War of Hearts || Reign || REWRITE

39- The Birth

April 7th, 1564.

The last four months of my pregnancy passed me like a blur. I was mainly concerned with the new nursery that Francis had built and, among other things, the clothes of the child.

Cecily and I had sewn dozens of clothes for the baby together out of boredom.

Francis also had a group of wise nurses brought to the palace who could take care of the baby as soon as it was born.

When the month of April came I was watched like a hawk and Francis had told me to stay in bed out of concern.

My chambermaids never let me out of their sight and if I even made a sound they were at my bedside in no time. and Joan was always by my side. there were enough midwives in the palace to help me as soon as the labor was due to begin.

~

"I have to get out of here" I complained. I lay stretched out on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "Just a little while and then you will give birth to our child. Hang in there."

I sat up and looked at Francis. "Yes you can speak easily, you are not sitting here with a child of a few kilos in your belly. I just want to go outside for a while, that's all I ask of you Francis." I looked at him pleadingly.

"Very well then. We'll take a tour of the garden, no more." he agreed.

I happily jumped out of the bed and hooked my arm through Francis's so that he could support me as I walk. Joan followed us to the gardens.

I inhaled the fresh floral scent of the gardens and felt myself relaxed.

"I feel like an elephant. Fat and heavy." I said to Francis. "Well then you're the most beautiful elephant I've ever seen."

I hit him in the stomach. "Then you have to reassure me sucker." I laughed.

Francis stopped walking and gently grabbed my face between his hands "You are the most beautiful woman I know, pregnant or not, I love you." He kissed my forehead.

"I like..." I screamed as I felt a cramp in my stomach and felt myself collapse. Francis was immediately alert and supported me to keep standing.

Joan immediately ran to me and helped me with Francis to walk back to my room and she laid me down on the bed.

"Go get the midwives!" Francis shouted to Joan. She ran up the halls.

"Ah!" I screamed through the pain again. "Francis!".

"Yes I'm here my love" he grabbed my hand. I wanted to say something else but felt another pain that made me scream.

About seven midwives came running into the room and started getting things ready and boiling hot water in the fireplace.

"Your majesty, you cannot stay here. We will fetch you when the child is born." Said one to Francis.

Francis kissed my head again and walked out of the room. Before he could close the door, Cecily came into the room and knelt by the bed and held my hand.

"Oh Cecily, don't leave me alone" I whimpered as I wept in pain. "Hush, the pain will give way to a lifetime of happiness." she soothed me.

~

Hours passed and the pain got worse and worse. My body gave in to the pain and I dozed off into a restless sleep from which I woke every few minutes from the pain.

When it came time to push, I pushed like my life depended on it. With each contraction I felt my body weaken but I kept on diligently.

I gave a shivering cry as the child left my body. "The baby is out!" cried a midwife.

Shortly afterwards I heard the sound of howling and fell back in relief. "You did it." Cecily said in my ear. We both watched the midwife wash and wrap the baby in the blanket.

"Is it healthy?" I asked. The midwife nodded, "Yes, my lady, you have a healthy child."

What would it be?