CHAPTER ONE: The Festival
It was the year 739, the town was alight, illuminating into the night sky. People danced and sang, it was the king's eldest daughter, Princess Maria's, eighteenth birthday and the town's people were eager to celebrate. The sound of cheers and music reached an isolated building, further away from the chaos. A middle aged lady sat in her bed. Her long black hair cascaded down her back and over her right shoulder in an elegant braid. She wore a white cotton nightgown, allowing her to move freely. She gently caressed her stomach that was now currently nurturing her first born. She stared out the window, thinking about her encounter with her husband a few hours prior.
"The baby kicked!" he yelled, looking at her stomach amazed.
She looked onto her husband, smiling at his joy. She mopped her brow, sweat slowly trickling down, she was exhausted.
She decided not to go to the festival, feeling too tired to walk around. Her husband was eager to stay with her, yet she encouraged him to go and enjoy himself.
"Go and have fun sweetie, I can handle myself, everything is going to be fine" she said, egging him on to go and celebrate, he could be such a worry wart at times.
"Katrina, are you sure? I mean, what if-"
"Ah!" Katrina cut him off mid-sentence. "Edward, I'm just tired, is all. Go, have fun. I will see you after" Katrina sweetly smiled, not giving him any room to argue.
Edward looked at Katrina, just from the look he gave her you could tell they were completely in love. Edward lent over the bed she had become accustomed to over the past few days. He gently maneuvered his way around her swollen belly and planted a kiss right on her forehead. Katrina closed her eyes and sighed, loving the feeling of her husband's lips on her skin, it was comforting.
Edward moved back, but only an inch, their noses could have been touching.
"Promise me Katrina, if anything happens, you call for the Doctor straight away and then me, the nurse is just outside the door, even if you aren't sure, please." Edward pleaded; you could see the desperation in his eyes.
"Of course" Katrina replied.
Edward slightly nodded his head. He lent down to Katrina's stomach and rubbed his hands in a circular motion, around her belly button.
"Daddy's right here baby, I love you" Edward mumbled to Katrina's stomach, planting a few kisses randomly on the cotton night-gown. Edward absolutely adored the idea of having his very own family with the love of his life.
Edward looked up, staring straight into Katrina' eyes, "I love you to" he said, so much certainty in his voice. Before Katrina had time to reply, Edward lent in and gently connected their lips, a sweet gesture. Without another word Edward departed into the night.
A pain in Katrina's stomach snapped her out of her thoughts, she winced in pain. At first Katrina thought nothing of it; it was common for pregnant woman to have pain in their stomach from time to time. She slowly reached beside her to grab her glass of water, bringing it up to her lips and sipping. Just as she was about to place her cup down the pain struck again, but much worse. She groaned in pain and her cup slipped from her grasp onto the floor, making a loud crash.
Knock, Knock! "Mrs Ackerman, are you alright Milady?"
The door slowly creaked open and through the slight crack in the door a curious eye peeked in, seeing what all the commotion was about.
The nurse looked to the bed; Katrina lay there, holding her stomach, her face scrunched up in pain.
"Oh! Milady! What's the matter?" The nurse rushed to Katrina's side, doing a double take of her body, looking for any injuries. That is when she noticed a watery red substance near the end of the bed, Katrina's water had broken.
*To Be Continued.