Alliance

Chapter 47- Volens Et Potens

She didn't know if she felt dilated, but she did feel that her body was tearing apart, so that was probably good enough.

"This is not how I wanted this to be." She said to herself, knowing she was about to cry and also that she couldn't.

She took a deep breath and steadied herself and, spreading her legs, hoisted her gown up to her thighs. She was thankful she'd not changed into her pyjamas yet.

She dared to feel her inner thighs with her fingers, and felt something liquid.

So her water had broken, she though dizzyingly, but when she lifted her hand, she saw that her fingers were red.

Red? Why would it-

"No, no, no." She said, her chest heaving and her eyesight blurring suddenly. It was blood.
That was alright. So what if it was blood? That didn't mean anything.
She was not losing this baby. No. She had lost enough. Blood was alright. It was her own blood, not the baby's.

Oh heavens, if the baby died, she wouldn't be able to take it. She needed the baby to live, she didn't care about herself, but her baby, her and Edmund's baby had to live, even if it was using long, sharp nails, that were also on fire, to claw its way out.

"Please- Aslan, Poseidon-" She prayed, wiping her nose with her elbow as she pushed, no matter how much it hurt and tore and burned. "Heavens, Angels, keep my baby safe- alive-"

Digging her fingers into her thighs to keep herself steady as there was nothing else to hold onto- she felt sure she would find blood under her nails, she'd gripped them so tight- Sanya sobbed as she kept on pushing, and she pushed so hard she felt like her intestines would come out, and it hurt so bad, and she wanted to hold someone's hand, but someone wasn't there and she was all alone, and if this baby died, she would die, please, no- she shut her eyes and then all she could see was darkness, and why did she do that, she needed light right now, light and security- please-

"Your Majesty!" Asherii screamed as she burst into the room, Aura behind her and Jem clutching a crying Selene's hand following closely. "Your Majesty-"

Sanya looked up from the crying bundle in her arms, her face haggard and exhausted. She was slumped against the wall, her legs spread and limp, and her thighs and hands were red with blood. The water pitchers in the room had all fallen over, making the floor slippery and wet.

"Her name is Seraphina Elani." She said softly, her voice as torn as her body felt. "My sweet angel."

'They're called Seraphs- Seraphim is the plural. Awfully pretty word, isn't it?' Edmund was saying, asking perhaps, but she was too engrossed in looking at the sky. 'Seraphim- Seraphine or Seraphina would be derivatives?'

'Mum's name was Eileen- no, wait, it was Helen-'

'Think of some baby names with E'

"Sanya, are you- Jem, Selene, out!" Aura turned suddenly, remembering the young children and knowing that they did not deserve to see their mother like this.

"She didn't have blood on her when Sel was born." Jem said faintly, staring at his mother, who had closed her eyes, despite the infant's wailing. "Is she-"

Aura pushed them out of the room, and then closed the door behind them.

"Oh, dear-" She said, looking at her poor sister-in-law.

"I think she's on the verge of passing out." Asherii said, her voice surprisingly steady, considering how she had screamed. She bent down to her and brushed some hair out of her sweaty face. "She's lost too much blood- I'll move her to the bed, you clean the babe and put her in the crib, Aura, then come help me clean her."