Reader Insert:The Princess Bride *Extended Ending*

England x Reader
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          

                  You woke up in the middle of the night to the pitiful whimpering of an infant so you quietly got out of bed as to not disturb your husband, Arthur, from his much needed sleep. You looked at his peaceful, sleeping face, his eyebrows scrunched a bit from the stress of his days when he was awake. He worked so hard to keep you and the baby safe from harm...these hours of peace were sacred in themselves.

          The ship beneath your feet swayed a little, making you lose balance slightly as you walked to the bassinette on autopilot. You lit a candle to give you some light and you rubbed the sleep from your eyes before you peered over the lace coverlet.

          Staring up at you with little tears in her eyes was your daughter, Rose. You put your hand to her chubby cheek and smiled down at her fussing form. Her eyes were the same deep forest green of her father's and she had, thankfully, your hair and eyebrows. You loved Arthur's thick eyebrows but you didn't think they would look very becoming on a little girl.

          Before she could make a sound to wake up Arthur, you scooped her up gently and sat in the small wooden chair by the port window. It was complete darkness outside and you could see an array of stars splashed over the early morning sky as you unbuttoned the top of your white lace sleeping gown. That was what you liked the most about being at sea, that splendid isolation that you shared with your small family aboard the modest ship.

          You situated Rose at your chest and she latched immediately, happily suckling her meal with occasional contented sighs through her nose. She put her little hand up and played with your slightly tangled hair as she suckled, gripping the hair by opening and closing her hand as if to test its strength and to reassure herself that you were still there.

          You smiled down at her, remembering all that it took to get where you were now, as her green eyes closed, still sleepy despite her hunger.

          Arthur had wanted to stay on the seas after his experience as the Dread Pirate Roberts, completely loving the freedom he had that he could never experience on land, and you had willingly gone with him. He quickly found a replacement for Roberts before the two of you got married and you set off for distant lands right from the church. Even though he was no longer a pirate, the ship, dubbed The Wind Rose after your daughter was born a year later, was sometimes still in danger from other pirate ships. Arthur pledged to you one day before setting sail from a French port that he would do anything to protect you and Rose.

          Arthur became an experienced sailor within months and often demonstrated his skills when suspicious-looking ships were on the horizon, all the while muttering "I'm like a damned Italian, running away from all these goddamned ships! I may as well fly a white flag at the mast!" on his bad days. His days were stressful in trying to protect his family and his crew while trying to make a business out of delivering expensive shipments from rich port towns...

          Rose had her fill and detached from your chest, a bit of milk running down her little chin as you lifted her to your shoulder to burp her. She immediately let out a small "phaa" before she began to fall back to sleep. You kissed her forehead then laid her back down in the bassinette.  

          You blew out the candle on your nightstand and carefully climbed back into bed with Arthur. Despite trying to be as subtle as possible, Arthur stirred and opened his lovely, half lidded eyes to meet yours.

          "Is everything alright, love?" he asked, his voice a bit deeper from sleep.

          "Everything's fine, Arthur," you said, lying down, "Rose was just hungry."

          "As long as everyone is safe..." he said, giving up to exhaustion. "You're the best mother she could ask for..." he whispered as he let sleep take over once more.

          You softly kissed him, your lips just brushing his, and you fell asleep with your head resting next to your husband's as the early morning light began to seep through the cabin's windows.