Sorry its so slow going, but that's how birth is, I promise in the next part there will definitely be a little baby!!!! PS: I do not know why it's all spaced out, my laptop's being a d#$%k.
Rowan and Yrene helped Aelin to their chambers, much to her chagrin, and helped her out of her wet dress and into a soft, dry one.
After settling Aelin into the bed, Rowan pulled a chair up to the bedside, slipping his hand into Aelin's. She frowned down at him, a tense look on her face. "I'm not going to give birth right now, Prince. Don't look so formal." Rowan narrowed his eyes at her before glancing down at himself. He supposed he was a bit tense, so he relaxed as much as his body would allow. Aelin snorted, and laid back in her mound of pillows, "Well, now you look like you've been smoking opium."
He glared at her and sat up straighter, frowning as Yrene laughed. "She's right, you know. It will still be a while before she goes into hard labor," Yrene's voice called from the back of the room.
The healer, it seemed, had been watching. Rowan nodded slowly, running his finger down Aelin's palm. He scanned his eyes over Aelin, then turned to the healer.
"You said it would be a while, how long is that?"
Yrene took her time looking over Aelin before asking. "How frequent are your contractions?"
Aelin bit her bottom lip, "They started every half hour, but now they're getting closer, twenty— twenty-five minutes."
Yrene looked upwards, thinking. "You are moving along quickly, so that's a good sign, but still it will be a while still."
Aelin sighed, glancing quickly towards the clock on the mantle. It was only eleven-thirty. Rowan squeezed her hand softly. "So, what do we do?" Aelin asked softly, her eyes flicking to him.
Yrene slid to the bed, "All you need to do is relax, drink some water, maybe try to drift off. I want you to rest. But I'm assuming you want to have the baby in here?"
Aelin nodded her head vigorously.
"Then I'll just stay up here, but in the grand room, you two probably want to be alone."
Rowan certainly wanted to be alone with Aelin, and he was grateful as Aelin nodded her assent.
Aelin and Rowan both thanked the healer as she walked to the grand room, one of Aelin's books in hand. She had murmured her welcome, and spared them a last glance as she slipped away. Aelin turned her gaze on Rowan, and patted the bed. "Come up here, it's not like I'm about to explode." Her King smiled a bit before carefully crawling up over her to settle down at her side. They were silent for a moment as he sat down, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Aelin leaned against him, and set her hand atop her belly.
"I'm scared, Rowan." She whispered softly, her voice wavering.
Rowan leaned in to kiss her brow, and murmured against her skin. "We are going to be fine, Fireheart. We always are." Aelin pursed her lips. The fear was horrible. It was warring inside of her with the anxiety and pain, and it was going to drive her out of her mind. Rowan placed his free hand over hers, stroking her skin through her cotton dress. The feeling of his hands on her was nice, but ...
She wanted a distraction.
"Kiss me." She commanded
With a laugh, her King obliged her.
Rowan leaned over her, pressing his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, soft and sweet, and maddeningly slow. Aelin slipped an arm around the back of his neck, tugging him closer. Rowan's scent wrapped around her, and she smiled against his lips as she ran a hand up his muscled torso, marveling at his strength.
Aelin's distraction only lasted for a little while, though, because when Rowan's hand began to make idle strokes down her leg, and he began to press heated kisses to her neck, a contraction hit.
"Rowan—"
Her Mate pulled away, intertwining his hand with hers. Oh— gods, how was she supposed to do this. She squeezed her eyes shut and crushed his hand tightly. It was lasting longer than before, and it hurt. Rowan ran his free hand down her side, "Just breathe, love. Almost through." Aelin opened her eyes, nodding her head as she panted. It felt like she was being ripped apart. Worse than her cycle pains. She let out a groan of pain, and dug her nails into his hand. Rowan continued stroking her side, making sure she looked him in the eye.
"Almost done, love. Almost."
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