Author's Note: I apologize that this chapter is a day late, but I was so ill last night and so I didn't have the energy to write. I promise that chapters four and five will be up tomorrow to make up for it though. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

January 3rd

The only source of light came from the lamps that sat on the nightstands on either side of Georg when he was sat up in the bed that he shared with his wife in the early hours of the morning, his back propped up with pillows while he held his son in one arm and gazed down at him with deep love in his eyes as he watched him suck on the nipple of his bottle. Johannes was one of the most beautiful beings he had ever clapped eyes on.

It had been just over a week since Maria had managed to push Johannes into the world after nine hours of excruciating pain and yet Georg was already besotted with him. He was the spitting image of his mother - from his blonde wisps of hair to his sloping nose - and knowing that he would be reminded of the incredible woman that had given him to him whenever he held him near and gazed at him made Georg love him all the more.

He turned his head in Maria's direction after a time before a smile appeared on his lips when he saw that she was still sound asleep, her hand tucked beneath her cheek as she released soft snores. Even though it had been several days since their son's arrival she was still fatigued and experiencing discomfort. Johannes had been born breech which meant that she had struggled far more with his birth than she had with either of their daughters, but she had done so well and had made him prouder than he could explain.

The sound of Johannes whimpering in his arms brought him out of his thoughts and he couldn't help but smile when he lifted his gaze to him again, his heart swelling with love for him as he noticed the way that he was looking at him with trust and curiosity in his eyes. 'My beautiful boy.' He whispered while readjusting his hold on his bottle, a sigh falling from his lips when he lowered his head to brush a kiss against his temple.

It was a few minutes later when he started to sense that he was being watched and let out a chuckle when he lowered his gaze to his wife and saw that she was gazing up at him. 'You should have woken me.' Maria told him while stroking his thigh through his pyjama bottoms. 'It would have saved you having to go down to the kitchens to warm him a bottle up.' Georg shook his head as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

'You need as much rest as you can get.' He replied before she kissed his cheek and lay her head on his shoulder, a soft yawn escaping her as she wrapped her arms around his arm. 'How are you feeling?' He raised his brow after turning his head towards her.

'Better than I was.' She admitted. 'I think the bath you ran for me earlier helped a lot.'

He smiled in response while pressing his lips against her hairline. He then watched as she unwound one arm from around his own before reaching out to stroke Johannes' cheek with the back of her palm, their son cooing around the nipple of his bottle at the sensation. 'He's perfect, Maria.' Georg whispered to her. 'Thank you so much for him.'

'You helped to create him.' She reminded him. 'So I should be thanking you as well.'

The next few minutes passed in silence as the two of them watched their son finish his feed, Maria allowing her husband to hand her the empty bottle before she set it down on the nightstand beside her once Johannes had decided that he had had enough milk. 'Can I bring his wind up?' She asked after shuffling closer to Georg with a warm smile.

'You don't have to ask.' He told her before beginning to ease their son into her arms, the love that he possessed for her deepening when he heard her shushing Johannes as he grizzled at the transition. Once Maria had succeeded in getting Johannes settled at her shoulder, Georg wrapped his arm around her and let her lean against him as she left a kiss to their son's forehead. 'Our children are so blessed to have you for their mother.'

Maria turned her head in his direction with a sparkle in her eyes. 'And they are just as blessed to have you for their father.' She said, her eyes falling closed when he leaned in to press his lips against hers. She turned her attention back to Johannes after they had parted, Georg running his hand up and down her side while she worked to bring up his wind. 'I can't believe how small he is. I thought Rosie and Eleonore were small babies!'

Georg chuckled into her hair. 'He takes after you in so many ways.'

'Cheeky.' She laughed.

'You love me.' He said while kissing her on the neck.

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly in response. 'I do.'

'Do you know how proud I am of you?' He asked after a few moments. 'You do so much for this family and I don't have the first idea of where any of us would be without you.'

'I just do what any wife and mother does.' She told him.

'You do so much more than that, darling.' He shook his head. 'You're the one who holds this family together. It the Mother Abbess had chosen someone else to come and be a governess to our children then I dread to think what kind of a state this family would be in right now. You made me see that I was losing our children, Maria, and helped me to get them back and I am going to be forever in your debt for that.' He pulled her close.

She cupped the side of his neck in her hand after turning her attention back to him and drew him in for a long, languid kiss. 'I love you.' She breathed while grazing the tip of his nose with hers as their foreheads kissed, Johannes snuggling into her as she began to alternate between rubbing and patting his back again. 'You do know that, don't you?'

'Of course, I do.' He nodded. 'And I love you just as much.'

He pecked at her lips once more before settling down with her again and watching as she brought Johannes into the cradle of his arms once she had succeeded in bringing up his wind. As he watched her coo at him and leave kisses on his forehead and brow he felt nothing but love and pride for her. She was the most amazing woman he knew.

And he was determined to remind her of that every day for the rest of his life.

Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this chapter and please review. Once again, I apologize that it's a day late! x