Beautiful War

Chapter 3 Stuck in Limbo

Much to my dismay, my labor pains did not end swiftly like Pollux had said. In fact they lasted the rest of the night and well into the next day. In the early hours of the next morning I could hear Menelaus' drunken roar outside my doors. He had gone to the priests demanding why the birth of his son was taking too long. Clearly he knew nothing about women either and what we went through when giving birth. Pollux sat by my side the entire night. He would not leave my side at all. He would wipe the sweat from my brow. Hold a cup of watered wine to my lips when I had grown thirsty. I was forever grateful for my brother. He was my one constant in my life. The one constant reminder of what my life was like before the brutal conquest of Sparta. Finally, as the sun began to set over the horizon the midwife declared that it was time for me to push. She gently pushed my legs apart, and placed a blanket over them. To protect my modesty, but that had long been taken from me. Menelaus had made sure of that when he raped me for the first time all those years ago.

"My lord, please if you can sit behind the queen, help her as she pushes. So she does not push into her toes," the midwife said to Pollux. Pollux gave her an uncomfortable look. I knew having men in the birthing chambers was not proper protocol. But I did not care, I needed my brother here when I gave birth.

"Please Pollux, just do as she says... please," I cried. Tears of pain and exhaustion fell down my face. Pollux just sighed and moved to sit behind me. He propped me up in his arms. He brushed the hair from my face, and planted a kiss on my sweaty brow.

"Alright your grace, when your next labor pain comes, I need you to push as hard as you can," the midwife commanded. I took a steady breath. Knowing that the pain was coming. And that this pain would be much worse then what I had been experiencing in the last several hours.

"You can do this sister, let us meet your child," he said gently in my ear. I nodded breathless. Taking a deep breath, as another labor pain hit my body, I pushed. Screaming as I did. Pushing through the pain was much worse. Much worse than before.

"Good my queen good. Now again," the midwife replied. I could feel the exhaustion creeping through my body. For the next few hours the midwife had me push. The pain was indescribable. But I did my best to keep breathing through it.

"Almost there my queen, just a few more pushes. Now push," she declared. I screamed again, and I could hear Menelaus roaring outside the chambers. Would he just go away? I did not want him outside my room. Not when I was giving birth. If the midwife told me to push one more time, I would have her head ripped from her body.

"I can see the head my queen, just one more push," she declared. It was almost done. The baby was almost here. I nodded, taking the biggest breath I could. I pushed, letting out the loudest scream I could. The midwife soon pulled out a screaming baby covered in blood. Holding it up for me to see.

"Congratulations my queen, she is a healthy beautiful baby girl. Praise to be Hera," the midwife said. The moment those words left her lips. I felt fear coursing through my body. No, this could not be happening. Menelaus will kill the child, he will kill me. I shook my head, no, no, no. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Delia suddenly standing in the doorway. She then left the doorway. On her way to tell Menelaus the news.

"Pollux," I cried. Pollux saw this and jumped from the bed and raced after Delia. The midwife handed the screaming child to another midwife so she could clean the child. As the midwife turned back to me. She suddenly grew very pale as she took in the sight between my legs.

"Call for the physician... NOW," she commanded a servant standing by her side. I felt pain grip me once more. It was then I could hear the screaming coming from outside my chambers. It was Menelaus screaming.