The Hibernian Runaway

Chapter 18

Will urged Abelard on, his mind whirling ahead of the galloping horse to Castle Redmont. Alyss had been pregnant for god knows how long, and she didn't breathe a word of it to him. But the worst part was finding it out from Halt. Alyss hadn't bothered to tell him.

Abelard nickered as they raced up to the castle gates. As if he sensed Will's urge to get to his wife, Abelard galloped past the guards at the castle gates and thundered into the courtyard. Will jumped off of Abelard before he even came to a full stop.

"Thank you, Abelard." he said under his breath as Abelard pranced around in a circle.

Will ran from the courtyard and right into the castle keep. He raced up the stairs looking in every open doorway for his wife. He raced by Halt's room, knowing that Alyss would not be in there.

"Will! Come back here!" someone called out from the room.

Will slid to a stop and backpedaled to the doorway. He stepped into the room and saw Nial, Lady Pauline, Horace, Crowley, Baron Arald, Lady Sandra and her son, Sir Rodney, and King Duncan were crowded anxiously around a table.

It was Lady Pauline who had called him in. She stood up as he walked forward, cheeks wet and eyes red.

Will immediately started to tear up. "Lady Pauline, what is wrong?" he gasped as she hugged him comfortingly. "Where's Alyss?"

Before she could answer him, a bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the room. A couple of maids scurried down the hallway outside. Nial got up and closed the door, quiet as a mouse.

"She went into labor as we were coming back from the farmhouse." Lady Pauline explained, she wiped her eyes. "But the only problem is that-that-that-" She broke down crying.

Lady Sandra stood up and gently took her by the shoulders and sat her down. She rubbed her shoulders comfortingly and Horace stood up and steered him away. He led him out of the room and stopped him in the corridor.

"Alyss and Lady Pauline were returning from an assignment when they were attacked and captured by the Hibernian band of bandits. They were resting in a farmhouse when the bandits set it on fire. Halt captured them and chased after their leader and Lilly. The remaining bandits escorted  them here when she went into labor. The only problem is that the baby is a month early." Horace explained. "She's been in labor for about an hour and a half to two hours and is in pain."

 "Oh, god." Will said, wiping a tear. "She's going to be alright, right?"

Horace opened his mouth and closed it. Will gave him a look, tears now streaming down his face. "She's going to be alright?" Will asked again.

"Physically, yes, she'll be fine." Horace sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck .

"But?" Will asked, gripping his friend's shoulders. "What is wrong?"

"The baby, they're not sure if it's going to make it." Horace forced out. "Alyss should not have been out with a month left in her pregnancy, but she wanted to go out. She breathed in a lot of smoke from the fire and she was tied to the back of a cart for god know how long, and it doesn't help that the baby's early. If it survives, which we all hope it does, it'll be a very sickly child."

"Can I see her?" Will asked. "I know that-that I shouldn't, but I haven't seen her in weeks. I need to see that she's fine with my own eyes."

Horace looked at him with wet eyes. "I don't know that you can, but I'm sure that they'll make an exception." Horace walked down the corridor, following the same path that the maids had took moments ago. He stopped right before an open door. "She's in there, and in pretty bad shape. I thought that when Cassandra gave birth to Madelyn, that was hell, but this...this is much worse."

Will sniffed and clapped his friend on the back. "Thank you, Horace." he croaked around the lump in his throat. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem, Will." Horace smiled back.

Will took a shaky breath and walked towards the open door. As he entered the room, another spine tingling scream reverberated throughout the corridor. He walked into the room in a dream, walking past the maid that was telling him something that he couldn't hear. All he could see was Alyss, sitting on the bed, her faced streaked with ash, sweat, and tears. Her blonde hair was damp with perspiration and stuck to the pillow behind her head.

"Oh, Alyss." He whispered, her grey eyes meeting his dark ones. He stopped at her bedside and kneeled down to her level. She immediately took his hand and forced a smile.

"I thought you weren't going to make it." She whispered. "And that you'd be mad at me for not telling you."

"No, no, no. I'm not mad at you." Will whispered, kissing her forehead. "I'm just so happy."

Alyss bit back a scream, clenching Wills hand, almost breaking the bones. He didn't scream, he just sat there and put an arm around his wife. "It'll be okay, Alyss." he whispered into her ear. "Everything's going to be alright."

"I know, I know, but I can't help thinking... the smoke and the exertion. Will he be alright?" Alyss panted. Will looked at her. "He?" he asked. Alyss smiled. "Yes, it's a he."

Will smiled and gripped Alyss a little tighter. "Our little family has gotten a little bigger." she puffed out. She groaned through her teeth as another contraction hit her. "Oh, my god." she screamed, tightening her grip on his hand.

"It's okay, Alyss, I'm right here." Will said, kissing her sweaty forehead. He kept repeating his mantra to her, whispering it into her ear. Time seemed to have passed in slow motion, Alyss's contractions getting more frequent and more severe.

Alyss screamed again, and collapsed on the bed. Will rubbed her forehead, his hand still entangled in her own. Then, over the sound of the bustling room, a baby started to cry.

Will sucked in a breath as the entire room went silent, listening to the baby's screams. One maid wrapped the child in a blanket and gently wiped him down and handed him to Alyss. She was crying joyously, the baby's hand wrapping gingerly around her index finger. Ever so gently, Will rubbed his son's forehead. The baby seemed to stretch and wrapped his other hand around Will's finger.

"What are we going to name him?" Alyss asked, looking down at the precious bundle in her arms.

Will, suddenly at a loss for words, looked up for a second to let his mind catch up. Then he saw the rest of his family, Lady Pauline and Halt, Horace, Crowley, and the others standing in the doorway. Halt and Pauline had tears in their eyes and Halt was showing one of his rare smiles.

"I don't know." Will replied. "How about Marcus?"

"I like the name Adrian, what do you think?" Alyss asked, looking up at him. All Will could do was smile, bringing tears to his eyes. "I think it's perfect." he whispered, leaning in for another hug. And he realized, he never wanted to let go.