Chapter Seven

Humming could be heard from the kitchen as Annalia arrived at her parents’ place for the weekly family get together. She swallowed her nervousness as the familiar surroundings of her home welcomed her and soothed away her worries. She knew she was going to have to tell her family the ‘good news’ but also knew that there were going to be fireworks. Especially since the father seemed to be a figment of her imagination.

But she was pregnant and she was more than excited…she was jubilant. All her life, she had wanted to have a family. And even when she had been young, the man of her dreams had been a man that was tall, dark, and handsome…all which Taliesin fit perfectly. She didn’t have any illusions that she might end up being a single mom, but she kept in her memory the promise that he had made to her before they had parted.

"You will find your own way, my Annalia. Do not fear.”

“Won’t you be with me?”

"Not right away, but I will find you. Do not worry so, little one. You will be safe."

She glanced away at those thoughts, sniffling slightly. She really wanted Taliesin to be there to experience her pregnancy with her and to be a part of her life. But he wasn’t. He was somewhere that her dreams couldn’t take her and she had to fend for herself for now. But she knew she’d have her family…if they could handle her announcement.

Taking a steeling breath, Annalia went into the kitchen and smiled as she watched her mother move around the kitchen while cooking. “Hey mum!” she called over the clatter of pots and pans being stirred by spoons as well as her mother’s humming.

Her mother turned and smiled brightly as she saw her only daughter. “There ye are! The boys and I were wonderin’ when ye was goin’ to be gettin’ ‘ere!” she called out as she wiped her hands clean before bustling over to hug her daughter.

“I’m sorry, mum. I missed the bus because I didn’t hear my alarm,” Annalia admitted guiltily as she returned the hug.

“Didna hear the alarm?! Is somethin’ wrong, darlin’?” her mother asked in concern as she leaned back and anxiously looked her daughter over. “Ye seem pale! And are those circles under yer eyes?! Mercy! Oh, sit down, sit down! Ye must be sick! I though’ ye went to the doctor this week to have this checked out!” she cried as she hustled her daughter to a chair and sat her down over Annalia’s protests.

“Mum please! I’m all right! I was up late with Kellie last night watching movies and just needed to sleep!” Annalia cried futilely as she batted at her mother’s fussing hands.

“Oh! Ye were visitin’ with Kellie? How is the dear?” Bethany asked fondly as she clasped her hands before her, her face crinkling in a broad smile.

“She’s fine, mum. School is going well,” Annalia replied soothingly as she smiled in enjoyment at her mother’s easily distracted mind. She dutifully drank the offered cup of milk as her mother tutted and went back to work on dinner and sighed inwardly. This was going to be more difficult than she thought…

“I heard Lia!” Anthony’s voice floated from the living room before he skidded in and hugged her. “You’re late, sis!”

“I know, I know! Mum already scolded, so don’t start!” Annalia replied with a laugh as she returned his hug. She grinned as he straightened up. “Playing that new game again?” she asked teasingly before sipping her milk again.

“Yeup! You should play! You’d like it! No fighting or RPGing! Just a board game!” Anthony said with a laugh.

“Oh yea? Let’s see,” Annalia ordered with a giggle as she shook her head and stood up. She followed him into the living room and was soon snickering as she watched her other brothers and dad yelling and gesturing while they played the multi-player game. They played, or watched in Annalia’s case, for about half an hour before their mother called them in for dinner. The rush to the table was the typical stampede, which earned another giggle from Annalia as she followed them in the wake of their shoving rush. She sat down and watched in pleasure as they settled down and the usual bantering started over the food before order was called to say prayer.

Folding her hands over her stomach, Annalia added to her prayer silently. ‘Please Lord God and Mother Goddess…give me the strength to tell my family this joyous news and give them the open hearts so that they will accept my child.’ She looked up as the serving began while laughter and chatter filled the dining room with warmth and family bonding. She smiled slightly as she just watched for a bit before being dragged into the serving frenzy and dished herself up small servings of the offered food.

Sounds of silverware hitting china mingled with comments and laughter as the meal proceeded. Annalia kept quiet, just biding her time until she could find the courage to announce to them that she was pregnant. Her silence didn’t go unnoticed though and soon, her family piped up.

“Hey Lia…you sure are quiet. Something the matter?” Ryan asked before shoveling some lasagna into his mouth while cocking an eyebrow as she looked up at him in surprise.

“Hey yea! What’s up, sis? Aren’t you hungry?” Jonathon questioned as well as he put his fork down and frowned at the small amount that his sister had actually consumed.

“Um, well…not really that much. My stomach’s just been really upset and stuff,” Annalia hedged as she looked down at her food while fidgeting in her seat as she felt them all focus on her.

“Ye’ve been sick for the past week ‘n a half. What did the doctor say?” Liam asked his daughter as his eyes narrowed at her in suspicion.

“Um…” This was it. She had the option to tell them the news. But she was suddenly terrified. What if they were upset? What if they disowned her for being a disgrace? What if…what if they rejected her and her child? She shivered suddenly and wrapped her arms defensively around herself, curling up.

“What’s wrong, Lia? You’re shaking,” Ryan asked softly with concern in his eyes as he placed a hand on her trembling arm.

“I…I guess I’m scared…” Annalia admitted and smiled weakly at their shocked looks.

“Scared?! Why ye be scared?!” Bethany asked in shock as she put her silverware down immediately. “What did the doctor say to ye?!” she demanded as she paled while thoughts of horrible possibilities could practically be seen running through her head.

“Well…” Annalia took a deep breath and steeled herself as she clung to her eldest brother’s hand on her arm. “I’m…I’m pregnant.”

Silence fell over the room as the O’Grady family stared at her in utter astonishment. Seconds ticked by as Annalia kept her face down, feeling her skin crawl under their gazes. She peeked up finally as she heard a fork being put down on a plate.

“Yer jokin’ at this time?! And who is the father?!” Bethany challenged as her tone rose up while she stared at her daughter in shock.

Annalia looked down again biting her lip. How could she answer that? ‘Oh sure…yea mum, it was some guy I met on Avalon. By the way, your grandchild is going to be Pendragon reborn. Hope you don’t mind…’ She nearly groaned out loud at her thoughts and covered her face with a trembling hand.

Mayhem instantly rose up as her parents began to yell while her brothers defended her. Ryan pulled Annalia to him and whispered soothingly to her as she started to cry softly. This was what she had feared in telling her family. She clenched her eyes shut and trembled as her father and mother shot accusations while Jonathon and Anthony tried to calm them down enough so that Annalia could possibly explain. But how could she explain?!

Hearing her child being called a bastard, she sobbed, jumped to her feet and ran from the house, ignoring the shouts and calls for her. She wept as she ran, wiping her eyes as she dodged people who stared after her in concern. Her feet carried her to her favorite spot in Central Park that was right by a small pond. She knelt down in the grass and cried, hiccupping in her distress. She hadn’t quite expected that kind of a reaction and it not only frightened her, but hurt her deeply. ‘My child is not a bastard! He has a father that will love him!’ she screamed in her head while she rocked herself. She started as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and she looked up in hope. But her hope died as she saw that it was her brother Ryan. “Ry?”

“Hey now…don’t cry sweetie. It’ll be ok. Mum and Da didn’t mean those things and you know it,” Ryan murmured gently as he hugged her close. She sobbed again and buried her face in his chest, holding tightly to his shirt as she wept. Soothing her as he rocked her, Ryan rubbed his sister’s back as he tried to comfort her.

“They called m-my baby a b-bastard! It’s not a bastard! Its father loves it and he’ll come! He will!” Annalia declared between hiccups and sobs as she was rocked and shook in her brother’s arms.

“Lia…is the father…is it that man you had in your dream?” Ryan asked delicately as he rubbed her back, encouraging her to calm down.

Slowly, Annalia looked up at her brother through the tears that streaked her face and blurred her vision. “It wasn’t a dream,” she whispered huskily and swallowed hard as her hand came to her still flat stomach. “This is real, Ryan! I saw it with my own eyes and the tests proved it! Like it or not, that was no dream and this baby is coming!” she cried and her voice cracked with her emotion as she trembled.

“Easy now, sis…easy. I…I believe you,” Ryan replied soothingly as he brushed his hand over her cheeks, wiping away the excess tears.

“You…you do?” Annalia asked quietly in disbelief as she looked up at her brother. She relaxed and hope filled her eyes as she saw the warmth and acceptance in his eyes. She sniffled and hugged him tightly. “Oh thank you, Ry! Thank you for believing me!” she murmured shakily while sniffling.

“Hey…you know I am there for you. Now why don’t we go for a chocolate raspberry latté?” Ryan suggested with a smile as he sat back a bit. She nodded as she wiped her face and nose before smiling up at him in return. He nodded back and stood up, shaking out his legs before helping her up onto her feet. He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her close as they went to the nearby café that they loved going to together and sat outside after ordering.

Annalia watched her brother as he fiddled with his straw before looking at her. “So, you really think that that guy will come for you?” he asked finally, quietly.

“Taliesin. His name is Taliesin. And yes…I know he’ll come for me. He promised,” she replied softly as she stared into her own latté. She played with the cap before sipping the hot drink and sighing. “I’m going to have to cut back on these. Poop,” she muttered with a pout, which earned a laugh from her brother.

“Yea, a lot of things are going to have to change, sis. And you’ll have your family’s support…don’t worry. When I left, Anthony and Jonathon were talking some sense into mum and da, especially since they were upset that you had run off. Don’t worry…they’ll accept it,” he predicted reassuringly and smiled when she gave him a weak smile.

“Ye best be hopin’ that ye can find a safe place to hide, lass. No tellin’ what strange things will be happenin’,” a burly voice intoned ominously as a large shadow fell over their table.

“Who are you?” Annalia asked in surprise as they looked up to find a burly red haired man standing beside their table, looming over them menacingly.

“I warn ye now, lass…dona let the Pendragon live or else ye will find that yer own life is forfeit. We warned ye before. Dona think to ignore us again,” the man warned darkly as he pointed a calloused finger at them.

“Now wait a minute bud! No one threatens my sist-Did you say ‘Pendragon’?” Ryan demanded as he stood up, not noticing the shiver that ran through Annalia as she watched them in fear.

“'Secrets wait on paths of old. Darkness falls as tales have told. A new light is needed this day of new. Come forth chosen from the forgotten few. Songs of wisdom be your guide. Spirits of past be at your side. Look for the mists of places gone. And know the nature of what is born. All that is old shall be new. All that was lost shall come into view. For as the night draws close to shroud us all, the Pendragon reborn shall ensure its fall.' Ye best not believe in these words, lass. If ye know what’s good for ye.” That said, the man turned and walked away, ignoring Ryan as he snarled at the retreating man.

Annalia stared at her latté in fear and trembled as tears of terror dripped down her face. Her hand fell to her stomach protectively as Ryan sat down next to her and put a hand on her other trembling hand that was on the table. She looked up with wide eyes at her brother and her lower lip trembled. “Oh Ry…I’m so scared! What if they try…try to do something?” she whispered in rising panic.

“Now hush. Ain’t nothing going to happen! I’ll see to it myself and you know it!” Ryan exclaimed firmly before hugging her and rubbing her back as she sobbed into his shoulder. “There now…I’ve got you, Lia. No one will hurt you or your child,” he whispered soothingly to her as he rocked her carefully.

‘But can you keep that promise? Oh Ryan…oh Taliesin! I wish you were here now more than ever!’ Annalia wailed in her mind as she broke down. She didn’t know what to do anymore, but she knew one thing: She needed Taliesin badly.