Chapter 33 Wen
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Wen
The throne room erupted into absolute chaos.
Half the nobles gasped in shock. A quarter of them looked genuinely horrified as if I’d announced I was about to sprout wings. The remaining quarter seemed utterly confused about what was happening because apparently not everyone here was familiar with pregnancy procedures - mostly men. Shocking.
“Did she just say her water broke?” someone whispered loudly from the back.
“What does that even mean?” another voice asked with genuine bewilderment.
“It means the baby is coming now,” a woman’s voice explained with the kind of exasperation that suggested she’d given birth before and couldn’t believe no one else understood basic biology.
“Here? In the throne room?”
“Unless someone moves her very quickly, yes!”
Aurion materialized out of nowhere and ran straight to us looking like he’d just been told the castle was on fire.
His eyes were wild and his face had gone completely pale.
He skidded to a stop in front of me and Mal.
“What do we do? What’s happening? Is she dying?
Should I get towels? Do we need towels?”
“I’m not dying, you idiot,” I managed to say. “I’m having a baby. It’s a natural process that happens literally all the time.”
“Right. Yes. Baby. Natural. What do I do to help?”
“Stand there and try not to faint. You’re doing great so far.” I rolled my eyes. Fucking hell. They were kings. Did they not know how to handle an emergency?
“I’m not going to faint.” Aurion sounded extremely offended. Serves him right.
“You look like you’re going to faint,” I grunted, annoyed, because I was dripping from between my legs, my baby was coming, and I could not handle myself right now.
Mal still hadn’t moved since I’d made my announcement.
He was frozen in place, staring at me with absolute terror written across every feature.
You’d think he would’ve been calmer, having had months to prepare for this moment.
Well, no. His hands were still holding mine from when we’d exchanged vows approximately forty-five seconds ago, but his grip had tightened to the point of being almost painful.
“Mal,” I said, squeezing him harder. “I need you to not panic.”
“I am not panicking.”
“You’re definitely panicking. I can feel it through the bond.”
“That is just a reasonable concern for your well-being.”
“That’s panic. But it’s fine. I’m the one who should be panicking, not you, dumbass.”
“You’re right. You’re totally right.” He said, and that’s when, as an angel landing on earth to perform a miracle, Sorcha stepped forward and took the situation in her hands.
It was great to see a queen in action. She clapped her hands once and the entire room fell silent.
Her voice rang out with absolute authority.
“Everyone calm down immediately. This is a joyous occasion, not a crisis.”
People actually stopped panicking. Just like that. It was impressive.
“Guards,” she continued without missing a beat. “Please escort our guests to the reception hall. The celebration will continue exactly as planned, just without the king and queen present for the immediate moment. We have excellent food and wine waiting. Please enjoy.”
The guards started moving instantly, gently but firmly directing nobles toward the exits. Most people went willingly though some kept craning their necks to stare at me.
Sorcha turned to a young nobleman standing nearby who looked barely old enough to shave. “You. What’s your name?”
“T-Thomas, Your Majesty.”
“Thomas, I need you to run to the infirmary as fast as your legs will carry you. Tell the healers we need them prepared for a royal birth immediately. Can you do that?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” He took off running like his life depended on it.
She turned to Mal and her voice softened just slightly. “Malachar. Pick up your wife very carefully and follow me. Try not to jostle her too much.”
He nodded mutely and scooped me up in his arms bride style. Under different circumstances I would’ve made a joke about the romance of being carried over the threshold. But a contraction was building in my abdomen and I was trying very hard to breathe through it.
Sorcha started walking with purpose, her gown swishing as she moved. Mal followed close behind with me in his arms. Aurion trailed along beside us looking completely lost.
“You look like a puppy who got separated from its owner,” I told him.
“I feel like a puppy who got separated from its owner,” he admitted. “I have absolutely no idea what’s happening or what I should be doing right now.”
“Ha. And you said you weren’t going to pass out.” I grunted. “You’re ghostly pale.”
“I’m not going to fucking pass out. I’m just deeply concerned for your well-being and the baby’s well-being.”
“That’s actually sweet. Still completely useless in this situation, but sweet.”
Mal made a noise that might’ve been a laugh if he wasn’t clearly on the verge of a breakdown. His panic mixed with mine through the bond, and I could feel his heart racing so fast I was worried about him having a heart attack. His breathing was shallow and unsteady, matching mine.
“I’m going to be fine,” I told him firmly.
“You are going into labor. In a realm with different medical practices from your world. That is not fine. What if something goes wrong? What if the healers cannot help you? What if there are complications? What if-”
“Mal. I’m not going to die, for fuck’s sake. You’re being completely useless right now.”
He ignored that last part. “You cannot possibly promise that.”
“I can. I didn’t survive assassination attempts and interdimensional travel and your cooking disasters just to die giving birth to your baby.”
“I love you. You’re doing great, you know that?”
“Yes.” I gritted through my teeth as a different sensation tore through my body… That’s when the first real contraction hit and our banter died immediately.
Pain exploded through my entire abdomen like someone had lit me on fire from the inside. It felt like my body was trying to tear itself apart. Every muscle clenched simultaneously. My breath caught in my throat. My vision went white at the edges.
“Wen!” Mal’s voice was pure panic. “What is wrong? What is happening? Should I stop walking?”
“Contraction,” I gasped out when I could breathe again. “Just a contraction. Don’t stop. Keep moving.”
“Maybe I should put you down. I should-”
“Don’t you dare put me down. We’re almost there. Just keep walking.”
“You are in pain. I can feel it through the bond.”
“Of course I’m in fucking pain!” I exploded, “I’m in labor. That’s kind of the whole thing.”
The contraction passed after what felt like an eternity but was probably only forty-five seconds. I sagged against Mal’s chest and tried to catch my breath. My heart was pounding. Sweat was already forming on my forehead.
“How long do these contractions typically last?” Aurion asked. He was keeping pace beside us but looked increasingly green.
“The whole labor? Hours usually,” Mal said. “Sometimes longer for first babies. Could be anywhere from six to twenty hours. At least that’s what I read in the manual.”
“Twenty hours?” Aurion looked like Mal’d just told him he was going to fight a dragon bare-handed. “Wen has to endure this level of pain for up to twenty hours?”
“Welcome to childbirth.” I growled, “It’s a magical, beautiful experience.”
“Hush. Come on, faster.” Sorcha interrupted, pointing at a door not far ahead.
We finally reached the infirmary and Sorcha pushed open the doors with both hands. The healers were already bustling around preparing. They’d set up a room with clean linens and what looked like medical supplies and various other things I definitely didn’t want to examine too closely.
“Put her on the bed,” one of the healers instructed. She was an older woman with steel-gray hair pulled back in a bun and kind eyes that crinkled at the corners. “Very gently now, Your Majesty.”
Mal set me down like I was made of the most fragile glass in existence. Then he immediately grabbed my hand and refused to let go. His grip was almost crushing.
The healers started their examination, asking rapid-fire questions. How far apart were the contractions? When exactly did my water break? Was I feeling pressure anywhere specific? How would I rate the pain?
“On a scale of one to ten, I’d say we’re currently hovering around a seven,” I said. “But I have a sneaking suspicion we’re going to hit about fifteen pretty soon.”
Another contraction hit barely two minutes after the first and proved me absolutely right. The pain was worse this time. Sharper. More focused and intense, like someone was taking a knife to my insides. I squeezed Mal’s hand hard enough that I heard his bones creak.
“Fuck,” I gasped when it passed. “That one was significantly worse.”
“You are doing wonderfully,” the healer said in that calm, measured tone that medical professionals seem to master. “Everything is progressing exactly as it should.”
“If this is normal progression, I have some serious complaints about the design.”
“Your body knows what to do. Just try to relax between contractions.”
“Relax. Right. While my body is tearing itself apart. Easy.”
Sorcha appeared beside the bed with cool cloths and started wiping my forehead gently. “You’re doing beautifully, dear. Just focus on your breathing.”
I looked over at Aurion who was still standing uselessly by the door. He’d gone from pale to a distinctly greenish tint. “If you’re going to throw up, please leave the room first. I have enough to deal with.”
“I’m not going to throw up.”
“You genuinely look like you might throw up. And you’re gripping the doorframe like it’s the only thing keeping you upright.”
“I’m fine. I’m just providing moral support from a safe distance.”