A/N: Hey beautiful people, I am so sorry it has been so very long and that this is not a particularly epic chapter in terms of length. I hope though, that this answers some questions, eases some minds and keeps people happy. As always any reviews or comments are welcome and I hope you enjoy it and please if you are desperate for certain things to happen let me know and I'll do my best!
I wake with a start at the pain and let out a whimper as I realise that I was alone in bed. Aragorn must have left earlier to meet with the council. It is early evening by my estimation and no one would be around for at least another two or three hours, usually this is one of my favourite parts of the day, I was free to be myself, not a queen, not a warrior just the village girl I always had been and in my heart always would be. Today though I am not so happy about it and as another pain pulses through my abdomen I feel fear begin to seep into my system.
A sudden knock on my door causes me to jump another cry of pain escaping me before I can stop it.
"My Queen, are you okay?" the voice is worried and I recognise it as Annabeth's, of course I had told her to come to my rooms when she had finished her duties, thank the Valar.
"Annabeth, please, come in, I need help," I call out and the door opens instantly to reveal her standing timidly behind it.
"My Queen?" she asks looking terrified as she is confronted with the sight of me sweating and panting on the floor beside my bed,
"I think the baby is coming, but I don't know what to do, I think it is too early," I whimper and she is beside me in seconds pulling me up and onto the bed where she hurries about positioning pillows around me.
"I will be back in less than a minute my Queen, I must just get some help," she says in a rush before sprinting out of the room and true to her word she is back beside me in thirty seconds.
"It hurts," I cry out but she is patient as she tends to me and for a moment I marvel at how she is so calm, I wouldn't know the first thing if I was confronted with the same situation and I say as much to her when the pain subsides for a moment.
"I have helped to bring both my siblings into the world my Queen as well as several others, it is something I am, by now, quite used to, I don't think I would know what to do if confronted with battle though," she smiles and I huff out a laugh at that.
"Please, call me Peyson," I pant after a moment, "at least while in my rooms call me by my name," and I see her blanche slightly before finally nodding slightly.
"Where is she?" a voice bellows, and I smile as a second later I see Marrianna bustling around the corner, "will you ever give us one second of peace child," she smiles before surveying the surroundings and turning to Annabeth, "you've done well," she nods and I laugh a little at that even as Treya appears and begins dabbing the sweat from my forehead.
"That is high praise coming from Marrianna," I smile before crying out again as another contraction begins, "please Annabeth fetch the King and Legolas and then come back, I want you here," I say and she stares at me startled for a second before nodding and rushing off.
"A wise choice to fill the gap, she will serve you well," Marrianna smiles as she starts moving around towels and water and I'm not sure what else, I'm kind of scared to look really.
"What do you think Treya?" I manage to ask once the fresh wave of pain has subsided for a moment and she smiles at me seemingly thrilled to have been asked.
"Annabeth is a good friend to me, I think she will be fantastic," she says ecstatically and I smile weakly,
"That settles it then, when this is done and my baby born, I shall tell Annabeth she has a new job," I gasp before breaking off as another contraction causes waves of pain to crash over me.
"Little one?" Aragorn practically screams as he throws himself into the room with Legolas right behind him. He is so loud I jump and so do all the occupants of the room, Annabeth standing sheepishly behind the two new comers.
"Out, out both of you now," Marrianna cries as she comes back from the bathroom with yet more towels and hot water, losing her mind as Aragorn approaches me.
"No, please I need him to stay," I whimper reaching for him almost unconsciously even as I feel the tears of pain and fear escape my eyes.
"I'm here little one, I'm right here, by your side as I promised I would be," he says immediately, his fingers in my hair and causing a sigh of almost blissful relief to escape me.
"I've never heard of the like, allowing a man into the birthing room, preposterous," Marianna is muttering none too quietly whilst ordering around Annabeth and Treya, before she begins berating them about the quality of the towels and ensuring the best wrappings are made available, going on about the fact that this is the first heir to the throne born and how important this moment is.
For almost twenty minutes she continues like this as my contractions become steadily more constant, pain and fear are blocking my inhibitions and I can stand it no longer.
"Marrianna stop it please," I scream suddenly and I cringe and want to laugh at the silence that instantly falls across the room, "I am scared Marrianna and I cannot do this without you, I would not do it without you, you have been like the mother I have needed since my own was taken from me but in case you hadn't noticed I am not great with all these traditions and I cannot and will not do this without my husband by my side," I manage quite proud of getting through that before another scream is ripped from my throat, my fingers squeezing Aragorn's tightly.
I don't remember much that happens over the next few hours. I mean I remember the screaming, I remember the pain, the shouted instructions, the moment of silence that I think is the most terrifying I have ever experienced and then the cry. The tiny babies cry that makes the tears fall harder and my heart swell to the point where it may burst and then I hear Aragorn's shouts of joy and I laugh out loud as he kisses me hard, his hands shaking as they hover over our child as she is handed to me and then sprints from the room.
"I have a daughter, I have a daughter," he is shouting, joy and laughter and relief all evident in his voice and I can hear answering shouts.
"Ow," I suddenly wince, looking at Marrianna in alarm, the baby, my daughter, suddenly taken from my arms and cradled by Annabeth as I scream again, "I don't understand, what is happening?" I ask in terror, calling out for Aragorn, who is soon back looking terrified again as he rushes to me. I feel terrible as I see the range of emotions I am putting him through at the moment.
"I don't believe, it, twins," Marrianna exclaims and I pant through another wave of pain as I try to disagree with her.
"I can't, it can't, I would have seen…" I try to explain as Aragorn stares in wide eyed disbelief. Of course I know it is true, I can feel it and soon I would see it.
"Just because you have the sight Peyson does not mean that you see everything there is to see all the time," she reprimands and I can hear the grunt of agreement from Legolas somewhere in the room but I can see almost nothing anymore such is my pain and concentration and the sweet seeping into my eyes, until Aragorn is handed a damp cloth and begins dabbing at my forehead and then it all starts again. I am exhausted now, so tired I can barely push anymore, everything in me wants to give up and it is only the words of encouragement from those in the room that keep me going.
"I'm scared," I manage to slur eventually and I can feel Aragorn tighten his grip on my fingers as I do so.
"You have no need to fear my little one, we are all here," he whispers to me.
"I do not know how to be a mother, especially not to two children," I cry, more pain, more pushing, more crying and his fingers are gripping mine painful now, or it may be me gripping his fingers I'm not sure anymore.
Suddenly I feel the need to push really hard though and I scream as I do so, all the other noise blurring into one sound, my heart pounding in my ears until I hear the one noise that lets me know it's okay. That it would always be okay. That I had done it, properly. For the first time in what feels like a really long time everything seems to be going fairly well.
"A boy, my Queen you have your second child, a son," Marrianna says and then I have a baby in each arm and Aragorn is weeping openly and so is Marrianna and then they are all being hassled out.
"What is going on?" I ask as my babies are being taken from me and Annabeth is settling them and moving to clean them.
"We must make sure you have delivered everything and clean and wash you my Queen," Marrianna explains and I nod numbly, my eyes constantly searching for my children. My babies, even as I think it, I feel strange and exhilarated and fulfilled and terrified and excited and exhausted.
It is nearly an hour later when I am back in bed, the sheets fresh, I am clean and washed and aching but happy, I have our daughter in my arms and Aragorn is beside me with our son and tears of joy are drying on my face as they are on Aragorn's.
"My brave and incredible little warrior, look what you have done," he whispers to me as he looks down into the perfect little face, already so like his father and I smile.
"Look at what we have done," I correct him and his lips connect with my head and I can feel his smile, the same one that has been plastered across my face since our son arrived in the world just over an hour ago.
"Have you thought about names?" he asks now and I glance up at him with a smile of my own.
"I have," I start, "I think, I should like to name our daughter after your mother, Gilraen, it is a beautiful name," I whisper.
"I had almost thought it was not possible to love you anymore than I do already," he whispers, kissing me gently before leaning forward to kiss our little Gilraen on the head, "what about this little one my love?" he asks and I glance at him again.
"Well, I think we should maybe consult with Faramir when he arrives to visit with Eowyn later but I should like to call him Boromir," I explain and he chuckles.
"You are the perfect Queen and the perfect woman and friend and lover, my precious, perfect little one," he exclaims and I can feel myself flush.
"I think you indulge me too much my love," I laugh in embarrassment and he scoffs a little jostling Boromir as he stirs and then settles again.
"I am allowed to when you have given me such a gift," he explains and I laugh a little too before yawning.