Birth

Aurelia

There was a balcony in the castle that over looked the sea. When I stood on it, I could see where the water met the sky. No one knew that I would come here, even the servants who always seemed to stock me couldn’t find me here. In the last days after finding out about the baby, I came here to get away from Kairios’ anger.

This morning had been the same. He did not agree with my choice to ask Saira to spell the pregnancy along. I could even understand where he was coming from. I was worried about it as well. But now, now there was more things to worry about than what was going on between us. The Kingdom needed to be rebuilt and the war was on our doorstep.

I had to look at the big picture. If I didn’t finish this, then our child would grow up in fear. I would never allow that. So, the child had to be born now. Then I could fight. Tonight was a full moon, Saira said the conditions would be perfect for this magic. Maybe after this was all done, Kairios would return to our room...

As I went over what she had told me about the spell, I looked to the sea. I couldn’t lie to myself that I was waiting for him. Wishing I had his support. I knew that he wouldn’t come without me sending word. I had asked Mana how he would do it, but he would not tell me. We talked about other things, and over the days I found that I liked having him around.

Sometimes he told me stories of when Galorian got so drunk that he made an utter fool of himself. My favorite story was when he fell off the ship naked, thinking he was fighting a siren of the deep. A smile creeped across my lips.

Do you burn with me?

There was no more time to waste. Jaxson, Elnora and Lyanna were expecting me for a meeting. I walked through what had been a dining room that connected to the balcony. I suspected that this was where my father and grandfather would host dinner parties and other events that I should have been able to experience. Experiences that were robbed from me.

The walls were dusty to the touch. I knew that my aunt had never used this room. I was still angry that someone had taken it upon themselves to poison her. When I looked at her body after they discovered her. I had never seen anything look so disgusting. Her mouth was hanging open and her tongue was swollen and black. Her eyes were so wide from terror that the blood vessels in one of them exploded and turned her eye red. The green color of her skin, I hated poison.

It was probably for the better anyways. There was no way that she would be a threat to me or my child. I rested my ear at the door, listening for any sounds of people on the other side. When I felt like it was clear, I twisted the handle and peeked my head around the corner.

The face that was staring at me was amused. He was so tall with his arms across his chest. “So, this is where you have been going to hide.” He said with a tinge of amusement in his words.

I gave him the most dramatic look that I could come up with. “Now I need to find a new spot to hide from you.”

He laughed and raised his arm to escort me through the halls. “Are you ready?”

I didn’t need to know what he was referring to. The child. I knew he was worried that I would be harmed by the spell. He never told me not to do it though. Only stating that he will protect me no matter what, and the child after he or she was born.

“I am ready for this to be over. The people are waiting to start this war. We need to leave before fear grips them and they flee.”

We walked the rest of the way in silence. The halls had finished being cleared of all the ugly furniture and the paintings that stained the walls, they had been burnt at my order. The only things that could be seen as we walked now were the carpets running along the cobble stone floors and the candles that were sitting in the wall sconces.

The room we held our council meetings was small. The room held a large table that sat in the center. There were more chairs here than we ever had them filled. There was no throne in here. I sat at the head of the table, so I could see everyone, and the chair that was there was large and full of soft cushions.

They had been waiting for me. I could tell from Lyanna’s half-finished cup of Arabica. “Sorry I have kept you waiting.” I said as sincerely as I could. Mana pulled out my chair and I sat down. He remained standing behind me. They had grown accustomed to his stares and all worked effortlessly to ignore him.

“We are ready to go. Everything is in place. All we need to do is load up.”

“The citizens are growing restless. They thought we would be on the road already. Many are worried about family members that are still in their homes.”

“I received word late last night that there has been another attack. The mining town of Bluestone has been burned to the ground. Reports say that the demons are living in the mines for now.”

They all gave me their report. “We leave tomorrow night. That should give us time for the spell to be complete and the baby to be settled. Send word throughout the city to start getting ready. We can't afford to waste any more time. We need to sweep these lands and send all the survivors here.”

“We still don't totally know what we are fighting. If they are like Lycus, then we are doomed to fail.”

“We know more now than we did when I fought him. I haven't forgotten the intensity of the power we face. My eye will forever be a reminder.”

“My Queen I...”

I held up my hand to stop Jaxson. “I have spoken with Saira, she will place the same spell on as many swords and shields as she can. Should we find surviving warlocks on our way they can prove their loyalty by using the same spell.”

I promised her that I would save her people, I would find every way to keep that promise. No one agreed with me. They all felt that they should be slaughtered. Years and years of fighting had brought that. I had told them that if they plan to be in my new world, then they had to leave old thinking behind.

We talked over the finer details of our departure. We couldn’t ask for more organization and supplies then what we had right now. “After tonight you three will be in charge of it all. I can't think of anyone that would be better suited to fix the wrongs done here. Nor can I think of someone else who I would trust more to keep my child safe.”

They all stayed seated as I left the room. Before the door was closed, they had continued on with other matters that I didn’t need to attend to. Saira was waiting for me in the round room. I wondered if Kairios was there waiting as well. I walked in silence, Mana silent as a shadow behind me.

My feet carried me there without a second thought. I was afraid. What if this didn’t work? All the bad things that could happen flashed through my mind. I have no choice, I chanted to myself over and over. The stone hall was dark as I crouched my way through. Light flooded into the entrance. When I came through, I was shocked at the way the room seemed changed.

Light came from every side of the room. Candles covered each surface that was crammed in here. There was no longer a pedestal in the center, a large bed had taken its place. Soft looking sheets and pillows covered it. Next to the bed was two tables. The small one held the crystal ball, secured in the center of a soft little pillow.

The table beside that had folded linens and viles filled with an array of colored liquids. A large bowl was filled with a dark liquid, Kairios’ blood. Everything looked ready to start. Saira was standing at the head of the bed waiting, a look of worry on her face.

“I believe in you.” I told her. “Mana, some privacy please.” He was to wait on the other side of the door.

When it was just the two of us left, I started to remove my simple clothing. “Kairios left moments before you got here, he said he would be back.”

I couldn’t think of it right now. It took everything I had in me to stay calm. If my hands were trembling as she held them, I knew she would want to stop this.

“Stand here while I draw the symbols on your belly. Then you can lay down and I will draw the rest.”

The symbols would be drawn in Kairios’ blood. She chanted while she drew the on. The language was strange and the blood was already cold. Red swirls that connected to star like patterns covered my belly and went up to my breasts. They circled around my nipples that connected to a large star that sat over my heart.

The blood began to feel warmer as she chanted along. “Lay back.”

I followed her instructions and nestled myself into the pillows and got as comfortable as I could with my knees bent and hanging open. Saira didn’t waste any time and was already drawing the same patterns on my legs. Her hands were swift and sure as she passed over my sex.

Her silver eyes met mine. She had warned me that this would be incredibly painful. My body would have to go through in minutes what should have taken months. I gave her a quick nod to get it over with.

“Aliton primuto sayan quinti.” She chanted as she placed one hand on her orb and the other on my belly.

“Zanara alito pheye.”

The chant repeated in a cycle. Over and over, she said those foreign words. By the third round both my hands were at my little swollen belly. The pain was too much, I wanted to scream and thrash around the bed. I knew I had to stay still. If her hand came off my belly then the spell would be for fit.

Again and again, she repeated the words. And the pain grew each time she did. Then there was movement, inside. A little wiggle as if to say “I'm here.” tears exploded from my eyes as I felt my child move for the first time. I looked down at my stomach then.

It was bigger than when we started, and the movements could be seen through my skin. It looked like waves in a way. I marveled at the sight and the feel. The moment didn’t last long though. As Saira started a new round of the chant, my pain tripled. I could no longer hold back the screams that had been building.

The room was filled with them. I wondered in the back of my mind if the whole world could hear them. I wished Kairios was here. Then at the thought of him, I realized he already was there. His hands were on mine, both covering my massive swollen belly. Then something inside broke.

At first, I thought it was a bone, but when the bed become soaked around me, I worried that I was blood. Saira stopped chanting and said, “the water has broken, the child is coming.”

Some instinct inside me said “push”, and so I did with all my might. Each time I pushed I held my breath and gritted me teeth as I bared down. My body knew what to do and I listened to it. Again and again, I pushed until I heard Kairios gasp.

“I can see the head.”

“Come on a few more hard pushes and its done.”

I never felt so weak in my life. All the pains that I had endured had been nothing to compare my body for the total shock that I put it through now. I bared down once more and put the last of my strength into it. The pressure was so intense that I fainted.

Cold water splashed my face. The pressure was gone, and the pain had subsided to a background dull. I raised my arms as high as I could. “My child.” Where were the cries? The child should be crying. My eyes were frantic as they searched the room. “Where!” I demanded.

“Here, he’s here.” A boy...

My arms were filled with a light weight, one my arms new immediately. My eyes began to focus on the little face of my son. His eyes were closed, his ears pointed like his father’s. Little curls of red and black hair sat on his little head. He was so warm, and I could hear the heart beats. But still no cries.

Then I noticed that in his little arms, tucked close to his chest was a green egg. I touched my finger to it and felt the familiar warmth of fire.