Celebrate
By Misha
Disclaimer- Not mine. I’m just borrowing them for a little while and will return them when I am finished.
Author’s Notes- This is response to the prompt “quick kisses that you steal from each other at parties”. This is set shortly after Leon’s birth, so roughly 15-16 months after the end of Book 3 (not counting the flashforward).
Pairing- Kenna/Diavolos
Rating- PG
Summary- Kenna and Diavolos celebrate a happy occasion and think about all they have to be grateful for.
Words- 803
Kenna smiled as the sound of happy laughter filled the Great Hall. This was what they had worked so hard and sacrificed so much to achieve: a period of peace and happiness, loved ones coming together to celebrate.
Her smile deepened as she gazed down at the reason for the celebration, her small son. Leon Cassian Nevrakis had been born a few weeks earlier and now they were celebrating his Naming.
Suddenly, Kenna felt arms wrap around her waist and she leaned back into her husband’s familiar embrace.
“How’s the guest of honor?” Diavolos asked, pressing a kiss to her cheek, before gazing down at his son.
“Asleep,” Kenna said with a laugh, “he doesn’t even realize that he’s missing his own Naming.” She stepped out of Diavolos’s arms. “I was just going to take him up to the nursery.”
Leon had been oohed and ahhed over, with everyone expressing admiration for the new prince, but now the celebration was taking a more general tone and Kenna expected it to last long into the night and it seemed best to let Leon rest in his own bed under the watchful gaze of his nursemaid.
Diavolos nodded, dropping a kiss on the baby’s sleeping head, before brushing his lips against Kenna. “Find me for a dance,” he bade before stepping back.
Kenna nodded and then slipped out of The Great Hall and upstairs to the nursery. She laid Leon down in his bed and then stood there watching him sleep for a moment before returning to the party, intent on taking her husband up on his invitation to dance.
It wasn’t that simple though, as soon as she returned to the party, Dom demanded her attention, wanting to solve some argument between him and Sei. Kenna laughed and told him he was on his own before going in search of her husband.
She found him talking to his sister and Tevan, both of them looking suspiciously flushed and happy. Kenna exchanged a knowing look with Diavolos as they made small talk, then suddenly Tevan was inviting her to dance. Kenna accepted politely, brushing a kiss on her husband’s lips before allowing the Fydorian King to whisk her onto the dance floor.
“Zenobia?” She asked as they spun in time to the music.
“Can be very charming,” Tevan told her with a smile, “there is more to her than meets the eye.”
The past year had taught Kenna that that was indeed true and she was actually much fonder of her sister by marriage than she ever expected to be.
“If you take her away from Lykos, you’ll have Diavolos eternal gratitude,” Kenna joked, noticing the smile on Tevan’s face at her words.
Once the song ended, Kenna intended to find her husband but found her attention claimed by Annelyse, who wanted to dance.
Finally, Kenna pulled herself away and found Diavolos in conversation with Magnus, Jackson, and Val.
“Kenna!” Val greeted with a smile, “you’re just in time to drink with us.”
“I’m not touching Skullcracker ale,” Kenna said flatly.
“Lightweight,” Val teased, obviously forgetting that Kenna had just had a baby.
She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to her husband. “You owe me a dance.”
He grinned, “I do.” He set his empty mug aside and held out his hand and then swept her onto the dance floor.
Diavolos hadn’t been lying when he told her he was an excellent dancer and he led her easily through the complicated steps, stealing a kiss or two as he did.
“Are you having fun?” He whispered in her ear.
Kenna smiled, “I am. It’s nice to have everyone here and to celebrate something that has nothing to do with war or death.”
“It’s definitely a change, but one I could get used to,” he agreed, holding her a little closer.
The song ended and as soon as they made their way off the dance floor, someone else was calling for their attention.
Diavolos groaned, “though, there is something to be said about having the castle to ourselves.”
Or as much as they ever had it to themselves, given that Stormholt had hundreds of occupants at any given time. However, they didn’t usually have so many people demanding their attention.
Kenna laughed and kissed him once more. “Later,” she promised, “soon everyone will leave again and then, you’ll have me all to yourself.”
He smiled down at her, his dark eyes warm. “Promise?”
“Mmm,” Kenna agreed, “we have all the time in the world, but for now, we need to concentrate on our guests.”
He sighed, but he released her and they went their separate ways. Kenna watched him go as Rowan claimed her attention. As wonderful as this celebration was, she was definitely looking forward to having her husband to herself again soon.
- End
