A/N - I decided to leave out the events of the night since I've had a few comments about it being a bit on the creepy side. Though the actions that are left out actually lead up to what's about to happen, I wanted to make everyone happy and hopefully everyone is reading still. Thanks again to alyssacousland and Elizabeth-chan for your wonderful reviews.
I hope everyone is having a great holiday break and please feel free to leave a comment ;)
The three of them had gone into the wee morning hours before they collapsed together on Serene's bed. Teagan had heard that Zevran was quite talented and tried his best to at least keep up with the elf. All he could tell by the moans that escaped the woman's mouth, she was overly pleased by both of them. Teagan regretfully withdrew from her and then something happened, causing the bed to become soaked.
"Maker's Breath!" Teagan exclaimed as he saw that the sheets were dampened.
"Braska." Zevran cursed. Both men started to glare at the other, thinking they did something to hurt her. Serene sat up and noticed what they were seeing. She gasped as then pulled Teagan to her to kiss him passionately and then did the same to Zevran.
"Stop that growling you two, this is what I wanted. Zevran, help me get dressed and into the other room. Teagan, go get the midwife, Wynne and Brieanna. You might want to let a servant know that I've made a mess of the sheets and they need to be washed." Serene said as she tried to get out of bed. Both men looked at her confused as they helped her out of the bed. Serene sighed and rolled her eyes. "That was just my water breaking you damn fools. I'm about to have a baby. Get those naked rumps moving and help get the world ready for her."
"Right. Midwife, Wynne, Brieanna, servant." Teagan said as he tried to pull his pants back on. Serene rolled her eyes as Zevran helped her put on a dressing rope.
"I swear, it's like I'm having his baby the way he's acting. You might want to help him when I get into the next room." Serene said to Zevran as he put on his own pants. Zevran chuckled nervously.
"You have put out a good deal of orders after such an event my dear. I don't think I can think straight either." Zevran said. Serene shook her head and kissed his cheek. Suddenly she doubled over in pain, clutching her belly. Both men jumped to her side, nearly having a heart attack.
"Contractions, boys. Now get moving." Serene managed to say. Teagan managed to pull on his shirt and ran out of the room with no shoes on. Zevran helped her into the next room, which they had set up as the birthing room. He walked as she gingerly curled up on the bed and then clutched at her belly in pain once again.
"Does it hurt much?" Zevran asked as he had never seen a woman give birth before. Serene glared at him as she settled down into the pillows at the head of the bed.
"I'd rather go through the joining again and kill the archdemon again. Something tells me she's not going to ease on out of me like I'm a giant slip and slide. Now go help Teagan before he forgets what he's doing." Serene snapped at him. Zevran smiled and kissed her gently on her lips.
"Of course, my warden." Zevran said and he moved towards the door. Wynne was walking in as he was leaving and she gave him a look.
"So her water mysteriously broke and you and Teagan just happened to be around when it happened?" Wynne asked giving him a look. Zevran smiled devilishly at her and winked.
"You know me too well, my lovely mage. I could not resist when a woman such as her demands me to service her." Zevran said. Wynne shook her head.
"Either way, I've sent of the midwife and let a servant know to change the sheets in her room. Brieanna should be up here in a little while so why don't you gather all the wake men and go see if you can find anything of use in the marketplace." Wynne suggested.
"Why do I have the feeling you are just trying to get us all out of the palace?" Zevran asked.
"I don't need you all underfoot and I know you and at least Brandon will be standing at the door. Serene will be in a lot of pain for at least a good twelve hours. Its best you all have something to do. Childbirth is not a walk in the park, I speak from experience." Wynne pointed out.
"Is there anything else I should be doing?" Zevran asked. Wynne sighed.
"I know you won't be happy with the idea, but I want you to keep an eye on the pier. Serene has been asking about Leliana and someone else. Should either or both show up today, it will help her. If the birth is easy on her, we won't have to worry. She does have a death wish though and I don't know if her baby will be enough to keep her from going into the fade." Wynne said.
"Maybe I should..." Zevran started to offer but Wynne shook her head.
"I know you'd like to think that you've managed to make her forget, but she'll never forget him. I could see it in her eyes after she woke up those first few days after we found out she was pregnant. She is going to forgive him if he comes back. I know you say you're content with helping her dull the pain of her lost, but I see the look in your eyes when she's not paying attention. You're almost as devoted to her as Brieanna and that woman will blindly follow Serene into the Deep Roads and onto the Black City. Please be careful because she may eventually break your heart and you will hurt her without knowing it." Wynne explained. Zevran sighed, knowing the mage was right.
"I will do what she needs of me." Zevran said. Wynne nodded and watched as the assassin fled from the room. Brieanna walked over to Wynne and watched Zevran disappear.
"I know how he feels, wanting something badly enough but knowing it'll never really be yours." Brieanna said sadly. Wynne shook her head and walked into the room.
"Couldn't wait for the baby to come on its own?" Wynne asked. Serene glared at the elderly mage and grumbled something out. Brieanna laughed.
"The way Teagan looked when he nearly ran me over, its almost like you are having his baby." Brieanna said. Serene gave Brieanna a apologetic look and Brieanna shook her head. "We have an understanding, Teagan and I. I am slightly disappointed you two went off with Zevran instead of me."
"I just couldn't help myself. Zevran was under my skirt when Teagan came over and the idea just sent a thrill through me." Serene blurted out. Wynne blushed and Brieanna laughed.
"Well, if we're all done with that, I believe there is a certain someone that wishes to join us." Wynne said as she walked over to the bed and placed her hands on Serene's belly.
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~
The men had made the room outside the birthing room into a sitting room, having brought a few chairs and couches for anyone to sit. There was always someone in the room, most of the time it was Zevran but others would sit by the door for hours. Brandon would try to go inside to see if they needed anything and was quickly sent on errands for the women within. Teagan sat for a few hours a day, worried that he might have hurt the baby and had been cause for the delay. Eamon would stop in every so often to offer condolences to the men sitting around. Even Fergus, who was still recovering from his accident in the wilds, sat outside the door hoping to speak with his sister.
"I have not missed the little one, yes?" A voice purred in Zevran's ear. Zevran awoke and fell out of the chair he had been sleeping in. He looked up to see the red headed bard he had come to adore.
"Three days we've been out here, my beloved bard. I am guessing since you are alone you were unable to find..." Zevran stopped short of saying his name. Leliana frowned and nodded.
"I made sure that there were rumors of the birth of child in the royal palace and I informed a few bards I know about it as well. Hopefully they will reach him." Leliana said. Zevran nodded slowly. There was a part of him that wished that Alistair never heard the news so that he might keep Serene for himself, and then the other part that only wished to see her truly happy again, even if it wasn't with him.
A sudden loud scream of pain broke Zevran out of his thoughts and got him to his feet. Leliana giggled as Brand and Teagan fell to the floor at the sudden noise as well. All three men stood before the door to the room Serene had been in for three days, wondering what was going on. Leliana smiled and shook her head.
"I think it might be best if you three found somewhere else to be, no?" Leliana suggested. Brandon frowned and managed to pull Teagan away. Zevran refused to move. The door suddenly opened and Brieanna stood in the door. Both Zevran and Leliana noticed how her left arm dangled at her side oddly.
"Yeah, that was me. She twisted my arm out of socket. Would you like to sit with her for awhile?" Brieanna asked. Leliana and Zevran both rushed into the door to see how their friend was doing. Wynne walked past them and gave them a look that told them to be careful and she followed Brieanna to help her with her arm.
"Leliana?" Serene groaned as she felt a contraction rip through her body. The red head jumped to Serene's side and took her hand.
"Why look how beautiful you look?" Leliana said. Serene grumbled something under her breath and then her face lit up.
"You're not alone, are you?" Serene asked. Leliana looked down sadly, not wanting to tell Serene she hadn't been able to find Alistair. Serene's face fell when she noticed Leliana was followed by Zevran.
"I've contacted a few people I know in Antiva to look out for someone of his description and let it slip about a baby being born in the palace. He may not be here for the birth, but he should be here soon." Leliana said. Serene sighed and winced painfully as another contraction took a hold of her.
"I think I've given up that he will come back. I think that would be too much happiness for the maker to give me. I think I'll be able to live with just my baby." Serene said. Leliana nodded and kissed her hand gently.
"We will all be here for you." Leliana said. Serene smiled for a moment and then let out a scream. The midwife looked down between her legs and nodded.
"It looks like she's ready to come out now. Would you like for me to send them away?" The midwife asked. Serene shook her head and held out her other hand to Zevran, who jumped to her side, forgetting how Brieanna left the room.
"I think I'm ready." Serene said softly as the pain nearly took her voice. The midwife nodded and regarded Leliana and Zevran.
"I've never worked with someone so strong. The poor king's sister wasn't expecting her to dislocate her arm and she was just having a contraction. Prepare yourselves for the possibility she might hurt you while she's pushing." The midwife said. Both of them nodded and squeezed her hand.
"It'll be just like fighting darkspawn, won't it?" Leliana said cheerfully. Serene shot her a look and rolled her eyes.
"Unless I'm about to give birth to darkspawn, no it's not." Serene growled. Leliana giggled and felt an extreme pain in her hand as Serene squeezed.
"Alright, breath like I showed you and push as hard as you can." The midwife instructed. Serene took a few short breaths and then strained her body to expel the small object within her. She let out an exasperated cry as she stopped and felt no progress.
"You are doing good, my dear." Zevran purred as he brushed the hair out of her face. Serene started to sob hard as she tried to catch her breath.
"I don't to do this anymore." Serene cried. The midwife chuckled and spread Serene's legs apart. She smiled as she saw a tuff of hair on the head of the baby.
"Just a little more, my dear and you'll be done. Just remember you'll have this beautiful baby for the rest of your life." The midwife said encouragingly. "Now push as hard as you can this time. If we can get her head out, the rest will just slip out."
"We are here for you, you can do this." Leliana said. Serene nodded and took a few deep breaths. She pushed as hard as she could and after a few moments, she felt something slip through her and then slide completely out of her. She fell exhaustively onto the bed, fighting off the sleep that wanted to take her.
"Good girl, you're all done and your daughter is here." The midwife said. Serene forced herself to sit up and watch as the midwife cleaned off the baby. Serene held out her arms, wanting to hold her baby.
"Can I hold her now? I want to hold my Bella." Serene asked. The midwife chuckled again nodded as she wrapped the baby in a blanket.
"So Bella is this little one's name. She does look very beautiful." The midwife said as she gently placed Bella into Serene's arms. Serene gasped in surprise and secret wanted to curse. She should have known when Bella changed her appearance in her fade domain that it meant she was pregnant. The Bella in her arms and the Bella from the fade where both the same now and Serene was never going to let her go.
"Welcome to the world, Bella." Serene whispered. She could feel herself losing the battle against exhaustion and her eyes slowly closed. The midwife took the baby from Serene's arms and handed her to Zevran. Zevran awkwardly held the baby in his arms and instantly fell in love with her.
"Why don't you two go show little Bella here to everyone outside and sent some servants to help move Serene into her room?" The midwife suggested. Leliana nodded and pulled Zevran out of the room. Outside in the sitting room, just about every noble in the palace, Wynne and Oghren jumped to their feet as Zevran and Leliana walked into the room.
"Serene is resting and we would like for you to meet Bella." Leliana announced. Everyone flocked around Zevran and looked at the small baby in his arms. Anora seemed pleased that the baby had a dark strawberry blonde tuff of hair on her head so that no one would be able to mistaken her for a Cousland. Brieanna pointed out that the baby favored Serene more than Alistair aside from having the blonde tint to her hair.
Eamon looked at the girl sadly, remembering when he had received Alistair so many years ago. Hopefully the boy would come to his senses and return to Fereldan. It had taken him awhile to understand the warden's reasoning for sparing Loghain, but he felt bad that she was suffering so because of it.
Brandon watched as Brieanna managed to coax Bella out of Zevran's arms and she placed a kiss on the small child's head. Brieanna would make a good mother one day, if she didn't decide to stay with Serene exclusively until either the woman took her calling or Alistair returned. Brandon longed to have his own child now and was actually imagining Anora, her belly swollen with his child.
"Anora, could I speak to you for a moment?" Brandon asked. Anora looked into his eyes and noticed how they darkened with desire. Ever since her argument with Serene that left her face marked from being slapped, Brandon had been willing to accept her affections. Since the wedding, he would randomly pull her out of a room, with an excuse of needing to talk to her, and ravish her in ways that Cailan never had. She thoroughly enjoyed it and wondered if she wasn't already pregnant.
"Of course." Anora said as she blushed deeply and let Brandon led her out of the room. Brieanna chuckled as she watched her brother leave the room.
"Might have to get a room ready for Anora like this." Brieanna pointed out. Zevran chuckled with her and looked her shoulder at Bella. Bella's little arms stretched out of the blanket and her mouth made a giant O as she yawned. She opened her eyes and little hazel eyes looked up at the two above her.
"She has Serene's eyes. I will have to start making plans to keep suitors away." Zevran chuckled as he gently ran his finger along her small cheek. Bella wrapped her little fingers around his and squeezed. Zevran's heart broke at that instant, knowing that this child was not his and her father would most likely not be part of her life.
"I know how you feel, Zevran. We just have to accept that for now until Serene does." Brieanna whispered. Zevran nodded and then the midwife came into the room.
"Well, she's a strong one, that warden. She's resting now. I have a wet nurse in there waiting to feed our little princess here. Go on and take her to get her meal." The midwife said. Brieanna nodded and she walked out of the room. Brieanna found the wet nurse sitting next to the bed and placed Bella gently into her arms. The wet nurse uncovered her breast and placed Bella on her to begin her feeding.
"I will stay in the next room afterward in case the lady can not get her to feed." The nurse said. Brieanna nodded, sat down and watched as Bella suckled on the woman's breast.
"It's amazing how much pain and suffering she's gone through for such a small thing." Brieanna said. The nurse smiled.
"She has been given a precious gift for all she has done for the Maker. No matter how small Bella seems now, she will grow and become someone we can be proud of, knowing we were here to see her being brought into the world after such sadness and despair." The nurse said. Brieanna nodded and continued to watch Bella.