It's So Much More Than That (A Selection Story)

Chapter 40

Chapter 40:

A little under five hours go by and I've only progressed four more centimeters. 

My mother and the rest of the members of my family come in and out of the room to give each other breaks and to update each other on my progress. She smooths down my hair after a particularly large contraction. This time, I let out my anguish and scream into my mother's chest, not caring that everyone can hear. 

"Shh...it's okay. You're doing great, Ames. Just remember, in a few hours, this will all be over". As much as I appreciate her sentiment, I don't have the ability to reply, so I merely nod, and suck in my breath. 

She pats me on the back and tells me to breathe, but in the moment, all I want is for it all to be over. If Maxon were here, I'd probably want to knee him in the groin again, just for putting me through this much pain. 

Suddenly, the door opens and Stavros pokes his head in. "I just got word that they are close, Your Majesty." 

"How close?" I seethe. 

"Less than twenty minutes or so from landing." 

"Great." I lean back into the pillows, discouraged. My hair sticks to my neck as I stare at the ceiling, waiting for some sort of relief. The only consolation that I have is that Maxon will most certainly be here for the birth, however, it doesn't take away the fact that I still have a long ways to go. 

Minutes tick by, and my only reward comes when the nurse tells me that I am now dilated to seven centimeters and that it might be a couple more hours or so until I can push. Time ticks by much more slowly when the only thing to take the pain away is the knowledge that your husband/king is on the way and that he owes you a lot of strawberry tarts and foot messages once this is all over. 

In the meantime, May's sitting by my side. She's trying to distract me with conversation, whenever there's not another contraction that rips through my body.

"I wonder who the Heir is going to be - didn't you and Maxon decide that whoever is born first, gets to be the heir?" 

 "I - ugh....I mean...." I grip one of the handles attached to the bed frame, and wait for a calm moment.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes - just wait for a moment." I whisper. After the feeling passes, I say, "You're right. We did decide that. It's part of the new laws that we passed recently." May smiles brightly, however, I can do little to return it. I don't go into much detail about all of the laws and every loophole that we had to jump through in order for it to be that way, and all of the late-night meetings with the Prime Minister of New Asia... 

"Anyways, I'll be happy with nieces or nephews. Or one of both! I can't believe that you still don't know the genders." 

"We just want it to be a surprise." I mutter. 

"Well, we'll all be very happy no matter what, Ames. Hang on there, okay?" 

Twenty agonizing minutes go by. Right before I'm about to give up on waiting, Marlee rushes into the room. 

"They're here", she breathes. 

I immediately sit up. "How soon?"

"Plane just landed outside of the palace. It might be a few minutes. Ames, don't worry. Maxon will be here soon."

"Good. Someone should probably go grab his camera. He won't want to miss this moment." 

"On it!" Marlee dashes off.

The nurse, Eva Meirton - says that I should lay back down, but instead, I just give her a glare. Minutes tick by and I'm starting to grow even more impatient. I was never that patient to begin with; however this, along with the stress of labor, is really wearing down on me.