Chapter Fifty-nine

If someone had told me childbearing was a painful process, I would have fled the Shadowclaw pack before Alpha Dagen got me pregnant.

On this fateful day, it was the pain that drove me out of bed. I was in so much pain that I cried out. A replacement had not come for my maid so Sandra was in charge of my care. She rushed into my room and one look my way she ran back outside. When she returned, it was with the physician.

“Your Highness, you are in labor. I shall help you get through this process,” he said in an even tone and I looked at him like he was quite mad. How could he stand here and be so calm? And why was he taking my delivery instead of a midwife like Madam Margaret?

“Fuck you! Do you even know your damn job!” I screamed at him and he looked taken aback by my choice of words.

“Get me a damn midwife,” another pain shot through me just then, “or there's no such thing in in… this… damn it!”

Just then a young woman stepped in.

“My name is Sara. I am your midwife, Simon have you taken her pulse?" She looked pretty young but she did sound calm like she had done this so many times before. I was flooded with temporary relief until another contraction hit me.

“No, no, no, I… I …”

“Don't just stand there like a fool. Take her pulse and get the hell out of here,” ordered Sara and in spite of myself I smiled. I loved her attitude and it did serve Simon right. What had he said when he had walked in here? That he was going to help me through my labor? The man looked like he wanted to piss his pants the whole time.

He did as he was instructed and left the room.

“Her contractions are now seconds apart. We should be getting ready for some good news anytime from now, Sandra, will you inform the king?” Sara said and Sandra left the room.

I screamed in agony as another contraction shot pain through my pelvis and Sara encouraged me to push. I went through this process so many times that I soon lost count until the cry of a baby filled the air.

I sighed in relief as I heard the baby cry. Before I could ask to hold my baby, Sara asked, “will you like to hold her?” but my response shocked even myself, “damn the child!”

But it was not me speaking, it was the pain. I had forgotten for a brief second that I could not sigh in relief just yet. I was having twins and the second baby was still on the way.

“Push! You can do this,” said Sara soothingly.

A full thirty minutes passed and I was still drenched in sweat and trying to get the second child out of my body.

I was already beginning to lose strength and my breathing had now become labored.

“Inform the king that we need to come to a decision, quickly,” I heard Sara say but I did not know who she was talking to or why she had said that. They had to make a decision about what?

“Ask the King if we should preserve the life of the child or the mother. The two may not make it. It is a difficult birth as the child is coming out with his leg,” said Sara and I wanted to ask how she knew the gender of my child when it was not out of my body yet.

The reply came seconds later, “he says if you are sure it is a male child you are to do everything possible to ensure he lives.”

Really? Was that it? His life was more precious than mine?

_“Don't be ridiculous Gina, if you were conscious you would make the same decision,” _ Raven's voice sounded distant somehow.

_“If I were conscious? What does that mean? Am I dead?” _

_“You will soon be,” _

That jolted me back to consciousness as though my subconscious had suddenly panicked. If I died, who would take care of my children? How would my son sit on his father's throne?

“She is back, she is back,” I heard Sandra say, excitedly.

“Princess? Are you there?” Sara asked.

I was too weak to respond so I nodded my head.

“We should cut her open, the king said…”

“When I am in this room, I am the boss. Do you understand me?” replied Sara to whoever had spoken in a rather harsh tone.

“Now princess, I need you to be strong for your son, okay? You are going to push only when I ask you to, understood?” she asked me and I nodded my response.

“Good. We are going to take deep breaths; breathe with me _in, out, in, out_ not yet, Regina. Now! Push!”

I pushed with all my might and was rewarded with the shrill cry of my son. I only needed to hear him to know that he was a boy and he had taken after his father.

“Would you like to hold them now?” asked Sara.

I was not sure where the strength came from but I carried the both of them in my arms. Having them this close to me brought hot tears to my eyes.