Rowan and Aelin Fluff.

Labor and Toil Part 3.

     Aelin panted, swearing loudly as the pain finally began to let up. Aelin let her head fall back, huffing a huge breath. "Rowan, whatever I say to you in the hours the to come, I don't mean it."
   Rowan cocked his head, "Oh, Princess, I think you will." Shrugging,  Aelin wiped the sweat coating her brow, and smiled as Rowan sent an icy breeze over her. Rowan moved to sit before her, a hand on her knee. "What do you want to do, read, sleep, take a walk?"

  Aelin took a deep breath, she didn't want to do anything besides sit there and wait for the baby to come, but she merely said, "Read." Rowan gave her a roguish grin and kissed her deeply before sliding of the bed to grab some of her favorite books

   Rowan sat with his Mate for the next two hours, running his fingers gently over her belly while she read those smutty novels, holding her when the contractions began to come more frequent. Then finally when the contractions began to start coming every five minutes, he got Yrene.
    
   "His Majesty informs me that you're contractions are closer now, Aelin." Rowan watched as Aelin nodded, her face pale. Rowan kept his eyes on Aelin as he walked with the healer to the side of the bed, a part of him just as scared as she was. Yrene set her hands on Aelin's belly, a faint glowing emanating from the healers tanned skin.

   "Aelin, I've already sent for two of my best healers, so as soon as they get here, we are going to get the bed ready, but first we will discuss what the birth will be like." Aelin shut her eyes and loosed a breath, "Yes, that will be ... Fine."
   Yrene sat at the foot of the bed, gesturing for Rowan to sit. He sat in the chair he'd pulled up earlier, and grasped Aelin's hand between his, running the tips of his fingers down her palm. They both looked at Yrene, waiting.
   "First—"

  Aelin let out a loud groan, and Rowan shot out of his chair. Aelin's face was contorted as she moaned in pain, and Rowan ran a hand over her arm soothingly. "Oh, just breathe, love. Almost there, Aelin, keep breathing," Rowan flinched as Aelin let out another anguished cry.
     Gods, Rowan hated seeing her like this, he'd doing anything to ease her pain. "Almost there, Fireheart. Almost—" Aelin swore as the contraction stopped, tears brimming in her eyes. She clutched his hand tightly, "Rowan, I don't think I can— It hurts so bad."

  Rowan kissed her brow, and looked to Yrene, "Is there anything you can do to ease the pain?" Yrene shook her head, pursing her lips.
      "I'm sorry, but due to Aelin's history, I don't want to risk something going wrong, and her not being able to tell us because she's numb from the waist down. And before you start snarling, Majesty, let's discuss the birthing plan."
     Rowan bristled, but Aelin's hand on his waist kept him from snapping at the healer. "Rowan, sit, and we'll talk." Aelin whispered, snuggling back into the bed. Rowan did as he was told, but kept a protective hand over Aelin's belly.

    "Majesty, I want you to know that the upcoming hours will be tough. I will not lie, but I promise you that you will be fine." Aelin nodded, a hand coming up to set upon her chest. Rowan scanned her eyes, searching for that fear that had been running rampant, but now there was only fierce determination. Aelin would not let fear overcome her.
    Rowan's heart glowed with pride, and he smoothed his hand over Aelin's belly.
    "Aelin, we have already discussed how the labor will work, yes?" Rowan watched as Aelin gave her assent.

    Nearly four hours later, Rowan sat next to Aelin, brushing her hair off her brow. Her skin was flush, and heated, her eyes dazed and pained.
    "Do you need water?" he asked softly, shifting his legs off the bed. Aelin shook her head yes, and turned to her side, giving a loud groan. Gods, he'd thought this would move faster, and a part of him wished it would. The pain Aelin was in made him nearly sick.

    They'd known, of course, that Aelin would have trouble with the birthing process, and that with this being her first child, labor would take a while, but Rowan hadn't known how long it be. And he knew Aelin was thinking the same thing.

     Rowan stared at the healers sitting on the sofa before the fire, talking quietly. Rowan glanced back at them, then at Aelin who was still curled in on herself. He sighed as he poured a glass of water, then walked back to the bed. Aelin pressed a hand to her side, panting as she groaned. He set the glass down carefully and eased onto the bed, brushing his hands down her back. Rowan gently massaged her lower back in the way he knew she liked. Aelin moaned and reached a hand around to grip his wrist, "You should keep doing that." With a breathy laugh, he continued kneading her muscles, the cotton of her dress damp with sweat.

     Aelin sighed and released his wrist, her breathing still quick, and her muscles tense. They remained that way for a while, but when a contraction so strong came over Aelin that she screamed in pain, the sound so horrifying to Rowan that he jolted back, his eyes darting between her and Yrene. The healer sprung from the couch, near sprinting to the bed.
   "Out of my way." She commanded, nudging him away 
   He jumped off the bed, running a hand through his short-cropped hair. Something couldn't be going wrong yet, could it? He shook his head, panic rising in his chest, watching in horror Aelin writhed on her back a hand fisting in her hair, but Yrene was calm, her hands resting on his Mate's swollen stomach. She pressed her palms underneath Aelin's ribs, then along her sides.

    The healer's face remained collected, but Rowan saw relief flashing in her eyes.

  "You're just in the shift." Yrene said with a sigh.

"The shift?" Rowan question, tightness in his chest easing. Aelin sighed, too, but fear and pain remained on her face, and Rowan felt as though he was missing something.
  Aelin caught his confused look, "I'm almost ready to," she paused, wondering how to phrase it. Yrene saved her, "They baby has ascended, and now Aelin is almost ready to give birth."
  Aelin scoffed, "I've been ready to give birth for the past three months."

 A breathy laugh escaped him and he stepped back to her side, sliding his hand into her grip. Yrene looked them over, and patted his shoulder, a rueful smile stretching over her face. "Majesty, you laugh now, but this will be the hardest part, no danger for the mother or baby, but," she paused, her face losing its smile.
   "It's going to be hard, it will hurt, Aelin, but you must keep going, you may even want to start pushing."
Rowan watched Aelin pale, but he gave her hand a tight squeeze. She took a deep breath, and groaned as another contraction began.

    Aedion frowned as he made his way to his cousin's chambers, grimacing as a piercing scream met his ears. For the rest of his life he would be eternally amazed and mystified by mothers.
   Aedion rounded a corner, his footsteps the only sounds in the silent halls. Before a page had knocked on the door of his chambers, asking where King Rowan was, he and Lys had been enjoying a rather tense, late lunch with Dorian and his friends. He'd told the jumpy young man that king was busy for the time being, and that his meetings for the day had been canceled. Aedion heard another anguished cry, and shuddered as he neared the door, steeling himself, he knocked quickly on the oak door.

   Inside there was a muffled curse, and another groan. The door swung open, and he was met with the rather livid face of Yrene Towers.
"What do you want, General?, I thought I asked the guards to halt any visitors."
  Aedion only narrowed his eyes, but leashed himself. "I need to speak to King Rowan."
   "Who is it, Yrene?" It was Aelin, her voice weary and hoarse.
  The healer pursed her lips, "Wait here, please." She turned and shut the door.
 Aedion huffed a breath and ran a hand through his hair. As he stood there he prepared himself, there was no doubt that Rowan would be ...

   The door swung open a moment later, and Rowan edged out of the room, anger written all over his face. Aedion braced himself.
    "What is it, we are rather busy." The male snapped, and Aedion grinned a bit.
"How is she?" Aedion asked softly, and Rowan exhaled, closing his eyes.
   "She's doing fine, just— in pain."
    Aedion heard the weariness and fear in the male's voice, but still he said, "I've cancelled your meetings for today, and I am assuming that you'd just like to wait until after the babe is born speaking?"
   Rowan ran a tired hand down his face. "Yes, thank you. Gods," the male shook his head, and Aedion raised a brow. "What?"
  Rowan chuckled dryly, and adjusted the sleeves of his white cotton shirt, gods, Aedion had never seen the king fidget this much in his life.
   "Aelin." The male sighed, shifting on his feet. "She is literally bringing a person into this world— a child. My child. And—"
  From the other side of the door there was a loud scream then, "Shit, make it stop! Rowan, get your rutting ass in here!"
   It was, of course, Aelin.

    Rowan paled and didn't bother to say goodbye as he dashed inside, nearly ripping the door off it's hinges as he slammed it shut