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Gaius Julius Caesar Octavius was a man of his word, to his wife at least. He fought his battles and he tried to fight them rather quickly. He hoped to be home within four moons, and he was. If he had calculated right, and his advisors assured him he had, he would bring his victory home with 3 weeks to spare of the coming of his child.
But when he entered into his home, the servants looked shocked to see him, and his wife was not sitting in the lounge like she normally would. "Where is Valeria?" he demanded, rushing from one room to the next. "Dominus, the Domina needs her rest, please" one servant said, and he spun around. "What has happened?" he asked, more demanded really. "She has given birth only yesterday" the servant said, and he did not wait for more words to follow from her lips as he rushed to their bedchamber where he saw Valeria crawled up on their bed.
"My darling?" he said, his voice seemed so soft in the large room as she looked up, her eyes had been red like she had been crying. "No" he said taking a step back assuming the worst. "Please do not tell me we lost our child" he begged her. She shook her head, in her mind it had been much worse, if she believed the words of the maids and midwives, which she unfortunately did. "No" she said, and he breathed out in relief. "Then what, my darling, has caused you sorrows" he asked rushing to her, he would see the babe later. "Promise you will not be upset with me" she said sitting up with groans of pain. "You could never upset me, but right now you are scaring me" he said as he reached closer. She grabbed his hands tightly. "I still need you to promise" she said.
"Alright, dearest, I promise" Octavius said as he looked at her. "The babe is fine, healthy" she said swallow the lump in her throat. "Then what?" he asked, scanning her face. "I have failed you, my love, I am sorry, but I will do better next time" Valeria said as she climbed from her bed, wobbling on her feet as she tried to undo her husband's robes. "Valeria, what are you doing" Octavius said, stopping her hands. "Stop this, what are you on about?" he asked as she sniffled. "I have failed my duty to you, my husband" she said as Octavius raised a brow. "Who says?" he asked. "Everyone" Valeria sniffled again. "I gave you a daughter, I should have been giving you a son, if you take me now I shall give you a son soon" she said trying again.
"We have a daughter?" Octavius asked, and instead of the disgust she had been preparing herself for, she heard nothing less of adoration. "You have not seen her yet?" she asked. "No, I came to see my wife first who went through a great deal of pain recently blessing me with a daughter" Octavius said holding her face in his hands. "Tell me the names of all who put this doubt in your head, and I shall send them to the door" he said, his voice darkened with anger.
Valeria shook her head. "No, you need to meet her first" she said. It pained her now, with the love and devotion Octavius showed, that she had not yet seen her child often. Although it had only been a day. Valeria held on to Octavius' arm as they walked into the nursery which he had made sure was finished when he left. Octavius' entire body relaxed again when he saw the small bundle, he walked towards the cradle and carefully picked up his daughter. "She's beautiful, just like her mother" Octavius said, with tears in his eyes, war had altered his view of the world, but it seemed this small bundle brought it back.
