The birth occurred three weeks later.
The midwife had sent him out of her room three times before she finally locked the door on him. Shaken, he sat in the empty front room and listened to her screams, trying to decide if it was worth having offspring if it caused all this fuss and pain and chaos. The inn was closed for a week or so after that while she recovered from the difficult time she had had and he helped her along as best he could. The villagers continued their lives but they whispered a little more strongly now that the child had entered the world. The kitchen staff of the inn were placing coins as to when the announcement would be made and the flower stalls were beginning to display more than a few of their showier baskets.
Finally, the inn returned to business as usual. The weary dusty travelers were out-numbered by the villagers who came flooding in to the see what had taken place. The Innkeeper smiled at them all and poured free drinks to anyone who came in weather they wanted it or not. The new mother sat by the window, smiling at everyone who came to her. With her chestnut hair falling over her shoulders and the sparkle of fierce pride at the bundle she held close to her breast she looked more lovely than they could remember in all the months she been with them. The washerwomen stepped forward and asked if they might see the little baby. She had never forgotten the kind women who had brought her to the inn and she nodded in contented silence. She turned back the edges of the blankets and admiring murmurs and soft smothered gasps spilled into the room from their corner drawing more attention to the newborn.
It was a girl.
A few curls of spun gold tumbled into her half-opened eyes. The bluish color that ever baby starts out with was already fading to a light green that would surely darken up as she grew. Her skin was the color of fresh milk and she clutched at the blanket's edges with fingers as small as match sticks. She was so tiny, so fragile. It was hard to imagine her growing up to become a woman as fine as her mother, but it would have to happen someday.
Oh, how it did.
The midwife had sent him out of her room three times before she finally locked the door on him. Shaken, he sat in the empty front room and listened to her screams, trying to decide if it was worth having offspring if it caused all this fuss and pain and chaos. The inn was closed for a week or so after that while she recovered from the difficult time she had had and he helped her along as best he could. The villagers continued their lives but they whispered a little more strongly now that the child had entered the world. The kitchen staff of the inn were placing coins as to when the announcement would be made and the flower stalls were beginning to display more than a few of their showier baskets.
Finally, the inn returned to business as usual. The weary dusty travelers were out-numbered by the villagers who came flooding in to the see what had taken place. The Innkeeper smiled at them all and poured free drinks to anyone who came in weather they wanted it or not. The new mother sat by the window, smiling at everyone who came to her. With her chestnut hair falling over her shoulders and the sparkle of fierce pride at the bundle she held close to her breast she looked more lovely than they could remember in all the months she been with them. The washerwomen stepped forward and asked if they might see the little baby. She had never forgotten the kind women who had brought her to the inn and she nodded in contented silence. She turned back the edges of the blankets and admiring murmurs and soft smothered gasps spilled into the room from their corner drawing more attention to the newborn.
It was a girl.
A few curls of spun gold tumbled into her half-opened eyes. The bluish color that ever baby starts out with was already fading to a light green that would surely darken up as she grew. Her skin was the color of fresh milk and she clutched at the blanket's edges with fingers as small as match sticks. She was so tiny, so fragile. It was hard to imagine her growing up to become a woman as fine as her mother, but it would have to happen someday.
Oh, how it did.