The World Dragon's Heir - Chapter 731: Rock The Baby

Chapter 731: Rock The Baby

Once Katerina was fed, Dominic rocked the little one to sleep, humming a lullaby that he remembered his mother humming when he was little.

As Alexis’ soft snores filled the room, the midwife leaned over to whisper to Dominic.

“That one is going to be just like her parents, in all the best and worst ways. Look how she smiles when you hum old war ballads to her.”

Dominic chuckled. “Well, I’ve heard alternate versions of it as well. But I do rather like it in its original wording. But my mother used to hum it to me this way, and it always put me to sleep.

I think that the witches will have something ready by morning that will reduce the issues with sharp claws and dragon fire.

They would have told me by now if they didn’t think they could do it.”

“That will be wonderful. The Duchess should be back into reasonably mobile shape in a day or two, with the healing we’ve given her.

However, I fully expect that she will be too exhausted to be doing a full training routine for some time if she continues to insist on doing all the feeding herself. There are nursemaids available in town if you would prefer.

Troll milk is good for dragonkin babies.

I know that she is going to be reluctant, the Duchess has been quite protective of her little one. Unusual for a Princess, who usually passes the child off immediately.

But she’s always been a romantic and sentimental sort, from what the Guards have told me.”

Dominic laughed. “That is true. She is definitely a romantic at heart.

But once the exhaustion truly sets in, I think that she will accept a wet nurse for at least some of the feedings. I will talk about it with her in the morning.

Though, as she’s able to grow claws, I guess we should be glad that the little one doesn’t grow fangs.

Feedings would become a real issue if she had teeth.”

As he spoke, Dominic slowly radiated mana toward his daughter, testing whether she could absorb it.

Highly skilled magicians were often born with the ability, and it was one of the tests that would be run on all Royals on their first birthday. So, there was no harm in doing it now.

It would be years before even the most talented could do more than simply hold a tiny bit of mana in their body.

It wasn’t until puberty that the mana pathways fully formed.

Of course, for a dragonkin, the innate magic would come earlier. Dominic’s had come about the same time that he started school.

“If you are comfortable taking care of her for a bit, I will go get cleaning supplies. If she is asleep, you can put her in the bassinet.”

Dominic smiled, then winked at the midwife. “She needs to be extra asleep for that, or put in while she’s awake. Watch.”

He gently placed the child in the bassinet, and her eyes immediately shot open, and her lips curved into a grin as she began to wiggle, demanding that someone turn on the rocking function.

“Well, that is unfortunate. But…”

The midwife turned the device on, and Katerina burbled happily as the bed began to sway, then slowly closed her eyes.

“It’s all about patience. The same thing happens when you pass her to a new person. I think that she’s going by smell because her eyesight seems to be no better than any other child.

She just recognizes that she has moved, and somewhat remembers what happened the last time she was in that place.

She’s got a brilliant mind, compared to other newborns.

At least, compared to human newborns. Trolls and goats are pretty aware and mobile from birth, but humans are pretty useless for the first few months.”

Dominic chuckled quietly, so he didn’t wake the baby.

“That is true. A baby troll will be crawling within a day. But my wife would definitely not be impressed if our little bundle of joy did the same.”

The midwife shrugged. “I doubt that will be an issue. The Royal Family has some Elven blood, which enhances their youth, but Dragonkin tend to mature much more slowly than humans.

She might be quick in the early stages, but by age five she will be noticeably smaller than most of her human peers.

Look at you, you’ve got to be twenty-something by now, and you still look to be in your later teens.”

Dominic sighed. “Only in bad light. The last half year has put more age on my face than the five before it. But you’re right, even when I arrived in Cygnia City, I definitely got noticed for the baby face.

Pretty boys have it hard, I tell you.”

The midwife shrugged. “Trolls don’t suffer from that affliction.”

Her sly grin made Dominic laugh. She was one hundred percent correct. There were many things that you could call Larry and Dave, but “A Pretty Boy” was not in any way shape or form accurate.

The midwife excused herself to go get cleaning supplies and whatever else she needed, while another troll came in to replace her.

“Will you be remaining in the chair? Or should I bring out a cot for you?” She whispered.

“No need. I will go to bed soon. I just wanted to make sure that everyone was properly asleep before I left. It’s probably too much to ask that the little one might sleep through the night, but in the bassinet, she should sleep for at least a few hours and give Alexis a break.”

The new arrival nodded. “We will make sure that both Princesses get their beauty sleep. We also prepared some bottled milk, in case the little one is willing to accept it.

Many dragonkin and trolls won’t. They know that the taste of the bottle is wrong, not living or possibly just not the right person.

It’s not a proven theory, but I have seen more than one reject the bottles until they’re older.”