Fortune Favors

Chapter 21

Sabina didn't know whether to praise the gods for their gifts or curse them for making childbirth such an ugly, messy affair. She hadn't expected to witness the birth but none of the midwives shooed her from the room. She kept thinking of her mother, who had died while giving birth to Titus, and she prayed that Lilli would not meet the same fate. She watched open-mouthed as her friend crouched on the stool, surrounded by three midwives, and birthed the babe.

When it arrived, little thing cried in a way that reminded Sabina of an alley cat, so much so that she checked to make sure Cleopatra wasn't making the sounds. Sabina watched as the two midwives bathed the child, and one midwife cleaned off Lilli and helped her to the bed. There was blood and other residue all over the sheets that had been laid out on the floor, and the excess was being mopped up by an elderly slave woman.

It was such a gruesome scene, Sabina began to lament she had not been chosen to become a Vestal Virgin. She had spent so much time and energy of late trying to find a husband, she had neglected to consider what that actually meant.

She watched as one midwife handed the baby to Lilli, who was swaddled in linens as though she herself was a baby.

"Sabina," she whispered, "it's a girl."

Sabina carefully approached the bed, and she watched as Lilli began to comfort and pet the child. "You live, and she lives," said Sabina. "It seems like the blessings of the gods are upon you."

Lilli, whose face had become less flushed, smiled. "Sam said it would be a girl. I didn't believe him. Remind me not to discount his dreams or discount the Gallic gods that he sometimes prays to."

Sabina smiled. "He'll be overcome with joy." It occurred to Sabina that someone ought to tell Sam his child had arrived. She turned to one of the slaves and barked an order to find him and give him the news or at least tell his mother, who would know his location so he could be told the news.

"Jacquetta will come soon and take her from me," said Lilli softly.

"Jacquetta can't feed her," replied Sabina. "You're going to feed her, right?" Many high-born women used wet nurses from among their slaves to fed their children, but Lilli was a plebe, and she and Sam owned no slaves of their own. So, it was a safe assumption that she would feed her child.

Lilli nodded. "I wish my own mother was here to tell me what to do."

Sabina felt herself tear up. She wished that her mother was alive, too.

"Jacquetta is good at caring for babes. She'll see to it I make no mistakes. She'd try and take her if I did," continued Lilli, "it's not the same as having my own mother."

Lilli put the child to her breast, and after a few tries, the child began to suckle. Sabina was fascinated. It was like the child just knew what to do.

"Does it hurt?" asked Sabina.

Lilli shook her head. "It feels strange but not really."

The door flew open, and Jacquetta burst into the room. She walked straight past Sabina, not even bothering to glare at her. She smiled at the baby.

"She looks a bit like Sam did when he was born," said the older woman with a genuine smile.

Sabina couldn't remember Jacquetta ever looking happy before, and she didn't want to ruin the moment. She carefully backed out of the room and into the hallway. She realized she had been up all night, and she had no idea where her women had gone or where her brother and his entourage were.

She walked down the hall, through the atrium and made her way to the courtyard. Surely, she would see someone she knew. She needed to get to the baths and then home. She needed sleep badly.