1 - New Beginnings - Fav Photos 2023

New Beginnings

An original, photo story

Winter Patrol

Several months had passed since Baron and Naomi's wedding, and life had settled into a comfortable routine. Winter had come, and the world had become a wonderland of ice and snow. It was time for Baron to leave on his annual Winter Patrol of the remote, northern regions of the Kingdom.

It would be weeks before he would return....

...and they would miss each other more than words could say...

...but it was an important part of his job.

"Good-bye, my love."

"I'll be counting the days until you are back in my arms."

"...but I have to go. Rex is waiting for me."

Keeping Busy

Naomi had already gone through missing Baron on his Winter Patrol the year before, but this time it was different.

This time she was expecting their first child...

She tried to keep busy working on things for her baby....

...after all, this wasn't like the modern world where one could go to a store and buy anything and everything they needed.
Here, she would have to make everything herself.

But she kept thinking of Baron, wondering where he was, and what he was doing, knowing it was still way too soon for him to be coming back, yet hoping against hope, that she'd spot him riding home through the castle gate.

A New Dress

Naomi had started sewing herself a new dress.

Her favourite dress was starting to feel a bit tight, and there were still many months to go before her baby arrived, so she would soon need something with more room in the front.

But she found it hard to concentrate...

Her mind kept wandering....

It just seemed so much harder this year.

She missed Baron so much.

But the dress wasn't going to make itself...

So she needed to concentrate, and get back to it...

Expectant Dragons

Naomi and Baron weren't the only ones in the 'family way'.
In the subterranean lair that Winston and Saphira called home, she had surprised him with a clutch of eggs...

"Four eggs!"

No wonder she had been so moody the past few weeks.

"They are beautiful! But, why are they different colours?"

"One colour for boys, and another colour for girls. So two of each."

"So, how long does it take for them to hatch?"

"Well, it depends. Dragon eggs will still hatch after many years. Even decades later."

"But, if they are kept really warm..."

"Then it can be as short as just a few months."

"So we need to keep them here by the fire."

And she carefully placed her precious eggs...

...in a soft nest in front of the fire,

Winston took her hand, and gave her a hug...

...as they stood gazing at the wonder of new life that lay before them....

"This is so exciting!"

"We are going to become parents!"

An Invitation

It had been a fortnight since the two knights had left, and with Rex away on Winter Patrol, Bianca was left to throw a birthday party for their daughter on her own. So, knowing just how lonely Naomi must be, Bianca invited her to come to the party as well.

Naomi made her way to Rex and Bianca's castle through the snow...

...carrying a big bunch of balloons...

She had always loved balloons as a child, and thought she might surprise the children, who had never seen them before.