The Queen

24.

"Ella...baby...get on the bed, ok?" I hear his voice say softly. I snap my head up and blink through the tears to see him standing there looking me up and down. 

"Jin..." is all I can get out before another contraction rolls through me. I grit my teeth so hard I swear I can hear them cracking. 

Whoever said that birth was easy can go fuck themselves. This is the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. Worse than when I broke my arm as a kid. This feels like every bone in my body is breaking all at once, over and over again. When the contraction eases off and gives me a break, which is mere seconds at this point, I let out a pain filled moan. 

Jin simply grabs my hand and holds it in his. He interlaces our fingers and places a kiss on my knuckles. I look up at him and whimper. "Get on the bed Ella. It's time for them to be born now," he says to me, and I know he is right. 

"I just want you and Coralie and Lyre. No one else," I whisper out and he nods. 

He turns to the crowd outside of the door and barks orders at them. "The Queen only wants us in the room. You all can stay out here. If I yell for you, you may enter and you only," he says to them and then shuts the double doors. 

Once I know they are the only ones in here with me, I finally crawl on the bed and stand on my knees on the mattress. 

"Your majesty, I need to check to see where the babies are. Will you allow me to do that?" Coralie asks and although I don't want to be touched, I nod. If I remain this stubborn, I could hurt my babies. Coralie moves her hand down under me and between my knees and I can feel her hand against me. She feels something and instantly retracts it back with blood soaking it. 

"You're crowning your majesty, you need to push now!" she yells at me. 

I moan out in pain and do as she says. I didn't really know what pushing meant until my body just does it on its own accord. It feels as though broken glass is being pushed out of me as I feel something. Coralie places both of her hands between my knees. I am squeezing Jin's hand so hard that I am sure I have broken a few of his fingers. I push until I can't anymore in one breath and I gasp for air. 

"Fuck this hurts!" I scream out in pain. 

"I know Ella," Jin whispers to me as he kisses my temple. 

Coralie turns to Lyre and barks an order out at him. "Sir Lyre, get me a bunch of towels! Hurry!" she yells at him, and he turns quickly to grab an armful and brings them to her. "Put a few under the Queen and hold one out for me," she says, and he does as commanded. His features are calm and collected as he stays in the room with us. I didn't really know I needed him until Jin wasn't here. Coralie looks up at me with a serious face. 

"Your majesty, I can feel the head in my hands. Push once more and get the shoulders out and your first baby will be born. Push now!" she orders, and I do as she commands. 

I push once more with all that I can. My screams fill the room and when I am done, I fall forward on the bed. Jin catches me and puts me back upright on my knees. I begin to pant, feeling as if I can't get enough oxygen in my lungs and then I my body freezes. I can hear it. The sound of a baby's cry. Jin and I watch as Coralie holds a baby covered in my blood and places it in Lyre's outstretched arms. He quickly wraps the towel around the baby.