A/N - I noticed when I looked at my story traffic, the last chapter got over 80 in almost one day. Thank you so much to everyone that's read so far. Big love cookies in the shape of iron rods (hehehehe) to alyssacousland, Elizabeth-chan and to Jinx1983 and her uberly awesome for of Ridiculously Awesome Authors forum. Check it out when you get the chance and let the authors know how much you love their work, but beware of iron rods, furry gap crackers and bliss boxes... they kinda took over the forums for now... lol
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Eleanor Cousland was outside the city walls, looking for a particular flower to take to the chantry. It was the same flower she had offered to the Maker in hopes she would get pregnant with Fergus and the Maker answered her prayers. She and Bryce had been working hard to conceive again, they wanted wanted more children now that Fergus was five. She could see the longing in Bryce's eyes for a girl, one to dote upon obsessively as he doted upon her when he could between fighting off the Orlesians and aiding the rebels.
Eleanor smiled fondly to herself, thinking of Bryce bouncing a little girl on his knee while showing her a map or something little girls should know anything about. It would be a battle between the two of them to teach her to be a lady, but it would be a lovely and playful battle they would enjoy for a very long time. As she continued to daydream she was suddenly brought out of it by a very pregnant woman collapsing not too far from her.
"Maker's Breath, are you alright?" Eleanor asked as she ran over the woman. She carefully helped the woman sit up against a nearby tree.
"Thank you." The woman said and she started to cry.
"What's wrong?" Eleanor asked, wondering if maybe the woman had gone into labor.
"The healers in the Free Marches said I wouldn't survive the journey here. I met a friend of mine that helped me and now that I've made it here, I'm going to die." The woman sobbed. She suddenly clutched onto her belly and cried out in pain.
"I don't think you're going to die, my dear. I think your baby is ready to come. Let me take you somewhere safe and clean." Eleanor said. The woman sobbed softly and nodded as she let Eleanor help her up.
"Thank you again, dear lady. I haven't found this much kindness since I found out I was pregnant. May I ask your name?" The woman asked.
"Eleanor, and yours?" Eleanor asked.
"Sharon. This one here is my Serene." Sharon said. Eleanor smiled as she wrapped her arm around Sharon's waist.
"Well, Sharon. I know of an excellent midwife that will help you bring Serene safely into the world." Eleanor beamed. Sharon nodded and allowed Eleanor to drag her through the streets of Highever and towards the castle itself. Just who was it that she happened to have stumbled upon. As they walked into the castle, a little dark haired boy came running up to them.
"Wow Mommy. She's fat." The boy said. Sharon would have chuckled if she wasn't in a great deal of pain. Eleanor gave her son a pointed look.
"She's pregnant, Fergus. Quickly go after your father and tell him we have a visitor and get Nan. Hurry Fergus." Eleanor ordered. The boy stumbled over his own stubby feet and ran off towards the direction of his father.
"A beautiful boy you have." Sharon managed to say through the pain. Eleanor beamed with pride and smiled.
"That he is and he was worth all the pain I went through to give him life. I'm quite certain your Serene will be too. Every child is." Eleanor said as she guided Sharon to a guest room. As they walked in, servants starting scrambling about, bring in things a midwife would need and then a tub.
"You're the Teryna?" Sharon asked. Eleanor sighed and nodded as she helped Sharon into the tub.
"During the occupation here, I once saw a woman thrown out onto the streets by the Orlesians. She died moments after her baby died. I was rather young but my mother and I did what would could. I swore then I would do everything to try and save a life, even one that has not yet been born." Eleanor explained as she helped clean the dirty and blood from Sharon.
"What in the Maker's name do you think you're doing? She's just going to get all dirtied up again." A thin, stern looking woman said as she entered the room. Eleanor helped Sharon out of the tub and pulled a oversize tunic of her head.
"She looked like she had been dragged through a rose bush. I couldn't let her give birth looking like that." Eleanor said.
"Did you at least get that flower you had been going on about for the past month?" The woman asked. Eleanor shook her head.
"We can wait another month for it. Sharon here is much more important." Eleanor said. Sharon blushed at the thought that a noble would think she was more important that her.
"Well, at least you're not too sickly looking for you to have some color in your face. Now lets get you all settled on the bed so we can get ready for this little one. Eleanor, go get that healer." The stern woman said. Eleanor nodded and knelt down next to Sharon.
"Nan here is the best in Highever. She was the one that helped me with Fergus. I think she's secretly hoping I don't have a second. He's been quite a thorn in her side ever since." Eleanor said. Sharon smiled and watched as the teryna left the room.
"The boy isn't half bad. He has a charm that makes me want to scream some days and constantly hug him others. What I'm afraid of is her having a daughter that's like the Teryn, and that'll drive everyone in Fereldan up the wall. Now you just relax and let Nan see whats going on." Nan said reassuringly. Sharon nodded and relaxed. Hopefully the Maker had blessed her with this accident of coming across the Lady Cousland.
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Bryce was walking down the halls when he heard the screaming. His curiosity and concern got the better of him and he went to investigate. He found the room where the screaming was coming from and it made his heart pound. He couldn't believe someone would be doing this in his home, he was a good man and expected everyone under his home to be courteous to each other. As he opened the door, the sight inside shocked him.
"Bryce Cousland! What in the Maker's name do you think you're doing?" Nan snapped as she turned to see Bryce frozen in shock at a woman, spread eagle on a bed with a baby coming out of her birth canal.
"Maker's Breath. Is that how Fergus was born?" Bryce whispered. The mage in the corner giggled under her breath.
"You don't expect that the Maker just dropped him into the midwife's arms?" The mage said. Bryce watched as the baby finished its decent from its mother and into the blanket Nan was catching it in. He watched as Nan wrapped the baby in a blanket and walked over to the mother.
"Here's your mother, Serene. Wynne?" Nan said as she glanced over at the mage. The soft blue glow of the mage's healing power enveloped both child and mother. For a moment, Wynne frowned and then smiled widely at Sharon.
"Serene is very well. As healthy as any baby I've ever seen." Wynne said as she gave Nan a look. Nan nodded and went to take Serene from Sharon.
"Let me go clean her up and see if the lady has kept some of Fergus' old things. For awhile we thought he was going to be a girl so there's a few items she might part with for awhile. I hope you don't mind." Nan said softly. Sharon shook her head.
"Please, I seem to be much too tired at the moment. Thank you very much. I don't know what I've done to deserve all this kindness, but I won't be ungrateful. I swear." Sharon said. Bryce walked over to the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about that now. You are welcome to stay as long as you like. Eleanor and I always wanted more children running around underfoot." Bryce. Sharon smiled up at Bryce weakly and took his hand in hers.
"Thank you, your Grace. You have no idea how much that means to me and my baby." Sharon said.
"Please, just Bryce." Bryce said. Sharon blushed slightly and nodded.
"Well, why don't you take this little bit into the nursery and clean her up, Bryce. Wynne and I need to have a word with Sharon here." Nan ordered. Bryce looked at Sharon who nodded and he took the small girl into his arms. She had her mother's hazel eyes and red brown hair that looked like it would curl when get got longer. Her skin was a bit darker than her mother's and her face had several features her mother did not.
"I'll send for a wet nurse while you recover." Bryce said. Sharon nodded and smiled. Bryce carried the little girl out of the room and to the nursery where Fergus use to sleep. He had long since moved into a room of his own and they still had it set up in case the Maker blessed them with another child.
"Something is wrong, isn't it? With me." Sharon asked after the door closed behind Bryce. Wynne nodded sadly.
"Was the father a grey warden?" Wynne asked. Sharon nodded.
"He's part of the command here in Fereldan. That's why I traveled here, to find him. To let him know of his daughter." Sharon said.
"Your daughter is free of the taint, but you are not. I don't know how much time you have, but eventually it will cause your heart to stop." Wynne explained.
"How long do I have?" Sharon asked.
"Several years at least. I will ask Irving if I can travel here to check you every so often to see the progress." Wynne explained. Sharon turned to Nan.
"The teryn and his wife have been so kind to me. Do you think maybe they would..." Sharon started to ask. Nan smiled and shook her head.
"Without a doubt, my dear. They've always wanted a daughter and I saw that look Bryce had on his face looking at the tiny tot, he will beg you to stay. Don't you worry yourself. That girl is as good as part of this family. I'm sure they'd pitch a fit if you even thought about leaving." Nan said reassuringly. Sharon nodded and laid her head back into the pillows. Nan gave Wynne a look and the two crept from the room. Sharon slowly closed her eyes and prayed to the Maker that he would allow her enough time to find Duncan and let him see their beautiful daughter, before she died.