Standing tall and proud in the middle of the vast Joya Ocean was the continent of Oretierra. It was home to the proud Dwarves and known for its mountainous region with its many mines rich with ore and geodes all around it. Other races tried to invade the lands many times to have access to all the precious gems, but the Dwarves weren’t the only ones living there. 

The continent was also known as home to the most dragons in all of the world. Many had written them off as wild beasts whose only value was their strong bones and thick scales. But the Dwarves respected and treated them as god-like figures. Though an official agreement was never put in place, the Dwarves and the dragons had a silent agreement to live peacefully with each other. So long as no Dwarves invaded their home caves or attacked them, the dragons would leave their settlements alone.

This day was supposed to be a day of celebration. Fortune smiled upon the royal family with King Padraig and Queen Xylalaurel expecting twins. The pregnancy had been hard on the queen’s small frame, but she was determined to bring her children safely into this world. There were nights of restlessness and days filled with sickness and being bedridden, but she knew it would be worth it. Her children were energetic and strong, making her heart soar at how active they were.

However, an invasion ruined the celebration of their upcoming birth and forced many to hide in their homes while King Padraig and his army defended the border. Large ships full of trolls had come in an attempt to take over the kingdom. It wasn’t the first time they’d invaded, but this time was going to be different. There was one person some trolls would have to watch out for because she was not happy they ruined this day...

“Sister! I beg you to please go back to the palace! Or stay behind the walls! You are in labor for goodness sake!” a Dwarven woman with fiery red hair and blue eyes begged as she followed her sister. 

The Dwarven queen wanted to scream. Not because she was in labor, but because she was beyond angry. This was supposed to be a day of celebration. She pushed some strands of her own red hair back and her blue eyes looked bright. “I will not sit and watch as my people are slaughtered by these disgusting beasts, Melita! Now, either join me in battle or go back to the castle!”

“Xylaurel!” Melita shouted and grabbed her arm. “You are in labor and not thinking clearly! What would happen if you were to die!? You’re carrying the heirs of the kingdom!”

“My waters have not spilled yet. These boys will wait for their mother to finish killing these monsters before arriving,” Xylaurel stated. Just as she finished saying that, a troll appeared and ran at them. The queen smiled and waited for it to get close to them. The troll swung its large hammer at them. Even with the added weight of her children in her womb, she was still able to dodge thanks to trolls being slow in their movements. She quickly swung her axe at its ankle and grinned when she saw it cut halfway through.

Melita swung her own large battle axe at its other leg and hit its knee. The troll screamed in pain and fell to the ground. The two sisters quickly pulled their weapons free and ran up to its head. Melita brought her axe down on its neck while Xylaurel brought hers down right in between its eyes. A loud crack echoed and blood spurted out, covering them in some blood. The troll’s body twitched for a few seconds before it stopped.

The queen’s sister pulled her axe out and looked at her sister. “Boys? What makes you think you’re having boys?”

Xylaurel grinned as she wiped some blood off her face. “Because men usually have the most horrible timing in situations like this.”

“I suppose I just proved that right.”

The sisters looked over and saw Melita’s husband, Luvern, standing there with a group of soldiers. Melita couldn’t but laugh. “Husband, perhaps you can convince your sister-in-law to go back?”

“And get punched in the face? No thank you, my dear,” he chuckled as he walked over Xylaurel. “If we can’t convince you to go back, then maybe you’ll let us fight by your side, my queen?”

The queen grimaced as pain shot through her body but continued standing. “The honor would be mine for giving in to this selfish demand.”

Luvern and Melita laughed. “It is selfish,” Melita stated. “But we know you’re also doing this because you’re a warrior at heart and hate the thought of not contributing when so many are risking their lives. That is why you and Padraig have the respect of so many.”

“We will gladly protect you with our lives!” one of the male soldiers shouted.

“You have our word that you will live, my queen!” a female vowed.

The other soldiers cheered and held their weapons up in respect. Xylaurel couldn’t help but feel a little emotional at this and blinked back tears. “Thank you, everyone.” A loud noise got their attention and she saw a large group of trolls approaching them.

Everyone readied their weapons with most of the soldiers standing in front of the queen. Melita stood next to her sister and blew a strand of hair away from her face. “Try not to fight any trolls by yourself. Let us protect you and the future heirs.”

Xylaurel grinned and readied her axe. “I make no promises, sister. Let’s make these trolls regret the day they ruined my sons’ birth celebration!”

“That’s the last of them, King Padraig.”

The Dwarven king nodded to the soldier and sighed wearily as he looked around. Bodies of trolls littered the entire area with some fallen Dwarven soldiers. He wondered why they decided to attack today of all days. He knew his beloved wife was probably angry that the celebrations were interrupted.

“Your Majesty!” 

A soldier rushed up to him and stopped to catch his breath before bowing to him. “What is it, soldier?” Padraig asked.

The man looked at him with wide eyes. “W-We just received word that a group of trolls managed to get past us and headed to the kingdom’s gates. H-Her Majesty was last seen fighting them!”

Padraig’s heart dropped and his gray eyes looked ice cold at that moment. “Did you just say my wife is fighting trolls outside the gates? My wife, who is pregnant with twins!?”

The soldier nodded nervously. “Y-Yes, Your Majesty...”

Padraig looked at him for a few seconds before turning to the other soldiers. “I need some men now! Some managed to slip past us and headed to the kingdom! The queen is in danger!” He and a few soldiers quickly got on some nearby horses and rushed back to the kingdom.

Padraig’s eyes were wide when he saw bodies of trolls on the path to the kingdom’s gates. Not one single body was whole and body parts were spread all over the area. Some were covered in a mysterious liquid that melted them down to the bones. Others were missing their limbs and had deep cuts along their necks. There were a few whose faces looked like they’d been smashed in with a blunt object. Padraig didn’t know if he should be worried or impressed that his wife and the few soldiers who fought with her managed to do all this.

A blood-curdling scream sent chills down his spine as he realized it was Xylaurel. He quickly had his horse run to the gates. A group of soldiers stood not too far from the entrance. One of the soldiers spotted him and waved. “Your Majesty! Over here!”

Padraig practically jumped off his horse and ran over to him. “Where is my wife?”

“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“The baby is out, Xylaurel!” Melita’s voice cheered.

The king pushed through all the soldiers. He saw his wife lying on the ground with Melita kneeling next to her and holding a baby. Luvern was on the other side of Xylaurel and holding her hand in support. The court wizard, Oren, was in front of her with another baby in his hands. “Another boy, my queen!”

Xylaurel laughed as she watched him clean her second baby and looked at her sister. “I knew they would be boys! Only men have horrible timing. They couldn’t even wait until I got back to the castle.” She saw her husband standing there and grinned. “Fancy seeing you here. Come meet your sons!”

“Sons?” Padraig asked in shock. “Both are boys?”

“That’s what I meant when I said “sons,” my love,” the queen chuckled. “We have been blessed with two boys!”

Melita handed the baby in her arms to him. He looked down at the infant as he sat beside his wife. Both had the same light brown hair and nose as him, but it was too early to tell whose eyes they would have. “Two boys. We will have a celebration as soon as we can.”

Xylaurel smiled as she looked at her boys. “Of course they came out looking like you. There is truly no justice in the world.”

“Hoping one would come out looking like you?” Melita asked teasingly.

“Yes!” the queen exclaimed. “I carried these boys for as long as I could and they have the audacity to come out looking like their father. Couldn’t one of them have my hair at least?”

Padraig gave his wife a hard look. “Speaking of carrying our boys…want to tell me why you are out here?”

Xylaurel winced as she felt a sharp pain run through her body. She quickly handed her son to her sister and cried out as another pain shot through her. “S-Something’s happening!”

“Oren!” Padraig shouted to the court wizard who’d been checking on some injured soldiers. He handed the baby to his brother-in-law and held his wife’s hand. “What’s wrong, Xyla?”

She didn’t answer him and grabbed his hand as she felt something shift inside her. Whatever it was, it felt like it was slipping out. She screamed as more pain wracked her body and squeezed her husband’s hand. Just as Oren went to check on her, Xylaurel let out another scream as she felt something leave her body. She and the others looked down at the tiny infant she just pushed out.

The court wizard quickly gathered himself and picked up the baby to clean him off. When he cleared his airway, the little baby let out a small cry. “Another boy!” he revealed.

The royal couple looked at each other in shock. Neither had been expecting a third one. Twins were already a rarity among Dwarves. But triplets? It was practically unheard of. Xylaurel looked at her unexpected surprise when Oren handed him to her. Unlike the other two, who looked more like Padraig, this one took more after her with his little wisps of fiery red hair and fair skin.

“Do you have names for these little ones?” Luvern asked as he rocked the baby in his arms.

“Rexus for the eldest,” Xylaurel replied, nodding to the baby in her sister’s arms, then nodded to the baby in Luvern’s arms. “And Rhodaph for the second one.”

“And for this unexpected surprise?” Padraig asked as he stared in awe at their new addition. “We didn’t think of names for a third one…”

The queen smiled with tears in her eyes as she looked at their youngest son. He looked so tiny and frail compared to his brothers. Even his cries and little coos sounded weak, but Xylaurel knew he was a fighter. “Rustam…” She might be exhausted, but Xylaurel swore she saw him smile. “This one’s name is Rustam.”

“Rustam it is! A strong name for our tiny but mighty boy!” The king smiled brightly and stood up to look at the soldiers and his family. “On this night, we welcome Princes Rexus, Rhodaph, and Rustam Scale-Singer!”

“To the princes!” a soldier cheered.

“Long live the Scale-Singer family!” another shouted and raised her axe. Everyone shouted and cheered, raising their weapons. The celebration might not have happened, but they could have in this moment.

But not everyone was happy…

 “What do you mean the trolls didn’t kill the king and queen!?” a male Dwarf yelled at his accomplice. “They had one job! ONE!”

The accomplice, another male Dwarf, shifted uncomfortably. “I thought there would be more.”

“Even so, the queen should’ve been killed! She was fighting while in labor!”

“It’s just a small setback,” another Dwarf spoke. She looked at the angry man. “We have time to come up with a new plan.”

The angry Dwarf scoffed and glared at the kingdom from their hideout. “One day…that throne will be mine.”