Wheel of Fortune
George cursed under his breath as a wave lashed the side of the ship and drenched the already saturated deck. The wind pulled viciously at his clothes and chilled him to the bone and made him feel more than irritable. He was desperate to reach land, he was growing weary of the swaying ship and he felt nervous for his wife. She was heavy with child and he doubted that this was healthy for her. George recalled Anne protesting but it had fallen on deaf ears. His eyes focused on his father in law and he moved to stand beside him with a frown on his face.
"We need to land at Calais! This is madness!" George bellowed
George had to wonder if his words had been heard as Warwick remained impassive and made no response to what he had been told. George huffed and then bit back curses as a squall of wind tugged at his clothing once more and cold rain splattered his face. The rain felt like rocks against his skin and he wanted nothing more than to return to his cabin but being below deck had made him feel somewhat ill. He froze when Anne stumbled onto the deck clutching at whatever she could to keep upright. Her eyes were narrowed against the rain and her parlour was deathly. She stumbled over to her father and had almost tripped over had Warwick not stopped her.
"It's Izzy, she's gone into labour. We have to land father!" Anne called out.
"I'll see to it Anne. Go back to your sister and mother," Warwick told her
George felt stricken and his face drained of all colour as he followed Anne below once more. The young woman shuffled forward and into the cabin that Isabel had been using. He could hear her pained moans and he fought the instinct to burst into the room. His fingernails dug into the skin of his palms as he began to pace before the door. Indistinct voices floated from in the room but he could tell that they were worried. His mouth was a thin line and glared at one of the sailors as he passed to go back above deck. George could feel his stomach start to roll uncomfortably and he almost flinched at the sound of the wind screaming down from above. He wished that he had not followed Warwick, he wished that he and Isabel were back in England safe and comfortable.
The thoughts flew out of his head when he heard the sound of screaming coming from the room. He fought once more to go into the room sharply followed by the desire to run away. His eyes soon focused on the countess as she came out of the room slightly ashen. Her eyes found George and she gave him a grim look. He wanted to speak to her but he found that the words stuck in his throat and a noise of distress and concern left his throat.
"Please go to your cabin George. You can do her no good by hovering outside her door,"
"I..I want to be here for her," George said hotly
The woman did not give him any further time as she went to retrieve what was needed. She returned shortly and disappeared behind the door. What George had managed to glimpse did not look promising. He began to murmur prayers hoping that his wife and child would live through this experience. George felt guilty for causing his wife to go through this without the proper preparations and the much needed midwives. George felt his mouth go dry and he wished that he had some wine with him but he was too afraid to leave. He wished that he could disappear behind the haze of alcohol and that he could close off his heart. George flinched as another scream left the cabin once more. He could hear sobbing within the room, he recognized that it was Anne who was sobbing. George had no idea how long he had been standing outside the room. It felt like a lifetime. He bit down on his lip and was about to walk away when he heard the sound of thin and reedy crying. The cry of a new born babe. George blinked repeatedly and then felt his heart lift from the worry that had been plaguing him. He watched as Anne came out of the room. Her slender fingers were wet and bloody and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.
"Anne, is..are Isabel and the child well?" He asked.
"They are both weak. We must land and get Isabel to a midwife," Anne spoke.
"Can I see her?" George asked tentatively
"I do no.." Anne began.
The Duchess of Warwick came opened the door and her eyes landed on George and she offered him a slight frown. It was clear that she wasn't happy with him still remaining outside the cabin but George did not care. He did not want to leave until he was sure about what had happened to his wife and their baby.
"Isabel wants to see you," She said her tone was icy
George pushed by the woman and made his way into the room. His eyes were on his wife who was pale and looked rather worn down. Her dark hair was stuck to her skin by sweat and he couldn't ignore the stench of blood that filled the room. At her chest was a tiny infant who was clutching at Isabel with a small amount of strength. The baby had been washed and George could see a tuft of dark hair. The baby looked perfectly formed but there was something fragile there that George didn't like very much and made him instantly protective.
"She's beautiful isn't she?" Isabel asked her voice weak.
"More than beautiful. She's perfect," George whispered.
"Are you disappointed?" Isabel asked.
George looked at Isabel with a look of surprise on his face. True he had wanted a son but he was more than thankful his wife had made it through the birth and had given him a daughter. He was sure that they would have more children and they would have boys. He moved closer and and then pressed a kiss to Isabel's forehead. He moved so he was sat beside her and looked down at his child. George touched the soft downy hair and then gently took the baby from Isabel's arms and held her carefully to his chest.
"I am not disappointed Isabel," George told her honestly.
"I named her Anne," Isabel told him.