Fiery, heart-stopping and sharp pain overcomes Adelina from which she hears the cries and sets eyes on her firstborn child. Then a vision came to her of her son's father- Parsifal.
She saw him lying on the ground stabbed and eft for dead, with blood slowly flowing out of him and his low breaths the only sound heard as the Templar traitors began hunting and slaughtering other knights of the order.
She pushes herself to dash to Parsifal's body and take him out of sight, even as the pain increases for him and shock blinds her to danger while blood soaks her dress, staining wine dark upon her sleeves and all the way down her skirt.
Adelina settles him down inside an attic and tends to his wound as best she can until it is cleansed and dressed despite his aches, and she is entirely spent by the will of her own body struggling to save her love, all for the future of the promising life she carried.
She investigates the collection of the Templar stores short of breath; the temporary refuge is as close to a lion pit as they could be at.
She prays into her left arm to keep from screaming as she bids herself to be strong, trembling in the moment, sweat glistening on every inch of her, bubbling on her long lovely neck and running down her hair. The midwife rushes for a basin of water. For the entire time she breathes, prays and pushes on hard, and then readied herself again in hope her desperate, huffing exhales would be relief to the immense pain her body endured, the force in her soul refusing to admit any defeat.
Adelina cries. In the light of the dawn, as the sun rises and cock calls, she let her tears run with no hesitation, yet even now she remains a tough angel.
The one blessed night they shared before the massacre. She smiled at the memory how tender and kind he was then, when he had held her, then he kissed her for coming to him, for comforting him. She had kissed him deeper, joined her hands in his, his face now cherry-red in the torch light, but he was not scared. He drew closer, honest, human, a faithful warmth to his smile.
Adelina runs her fingers through the soft brown curls on his head until she had kissed him again, then she had touched his torso Parsifal stroked back a lock of raven hair and brought his lips to her neck. He noticed it was her first kiss. She saw it was not for him, gliding her tongue on his lips, his warm chin and smooth cheeks.
She recalled it and she began to weep until her tears stained her cheeks. Now she takes a deep breath for luck, and gripping two midwives' hands, she sits up on the bed and counts down for the last critical push.
Nearly passing out before the infant's first cry, yet this is a moment not to miss, and by now the ordeal has passed. A midwife cleans the baby's warm, pink body with a wet cloth, and wraps it, smiling as the child's cries started to cease. Adelina hears the loud resounding cry as the new day breaks, the castle walls shine by a wave of yellow light.
A son! He has a heavy crop of wavy brown hair covering his small, reddish head, and a sweet, rubicund face chubby in its features with an aura of peace, and his beautiful, little fingers with a light, wispy yet made the cutest fists when balled up. His body is covered in the white linen swaddling clothes, and when his cries gradually calm, he starts to babble and he coos content, his crying was so loud, one would swear it reached Heaven.
With what she had at hand, Adelina had made a poultice with comfrey leaves, which she applied upon Parsifal's wound, and finally able to calm down before the chaos outside had ended.
She brought her son close to her face, sweaty as they both lock eyes with each other, Adelina wonders if Mary felt the same holding Christ in her arms.
Soon then she remembers that she is not empty of tears, burning streams all hot threatening to fall on her son's face as she feeds him from her breasts. Adelina remembers now, though she has lost her Parsifal, her son is now her life's blessing.
She always acted for her people's interests, all despite death, while she always dreamed of a life other than hiding. She wanted to explore the world beyond France to lands storytellers in her girlhood would recite. She fought to keep the legacy passed on to her alive. She sacrificed the soul of her being in that action, though now too late for the noble Templars, and she had lost her family. She must now go far for the sake of her people, and her son.
Now, as she looks happily at the treasured child in her arms, she feels her son has open one of his hands just enough to gently touch his mother's nose and tickle the edge with a feather light tap, a new hope emerges, and Adelina's spirit resurrected, smiling at heaven; for faithful, resonating justice. Hope proud and sacred so enriched far exceeding doubt moves her.
Her son is the future.
When she later tries to join Parsifal with Landry and their allies, a fight he most likely would die in beside his true brothers, her heart stirs. Parsifal is aware of his lover's fears as they both stand at the crossroads, the two of them humbled to fate by the silent gazes they exchange. The one hope she carries is the spark giving him courage, now, always from that day on, to God's own kingdom.
He never said it, yet Adelina thinks he would approve of the name she wanted for their child. She recalled him speaking of names he and his first love, Marie, once talked of. Thinking as much in memory as she can, so that he will bear his father's legacy, despite the Templars now ashes in the four winds. He would be proud to know Adelina chose to name the boy Parsifal. She believes in her unwavering soul as he; her beloved lives on, in his name.
Parsifal mounts his horse as King Phillip's army marches.
"Live by faith. Live for me. For Him," he says, kicking his heels, face conveying honor, love and foreboding in the looks he once gave her at random encounters. His figure fading into the distance.
Adelina knows entirely that he will be bound to the Templar cause to the death, for which many devout souls have died to preserve. He cannot return to his farm or to a dream. Where danger could strike any time.
Where a warrior of God, walks and lives alone.
Adelina leaves in the early morning hours with her hopeful legacy, and Parsifal leaves with Landry and his brothers.