Chapter 14: Tears of Joy
"Morning, Love," Edmund whispered into my ear, rubbing my belly, "Time to get up."
I yawned, opening my eyes to look at my husband of almost one year. He was, as usual, stark naked, his head resting on my ridiculously swollen tummy. I was naked too, but it was only because the night dress Susan had given me no longer fit.
"How much longer again?" Ed asked, tracing circles on my stomach.
"Another week," I smiled, "Around our first anniversary."
Confused? Don't be. I was pregnant at that time, with our first baby. We didn't know if it was a boy or a girl, but we didn't care. Edmund like to joke that it was two, with how big my belly had gotten.
Susan had given me a maternity night dress, but it was pink, so I had gone without. She had obviously made it with herself in mind, so I pretended to wear it, not wanting her to be upset.
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if you gave birth on our anniversary?" Edmund asked, sitting up and stretching.
"I wonder what it'll be," I murmured, staring up at our ceiling, "If it's two, I'll kill you."
"You're only saying that," he chuckled, pulling on his clothes for the day, "I don't care which it is, though I'm hoping for a girl."
"I'll love it either way, but it's a girl," I declared with a giggle, "I wouldn't pick the name Angela for a boy."
"Well, all we can do is wait and see," Ed sighed, kissing me softly, "And, I thought we picked out a boy's name too. Henry, remember? Just because your mother knew you were a girl, doesn't mean you have her rather odd sixth sense."
"I suppose," I mock pouted, sitting up and pulling my maternity dress over my head, "What do we have to do today?"
"Well, that prince that Peter and I aren't very fond of is coming to stay as of today," Edmund grumbled, dressing himself as well, "He wishes to court Susan, so we're giving him a trial run."
"Wasn't he the one flirting with every woman he saw at the tournament last month?"
"The very same," Ed growled, "You figure the fact that you're clearly expectant and married to a king would have kept him off, but no."
"Oh, Honey," I chuckled, wrapping my arms around him from behind, "You can relax a little, you know. I think nine months pregnant on me only turns you on."
"Well, you are a pretty sexy mother-to-be," he smiled coyly, turning his head to kiss me.
"He didn't show...?" Tumnus muttered, a little befuddled.
"Nope," I sighed, "We all waited for hours. Edmund sat me down on his throne about 30 minutes in and started pacing."
"Well, I suspect his Highness was worried about your current condition, since you're normally required to stand beside his throne," Tumnus said, chuckling a little when I jumped, "I take it the Unborn Majesty is declaring it break time?"
"All this child does is sleep, until it's lunch time," I smiled, standing carefully, "Just like her father."
The prince, whose name escapes me, never showed. Apparently he had just caught wind of the number of suitors Susan had rejected and gave up before he even got started.
"The man flirts with pregnant women, yet he gives up on a queen?" I huffed, feeling the baby kick more than usual, "I just don't get it..."
"Well, her Gentleness never did like them overly persistent," Tumnus considered, stopping me as I swayed slightly, "Are you alright, Pipa? Shall I call for is Majesty and the midwives?"
I saw Edmund coming round the corner of the corridor, in discussion with Oreius about something or another.
"Oh, no, there's no need," I insisted, "I'm fine, Tumnus, really, I'm-"
It was at that very moment, my water broke.
"Milady?" Tumnus cried as I dropped to my knees.
"PIPA!"
Not a moment later did my Edmund scoop me up in his arms, running to God knows where...
"Well, you're Majesty," an elderly midwife declared to my shaky Edmund, "You'll have a precious bundle of joy anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days from now."
"WHAT?!" Edmund and I cried.
I was, quite obviously, in labor, and this midwife wasn't any help at all. We had booked the ones who didn't live in the castle of the week of our anniversary, so they had refused to come in. So, instead, we were forced to make due with this elderly female centaur, who had probably never birthed a human before, and a young, inexperienced looking human midwife. We were a little shaken, to say the least.
"Oh fuck," I moaned, "It hurts so much."
"It's OK, Darling," Edmund reassured me, kissing my forehead as I pretty much squeezed the life out of his hand, "You'll be alright. It'll all be over soon, just close you're eyes and try to sleep."
"Easy for you to say," I snapped, "You're the one who got me into this mess in the first place!"
"Just try to take it easy, Pipa," Susan said.
"YOU TRY GIVING BIRTH! SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT!"
My hormones had started to kick in about 6 hours into labor, and I'd been in labor for about 12 hours. Peter had offered the other midwives, including the head of the department, extra pay if they came in early, so we now had our original number on staff. Susan had come to my side as well, while Lucy and Peter were waiting outside the delivery room with everyone else.
Poor Edmund had been getting an earful for the past 5 hours, when my contractions had started to gradually pick up. I was not a happy woman at the time. I felt like I was experiencing the worst menstrual cramps possible. It wasn't scream worthy like in the movies, but it was going to get worse.
"It's alright, Princess," the younger midwives cooed, "You're doing wonderful. Very well for a first timer, actually. In fact-"
"Just tell us how much longer," Edmund cut them off crossly, obviously very tired himself.
"Well, just give me a minute to check, your Highness," the head midwife replied, checking under the sheets, "The cervix has dilated to about 8cm, so it should be another few minutes. This baby's coming fast."
"Oh, thank Aslan," Edmund murmured, sinking back into his chair and quickly falling asleep.
"I'll go and let Peter and Lucy know," Susan said, kissing my cheek in a sisterly fashion before exiting.
I decided to rest, figuring I'd need my strength.
A few minutes later, I felt something inside of me almost take over. I looked over at my sleeping husband, and gave his hand one vice gripping squeeze. He yelped and jolted upward, causing the only midwife not on break to look over at us.
She was a petit young midwife with long brunette hair and bright grey eyes, and the original human from our earlier crowd of 2. Her name was Lucille, and I will never forget her for as long as I live.
"Is it time?" she asked.
I nodded, and Edmund gulped.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Well, I can see the head," Lucille cried happily when she poked her head under the sheet to check, "And it's coming. Now, I'm sure we told you this, but try not to scream, it only makes it worse. You can moan or grunt, but screaming just exhausts you.
"Now, here comes the head," she said, "You're going to feel a really intense stretch or burning, then, after that, it'll get a little easier."
Well, she hadn't been kidding, only putting it mildly. It was this horridly intense burning stretching. I don't know which was in more pain at that point; me, or Edmund's poor hand.
And I thought the first time Edmund fucked me was painful, I thought plainly, recalling how I'd been sore for days, I'm going to be sore for weeks!
"That's it, your Grace, push!"
"You're doing great, Honey. Almost there..." Edmund encouraged me.
"Your Highness," Lucille called to Edmund, "Would you like to come here and watch?"
Edmund looked to me, and, through my pushing, I nodded my head towards the end of the bed. He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before moving to the end of the bed.
"You're almost there, just one more push," Lucille coaxed, "Three, two, one."
A glorious crying filled the room.
My entire lower half fell limp as I shut my eyes, panting like a dog. I could feel my asthma kicking in, and tried to calm myself down. It wasn't until Edmund came to my side that my breathing returned.
"You did great, Love," he smiled, kissing my sweat-slick forehead, "Wonderful...just perfect."
"You can relax in a few minutes, Princess," Lucille said sweetly, "We just need the placenta, and then you can just sit back and relax."
It was at that very moment that the other midwives all returned, obviously having heard the baby's cries. The head took one look around before coming to the end of the bed to get the placenta, as if she'd done all the work herself.
After that was all said and done, Lucille came to Edmund and I with a screaming little bundle of joy wrapped in a little pink blanket.
"Congratulations, your Majesties," Lucille smiled at us, "It's a girl."
Lucille gently placed our newborn child in my arms, and she opened her big, blue eyes to look at me.
"Hello there, my Darling," I whispered to her, "You are the cutest little thing I've ever seen. I love you so much, and I always will..."
Her shrill cries had silenced, and her little hands, which were free of their bindings, grabbed tight to my dress.
I cried tears of pure joy.
I looked at Edmund, who watched her little face with childlike wonder. He brought up his large hand to stroke her tiny head, flattening her little black curls to her creamy white head. She remove the farther hand from my dress and grasped his pinky finger. I couldn't help but chuckle.
"She knows who Mommy and Daddy are, doesn't she?" Lucille giggled, being the only midwife not to have left us, "Before she falls dead asleep, I'll show you how to feed her properly."
"That would be wonderful," I said, only half aware of what Lucille had said.
I was captivated by my baby.
"Well, someone was hungry," Edmund smiled as our little girl pulled away from my breast, snuggling close to me once again.
"Yeah," I agreed only half paying attention as I watched her fall asleep.
Edmund sat on the bed with me, his arms wrapped around me as I leaned back on him, my head resting in the crook of his neck, holding our baby girl close to my heart. Everyone had come in for their visit, and then left us be for some together time. The midwives had left us to decide on a name for our little girl, but we already knew what her name would be.
"Angela is pretty perfect for her, isn't it?" Edmund beamed, already every inch a proud, doting father.
"I told you it was a girl," I smirked, turning my head slightly to kiss his neck.
"You win this round," he smiled, dipping his head to kiss me.
"So," I sighed when I pulled away, "Angela.... Princess Angela of Narnia... Very regal."
"Well, she is a princess, so I suppose it should be regal," he chuckled, smiling uncontrollably as he rubbed Angela's back gently, "I'm the luckiest man alive, you know?"
"Really?" I grinned, "How so?"
"Well, I'm one of the Kings of a beautiful country, I'm incredibly handsome and wealthy at only age of 19," he declared boisterously, then softening into pure sweetness, "I married the most perfect woman alive, and now we've started up a perfect family, beginning with our perfect baby girl, Angela.
"I've got it the closest to perfect any man has ever had it," he concluded, resting his head atop my own, "And I would give my life to protect this fragile perfection."
"Good to know," I sighed happily, closing my eyes, "Because I feel the same.
"Our life is perfect, and I would give everything to protect it."