like Ivan.

"You're so perfect." I whisper as I cry from both happiness and sadness.

I wish Ivan was here to see his son. He looks like the mini version of his father. My mom, aunt Aurora and Nova all lean closer to get a good look of him. They all have tears in their eyes as they congratulate me. I watch as my baby is taken away to be properly cleaned and I can't take my eyes off him. A surge of protectiveness courses through me as I make a promise to myself to keep him happy, safe and loved for as long as I live.

Nova follows the nurse with a camera in her hands to capture him being weighed and stuff. In all my pain, I had forgotten about how I had told her to film some bits of my labor. Although Ivan has missed the birth I think he'll still appreciate that a lot of it was filmed for him.

"We're so proud of you, darling." Mom whispers as she hugs me tight before I receive another from aunt Aurora and Nova. "You did great!"

"Thank you for being here you guys." I smile tiredly as I squeeze mom's hand in appreciation.

Once I'm stitched up and cleaned down there I hold my arms out for my baby. He's calmed down a lot now and I hold him to my chest protectively. I play with his little hands that escape the blanket he is wrapped up in and marvel at how tiny he is. Pressing kisses to his face I hand him over to aunt Aurora who takes him with shaky hands. Mom chuckles and hugs her as she breaks down into soft cries. Both fawn over their grandson while Nova films the tender moment before eventually taking hold of my son after my mom has met him.

I thank Doctor Sarah and my nurses before they file out of the room just as Lazarus, Benno and Hendrix enter. They cheer quietly as they make their way to the little boy before ending up in an argument over who gets to hold him first. I laugh at their antics before waving at the rest of the Reid and Romanov families to enter. The Antonovs are here too and Ayla all but races over in excitement to look at her nephew.

"A mini Ivan!" She laughs happily before turning to me.

"Not one feature from me. I'm so jealous!" I joke as I watch her pick him up carefully.

"He'll be home soon." She leans down to wipe away a traitorous tear. "I swear if I knew his location I'd teleport him back right now!"

Everyone chuckles at her words and I watch as my son is passed around gently so that the family can meet him. He sleeps soundly throughout it all but moves a little when he feels someone playing with his hands or feet. I wish my dad and uncle Vulcan were here to meet their grandson too. But I'm hopeful that they will return soon along with Ivan.

"So, what are you naming him?" Mom asks excitedly which brings a smile to my face.