You're doing great Evangeline, just a little more," Mare encouraged as she gripped the Iron Queen's hand. She swiped some sweaty blonde hair off her forehead and grabbed a nearby rag to dab some of the sweat away.
"Shut your mouth, you filthy red!" Evangeline screamed as she gave another push. She was gasping for breath now, and fell back onto the pillows with an agonizing groan.
Ten hours of labor and she still hadn't given birth, Mare wasn't worried, she herself took nearly a day to give birth to David. But Evangeline was terrified, the death grip she kept on Mare's hand said it all.
"You can do it Evangeline, the midwife says you're doing just fine," Mare said soothingly.
"Didn't I tell you to-aargh!" Evangeline didn't get to finish her sentence as another wave of pain overcame her.
Ptolemus paced back and forth in a sitting room outside his sister's private chambers. Her screams could be heard throughout the room and the midwife's voice telling her to keep going was the only indication on how she was doing.
"How can you two be so calm?!" he yelled at the two brothers.
Maven, who was quietly playing with his one year old son on a nearby table, raised an eyebrow and said nothing. David, not understanding what was going on continued to babble in baby language that only he seemed to understand. He pointed to a toy and Maven picked it up and gave it to him.
"Not my wife," Maven said after a while. The room lapsed back into a nervous silence and even David looked around in confusion.
Cal on the other hand was nothing but a mere statue. He gazed off into the distance with what could only be described as pure terror.
"Samos, quit moving. And Cal, wipe that look off your face, you look like you've just seen a ghost," Maven sneered. He was getting quite tired of this and from the looks of it, it wasn't going to be over so soon.
"I'm about to be a father Maven, of course I have a right to be terrified!" Cal shouted in response.
Maven rolled his eyes, "Quit acting like it's a death sentence." he mumbled. David tugged on his sleeve and gestured to be picked up. Maven sighed and complied, lifting the boy up into his arms. His son made a clicking noise and only Maven knew what to do.
He placed David up on his shoulders and trotted around the room like a horse and David's giggles filled the room. Maven neighed here and there, if only to get his son to squeal louder.
Ptolemus snorted at the ridiculous display, "What the hell are you doing Calore?" Even Cal seemed to snap out of his grumpy mood and watched his brother trot around the room with his nephew.
"Being a good dad," Maven said as he came to a stop in the middle of the room, "besides, he was getting bored and so was I."
David clicked again and pulled Maven's hair. "Ouch. No bud, Daddy's tired."
He set him down, "How about you go run around huh?" David nodded and wobbled around the room still holding onto his father's hand.
Maven followed him watchfully, making sure that he didn't trip and fall. Cal spoke quietly after watching them for a while, "How do you do it?"
"Do what?" Maven asked, still focused on his son.
"Be a good father." Cal emphasized.
Maven shrugged, "I don't know, you learn along the way I guess."
"What kind of answer is that? He asks you a very important question and you shrug it off and say 'I don't know'?" Ptolemus said incredulously.
Maven smirked evilly, "And let me guess, you want to know as well?"
Ptolemus sputtered and shook his head, "No! I-well, fine you got me. Ciana wants to have a baby." He sounded defeated and Maven wasn't surprised at the answer. Ptolemus had married the Haven girl a month after his marriage with Mare. Seeing Mare with a bouncing baby boy probably made her want one too.
"You have to stop being afraid. I know that you think that you're going to be a terrible father, but trust me, you're not. I thought I wasn't going to know how to carry David or even change him, but Mare helped me and reassured me that I was doing great. I guess that helps, having someone to help you along the way. And I also didn't want to end up like my own father, always neglecting his son because he was to busy," Cal looks down guilty as Maven continues to speak but Maven ignores him, "and that pushed me to be better, to correct my father's mistakes so that I don't end up like that," Maven pauses to look down at David, "I didn't want my son to hate me."
"And because Mare is pregnant again," Maven continued.
Cal's eyes widened as he stared at Maven with shock, "Again? Isn't it a bit too soon?" Now that Maven mentioned it, Mare did seem to have gained a little more weight around the midsection.
Ptolemus nodded in agreement, "He's right, I mean you already have one baby, why would you want another one?"
Maven chuckled, "Well, Mare thought it was time to give David a sibling and the doctors said that she should be fine, although they also said that she needed to be a lot more careful."
"And what about you Cal? Are you still feeling nervous?" Maven steered the conversation away from his wife's pregnancy.
Cal nodded frantically and placed his head between his hands, "I don't think I'll be able to be as good of a father as you Maven."
"I know that you don't like Evangeline that much," Ptolemus glared at them both but Maven continued unfazed, " but you have to help her and actually be nice, I know you're not as busy as you say you are, so spend some time with your wife and kid. Don't be that one father that only held his kid once and then regretted it for the rest of your life."'
A baby's wail echoed throughout the room, and both Ptolemus and Cal sprang to their feet. The door opened and a very exhausted looking Mare appeared, "Cal, come see your new son."
She stepped aside as both men rushed in. She hung back with Maven and gave her husband a peck on the cheek and her son a loud kiss on the forehead.
"How'd it go?" Maven whispered as he put his forehead up against hers.
"It took a long time, with Evangeline cursing everyone in the room, especially Cal." she said with a tired chuckle.
Maven smiled, "Don't forget, that's going to be you in a couple of months." He placed a hand on the tiny protrusion on her stomach.
"Hush. David, would you like to see your new cousin?" Mare asked her son excitedly.
He seemed a little confused as to what a 'cousin' was but he nodded nevertheless. The trio stepped inside and Cal at Evangeline's side, gently stroking the tiny figure in the blanket within Evangeline's arms. Ptolemus was on the other side of his sister, bombarding her with questions about her health.
They lingered at the back until Evangeline spoke up, "Everyone, this is Tiberias VIII and the crown prince of Norta."
Maven smirked at his nephew's predictable name and came closer to get a better look. Unlike David who had been born with soft black tufts of hair and blue eyes, Tiberias VIII was completely bald, and when he opened his eyes, had golden eyes just like Cal.
Cal seemed to be completely absorbed in his new son that he didn't notice when Mare and Maven left. Ptolemus left not soon afterward, claiming that he had to go inform the masses. Soon it was only he and Evangeline alone with their son.
"He's beautiful Evangeline," Cal said quietly.
Evangeline hummed in approval but said nothing else. She played around with his hand, smiling when the baby gripped her finger.
Cal leaned down and kissed his forehead, and then surprising her and himself when he also pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. Evangeline looked up at him in confusion, but he did not explain himself. He did not know why he did it either.
"Let me hold him, you need to rest." Cal advised. Evangeline was reluctant to let him go but released Tibe into Cal's arms after much persuasion.
"Sleep, I will not take him away from you."
"Alright."
Hey there all! This came quicker than expected and I would like to thank Emotwin03 for encouraging me to keep writing. I really do appreciate all the reviews I get and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
