Eventine paced outside the birthing suite. It had been hours since his
young beloved wife had awakened him from slumber and he had brought her
here.
He had not slept since. He could hear with his keen elf hearing the soft sounds of the midwives speaking to the young afraid woman within and the anxious voice of the young queen between the terrible contractions.
He had already lost his father this month and was the newly crowned King of the Elves. The cries from within tore even more at his young hurt heart.
Eventine was powerfully built for an elf being of normal height and weight of a man, which was very large for a normally lithe elf. He was a young King at sixteen, but by no means the youngest ever to rule. His eyes were amazingly blue as he paced, his expression hard.
His wife cried out again and then there were the voices of the midwives. Several moments later came the cry of a babe. Eventine took a deep breath of relief. His young bride had given him a child. She was his age and they had been married a year. He loved her more each day. She was his strength and his confindant. He could not live without her.
A young midwife walking with the newly born royal infant in her arms a few moments later. "Your daughter my lord."
Eventime took the baby carefully in his arms and watched her as she lay content and relaxing for now. "My wife? How is she?"
The young woman paled and backed away from the phyiscally imposing king as soon as he had the newborn secure in his strong grasp.
Eventine looked at her curiously. She shook her head softly and backed into the room.
He had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. If Aislinn died how could he go on?
After and hour the head midwife came out. She was washing her hands free of blood. Eventine was seated with the babe sleeping in the crook of his arm. So like her mother she was in her look.
"You majesty?"
"My wife?"
"I am sorry my Lord?"
"WHAT?!"
"She hemerraged. She...she...She passed quietly sir. I eased her pain."
Eventine felt his world shatter at those words. He rosed and rushed passed her into the room.
He found Aislinn lying pale and still warm on the bed. The room stank of blood. She looked so peaceful...as if she were sleeping.
"Even you Mathana could not save her?" Eventine breathed taking his young wife's hand in his large one. She was limp. He watched her as if waiting for her to open her ginger eyes and tell him all was well.
"I have skills. I tried all I could majesty." She said softly. "She was young and her hips small. Your daughter is healthy and large. I nearly lost them both."
Eventine nodded. "I thank you for my child." He said softly. He knew what she said was the truth.
With that he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. For him the pain was too great. He could no longer bear to be near the corpse of the woman he loves so much. He went to his chambers telling the Home Guard he did not wish to be disturbed.
He sat down in his desk chair and looked at his infant daughter. She was perfect from her strawberry blonde hair to her tiny pointed ears and upward sloping eyebrows.
And yet there was some of him in her face as well. It was not as angular as her mother and her cheek bones were like her father, high and well formed.
He bent to kiss her and her eyes opened. He gasped and held her to him. He had fallen in love again.
He had not slept since. He could hear with his keen elf hearing the soft sounds of the midwives speaking to the young afraid woman within and the anxious voice of the young queen between the terrible contractions.
He had already lost his father this month and was the newly crowned King of the Elves. The cries from within tore even more at his young hurt heart.
Eventine was powerfully built for an elf being of normal height and weight of a man, which was very large for a normally lithe elf. He was a young King at sixteen, but by no means the youngest ever to rule. His eyes were amazingly blue as he paced, his expression hard.
His wife cried out again and then there were the voices of the midwives. Several moments later came the cry of a babe. Eventine took a deep breath of relief. His young bride had given him a child. She was his age and they had been married a year. He loved her more each day. She was his strength and his confindant. He could not live without her.
A young midwife walking with the newly born royal infant in her arms a few moments later. "Your daughter my lord."
Eventime took the baby carefully in his arms and watched her as she lay content and relaxing for now. "My wife? How is she?"
The young woman paled and backed away from the phyiscally imposing king as soon as he had the newborn secure in his strong grasp.
Eventine looked at her curiously. She shook her head softly and backed into the room.
He had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. If Aislinn died how could he go on?
After and hour the head midwife came out. She was washing her hands free of blood. Eventine was seated with the babe sleeping in the crook of his arm. So like her mother she was in her look.
"You majesty?"
"My wife?"
"I am sorry my Lord?"
"WHAT?!"
"She hemerraged. She...she...She passed quietly sir. I eased her pain."
Eventine felt his world shatter at those words. He rosed and rushed passed her into the room.
He found Aislinn lying pale and still warm on the bed. The room stank of blood. She looked so peaceful...as if she were sleeping.
"Even you Mathana could not save her?" Eventine breathed taking his young wife's hand in his large one. She was limp. He watched her as if waiting for her to open her ginger eyes and tell him all was well.
"I have skills. I tried all I could majesty." She said softly. "She was young and her hips small. Your daughter is healthy and large. I nearly lost them both."
Eventine nodded. "I thank you for my child." He said softly. He knew what she said was the truth.
With that he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. For him the pain was too great. He could no longer bear to be near the corpse of the woman he loves so much. He went to his chambers telling the Home Guard he did not wish to be disturbed.
He sat down in his desk chair and looked at his infant daughter. She was perfect from her strawberry blonde hair to her tiny pointed ears and upward sloping eyebrows.
And yet there was some of him in her face as well. It was not as angular as her mother and her cheek bones were like her father, high and well formed.
He bent to kiss her and her eyes opened. He gasped and held her to him. He had fallen in love again.