I straightened, glaring down my nose. “What is it?”
“Your wife is having a baby, but you look as if you’re the one in shock!” He beckoned with a wave. “Gayle sent me to fetch you.”
I squared my shoulders. Gods above, I was a king. I’d experienced childbirth before.
Just not one I was so anxious about.
He guided me through the halls to the nursery. I hesitated at the door, uncertainty spiking. I had been pushed aside before—younger, then—immature and unsteady.
But Nienna was not Eldeiade.
I let out a slow breath, turned the handle, and stepped inside.
Edith prepared a tub while Freya darted past with a bucket. My wife braced against the dresser, one hand on her back, the other pushing against the wood. Her face contorted in silent pain.
Tsunami’s claws clutched the ornate balcony railing, crushing it beneath her. Eyes fixed on Nienna, teeth bared in a snarl.
Gayle sat on a sofa, legs propped on a stool. Her knitting needles flew, glancing occasionally at her queen.
Clay shut the door behind me, trapping me with the women. Gods, I was out of place. Useless.
“Kallias, take off your mantle. A king is not needed here.” Gayle’sol set aside her yarn and rose. “A husband is.”
I frowned, balking at her command. But this room was sacred, a space of trust. Much like the Manor in the Mountains, here we were friends—not just noblemen and kings. I followed her guidance, carefully releasing the chains and clasps.
Nienna made a soft sound, something between a sigh and a nervous laugh, straightening to run a hand over her protruding belly. “Are you well?” she asked, crossing the room to help me. Her glittering scales lay in the corner, mantle already set aside.
She had to twist to reach me, the babe in her womb pressing outward. It bothered her, how large she was. The swell of her belly was striking, two, maybe three times the size of an average noblewoman.
“Your body is bracing to bring Radaan’s heir into the world, and you ask if I’m well?” I scoffed, brushing my hand over her stomach. Soon, I would cradle the child in my arms. I would miss this phase—the quiet, tense beauty of life forming—knowing it was mine. That filled me with base pride.
She laughed, dropping the last chain. “You look as if you might faint.”
“I assure you, my consciousness shall remain intact.” I shrugged off the mantle, then set it beside hers. When I turned back to her, her eyes were closed, legs braced, breathing through the contraction.
My hands dangled at my sides, useless.
Gayle strode past, opening a bag of herbs. Brushing my arm, she nodded toward Nienna. “It’s her first time. Follow her lead. Your bodies know what to do.”
Tsunami thrashed, tail slapping the ground. She snorted, wind from her breath scattering the curtains. My lovely wife had opened the balcony door, welcoming the dragon’s presence.
With gritted teeth, I loosened my collar. I was King, confident, assertive. I knew how to handle myself in every situation. But right now? I was a husband first. Even the gods could not keep me from this—from doing my best to aid my child into this world.
Childbirth was long and arduous, an affair that would test the stamina of the strongest warriors. Nienna moved and paced with the sun high. And as her pains grew closer, she settled into the tub, dragging me with her. I perched on the edge behind her, massaging her shoulders, down her arms. Healers moved in and out, murmuring soft instructions.
By Elohios, Nienna was a silent warrior. Knees drawn up, body working through contractions with quiet, measured breaths. No screams of agony, no frantic calls for aid—just focus, pain endured inwardly.
When she relaxed, her head fell against my thigh, breaths heaving from exertion.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, her composure broke. She grabbed my knee, yanking me down. I slipped into the massive tub behind her, chest flush against her back. She arched into me, breath hissing through clenched teeth.
I held her, eyes fixed on her maid as she reached between Nienna’s legs, healers clustering close.
“The babe is crowning! Push, Nienna—push!”
Her head lolled, pressing into my shoulder, muffled cries escaping with each gasping breath.
A hazy pink stained the clear water.
