Seven Times A Charm

Concordia had stopped feeling like a construction project.

It had become a city.

There were still scaffolds around the western library and workers finishing the final sections of the southern wall, but most of the city was alive now. Merchants had permanent shops. Families had moved into the residential districts. Children ran through the streets. Soldiers trained in the northern fortress. The schools were preparing their classrooms.

Even the palace had begun to feel less like a newly constructed seat of power and more like a home.

For Io, however, the palace had become something else entirely.

A fortress.

At least according to Thor.

"No."

Io looked up from her book.

"What?"

Thor stood in front of the doorway.

"You aren't going outside."

Io blinked.

"I'm going to the garden."

"No."

"It's inside the palace."

"Yes."

"The garden is twenty steps from here."

"Twenty-three."

Io stared at her.

"How do you know?"

"I counted."

"Thor."

"You need rest."

"I'm pregnant, not dying."

Thor folded her arms.

"That's exactly what someone who needs rest would say."

Io sighed.

"You're taking this too seriously."

"No."

Thor pointed at her stomach.

"You're carrying the future of the alliance."

Io smiled.

"That's a rather dramatic way of saying I'm pregnant."

"It's an accurate way."

Thor moved aside.

"Besides, I have orders."

"From Lexander?"

"From myself."

Io laughed.

"You can't give yourself orders."

Thor looked offended.

"Apparently you don't understand how being a god works."

Thor had effectively become Io's full-time guard.

Nobody had officially appointed her.

Nobody had even asked.

Thor had simply decided that she was responsible for Io and the unborn child.

She followed Io everywhere.

Breakfast.

Meetings.

The library.

The gardens.

Even the short walks through the palace.

If Io sat down, Thor found a chair nearby.

If Io stood, Thor stood.

If Io walked, Thor walked beside her.

If Io went upstairs, Thor went upstairs.

If Io went downstairs—

"Absolutely not."

Io stopped halfway down the staircase.

"Thor."

"Those stairs are dangerous."

"They're stairs."

"Exactly."

"How are stairs dangerous?"

"You can fall."

"I've used these stairs every day for months."

"Not while carrying twins."

Io froze.

Thor froze.

The hallway went silent.

"What did you say?"

Thor's eyes widened.

"I—"

"Twins?"

A voice came from behind them.

Lisbeth.

Io slowly turned.

Lisbeth stared at Thor.

Thor stared at Io.

Io stared at both of them.

Then she smiled.

"Apparently the secret is out."

Lisbeth's jaw dropped.

"Twins?"

Io nodded.

"Twins."

Lisbeth immediately rushed toward her.

"Oh, you're carrying twins!"

Io laughed as Lisbeth carefully embraced her.

"Yes."

"When did you find out?"

"Yesterday."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"We wanted to make certain first."

Lisbeth pulled back.

"Two?"

"Two."

She put both hands over her mouth.

"Two babies."

Thor nodded.

"That's what twins generally means."

Lisbeth glared at her.

"I know what twins means."

Thor smiled.

"I was helping."

"You weren't."

The news spread through the palace within an hour.

Despite Io's request for secrecy, there was no keeping it secret.

Lexander had been in the government district when the messenger found him.

"Your Majesty."

Lexander looked up from a stack of architectural plans.

"What is it?"

"The queen."

Lexander immediately stood.

"What happened?"

"Nothing bad."

Lexander frowned.

"Then why are you here?"

The messenger smiled.

"She is carrying twins."

Lexander froze.

The room went silent.

Atreyu looked up.

Mara looked over.

Loki, who had been leaning against the wall, slowly smiled.

"Twins."

Lexander stared.

"Twins?"

The messenger nodded.

Lexander laughed.

He actually laughed.

Then he covered his face with both hands.

Atreyu smiled.

"Congratulations."

Mara nodded.

"Two heirs."

Lexander looked at them.

"Two children."

Mara smiled.

"Of course."

Loki pushed away from the wall.

"That's going to make Surtr extremely unhappy."

The room became quiet again.

Lexander looked at him.

"You had to say that."

"Someone did."

Within minutes, Lexander was on his way back to the palace.

He found Io in the garden.

Lisbeth sat beside her.

Lysandra was standing nearby.

Thor was standing behind them like a statue.

Lexander approached slowly.

Io smiled.

"Hello."

He looked at her.

Then at her stomach.

Then back at her.

"Twins."

Io nodded.

"Twins."

He laughed softly.

"How did I miss that?"

Io smiled.

"Apparently you weren't looking closely enough."

He knelt beside her.

His expression became almost overwhelmed.

"Two."

"Two."

He placed a hand gently against her stomach.

"I don't know if I'm ready."

Io laughed.

"Neither am I."

Lexander looked up at her.

"We'll figure it out."

"Together."

"Together."

He kissed her hand.

Then looked toward Thor.

"You knew?"

Thor nodded.

"I suspected."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"You'd panic."

Lexander stared at her.

"Everyone thinks I panic."

Thor smiled.

"Because you do."

That evening, however, the mood changed when Loki arrived at the military headquarters.

Atreyu was already waiting.

A large map covered the table.

Several names had been written around it.

SURTR

FENRIR

JORMUNGANDR

THE KEEPER

Atreyu pointed toward the map.

"We need people."

Loki nodded.

"Not soldiers."

"Why not?"

"Because this isn't a conventional war."

Atreyu studied him.

"Then what?"

"Investigation."

Loki tapped the table.

"We need to understand what Surtr is planning before we fight him."

Atreyu nodded.

"Agreed."

"We need people who can investigate magical activity."

"Scholars?"

"Yes."

"Trackers?"

"Yes."

"Spies?"

"Definitely."

"People who know ancient languages?"

"Absolutely."

Atreyu began writing.

"How many?"

"Ten to start."

"Ten?"

"Twenty would be better."

Atreyu smiled.

"You always ask for more than we have."

"It's a useful habit."

They eventually created a specialized investigative group.

They called it TheWatch.

It consisted of soldiers, scholars, scouts, magical researchers, historians, and intelligence officers from all three kingdoms.

Their mission was simple:

Find Surtr.

Determine the extent of his influence.

Identify his agents.

Investigate the Keeper.

Learn everything possible about Fenrir and Jormungandr.

And most importantly—

Determine what Surtr intended to do about Io's unborn children.

Atreyu personally selected the first members.

Mara offered several Valkyrie-trained scouts.

Loki contributed magical knowledge.

Lexander authorized access to the royal archives.

Io opened the libraries of her kingdom.

Alden provided investigators from Valedorn.

For the first time, the alliance's intelligence services were formally working together.

The Keeper had wanted to divide them.

Instead, its actions were forcing them to cooperate more closely.

Loki noticed the irony.

He smiled.

"The Keeper really isn't very good at this."

Atreyu raised an eyebrow.

"Don't say that too loudly."

"Why?"

"It might hear you."

Loki looked around.

"Fair point."

Meanwhile, Lysandra had discovered something far more interesting than politics.

School.

She stood outside the newly completed Concordia Academy.

The building was enormous.

Its central hall had high arched windows.

Classrooms lined both wings.

There were laboratories.

A library.

Training yards.

Lecture halls.

A small magical research chamber.

And gardens designed specifically for students.

Lysandra stared through the doors.

"It looks incredible."

Lisbeth smiled.

"You've been talking about enrolling for weeks."

"I know."

"So?"

Lysandra hesitated.

"I think I want to."

Lisbeth nodded.

"Then you should."

"What about all the princes?"

"They'll still be there when you return."

Lysandra groaned.

"Wonderful."

Lisbeth laughed.

"You don't have to marry anyone."

"I know."

"You don't have to accept anyone's proposal."

"I know."

"You don't even have to date anyone."

Lysandra smiled.

"I know."

She looked back at the school.

"I want to learn."

"Then learn."

Lysandra smiled.

"I think I'd like that."

Thor appeared beside them.

"School?"

Lysandra nodded.

"Yes."

Thor looked at the building.

"Do they teach combat?"

"Some."

"Magic?"

"Yes."

"History?"

"Yes."

Thor nodded approvingly.

"Useful."

Lysandra laughed.

"You sound like you're considering enrolling."

Thor looked offended.

"I already know everything."

Lisbeth laughed.

"No, you don't."

"I know enough."

"That's different."

Thor considered that.

"Fine."

She looked at Lysandra.

"If you enroll, I'll walk you there."

"I can walk myself."

"I know."

Thor smiled.

"I'll still walk you."

The following weeks became a blur of activity.

Concordia approached completion.

The final roads were paved.

The southern wall was completed.

The palace gardens opened.

The university received its first professors.

The great library began cataloguing its collections.

The markets expanded.

More families arrived.

The alliance's central government began functioning.

And the city became a symbol of something larger than any one kingdom.

Unity.

That was why Lexander began thinking seriously about the next step.

The alliance was working.

But it was still an alliance.

Three governments.

Three sets of laws.

Three royal houses.

Three armies.

Three identities.

And eventually, three claims to the future.

Lexander didn't want that for his children.

One evening, he and Io sat together in the palace gardens.

The city stretched beyond them.

The final construction cranes stood against the sunset.

Io rested one hand against her stomach.

Lexander looked at her.

"I've been thinking."

"That's usually dangerous."

He laughed.

"About us."

"Us?"

"And the kingdoms."

Io became more serious.

"What about them?"

"We've built Concordia."

"Yes."

"We've united our armies."

"Yes."

"Our economies are becoming intertwined."

"Yes."

"Our people are already living together."

"Yes."

He took her hand.

"But our kingdoms are still separate."

Io understood immediately.

"You want to combine them."

"I do."

She was silent.

Lexander continued.

"Not because I want your kingdom."

"And not because I want mine to control yours."

"I want our children to grow up knowing they belong to one country."

Io looked toward the city.

"They would inherit both."

"Exactly."

"Instead of choosing between them."

"Exactly."

She was quiet for several moments.

Then she smiled.

"You've thought about this a lot."

"Every day."

"Why now?"

Lexander looked toward her stomach.

"Because we're not preparing for one child anymore."

Io smiled.

"No."

"Two."

"Two."

He squeezed her hand.

"I don't want them growing up surrounded by questions about which kingdom they belong to."

"I don't either."

"I want them to inherit something stable."

Io nodded.

"Then we'd need to convince everyone."

"I know."

"The nobles."

"The councils."

"The people."

"The military."

"The other allied families."

"Yes."

"And we would have to decide what the new kingdom is called."

Lexander smiled.

"I already have an idea."

Io raised an eyebrow.

"Of course you do."

"Concord."

She looked at him.

"You want the kingdom itself to be called Concord."

"Yes."

Io looked toward the city.

After a long pause, she smiled.

"I like it."

Lexander's smile widened.

"Then we start talking."

But not everyone would welcome the idea.

Across the city, a group of nobles gathered privately.

Some supported the proposal.

Others feared losing their titles.

Some feared losing their ancestral privileges.

Some believed one kingdom would eventually dominate the others.

And some had already been contacted by foreign agents.

The Keeper's whispers had not stopped.

They had simply become quieter.

A letter arrived at one noble's residence that night.

He opened it.

There was no signature.

Only a message.

If the kingdoms unite, your house disappears.

The noble stared at the words.

Then burned the letter.

But the thought remained.

And that was all the Keeper needed.

Deep beneath the mountains, Surtr stood before a pool of fire.

Fenrir and Jormungandr stood beside him.

"The children are twins," Fenrir said.

Surtr's eyes narrowed.

"Two."

"Yes."

Jormungandr shook her head.

"The power is increasing faster than expected."

Surtr stared into the flames.

"Then we have even less time."

Fenrir looked at him.

"What do you intend?"

Surtr didn't answer immediately.

Finally, he said:

"We cannot attack Concordia directly."

"We cannot approach the palace."

"The child is too heavily protected."

Jormungandr smiled.

"Then we attack something else."

Surtr looked at her.

"What?"

She pointed toward the map.

"The idea of Concordia."

Fenrir smiled.

"Break the unity."

"Exactly."

Surtr's expression hardened.

"If they unite their kingdoms, their children will inherit something stronger than either kingdom alone."

He looked toward the surface.

"And that cannot happen."

The next morning, Lexander stood on the balcony with Io.

Concordia stretched before them.

Nearly complete.

Nearly unified.

Nearly ready to become something entirely new.

Io leaned against him.

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes."

She smiled.

"Good."

"Good?"

"It means you understand what we're doing."

Lexander looked down at her.

"I don't want our children growing up in a world where everyone is waiting for them to choose sides."

Io nodded.

"Neither do I."

She placed both hands over her stomach.

Then stopped.

Lexander noticed.

"What is it?"

Io smiled.

"I felt one."

He stared.

"A kick?"

"Yes."

He immediately placed his hand against her stomach.

A moment passed.

Then—

A tiny movement.

Lexander's eyes widened.

"I felt it."

Io laughed.

Another movement followed.

Then another.

Lexander looked at her.

"Wait."

He placed his other hand beside the first.

"There's another."

Io smiled.

"Yes."

Two tiny movements.

Two heartbeats.

Two lives.

Lexander laughed softly.

"Our children."

Io leaned against him.

"Yes."

Below them, the bells of Concordia began ringing.

The final section of the southern wall had been completed.

Workers cheered.

Citizens gathered in the streets.

The city was almost finished.

And for the first time, Lexander could see the future clearly.

Not perfectly.

Not safely.

But clearly enough.

A united kingdom.

A new capital.

Two children.

A family.

And a world that would undoubtedly try to take it all away.

He kissed Io's forehead.

"Whatever happens."

She looked at him.

"We face it together."

Behind them, Thor stood guard.

Lisbeth was already planning how many blankets two babies would require.

Lysandra was making arrangements to enroll at the academy.

Atreyu and Loki were assembling the Watch.

And beneath the mountains, Surtr was preparing his next move.

The Keeper's plan was still unfolding.

But Concordia was no longer merely a city.

It was becoming a kingdom.

And soon, perhaps, a home for two children who might change the world.

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