Prologue
"Get the damn-" she gritted, sweat dripping down her face. "Midwife!" she bit out, at last. "Get the damn midwife in here!"
It had been three years since she had married Edgar, but she still hadn't gotten used to her title as queen of Tu'uli. She'd never cared much for nobility. Or 'acting dignified.'
Speaking of dignified - where was that damn midwife?
Her normally beautiful features were twisted in pain, every movement costing more. Sparks flew across her vision, causing her to panic even more as she tried to concentrate on... anything.
What was even the point of hiring one if they wouldn't do their job properly?
Wishing she could strangle the absent midwife, her wandering gaze landed on the window, and out into the garden of the cottage.
It wasn't her first time giving birth. She had given birth five years prior to Chandra, in this very same cottage. It was peaceful and far off from the palace, and while quite small compared to her larger quarters in the palace, it was a place she could be herself and pretend she wasn't queen, even if it were only for a week.
Her arrival at the palace, with a child in her arms and everything, had stirred the royal court as they whispered and plotted on how to best get rid of her. Even the servants and the maids were still bitter about it, and the pressure she had felt to conform had been almost unbearable. But she had been in love with Edgar, and the Royal Council overrode his mother's stripping him of the crown and allowed her to keep her child.
"Your Ladyship? You called?" A quiet voice called out. She wore a simple dress.
"Some damn help with this baby would be freaking helpful."
The woman's eyes widened at the crass language, but she wisely said nothing. "Of course, my Lady."
A disheveled man with rumpled clothes and a shadow of subtle on his face ran in soon after. Even so, his presence commanded and gave off an air of regality. "Esmeralda!"
"Papa?" A young girl ran in and tugged on the man's arm. "Is Mama okay?"
He looked down at her, his gaze softening. "She's just fine. You remember how we talked about what's in her belly?"
The midwife blushed suddenly, noticing Edgar and his daughter were in the room. "Pardon me sir, but I'll have to ask you to leave. Birth is a sacred rite and males aren't permitted to see. Neither are young females, since it's much too far from their time. We don't want them getting ideas this early in their life, do we now?"
He looked helpless. "But, she's my wife..."
Her hold on his arm grew firm. "You may be the king, but I am telling you. Please do not interfere with what the gods have decreed." With that, she pushed him out the door, his daughter following. "You can come back when you hear the baby crying."
The door slammed.
The longer he looked at the door, the more forlorn he got.
He decided that being separated from his wife for ten measly minutes was no matter.
In trying to brighten up for his daughter, he decided to finally answer his daughter's earlier question. "Your mother's alright. Do you remember how we'd talk about your sister before?"
The girl brightened. "Keira! Is she here now?" She looked around curiously. "Where is she!"
Her dad laughed. "She's not here yet. Someday, when you're older, you'll understand better." He knelt down to her level. "Let's go into the other room, your mother needs her privacy. Your sister is taking a special trip from her belly to be with us." Ruffling her hair, a wide grin spread across his face when she pushed him away.
"Papa! I told you to stop touching my hair! You make it all weird and tingly!" She complained, and crossed her arms angrily.
He smiled inside. Chandra was already looking so much like her mother. "You mean like this?" He rubbed it again, quickly, and withdrew his arm fast enough to avoid her tiny flying arms.
She heard the static. Her eyes opened wide. "Papa!"
Still a tiny being, she decided to go for the nearest enemy. His leg. Screeching, she rushed for his defenseless leg and plopped onto his foot. Holding on tight, she gave him a devilish grin. This was her favorite game.
They went on like that, him feigning to try and get her off and her tightening her grip. She started pinching his leg, and he made exaggerated howls of pain.
Just then, they heard a high pitched cry. A newborn. Hearing it, they both froze, before she dropped his leg and decided to zoom into the room.
She came to a screeching halt as soon as she saw her mom. Esmeralda's eyes were filled with unshed tears as she held something swaddled in blankets.
Suddenly aware of how precious the moment felt, Chandra forced herself to still her breathing. "Mama, I want to see her." Remembering her manners, she added "Please?"
Her mom gave a tired nod. "Of course, Chandra."
The midwife grimaced slightly. "My Lady, do I have your permission to depart now? I have another delivery to take care of."
Esmeralda nodded. "Of course. Thank you for assisting me with the delivery, again. And I must apologize for acting out of line earlier."
"My Lady, you have nothing to apologize for. You were nothing compared to other deliveries I've assisted with." She flushed. "Not that you were nothing, of course, I simply meant to say-"
The queen gave her a distracted wave. "Don't you have a delivery to attend to?"
Her cheeks grew pink once more. "Yes, yes, of course."
She began to bend into a bow, to the protest of the queen, "No! You don't-"
She then took her leave, walking quickly out of the house.
"-have to do that." she finished, and gave a frustrated sigh. "Edgar... sometimes I wish you didn't have this stupid title, and then I wouldn't have to be this stupid queen."
Peeking at the swaddled newborn, Chandra cooed.
"Hey little sister. I'm your big sister! Chandra! We're going to be best friends. You spent a long time in Mama's belly, and you're so big, I bet you're happy to be out now." She blinked. "Mama, why doesn't she say hi back?"
The king and queen gave each other a look, then laughed. "Chandra dear, your sister can't speak yet. Remember how you're learning how to read?"
She nodded proudly, pointing to the painting behind them. "That says 'happy'!"
"Do you remember how long it took you to figure out what letters were and how they worked?"
Chandra thought hard about that. "Letters are the squiggly shapes on the page! Like snakes!"
"Exactly, dear. At one point, when you came out of Mama's stomach, you didn't know how to speak either."
"But I can speak now! I'm talking! See!" She frowned, a concerning thought suddenly coming to her.
"Wait, you mean, I was that small once? And I didn't know how to speak?"
They nodded seriously, before letting a small grin break their composure. "Yes, Chandra. We're all that small when we're first born. We also couldn't walk at first either. We're very helpless as newborns."
"That's crazy. I never want to be that small again though. No offense Keira, but that sounds like it sucks. Not being able to speak OR read or... or... not do anything!" She huffed. "Small. Ha!"
"Keira.." the queen murmured, looking at the newborn with a soft look in her eyes. "The name does suit her well."
She peeked another glance. "Woah! Her eyes! I've never seen them that color! And her hair! It's so pretty!"
Esmeralda suddenly stilled. "Her eyes?" She took Keira back from Chandra. Giving her face a glance, she broke but she tried to regain her composure as she looked at Edgar worriedly. "They're... oh, and her hair..."
Edgar looked. His sudden change in demeanor froze the air around them. He raised his voice, yelling, "No! I refuse to believe it! They will not take away our daughter!"
"Papa?" He looked down and saw his daughter tugging at his pant leg. "What's wrong?"
He brought down his fist and struggled to calm his racing heart. "It's nothing, Chandra. I got worried about something, but it doesn't concern you. Please don't worry about it."
She frowned. She didn't believe him. "Papa..."
He grinned again, all traces of hostility and nervousness gone. "Fine. Tell you what. Why don't you go down to your room and get our favorite book? We'll read both you and Keira a bedtime story. Your mother will come too and we'll all be together, just like old times. No stuffy tutor making you read this time."
Confused, she resignedly let go of his pant leg. "Okay Papa!" She narrowed her eyes. "But will you tell me what made you mad after?"
"Of course."
Keira decided to make her presence known, with a loud screech that made them all wince.
As Esmeralda rushed to calm her, lifting her to her chest and softly singing soothing tunes, Chandra decided her dad would be much more fun to hang out with, and tugged at her dad's pant leg demandingly.
"Race you to my room!"
As they scurried out, Esmeralda sighed, and looked down at the child swaddled in blankets, sleeping soundly within her arms. It was quite the tiny thing.
"Keira," she murmured. "I do hope you forgive me in the future for this."
Torn about the decision she had made, she gave her a long kiss on the forehead, starting to perform the spell that had been forbidden for centuries by the Upper Council.
"But I need to protect my family, Keira."