“She came here to help me, and she did exactly that. We can discuss her motives later. Right now, all that matters is my son, and neither of you will bring her harm in this room. Not unless she strikes first.”
* * *
I ease my magic away from both princes and the soldier still lying prone on the ground by the door. The moment I do, the soldier groans, and both of the princes startle as they glance down at him, but I ignore them all. Instead, I help Airlie swap the baby to her other breast as he fusses.
Her eyebrows pinch together. “Is that bad? I don’t think I have any milk, is he going to starve?”
I smile at her, sure to keep my tone calm and low. She's in a heightened state of concern after the birth and from all the extra emotions that come with a baby. Treating her gently and kindly right now is the only course of action.
“He’s working to help your milk come in. He’ll be fussy for a little while, but he should sleep through most of the wait until it comes in. With the extra help we’ll get you, it won't take long. He's perfectly healthy, I've already given him a look over, and there’s nothing to be concerned about.”
I hear footsteps and a shadow falls over the bed, but I don't look up, not until I have him latched properly and the wince is gone from the princess’s face.
“Is it supposed to hurt?” she asks quietly, almost shy.
I shrug carefully. “A good latch doesn't hurt, but he's on the small side, so it might take some growing for him to learn how to do it properly. Everything is going to be fine.”
She nods and runs a finger through his hair once more, eyes misting before she glances up at the looming high-fae prince. “I need Roan, has someone sent for him?”
I glance up, and Prince Soren is staring at me as though it’s taking every ounce of restraint within him not to wrap his hands around my throat and squeeze until my last breath is finished. It's clear he's not going to answer her, so I do it for him.
“Prince Tyton sent a messenger for him at the same time that he sent one for Prince Soren and Prince Tauron. Trust your family to find your husband—you need to stay focused on your son right now.”
My words are a gentle but firm reminder to her of the task at hand, so she doesn't lose herself in the pain of Roan missing out on this experience. I have no idea how long it will take to find Prince Roan and bring him back here, but there are many emotions that come with the early days after a birth, and whatever we can do to keep the princess focused and healthy right now is vital.
She nods and looks back at her son. The small prince falls asleep at her breast, his mouth suckling for comfort but not much more.
I move away from the bed, carefully skirting both princes as I make my way to one of the seats in the room, leaving the cousins to their reunion and celebration of the baby.
Both princes watch me until I'm settled against the plush cushions. I try not to wince at the state of my dress. It’s been only a few days since the icy bath, but the dungeon cell isn’t the cleanest, and the dress is covered in black streaks. I’ve been careful not to let the fabric touch the princess or the baby, but the silver and blue cushions of this ornate chair might very well be ruined.
“What were you thinking?” Soren murmurs.
Airlie snaps her gaze to him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “I was thinking that it was worth a try, that I would doanythingto give my son a chance to live.”
Soren scowls at her. “And if she had killed you, Airlie? She was probably the one to bring the labor on in the first place.”
Airlie moves the baby higher up on her chest, his mouth releasing her nipple and a small sigh escaping him, a happy and content sound as he nestles against her. The sound draws all eyes, no small amount of wonder in this room as they watch him.
“Soren, by the time she came into this room, I had decided I'd rather die with him than burn another son on the funeral pyres.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat, glancing away from the three of them. This conversation seems too intimate for me to overhear, and though I'm used to the secrets and confessions of a birth room, the sacred space always bringing out such things, it feels invasive here.
I didn't cast the curse, and I certainly had no part in this war, but I’m still the enemy in their eyes. In any other circumstance, it wouldn't bother me, but the loss of a child is something I would never take lightly. I have helped bring too many into this world and out, the Fates choosing our paths but never with mercy.
The soldier groans again and rises carefully to his hands and knees. I remember that the third high-fae prince downstairs will be doing the same and no doubt charging up here soon, ready to kill me. In the shock of finding Airlie and her son, they seem to have forgotten about the missing prince.
“Prince Tyton is downstairs in the dungeon asleep, but I’ve released the magic on him. He’ll be waking up now, but rest assured that he’s fine.”
Tauron’s eyes snap toward me, his lip curling into a sneer. “What did you do to him?”
I shrug. “I just said I put him to sleep. There isn't a scratch on him or anyone else. He did exactly as he was ordered and had no intention of letting me see the princess.”
“Why did you come then? If every person in this castle said no, why did you come?” Airlie asks, a hand stroking down the baby's back. An innate part of her has transformed into a mother, now that she has the baby she so desperately desired, and it’s a beautiful sight to see.
In my despair, I had almost forgotten about such things.
I sigh, tired of arguing this point only for them to remain unchanged. “I was born a healer and I’ll die as one—nothing that happens between those two events will change that. I told you it’s a responsibility I carry, and I wasn’t lying. If a woman needs me, I’ll tend to her.”
