Chapter Seventeen

As the months pass, and Lilah continues to grow in her pregnancy, she comes into her powers more. As her powers increase, so does her body. The nature of her power matured, with none of the guards or the royal family learning of what she was doing. And when she is being watched, she kept up the appearance that she was still the timid woman they wanted her to be. She visits Loki often at night to make love to him, and sometimes just to let him feel his child grow within her. The guards now allowed Lilah to visit him during the day, where she could enter his cell, but surrounded by security. With every new experience in her pregnancy, Lilah tried to share as much of it with Loki. She shared everything, including the good and the bad.

One morning, Lilah was resting in her room when she felt something. Sitting up Lilah put a hand to her belly, with an answering kick against her palm. Lilah gasped, tears springing to her eyes. Hastily, Lilah got up from the lounge and teleported to Loki's cell. Loki is snoozing on a settee, when he felt Lilah's power within his cell. Opening his eyes, Loki saw Lilah before him.

"Lilah? Is something wrong?" Loki asked, suddenly worried that something had happened to make her appear so unexpectedly. Lilah didn't say anything as she approached him with haste. "Lilah?" Still, she did not answer, instead she grabbed Loki's hand and placed in upon her gravid stomach. Loki frowned and was about to ask her more questions, when something pushed against his hand. Loki's eyes widened in realisation that it was his child kicking his hand. Loki was absolutely stunned as he played tag with his child in the womb.

There were regular visits like this where both Lilah and Loki learned more about their child as her pregnancy progressed. Loki had to accustom himself to mood swings, tears, fits of rage, uncontrolled lust. Loki had learned patience when it came to his pregnant Lilah. He was now used to comforting her when she thought she was too large, or when she fretted that their child would not like them. They both knew that once this was all over, it would all be worth it to hold their child for the first time. Of course, Loki had concerns about raising their child. He did not want Lilah to raise their child on her own. The more time he spent in his cell alone, the more that possibility was becoming a reality.

However, Loki had other concerns about being a father. His upbringing with his own 'father' had been less than ideal, and Loki would do everything in his power not to reject his child. Though, there were also fears that his child would reject him. Could he really be a good father? It seemed impossible while being imprisoned. Loki couldn't help but think that the situation could be different if the crimes he had committed had never happened. But Loki could not make himself feel regret over it. If he hadn't done what he did, Lilah would never have come into his life and they wouldn't be having a child together. If anything, this only made Loki angrier within.

It was after midnight one night when Lilah felt wetness in her bed. Slowly, and groggily, sitting up she found that her water had broken. She called for a maid, and thus the long night of labour began. As she screamed out each contraction, Lilah kept wishing that Loki was here to comfort her, hold her hand and whisper words of encouragement and love. For hours Lilah was in terrible pain, and the midwives worried that she would not survive.

It was in the early hours of the morning when their child finally entered this world. The midwives stood at the end of the bed, prepared to grab the child once it had left Lilah's body. As Lilah continue to push, screaming out her frustration, the midwife watched in wonder, or was it horror, as the head began to crown. One midwife gasped as they caught sight of the baby. A dazzling silver light emitted from Lilah, and when a midwife pulled the child from Lilah and held it, the room was silent in awe and shock. The child was beautiful; an unimaginable splendour. Still in awe, they cleaned the child and placed it in warm blankets before approaching the exhausted mother.

Lilah was very weak from the birth, and could hardly keep her eyes open. The birth had been painful and draining. She could feel that she had lost a lot of blood, but her health was far from her mind. "My baby," Lilah croaked, "Where is my baby?" A midwife approached Lilah, carrying a bundle of blankets. When they placed her child into her arms, Lilah tried to keep herself awake. She felt so weak, so sapped of energy. But the happiness she felt was beyond that. Lilah felt herself slipping into darkness, but it was a darkness she would not wake up from. She felt a fleeting joy that she at least got to see her child before she passed.

The midwives watched in horror as Lilah's face became very pale and her breathing slowed drastically. Panic settled in the room, the midwives bustling around the room, trying to find something to help the dying mother. But before they could do anything useful, a miracle seemed to happen. The child started to glow brilliant silver again, which forced the maids to look away. Somewhere in her subconscious, Lilah felt a tiny something touch her face, and then a flood of energy filled her. Her eyes opened and she looked down upon her child. Their eyes met as her child healed her sore and broken body. She could feel the immense power her child held, and it brought her untold joy. Lilah cradled her child to her chest, feeling blessed by such a gifted heir. Once all of her strength had returned to her, she kissed the tiny head, tears falling down her face. Without hesitation, her mind locked with Loki's.

"Lilah? I could feel your pain. What is happening?" Loki's voice whispered through her mind, filled with concern and panic.

"Everything is fine, my love." Lilah could not keep the smile from her voice. "You have a son." An immense swell of pride filled her, both Loki's and her own.

"A son." They shared tears of joy together. "What shall we name him?"

"His name is Dýnami̱."