The Art Of War (TV Series 'Reign') #4

From This Day Forward.

"Here, cover her." 

"The physician should be here any minute now."

Slowly fluttering my eyes open, shadows walked back and forth in my chambers. Holding towels and buckets of water, they whispered among themselves when a sudden thud echo's in the room.

"That will be enough," Talia whispered, holding the door open for the shadows.

Glancing in front of me, I made out the dress I wore to Mary's beheading hanging on a chair in the corner. Seeing my chest rise and fall I noticed I was heavily covered in bed sheets among towels below me.

"Hmm..." I groaned quietly, but Talia nor the other ladies in the room noticed.

"Make sure her clothes are cleaned and the stains are removed," Talia ordered.

Trying to move my hands beside me, it felt impossible to move like they were tied down with rope. My legs were numb, my stomach was sore the only thing that I hadn't noticed was why my stomach was flat.

"Talia?" I blurted out with everything I had.

"Eliana."

Gripping tightly on my covers, Talia had run over to my side holding my hands still.

"No, Eliana. You're not-"

But with a quick and swift move, I revealed my legs. Covered in blood, I carefully grabbed my newly washed nightgown and saw myself laying in a pool of my own blood. Slipping my hands through my thighs, I could feel my throat tighten with every move I made.

"Ta..ta...Talia?" I cried, looking at my bloody hand.

"Eliana, please-"

"Where's my child?"

Staring at my hand, Talia jumped off my bed, grabbed a wet towel with the tray and washed me up.

"Talia...answer me." I cried, but she froze while holding the towel in her hands.

"Please Eliana, calm down." She cried, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

"No!"

Then suddenly, the door flies open as Bothwell and some of my guards run inside.

"What's wrong?" James yelled.

"Ah!" I sobbed, clenching Talia's dress between my fingers.

"Eliana...Eliana, what happened?" James asked, grabbing my shoulders.

"Where's my baby, James. Where's my child?"

"Right here..." I heard Bothwell say, as he walked into the room with a white blanket in his arms.

Frozen, everything around me faded away. James grasp sunk right through me and Talia's body lifted off from me and the only thing I focused on, the only thing I wanted was my child.

"Is it?"

"A girl." Bothwell smiled as he looked up at me.

Slowly stepping up onto the bed, Talia covers my legs quickly before Bothwell handed me our child.

"She's...she's..."

"Beautiful. Just like her mother." He whispered, lifting my head with his finger.

Leaning closer, I placed my lips on his and stayed there for a while until I heard our daughter cooing.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You fainted. You also lost a large amount of blood, which is why we covered you up so tightly. But everything went smoothly." Talia whispered, standing with her arms in front of my her.