The Princess of Terrasen

Ch. 33

A few months later, Aiyra's fallen into comfortable routine. Breakfast with Ilias, then school, then her daily check-up, and then not much else. It's an easy routine. Antony's gotten much better with his magic, and is almost fully capable of controlling it, Nicasia passed the midterm examinations for the first time in three years, Thibout is constantly looking for her to explain a concept from Arithmatics books that are for people thrice his age, Adèlia screamed when Aiyra's baby bump started to show, and she couldn't wear her leathers anymore, and then promptly cried.

"Why are you crying?" Aiyra asked alarmed

"Imagine a tiny you running around," Adèlia slaps a hand over her mouth, eyes sparkling.

"Sounds like a nightmare," Aiyra grumbled, putting her feet up on the table to relieve the pressure on her spine. Adèlia hasn't asked who the father is, but Aiyra's fairly certain she's figured it out. She hasn't said anything, though, thank the Wyrd.

It's precisely this level of easiness that is driving Aiyra mad.

"Can't I exercise just a little?" she whined to Fahien as she threw a stick for Aecis.

"No, Aiyra. Fae conceptions are difficult enough as it is." she snapped. "and I think it's time you stopped riding horses too."

"Fahien I'm going to go mad,"

"And that's perfectly alright if it means your baby survives." she looked up at Aiyra and her eyes softened "it's just three more months, Aiyra. You can do it."

Aiyra sighed and sat down in the grass, staring up at the night sky.

Eirel.

She wondered what he'd look like. Wondered if he'd even survive the complicated Fae births. Fahien drops into a bow, her gaze fixed on a point behind Aiyra.

"Your Majesty," she says, starting to back away

"Do you need anything?" she mouthed to Aiyra as her Father approached. Aiyra waved her away, and as Father sat down next to her, Aecis bounded up, lying down on her other side.

"He's a magnificent creature," he said, "where did you get him?"

"The southern continent,"

"Was this the same trip that-?"

"Yes," she snorted

"What happened there, Aiyra? You conquered it, killed their heirs so that we wouldn't be able to take it back for them, but then..."

"I lost control." she shrugs

"And the reason behind that?" he turned his head to look at her

She said nothing for a long while, keeping her gaze fixed on the Lord of the North. Debates whether she should even tell him. He knows what it's like. Deanna told her about a flower girl in Doranelle, gentle and sweet, and the way a dark queen used her to go to unspeakable lengths.

"My mate." was all she could say before her throat closed up

"Your...mate? Are you with his child?"

She nodded shakily

"Sebastian. Sebastian Miyron."

Another long silence. Her Father knows who he is. Everyone did. Judging by the surprise coming from him though, they did a good job of hiding it.

"I want to scream, sometimes." she whispers

"Then scream," he shrugs, looking a little amused.

"The guards will think I'm being murdered. Then Mother will think I'm being murdered and she'll burn the castle down."

"There's that too."

And Aiyra put her head on his shoulder, both of them quietly staring at the night sky, at the Lord of the North who had perhaps unknowingly saved the both of them.

----

Three months later, Aiyra was lying on her bed when the contractions hit. Barely able to think, she sent Salkhi to go get Fahien. It's her Mother who runs in first, though.

"I need you to stay awake, okay? Yes, that's it, come on, keep your eyes open, Fahien's coming."

The door slams against the wall as Fahien runs in.

"Aiyra, I know it's hard to focus, but I need you to breathe, do you understand?" Fahien asks, eyes solemn as she peers at Aiyra, who's practically crying as her lower body tried to rip itself in half. "Tune in to the contractions, and when you feel your body getting ready to push, that's when you need to push too, alright?"

Aiyra nods furiously, gritting her teeth and panting as she tries to focus on her body. There's pain, but not the feeling she's looking for. Breathe. She looks down. Blood everywhere. Breathe. Then it hits, her body curling inwards

"Now, Aiyra! Push!"

Aiyra closes her eyes, letting out a loud sob as she forced her body to push. It feels as though she's being ripped apart, nothing exists except tearing and bleeding and red on white. Haziness starts to cloud her vision as she slips in and out of consciousness.

Before she slips away, the shaking of her legs beings her back, Mother's frantic eyes swimming in her vision.

"Aiyra, stay awake, come on, keep those beautiful eyes open."

Taking in large gulps of air, Aiyra stares back at her mother, nodding frantically and recieved a slight squeeze on her hand in return. As if on cue, the constricting feeling returns and this time, she pushes, screaming as she does so.

"Well done, Aiyra, keep going the head's almost out!" Fahien called from wherever she was

Aiyra almost doesn't hear it. The contraction that hits her is far too painful and she can't see out of blurry vision and light-headedness. Just a small break, she tells herself as her body goes limp, unable to support itself anymore. She can't hear Fahien and her mother screaming to push over the sound of her harsh breathing.

"Push," Fahien screams but Aiyra can't bring herself to react. She is tired. So, so tired. Everything seems inconsequential. She can feel her grip on reality fading. And she finds that it is not the worst feeling in the world.

There is a sharp, stinging pain on her cheek and she forced her eyes open

"Aiyra, you have to push, do you understand? That's the baby you had with your mate, push for his sake."

She tries, she really, truly does, but her hips give way. She is too tired. She will not make it if she pushes. But the point of this is not for her to survive. It is for Sebastian's son to survive.
She does not scream this time, even as the contraction rips her part. She needs every ounce of energy she can get. She pushes one last time, with what is surely the last of her strength.

"That's it! The baby is out!" Fahien announces, there is a snip, and Aiyra waits, teary eyed, to hear that cry of triumph.

"What's wrong?" Mother asks, voice sharp.

Aiyra's vision starts to blacken. No. This cannot be happening.

"We can save him," Fahien says "but-"

Aiyra grabs at her wrist with a strength she didn't know she possessed.

"Whatever you have to," she says and Fahien nods.

Then she brings her hand back down, and loses her touch with consciousness.