"Inquisitor!" Leliana cried. "You must go after Morrigan. She went through here."
Lavellan had been summoned by a messenger to the storage room that held the Eluvian, where Leliana had awaited, wringing her hands. "What?" Lavellan asked, dumbfounded.
"Kieran went in, and Morrigan followed in a panic. We have to get them back."
She was not eager to travel through the Eluvian again; time travel and her quick trip to the Fade had left her with a deep-seated fear of any means of magical transport, but she was the Inquisitor. In the end, she was responsible for everything. "I'll go."
Leliana went off to fetch help. Cullen would surely be upset that she had disappeared into the Eluvian, and without any companions, but from Leliana's frantic tone, Lavellan gathered there was no time to waste. She stepped into the mirror and swore viciously when she emerged in what appeared to be the Fade, not the Crossroads.
Lavellan's abdomen throbbed, and she whispered, "I want to get out of here, too. We'll be back soon, promise."
She cautiously wandered down a path and with relative ease found Morrigan. Lavellan agreed to aid Morrigan in her search for her son. Lavellan's heart ached for her friend; she would not let the boy be abandoned there.
Fortunately, they found Kieran, but he was not alone. Lavellan was introduced to Morrigan's mother, Flemeth. Lavellan's mouth dropped in horror when she heard of Flemeth's intentions for her grandson: possession. Morrigan lashed out, but it was of no use. Flemeth was a vessel for Mythal, and Morrigan had drunk from the Well of Sorrows; she was bound to Mythal's will.
This demonic-looking human was an elven god. Lavellan clutched her sword at her side, but there would be no point in drawing it. Flemeth was an undefeatable foe. The only option was to somehow negotiate with her.
Morrigan sacrificed herself, offering her body to Flemeth. It was the same choice Lavellan would have made for her own child. The pain of losing them was unimaginable, and she would lay her life on the line in a heartbeat. Luckily, Flemeth was moved by Morrigan's offer, and she removed the Old God spirit from Kieran and left. Flemeth claimed she would never possess an unwilling host. Morrigan embraced Kieran, and the relief was palpable.
The three returned to Skyhold through the Eluvian, Morrigan and Kieran holding hands. Morrigan was eager to speak with Lavellan as soon as they were back to the storage room. "Inquisitor, I have knowledge on how we can defeat the red lyrium dragon in battle. We must find Corypheus and his pet."
"Then we should prepare for battle. It's time to end this." Lavellan gripped the edge of the Eluvian as a wave of pain rippled through her, stealing the air from her lungs. The intensity of the contraction left no doubt that she was now in labor.
"Mum?" Kieran tugged on Morrigan's wrist, staring in concern at Lavellan's twisted face and heavy breathing.
"Lavellan, we should take you to your quarters and fetch the midwife." Morrigan snaked an arm around Lavellan's back, encouraging her to move forward. "Inhale, exhale and all of that business."
"I know," Lavellan snapped.
Rather than throw back a snide remark, Morrigan took a deep breath of her own. "Very good. Because I imagine you're going to give birth before too long."
The contraction was gone, and all pain disappeared. "Let's go," Lavellan replied, seizing the opportunity.
Lavellan's bedchamber had become crowded. She had settled into bed in a loose gown, and proceeded to be poked to prodded by healers, a midwife, and a surgeon. Morrigan had sent away Kieran but stayed by her side in the shadows. Leliana and Josephine made cameos to check in on her. It was comforting to see them all, but whom she desired most of all was Cullen.
"My dear, men wait outside," her midwife advised her, patting her arm. If a contraction hadn't caused her to tense after that, Lavellan would have lashed out at her patronizing behavior. "This is women's business."
When her body relaxed, she rushed to say, "That may have been the case with the human nobles you have served, but please send in the Commander."
"It's inappropriate," the woman tutted.
Lavellan wanted to scream in frustration, but she managed to compose herself to an extent. "I'll- "
"That's an order from the Inquisitor. You will fetch him," Morrigan spoke up, her silky voice not softening the threat behind her words.
The midwife looked scared to death of the witch and scurried off to comply with her instructions. Gratitude washed over Lavellan for her newfound friend.
She did not have to wait very long for Cullen, as he arrived seconds later, leading her to believe that he may have been pacing outside. She could see across his features that he was at war with himself, the slightest upward turn at the corners of his mouth, but his forehead was crinkled. "How are you? I wanted to come earlier, but wasn't sure, and they wouldn't let me in, anyway," he said as he approached her bedside.
She reached for his hand, so glad to get a purchase on something. "I'm hanging in there," she replied with honesty.
"Good, because you've got a long way to go, Inquisitor," chipped in an eavesdropping healer.
"How long?" Cullen and Lavellan spoke over each other.
"Being this is your first, I'd say we're looking at tomorrow morning?"
Cullen gave Lavellan an encouraging smile. Lavellan groaned, but she did not fear laboring through the night. She had been terribly injured on several occasions, and having a baby was a happy event.
The baby did not come the next morning or any time that day. The midwife prepared a tea of raspberry leaves that was supposed to help her deliver faster, and it was the only thing Lavellan was allowed to imbibe other than water.
Try to get some sleep, they had told her, which was a farce. The raspberry tea had intensified her contractions, and they lasted longer. The endless pain with only the briefest relief through the day and night did not help pacify her surging nerves. She was so exhausted she felt it in her bones and became borderline delirious.
Cullen's head lolled as he awkwardly slumped in a chair, slumber finally claiming him. She wanted him to be there throughout it all, but realized it was best if someone got rest. She wasn't, however, immune to jealousy over how he got to relax to a degree.
The midwife had begun feeling her forehead, taking her temperature every so often. She whispered with the healers and surgeon over by the doorframe, their voices inaudible from where Lavellan lay. Lavellan had heard the horror stories of babies that had to be cut from their mothers' wombs. Only the most talented of healers were able to save a mother's life in these instances, and only if all circumstances were perfect. It was something she strongly wished to avoid.
It was allegedly a myth that elven women struggled to deliver human children, but Lavellan took no comfort in that. "Please," she hoarsely begged a healer who was once again checking on her. Lavellan wasn't certain what she was asking for. For it to be over, for the baby to be healthy, for them not to perform surgery on her.
"We'll wait until the morning, unless anything changes," the woman soothed, pouring more water into a cup for her.
Lavellan eagerly grabbed the water to slake her thirst. Fortunately, though her last meal seemed like it was eons ago, she did not find herself hungry. It was early evening, with the sun's last beams of light fading. There was roughly a half-day to go, she estimated, before some decision had to be made. The longer she avoided the surgeon's blade, the better, but the hours ahead felt insurmountable.
Lavellan was not certain as to what time of the night it was. Candles had burnt low in her quarters, and the sky outside remained pitch dark. She couldn't say how long she had been there, as the passage of time had turned abstract. The midwife had told her she was ready to push, and some energy managed to rush back into her. Cullen was asleep to the world and unresponsive to her calling his name, but a pillow thrown at his head had fixed that. Now he stood by her bedside, shaking from head to toe.
"Do you need to step outside for some fresh air, Commander?" a healer asked, but it sounded more like a stern recommendation.
"Noo… no," was his strangled response. Lavellan squeezed his fingers, which seemed to bring him back to reality, as he gave a little yelp before collecting himself. Her squeeze may have been more like a death grip, but he didn't grimace or attempt to escape her grasp, thankfully. His hand was a lifeline for her.
The seconds began to fly by quickly, but later, she would be told it had been more than an hour. She pushed and pushed with the minute strength she had remaining. Concerned glances were shared amongst the midwife and healers, and their encouraging platitudes changed to strong commands borne of desperation. The pain became blinding, but the baby slipped forth, and all was forgotten.
Their skin was a strange purple, and the silence was deafening, but with a little cleaning and a few taps on the back, there was a mewling cry and the baby's flesh grew pinkish red.
"It's a girl!" cried one of the healers, wrapping Lavellan's baby daughter in blanket and placing her on Lavellan's chest. Lavellan dragged down the top of her dress, allowing the baby to touch her skin. The crying did not cease, but it did not diminish the peace Lavellan felt in that moment. She kissed her daughter's soft, fuzzy forehead with trembling lips.
"Does she have a name?" someone asked.
"June Aveline Lavellan Rutherford," Lavellan answered with reverence. Her mother's god, the first female chevalier, and her parents' surnames. The name had been easily agreed to.
A shadow fell upon them as Cullen leaned over to get a better peek. With reluctance, Lavellan bundled their daughter and carefully passed her to him. He looked at her, stupefied, her arms held out in midair. Cullen slowly accepted her, treating her like a delicate relic that may crumble at the slightest touch.
Lavellan smiled as she observed the two. The baby's eyes, when they were briefly opened, were slate gray, and it would take time before their ultimate color was apparent, but she would place a bet that they would be a combination of her parents' warm yellow-brown tones. Only a few wisps of hair were brushed across June's scalp, and they were so pale that they could almost be white.
A midwife stayed by Lavellan's side as things were finished up, but Cullen and Lavellan were mostly left alone to marvel over the new life that had entered their world. At some point, nausea washed over Lavellan, and food was fetched for the parents who had been absorbed by the proceedings. Eventually, the healers needed to examine June further for safety's sake, and Lavellan and Cullen hesitatingly let her go as the staff departed with her. The Commander and Inquisitor had been given strict orders to rest in the meantime, and as much as Lavellan was wired and wanting to soak up every minute, the exhaustion was overpowering. She patted at her bed, and Cullen lay down next to her, their fingers entwined.
Lavellan jerked awake and clutched her wrist in agony. Her eyes first darted to the bassinet by her bed, where June now was, back from her examinations and napping in a swaddled blanket. Then Lavellan observed her hand, which glowed brightly and crackled. She must have whimpered out loud in pain, for Cullen stirred next to her.
An eerie green light had been cast across the room, and through the window, Lavellan could see a new tear in the sky. Gray clouds began to swirl, blocking out the sun. Having only briefly slumbered, she sluggishly processed what was happening.
Leliana and Jospehine flew into the room, not bothering with knocking first or offering congratulations. Leliana's lips were set in a thin line, and Josephine appeared on the verge of tears.
"He's here," Leliana greeted Lavellan, her words clipped and neutral, at odds with her gloomy appearance.
"Corypheus," Lavellan murmured thickly, her mouth dry. She winced as she held her pulsing hand to her chest, her heart heavy with the knowledge of what happened next.