Casanova: Marriage of convenience, or is it?
Fifteen minutes had past since Giacomo had wiped the floor with Grimani junior. Giacomo swore he could feel Grimani glaring holes into the back of his head.
They all suddenly looked up when the door to his bed chambers opened. The Doctor stepped out and told them "it is official Mr. Casanova your wife Mrs. Casanova is in labour."
Giacomo sighed and closed his eyes. Before asking "how long do you suppose her labour will last?" The Doctor replied "it should be no longer then what Mrs. Grimani endured, hopefully."
The Doctor added "you can go and sit with your wife until she is due to give birth, but I want no one else in there with her, she does not need the stress or to be over crowded."
Giacomo entered the bed chamber and saw Astra was lying back reading her book once more, but he could tell she was on edge, wondering when her next contraction would hit her.
He sat beside her and watched as the last maid left, so it was just the two of them lying on the bed side by side. Giacomo began to gently caress her stomach again.
Astra looked up from her book and eyed him amusedly. She asked "what is this attraction you've got with touching my stomach constantly?" She grinned at him, although her grin was clearly strained.
Giacomo continued to absentmindedly caress her stomach and commented sheepishly "I don't know. It just a habit I've developed ever since you really started to show. I guess I'll more then likely be the same if we have any more children after this one."
Giacomo stayed with her for the next nine and a half hours, only leaving briefly to use the toilet or get a drink and something to eat. Then he was back just talking to her and helping her though a contraction whenever she had one. He did not leave until the tenth hour when her water broke.
Henriette then took his place as she and the maid's helped prepare Astra to give birth finally. Astra was propped up with several pillows.
Half an hour later found Astra in the same position and situation as Henriette had been months before. Henriette grimaced in sympathy, just glad it was not her that was going though all that agony again.
Astra threw her head back and screamed as she bore down hard, panting and breathing heavily. The maid encouraged her "your doing just wonderfully, come on madam it is almost over. Now push."
Astra barely resisted the urge to glare and roll her eyes at the maid, why didn't she bloody push and see how she liked it damn it. Astra screeched as she leaned forwards and pushed hard.
Henriette caught the look Astra shot the maid even if said maid hadn't having been to busy looking between Astra's spread legs, checking the baby's progress.
Henriette had to admit, this maid was annoying. She had never been more grateful that she had a different maid help deliver Bella and Nico.
She gently wiped a damp cloth against Astra's sweat covered brow and face as Astra relaxed for a moment, before she was hit with another contraction, this one worse then the previous.
Henriette felt bad, her labour had only lasted nine hours. Astra's labour was only just drawing to an end at her eleventh hour mark. Henriette felt deep sympathy.
Astra howled in sheer agony as she pushed and pushed minute after minute. All the men including the Doctor, who were waiting outside the door, grimaced with wide eyes, as Astra cursed in a very un-lady like fashion.
"GIACOMO CASANOVA YOU FOUL CRETIN. HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT DAMN IT!" Giacomo's eyes widened as Astra let out a piecing scream.
Grimani was in heaven. While Rocco eyed Giacomo in amusement, the Doctor and the senior Grimani looked stunned, having never heard such ranting from a lady of Astra's status.
Meanwhile Henriette and the maids were eyeing Astra with wide eyes. Henriette did not know weather to laugh, or pity Giacomo. She could tell Astra's Labour was obviously a lot more difficult then her own had been. The fact Astra was only eighteen didn't help the matter.
Astra laid back panting and grimacing with exhaustion, before she was racked with yet again another contraction. Astra had had enough, as much as she could handle and more.
The maid told her "ok. One more extra hard push and the baby's head will be free. Now push." Astra screamed as she pushed down as hard as she could, she felt like she was going to be split in two.
The maid told her to stop and exclaimed "and there it is; we have a head free. A head covered in a light layer of dark brown hair. Such a lovely shade as well."
Astra and Henriette thought at the same time "Giacomo. The baby weather it be a boy or girl, had Giacomo's dark hair. Henriette smiled and wiped Astra's brow with a damp cloth.
Henriette beamed and said "come on Astra your do so incredibly well. It seems he or she has Giac's hair." Astra sighed, she was glad that he or she had Giacomo's hair and not her own, she loved the colour of Giacomo's hair.
The maid told her to wait a moment until pushing. The maid adjusted something before she told Astra to start pushing again. Astra grunt and clenched her teeth as she bore down harder and harder.
The contraction died down for a moment before it started again. Astra bore down once again, pushing, panting and whimpering, until the baby's shoulders passed though.
Astra cried out aloud, her head was thrown back and her eyes closed tightly as she continued to push. The maid stopped her and told her to halt for a moment. She then told her to push once more.
Astra pushed down harder then ever one last time. She howled before gritting her teeth at the moist and burning feeling she received as the baby slipped completely from her.
Everyone beamed as they heard hiccupping cries that slowly started to get louder until the little one was screaming blue bloody murder. He or she sure had a fine set of lungs that was for certain.
The maid cut the umbilical cord and said "congratulations, you have a beautiful daughter. With her father's hair and your looks, I wonder whose eyes she'll have."
The maid then passed the baby to the maid to be cleaned up and to allow the Doctor to check and see if she were healthy. It was evident from her unhappy cries that she did indeed own a set of fine lungs.
The maid turned back to Astra and said "alright madam, I need you to push one final time. You need to deliver the after birth. Then I promise it will all be over."
Astra nodded before she felt a slight pressure as she pushed. There was a look of revulsion on her face as she felt the horrible moist and sticky feeling of the after birth against her tights as it left her.
Finally she could relax, it was over. She had never been more relieved. But it had been well worth it, she had no doubt of that. She and Giacomo now had their very own beautiful daughter.
Henriette and a maid helped Astra get cleaned up and two maids remade the bed with clean sheets before Astra lay back sated, although a little sore and exhausted but happy.
She beamed and felt her eyes fill with tears of joy as a maid entered with her daughter all clean and wrapped up in a pale pink fluffy blanket. You could clearly she a little arm sticking out of the blanket, waving about.
Astra beamed as the little girl was placed carefully in her arms. Astra gazed down at the now silent baby. She lovingly caressed the soft skin of her daughter's cheek.
Henriette smiled and said "she beautiful. She looks just like you only with Giacomo's hair. I wonder if she will get his eyes too. It would be such a stunning combination, your face with Giac's hair and eyes; she even has his skin tone."
Astra beamed "I'm glad. She'll be a heart breaker like her father when she's is older and all grown up." Henriette said "I'll go and get Giac. It's time he met his daughter. I'll also tell the rest of the family."
Astra nodded and smiled gratefully. She clearly looked exhausted but blissfully happy. Henriette eyed the little girl one last time with a gentle smile before exiting the room.