After The One

Chapter 4

~~~12 Days Before The Twins Are Due~~~

Both Maxon and I had been really anxious these last few days. Every time I said his name, Maxon stopped everything he was doing to ask if I was okay. I was glad that he was concerned, but this was getting a little bit out of hand. When he wasn't worrying about me, he was pacing the room, thinking about the castes and running his hands through his hair.

I sat on a window seat in the library, I was reading, anything and everything I could get my hands on, it was impossibly boring being queen at times. It's especially difficult when you can't walk faster than a fast-walk, oh, and your husband nearly has you on bed rest when your feet start to swell even the slightest.

Maxon was most likely busy in his office with something that had to do with dissolving the castes, so for the time being, I was alone. We had finished dinner, and it was long past dusk. It was probably about ten o'clock when I decided to find Maxon.

Like I had guessed, Maxon was in his office, but he wasn't with any of his advisers. He paced back and forth, as usual, running his hands through his hair. "What's wrong Maxon?" I asked when I saw him pacing.

"N-nothing, my love. I'm just... nervous I guess.... You're not uncomfortable, right?" Maxon asked.

"I'm fine. You need to stop worrying about me. You need to focus on running this country," I said firmly.

"I know, I just can't stop thinking about you."

"Maxon, it's fine. There's no need to worry. Everything will turn out alright. Now, I need you in bed, it's not healthy for you to work for so long and not rest," I said with strict authority.

~~~~~
((8 Days Before))

I walked into the recording room, Maxon at my side. How I could still manage to walk, I don't know, but I did all the same. We sat in our thrones, and watched patiently as everyone made their announcements.

As Maxon stood, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. My hand shot for his arm before I even knew what was going on. "Maxon, stop. I-I think it's time," I said weakly.

He must have heard me, because he yelled, "Stop the Report!" The cameras shut down, I tried to stand and walk, but Maxon refused to let me, picking me up and carrying me out.

"Maxon, put me down, that's an order!" I demanded.

"The king's order overpowers the queens, and I demand that you stop squirming before I drop you!" Maxon said, stopping for a moment, allowing me to stop.

"King Maxon!" Gavril yelled, running up to us.

"Gavril, we have no time to dawdle. Now, go get Dr. Ashlar, tell him to come to the Queen's quarters, immediately!" Maxon exclaimed forcefully. Gavril nodded and ran in the opposite direction, to the hospital wing.

Maxon continued carrying me up the stairs, all the way to my room, where he lay me on my bed, then he laid next to me, putting an arm around my side.

I cringed, it hurt everywhere. There was an aching pain literally everywhere in my body. I heard someone come into the room. I tried to look around Maxon to see, but that was useless because Maxon moved away when I started moving a lot.

Dr. Ashlar was standing in the doorway, and Maxon stood quickly. Dr. Ashlar moved to me, quickly, feeling all over my stomach and abdomen. A moment later, Marlee rushed into the room, my maids in tow.

My maids simply went to work, trying the best they could to dress me into better clothes, a hospital gown to be exact, even though I couldn't move very well.

Dr. Ashlar said that the pain I was experiencing was called contractions--what a fitting name--he said that they should be getting closer together the closer I am to giving birth. Soon after hearing that, my stomach churned and I felt a pain go through everywhere in my body. I tried to suppress my scream, for Maxon's sake, but I was too late, I let out a yell, gripping onto Maxon's arm.

"A-are you okay? Is she okay?" Maxon asked with worry.

Almost simultaneously, Doctor Ashlar and I said, "She'll be fine," and "I'm fine."

Soon, my door was opened by ... a camera crew? "What are they doing in here?" I asked Maxon, glaring at him.

"It's not my fault!" Maxon exclaimed, raising his hands in defense. "It's customary for a crew to film the birth of the heir, they've been doing it since the beginning of Illèa."

"Maybe we should stop this custom, I don't want strangers--" I was torn off by a pain that left me inaudible. "Oww!" I yelled sarcastically when I could speak again. "As I was saying, I don't want strangers staring at my uhh, stuff," I finished.

"Are you sure? Some people are going to be.... Rather disappointed that they don't get to see the heir come into the world. Everything will be edited, so whatever you don't want aired next week can be deleted," Maxon hurried before I could protest any further.

"Fine, but can there be less cameras? It's a bit overwhelming, having, so many strangers here, filming me in labor."

With that, Maxon chuckled a little, "Yes, my dear, all of these cameras are relevant, I see you're getting more irritable by the minute."

"I'm not irritable!" I spat back.

"Denying it only proves your wrong, love," Maxon replied.

I gripped Maxon's hand that was resting on my bed and squeezed as hard as possible.

~~~~~~~6 Hours Later~~~~~~~

I held my eldest child, my daughter, Eadlyn, while Maxon held our son, Ahren we had just been given the birth certificates and were filling them out. When I got to caste, I didn't know what to put, do I put her as a one? Do I not put her as anything?

"Maxon?" I asked softly.

"Yes love?" He looked over at me, then to where my pen was pointed. "Caste?" I nodded. "Don't put any, my dear, why add it if we're trying to get rid of it?"

That remark made me smile, I finished the certificate for our daughter the same time Maxon did for our son.

We handed the papers to Dr. Ashlar, he signed them and took them to the records.

Maxon sat next to me, and we waited, waited for the cameramen to come in and film, for the reporters to wake the children with all of their questions. But most of all, we waited for all of the publicity to die down, so that we could have our peanut-butter-finger-print moments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, I am officially done with this story. It caused more problems for me than I ever thought possible, but at least I ended it by finally referencing back to the book ;) I bid this goodbye, for now....