Theme: Those Who Inherit the Blood of a Dragon
Characters: Eliwood, Ninian, Roy
Pairings: Eliwood/Ninian
"She's lost too much blood already. The best we can hope for is that the child might live."
From where he stood, Eliwood could hear everything going on in Ninian's chamber. He could hear how the screams of anguish started out loud, racking the entire castle; he could also hear those cries grow fainter, and less frequent. He turned back towards his cleric, the best one on hand in Pherae, and stared at him firmly.
"There is absolutely nothing left you can do?"
The cleric cast him a sympathetic look, almost pitying. "Perhaps we can try something for the pain." He lowered his voice a little. "Lady Ninian is dying, m'lord."
Eliwood's voice, too, grew quieter. "Nothing?"
"The best thing you could do right now – would be to go to her side. I believe she is still lucid. Let her die with the comfort of her beloved."
Eliwood gave him a curt nod, and opened the door to the birthing room slowly, as to make less sound. The light of the day was fading, but the room unmistakably stank with the metallic odour of blood – so much blood, he knew, even if he could not see it well. He sat on a stool that the cleric must have requested for him; another cleric, the midwife, sat at the end of the bed.
"That's it dear, this is almost over – just one more push, one more." But even though she was loud, Eliwood could barely hear her. Ninian's clammy hand instinctively grasped for his, and he held it in between his two warm ones. She was cold, so cold.
"Eliwood?" she asked?
"Y- yes." His voice cracked with the effort of trying to sound cheerful.
"It's not good, is it?"
He was silent for a moment. "Ninian . . ."
"I know it's not. I can see it in their faces."
"Ninian – I – I . . ."
"Eliwood, just promise me one thing."
"Anything."
"My people and your people have hurt each other – so much. Our son will be a leader. Raise him to be a just one – and a kind one."
"You think it is a son?"
"I know it is." She turned to him. "Promise me."
"I told you – I told you I would do anything."
She smiled. "I know you will." But her smile broke his heart, for he knew that soon he could never see her smile again, save in his memories. He began to weep.
"I love you so much, so so much . . ."
"Oh, Eliwood." Her smile was sadder, her voice fainter. "Love our son."
"How could I not?"
She closed her eyes. It was over in a blur, the midwife holding a squalling child, cleaning it, thrusting it into his arms, and Ninian covered in perspiration, cold in the bed.
"'es lively, ain't he?" The child refused to stop screaming.
Eliwood cradled the child to his chest. He stared into the big blue eyes – his eyes, he could see. "How could he not be?" he whispered. He turned to face Ninian a last time."He has the blood of the dragon."