Chapter Nine #2
Lumi almost wanted to gape as Tivar walked out and left him entirely alone. What the fuck was he supposed to do if he had a real problem? Tivar acted like all babies just slid out after a bit with no issue.
Once the contraction stopped, it was almost nice to be alone so he didn’t have to hear complaints and deal with total ignorance. He rubbed his belly as he stayed curled up on the bed and watched the light above.
“Please, little baby. Come out, and be okay.”
Even though Jaki would be horrified at such a situation, Lumi was sure he would get help if he was around.
But he didn’t have Jaki or anyone. Tivar just wanted a person to coronate so the Crown wouldn’t be dead, and he could stop being the false heir.
As the afternoon wore on and the pain worsened, he wasn’t sure if it was normal.
He tried standing by the side of the bed, kneeling, lying on each side, and sitting up.
Squatting was supposed to be easier when the child was ready to come out, but he was sure he wasn’t quite there yet.
Before sunset, Tivar came in to get the fire going high and give him more water.
Lumi was on all fours on a few of the blankets he’d dragged onto the bed, and quite frankly, his fake, older brother’s presence pissed him off.
“Well, how long now?” demanded Tivar.
“I don’t know,” Lumi managed to get out as he clutched the blankets and tried to breathe through the pain. It wasn’t exactly helping.
“I’ll check on you later.” Tivar slammed the door behind him.
“Fuck you,” Lumi mumbled under his breath.
He’d damn near cut off his pinky if Jaki would cup his face for thirty seconds.
One soothing touch. Or words to convince him that everything would be fine.
More than that, he wished for a midwife who could tell him if everything was all right.
Was the pain supposed to be that bad? As a child, he’d heard women say childbirth was the worst pain ever.
He’d also heard some talking about their multiple kids and how they couldn’t wait to have another.
Lumi finally planted himself near the headboard on some blankets. He could kneel and use the headboard for support. He gripped the top as another contraction ripped through him. Dear Elira, if such agony was normal, who wanted to go through it more than once?
The chain clanked with every movement, and he wished he could have freedom from the shackle for a little while.
Damn Tivar for leaving him with no proper help.
Lumi felt between his legs and wasn’t sure if his hole was wide enough yet.
It was hard to tell by feel. If a midwife were there, she’d know.
If only Mother were there too. Another hour passed while he sweated and cried from exhaustion.
The contractions were closer together, and the pressure inside was growing worse.
Each bout of pain nearly made him want to scream.
What if it went on all night and the next day?
He was already so tired, he needed the headboard to hold himself up or he’d surely collapse.
How would he take care of his baby if it were born?
Tivar opened the door just as another contraction hit. With his ears drawn back, Lumi bit the back of his hand as he made a strange noise and ignored whatever the bastard said.
“I guess not,” Tivar added after a pause. The door slammed.
Fuck him. He’d wanted a damn heir so badly but wouldn’t make sure it was all right. What if Lumi died, and the baby did too? Tivar wouldn’t have a way to make the Crown live again.
His rest between the pains was short and not nearly enough.
He was sure if he closed his eyes, he’d fall asleep until another round of agony started in a minute or two.
He stared at the shadows on the wall in front of him as sweat trickled down his back.
Please, let the baby be all right. If something was wrong…
The pressure shifted lower as another contraction came, and he had the urge to push.
What little strength he had left was quickly used up as he gasped for air and rested his forehead on the wood.
What if it was stuck? He had to push. This was his and Jaki’s baby, and he wasn’t going to let it die if he could help it.
He bit his right knuckles so hard, he tasted blood as he bore down again. His rim stretched with a feeling like hot pins, and he reached down with his free hand as the pressure went even lower. Oh, Elira, there was the baby’s head and tiny kitty ears. It had hair too.
He sucked in air as he reached down with his other hand before he gave another push. The flickering light on the wall grew blurrier as he struggled. What if he couldn’t get it out?
A sudden emptiness replaced the pressure as the rest slid out into his hands, and a mighty cry filled the air.
The baby was covered in fluid and a little blood. The cord still ran up and into Lumi’s hole. As he gasped and his pulse pounded in his ears, he stared at the pinched red face. His child let out another wail, and he started sobbing again.
His daughter had Jaki’s pink eyes. She also had his fine nose.
He had to lean against the headboard while holding her to his chest, not caring about the mess on her.
He had a little girl now. More tears poured down his cheeks as she quieted.
Lumi had another contraction that wasn’t so severe, and he positioned himself a little better.
He’d almost forgotten about the placenta since he’d been more focused on getting the baby out, and he didn’t think it would come so soon.
The placenta didn’t look pleasant when it came out.
It was supposed to stay attached via the cord to the baby for a time.
He shifted over a bit and leaned back on the headboard as he held his daughter.
Never had he been so exhausted and elated at the same time.
Maybe that was why people went through the pain again.
It had been worth it to hold his daughter.
She calmed when he put her to his chest to nurse, and her little hand rested on him as she suckled.
When the cord was shriveled and white, he figured it needed to be cut.
Unfortunately, he had nothing to do it with.
He was sure it wouldn’t hurt if it stayed attached for a while.
He had blankets and cloths stacked on his bedside table, so he cleaned himself and the baby the best he could before he put a nappy on her.
Afterward, he wrapped her in one of the blankets he’d knitted.
It was awkward with the cord in the way, but he managed and shifted farther down the bed where it wasn’t dirty.
“Jacqueline,” he whispered as he laid her down. She blinked, and one of her pointy little ears twitched at his voice.
Lumi carefully lay next to her. He was sore beyond belief, but he certainly felt better than he did an hour ago.
Propped up on one elbow, he stared at Jacqueline as if Elira herself had dropped off his baby girl.
He almost never wanted to sleep again, and he was sure he’d never get tired of looking at her. She was a perfect little cat fairy.
He touched her hands, and she grabbed his pointer finger. Her fingers were so tiny, and her ears were too. Since they’d dried, he noticed she had teeny little tufts on the tips too just like Jaki, and she had a head full of white hair like Lumi and Jaki.
Everything about her was so little and perfect. Content to hold Father’s finger, she closed her pink eyes.
Lumi rested his head and was happy to simply keep looking at her.
He woke up later when he heard a noise, and he instinctively pulled Jacqueline a little closer while his heart started to pound. Lost in his joy with his perfect daughter, he’d forgotten that he was supposed to have a boy.
He blinked and pretended to be barely able to keep his eyes open as Tivar stood by the bed.
“I cut the cord and got rid of the placenta.”
He knew to do that much? Lumi must have been dead asleep because he hadn’t heard a thing.
“How is he?”
“Fine,” Lumi mumbled.
“The bed’s a mess. Can you get up? You don’t look like you can tell up from down at this point.”
“No.”
“I’ll sleep elsewhere and see you in the morning. Are you sure he’s fine? There’s nothing wrong with him?”
“Perfect,” mumbled Lumi. Thank Elira, he hadn’t moved her nappy down and saw his heir wasn’t a son after all. Lumi didn’t have the energy to deal with anyone else.
Tivar hesitated. “Good job. It took you long enough, Lumi, but you finally gave me what I wanted, and I didn’t have to return to cut him out of you.”
Lumi swallowed at those words, and Tivar left the room. Lumi let out a slight sigh as he nestled his daughter against his chest. She was all his for a little longer.
The night passed with Jacqueline feeding a couple of times and sleeping.
He figured being born was tiring, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep with her every night.
Maybe Tivar would take a room elsewhere and stay there.
Babies needed frequent feedings, and if he was awoken by her crying, he’d probably get pissy.
He wanted the heir and not the work that came with babies.
Tivar returned in the morning. Lumi was awake, holding his daughter, and not looking forward to revealing the truth. With the light of day, he’d decided to get it over with. It wasn’t something he could hide forever, and if he tried, he could imagine Tivar’s rage.
“How’s my son?”
“It’s a girl,” Lumi said bluntly. “You have a perfect little daughter.”
Tivar paused by the foot of the bed as his mouth opened slightly, and his ears pulled back. “You didn’t think to tell me this last night?”
“I barely remember you being here. I was exhausted…”
“You were supposed to give me a son.” Tivar’s tail started lashing.
“I can’t control whether it’s a boy or a girl, and she’s still your child. We can try again for a son. A second child usually comes fast after the first. It should be no trouble to conceive again…”