Only You

Epilogue: Part One

~ Four Months Later ~

Aelin had been pacing outside of the healers wing for what felt like days.

She was dressed in nothing but a plain tunic and pants, her hair falling out of the braid she had hastily put it in when she had been woken in the middle of the night.

A distressed Aedion had banged on her and Rowan's door, not giving them a chance to dress as he barged in with a wild look on his face.

"Lysandra is having the baby."

Aelin hadn't thought. She had grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself, running to the washroom to grab the clothes she had thrown on the floor earlier that evening. She dressed in a rush and threw some clothes at her husband who was still hiding himself under the covers.

"Where is she?"

Aedion looked at her with panic in his eyes. "They've taken her to the healers wing."

Rowan was right behind them as they sped through the corridors of the palace and down to the healers wing.

"She wanted to have it in our room. But the healers said it—" he ran a hand through his hair. "The healers said it was safest to have it down here."

"The healers know what they're doing, Aedion. I've been alive long enough to see enough babies born and it's always better in an environment that can be controlled, where they have access to everything they need." Rowan's voice was calm and she thanked the Gods for that. She wasn't sure she would have been able to keep that same composure.

They approached the door and she could hear Lysandra's muffled groans followed by a cry. She flinched and Rowan put a steady hand on her back as Aedion flew into the room.

A healer came out and updated them, everything was fine with Lysandra. The baby was in the correct position and there did not seem to be any abnormalities. Aelin sighed in relief.

"Can we go in?"

"It's best you wait out here for now. We will update you as and when it is needed."

So Aelin sat down and waited.

And waited.

Rowan had gone to find tea and some food, leaving Aelin alone to worry and entertain herself. When the sitting got too boring she stood and she paced for a while. Occasionally hearing the cries of Lysandra and her snappy responses to Aedion's encouragements.

Rowan returned soon enough with hot tea, bread and cheese. She managed to sip on the tea and Rowan practically having to force some food into her mouth too.

"You have to eat, Aelin." He said holding a piece of bread towards her. "I will not have my wife collapse from hunger. Eat." He pushed it towards her again and she reluctantly took it.

It was some hours later when the sun has risen and the palace had started to come alive again when her parents came down to join them in the waiting. She could still hear the cries of Lysandra every now and then, but either they had given her something for the pain or she was holding back.

It was only a few minutes later when the silence was filled with the cries of a baby and she laughed out loud, shooting up from the chair and waiting at the door.

A healer came out minutes later, a smile on her face. "I can happily announce the arrival of a healthy baby girl."

Aelin cried out in joy and jumped around to embrace Rowan. "It's a girl!" She sang.

"We wish to let Lysandra rest a while before we let visitors in. Perhaps you should all have some rest yourselves and come back down in a few hours."

Aelin resisted momentarily, before Rowan pulled her away and whispered a proposition in her ear and she heated at the mention of it.