Seven months seemed to go by in no time. While Shoshana never did get the morning sickness she had heard horror stories of, she soon started gaining weight and the aches and pains in her back began. Erik was never exactly thrilled by the idea of having a child, but he was very helpful with her aches and pains, having various oils sent from all over the world to their camp and massaging them into wherever she hurt. She was a little disappointed he didn't share her excitement when the baby began to kick and tumble, but at this point she was simply glad he was here, and would give their little family a chance.

Shoshana had stopped several of the worker's wives when they came to visit their husbands, asking for any advice they had for her when it came time for her to give birth. They all raved about the benefits of a midwife a luxury that might not be available so far from Mazenderan. It was for this reason she decided that she would ride back into the city at the beginning of her ninth month of her pregnancy.

"Erik?" She ventured. "What do you think about going back to the court for a month or two?"

"Work is almost done here, I can't leave. Another two or three months and we'll be done, most of the court will come here," he explained, pouring her water and himself a glass of wine as they sat for dinner in their rooms. It was a nice improvement over the camp, offering more privacy and protection from the elements as her pregnancy progressed "Why?"

"I was just thinking it would be good to have the baby around more people. More women, especially. The ladies that visit here have all said a midwife is such a blessing."

Erik nodded his agreement. "A midwife would know better how to help you if something goes wrong than I would, yes."

"But I also think you should be with me when the baby is born. It's a two day ride to the court, there's no way you'd be able to make it on time if I sent word when I went into labor," she pointed out.

"I don't have to be there for the baby to be born. They likely wouldn't let me in the room anyway," Erik countered plainly as Shoshana started picking at her food.

"Well, probably not. But I won't be able to travel for a while after I have the baby. I might not be able to make it back for a few months."

"I can come see you as soon as the palace is complete, but I can't leave the project this close to the end."

Shoshana frowned some. "The men can't handle it for a month for the birth of your son?" She knew she shouldn't have been surprised at her husband's priorities, but knowing this project was more important to him than the birth of their child was still hurtful.

"No Shoshana, they can't. I've told you, I'm the only one here who knows every component of the building, if I left work would stop for the month," his wife nodded her understanding, but was still upset. Erik didn't bother pressing the matter.

Midway through packing, Shoshana finally spoke again. "What if something happens to one of us while I'm away?"

Erik sighed and moved to kiss his wife. "Is that what all this is about?" Quietly she nodded.

"I'm nervous. My mother died right after I was born, I never really got the chance to ask her about all of this. And the women here don't like me much so I haven't really learned a whole lot from them. Just the basics."

"Shoshana my love, women have been having children since the dawn of man. I swear to you, everything will be fine," he kissed her again soundly, and moved to hold her. "I am going to miss you, but we're not going to be apart forever."

"You realize we haven't been apart this long since before the wedding?" She mused, holding her arms around him over the large lump of her belly.

"I do. But we'll both have plenty to do in the mean time. I'll come back as soon as the build is complete, and when you're ready to move we'll come back here where it's safer," Erik promised. Shoshana seemed to relax some at the thought.

"I guess it really isn't that long…" she relented.

"Of course it isn't. A handful of months at the most." With a final kiss, Erik moved to help her pack. "It does remind me though. I made something for the baby."

Shoshana grinned at this. "You did? What is it?"

Erik moved to his work bench and pulled out a strange metal device Shoshana couldn't quite recognize. When he held up the device by a single string, its intention became clear. Winding a knob at the center of the device, the mobile began to chime a sweet little lullaby. Shoshana beamed and moved to embrace her husband as best she could working around the lump in her belly. "It's perfect, Erik. Thank you."

"Of course. It is my baby just as much as it is yours," he resigned, and for the first time Shoshana began to suspect he was actually a little excited for the coming addition to their family. She knew he would never admit it, but this was the first time he had admitted a sense of ownership in the child he had fathered. Shoshana was immensely proud, and more excited than ever.

The very next caravan that came to the build site, Shoshana left towards the court of Mazenderan. The trip was immensely hard on her body, and she wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed when she finally arrived at their old apartments locking the door firmly behind her. She smiled when she noticed the large bouquet of flowers with a note that they had been left by Nadir as a gift for her and the baby during their stay. She had picked a good time to leave; less than three days after arriving in Mazenderan, Shoshana's water broke and she went into labor.

The birth lasted for hours, and was like nothing she had ever known. She was so immensely glad for the midwife and for the Daroga in the absence of her husband, relying on them heavily to help her through the immense pain. After hours of pushing an sweating, in a rush of immense pain the baby was born, and within moments the midwife had the child crying. Shoshana couldn't help but grin through her exhaustion. What a beautiful sound! It made her breasts ache with the primitive need to feed her child, so much more beautiful than the wails of the newborns of the harem girls. The midwife cleaned the baby, and Shoshana clutched Nadir's shirt sleeve.

"How does he look? Erik was so worried…"

Nadir smiled down to her and wiped her brow. "She looks wonderful. The spitting image of her mother," Shoshana's eyes widened as the midwife brought the baby over, and she stared down into the large brown eyes of a baby girl.

Between the old wive's tales of how her belly looked and the motion of a pendant over her belly, Shoshana had been absolutely certain her baby would be a boy. She stroked the baby's cheek gently, and a private smile played on her lips; she hadn't even considered what it would be like to have a girl, but she was so thrilled at her baby's perfection it didn't hardly seem to matter.

"What are you going to call her?" Asked Nadir, smiling down at the pair, immensely happy for his friend.

"…I don't know," she admitted, wide eyed. "I hadn't thought about a girl. I wish Erik was here. I'm sure he'd come up with something pretty."

"Well, what was your mother's name?"

"Sarina. It means smiling princess."

"I think that's a very fitting name," Nadir admitted, watching the newborn stare up at her mother, fascinated.

"Sarina it is then. My little princess."