Enemy Territory-On Hiatus

Chapter Five-Weak and Defenseless

"Yer must breathe milady."

Urged the attentive maid, her hands supporting her mistress as she brought her in the direction of the bed chambers. Harshly breathing, she tried listening to the maid, but she was in far too much pain. The unexpected attack causing great worry, for no one, was prepared.

"Me can't. 'Tis too painful."

Forcing the words through gritted teeth, Rhonie saw stars in her vision. At the moment when the people had begun to panic, she had gone into labor. Almost immediately, the maids had come to her aid and brought her out of the room. Through the halls, they struggled with her as she could barely walk because of the grotesque pain overshadowing her person.

Luckily enough, the enemy had not found their way inside the keep.

"But yer must, milady. If not, ye babe will die."

Struggling to take another step, Rhonie gripped the maid's hands tighter in hers.

"Why now? Why arrive when me husband needs help in driving these barbarians away."

Speaking through gritted teeth, she squeezed her eyes shut when another spasm passed through her body.

"Me have no clue of why milady."

Dismissively waving her comment to the side, she gasped when another contraction had hit her once more. Tighter the maid held onto her as if she was like fragile glass.

"Where is me, midwife?"

Through loud huffs, she forced the words out.

"Maybe she ran out, milady."

Hissing from both pain and irritation, Rhonie lowly cried.

"Mama?"

Hearing the innocent call of Skye, Rhonie forced her droopy eyes from closing and gazed down at her worried child. So busy with the pain overpowering her, she had forgotten both of her children had quickly followed her out. They were also frightened from the commotion, yet she could not comfort them because she was in pain.

"My sweet?"

"Is our brother ready to enter the world?"

Skye, who was shivering in fear, had a smile on her face.

Laughing through the pain, she smiled.

"Aye, he is, my sweet. And at bad timing."

"Will he be born with chubby cheeks, mama?"

Ara included.

Her small hands gripped the frock of the maid's dress and stuck to her side like glue. Unlike Skye, she was calm, her eyes shining like gems, which did not surprise Rhonie, for she was always a brave child.

Before she could answer, screams echoed against the wall causing everyone to squeal in fear.

With her heart spiking in her chest, she continued to hiss and cry in pain and tightened her hold on the maid's hand. Soon, she began to worry as she gazed at her two children padding as close to her as possible.

'What was to become of 'em if the barbarians get a hold of 'em?'

Thinking this, she continued to whimper, her grip around the maid getting tighter and tighter by the minute, yet the woman in did not peep a single word.

'Will they be maimed as the rumors have said? Or scourged before becoming enslaved?'

She had heard the famous and grotesque stories of the barbarians raiding lands and capturing the defenseless women as well as children. The mistreatment of children scared her badly that goosebumps spread all over her skin. The Highlanders were notorious for their violence and vileness. Unlike the Lowlanders, who were peaceful, mindful people, the Highlanders were animals.

As another wave of contraction had hit her, she suddenly heard heavy footfalls behind them. Bristling, she began to shiver, but not from the cold. Bent over with her hands on top of her swollen belly, she gasped for air. However, that was the least of her problems, for she was concentrating on the nearing footfalls.

"Milady, are ye alright?"

Hearing the fear and fright in the maid's voice, she did not answer.

The touching of her daughters did not register in her brain. Slowly standing to her fall height after the spasm left her body, Rhonie twisted around to face the incoming giant.

The moment her eyes fell on him, she turned paler than she already was, and her heart pivoted in her chest. As if on instinct, she gathered her daughters to her side while hiding their faces in her dress. The maid who had sensed her plight followed her line of sight and looked an awful green color.

She looked faint but did not give in to the sensation.

The man was tall, much taller than her husband, who stood 6 ft 2. He was also large with muscles that made her very wary. Olive skin and a face filled with numerous scars, both shallow and deep, the man looked very intimidating. As she scrutinized him, her eyes widened at his attire, and the blood in her veins froze.

He was a highlander, and though he carried no weapon in his hands, she had heard the rumors of their ability to kill a grown lion with their bare hands. That did nothing to damper the fear she felt since his hands were capable of killing another with little to no effort.

Upon seeing them, the large man came to an abrupt halt.

Rhonie bristled, and her hands around her children tightened. Even if she did not have a weapon and in labor, she would fight like a soldier with this large man though her death would be swift. She would rather die protecting her children than giving up like a coward.

Brushing the fear from her heart though she still trembled, she raised her head high with determination and stubbornness that even the strongest of men did not possess.

"Who are ye?"

She was the first to speak, her fearlessness catching the barbarian off guard, for his eyes had widened.

"Are you going to kill us?"

Adding further with a slight stingy tone of voice, Rhonie prepared herself for any attack, but to her surprise, the barbarian shook his head in denial.

"Nae, lass. Me don't harm the weak and defenseless."

"What?"

Taken-aback, she was speechless.

That was not what she knew of barbarians. Whether weak or strong, they struck down everyone in their path. They showed no mercy. He said he did not strike the defenseless? Who was this man if he did not follow the norm of the monsters?

"Then what brings ye here?"

"Where is yer closest exist from this keep?"

Again she was taken aback, the maid answering the man in her stead, her voice shaking from both fear and relief.

"Just a little ahead from here. There is only a single corner before the large doors."

Curtly nodding, the man glanced in her direction once more before speeding down the hallway and out of sight. The breath Rhonie was surprisingly holding was finally exhaled. Slacking her grip on her children, she bent over once more with a loud groan. Another contraction was more terrible than the first that had hit her.

"Mama!"

Skye and Arabella screamed with tears in their eyes.

"Milady!"

The maid shouted, but it was the male voice echoing through the hall that had gained her attention. Slightly lifting her head to gaze upon the nearing male, Rhonie's heart became settled, for it was her husband's closest friend.