The Chosen One

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Rose's POV

I squeal in excitement. I feel Belvedere become slightly anxious, so I send reassuring feelings through our bond. I rush towards my basket and see that the two previously round eggs now have chips in them. I begin to grow nervous as the cracks start to widen. This continues for a couple of minutes until a matte-black baby dragon pops his head out of the egg.

"Artemis." I hear a whisper as a coincidental breeze blows by. Artemis, the older twin's name, was derived from the Greek Goddess Artemis of both the moon and hunt. The baby dragon snaps his head to me and I slowly reach out my hand. It doesn't move away, so I see that as a sign to continue approaching.

Because newborn dragons can be very confused when they first hatch, they may be violent at first. I calmly pick up the baby dragon and cradle it in my arms. It lays its head on my chest as I hold my dragon in a motherly way. A minute later, a bright gold dragon pops his head out of his egg.

"Apollo." I hear another whisper. Apollo, the younger twin's name, was derived from the Greek God Apollo of prophecies and music. His name is recognized as a symbol of light, the sun. Shifting Artemis's weight into my right arm, I slowly reach out for my second baby. I pick him up reassuringly, and cradle him just as his brother. I noticed that the exact moment that Artemis looked at me, the night dimmed a darker color. Then, when Apollo looked at me, the sky ever so slightly brightened. I cradle my baby dragons, rocking them gently back and forth in a soothing way.

I turn around and look at the four dragons who witnessed the whole thing. I turn towards Belvedere specifically.

'Here are your brothers Belvedere.' I smile at my first companion. 'Artemis is on the right, he is older by 1 minute and 26 seconds. Apollo is on the left, but they weigh the same.' I say through mind-link.

'Apollo, Greek God of the sun.' Oceanus mutters.

'Artemis, Greek Goddess of the moon.' Ampiere states.

'Fitting isn't it?' I chuckle. I notice that Belvedere's eyes have never left the figures of the baby dragons asleep in my arms. 'Belvedere, are you alright?' I ask slightly concerned.

'I've always wanted siblings.' He breaks out into what I think is a smile. 'I have two brothers!' He says happily. I smile brightly, Belvedere's acceptance makes this whole situation 10 times easier.

'Um, what do I do now?' I ask Oceanus.

'They will most likely be attached to you for a couple of days. Many new dragons are clingy to their riders when they first hatch. They should probably sleep with you tonight.' He replies. I feel that Belvedere is apprehensive and based on his thoughts, he doesn't really want to let them out of his sight. I nod, already knowing what I am going to do.

I place my sleeping twins in the basket, then gather the rest of the supplies I used to bathe Belvedere and carry the buckets in my arms. We get to the stables and I close the gates of all the other dragons. When I enter Belvedere's stable making no move to leave, he asks me what I am doing.

'I'm spending the night.' I shrug. My companion asks me why.

'I already have the pillows and blankets, plus I know that you didn't really want to let the twins leave your sight. And because they are clinging to me, I am sleeping in your stable for the next couple of nights to make the transition easier.' I reply.