Vlad savoured the taste and softness of his wife's lips, exchanging several tender kisses as the late afternoon heat reached its peak. Just as he leaned in for one more kiss, his wife gasped with happiness. She parted her sheer robe, revealing her gravid abdomen, and Vlad felt the gentle fluttering of their unborn child, which made him sigh contentedly.
"Go on, say something," Lisa urged gently. "The child should able to hear you."
Vlad rested his forehead against hers, lost in thought. He never imagined he would find himself in this position—from being a ruthless warlord to centuries of isolation to marrying a human woman and becoming a father-to-be. It felt undeserved in some ways, but he wanted to try for Lisa's sake, if not his own.
As he gently thumbed the lower half of Lisa's abdomen, Vlad spoke softly to their unborn child, "Hello, little one," he began, his palms resting near her navel. "I can't be like your mother with her boundless kindness and generosity, but I promise to do everything I can to provide for you. You mean the world to us."
There was a flash of a tiny hand stretching out from within Lisa's abdomen as their child squirmed, causing Vlad to blink in amazement.
Lisa reassured Vlad by placing her hands on his, chuckling. "I think that was acceptable. The child's movements have been more subdued lately, except for moments like these. It won't be long now."
Vlad turned his attention back to his wife. "Are you certain you want to go through this without any pain relief for the contractions?"
Outside the walls of his castle, childbirth was a perilous and often deadly endeavour for any woman, regardless of her class. Having taught Lisa medical knowledge far beyond what was known out there made the risk minimal with the best care possible. Despite the fact that their child was not entirely human, the dangers were similar to those of a human child. The supernatural powers of their child would not manifest until later.
"Until now, I've only asked to be by your side, in your arms, until it's over. However, if it becomes unbearable, I may reconsider," Lisa stated firmly, shifting uncomfortably on the settee, away from her husband. "Now, perhaps you could maybe help get our child to move to a place that's most comfortable for me since you've got it going?" she teased, grimacing.
Vlad gently tapped a clawed finger on Lisa's left side. "Move for your mother, if you please."
There was no response from their unborn child. Just as Lisa was about to interject at his massive success of making it move with little effort, Vlad lowered his head down suddenly onto her lap, facing their child. She thought at first she heard him mumbling as though he was casting some sort of spell only to realise he was singing to their child. The song was in Wallachian but the form of the lyrics were odd to her. Wallachian was not her first language as she was a Saxon from the bordering country of Transylvania with a slight German accent. Lisa deduced the song with its occasional unintelligible words, long predated her. There was no doubt it was testament of her husband's age.
The enchanting melody seemed to garner a response on their child as Lisa felt it shift, giving her much-needed relief. She brushed Vlad's hair away as he continued to sing in his deep, rich tone. When the song concluded, Vlad kissed Lisa's bare skin. "Be good now."
He turned his gaze to the vaulted ceiling above, holding the hand still caressing his hair. "Won't you come back up, dear?" Lisa asked tenderly.
Vlad seemed to make a sound of contemplation before answering, looking up at his wife glowing radiantly with the sunlight behind her. "I think I rather like the view from here. Here, with our child and you shielding me from those bothersome rays. It's perfect," he closed his eyes.
"Silly old man," Lisa chided affectionately. She knew the sunlight had not affected Vlad in centuries, but it was a good excuse for his laziness.
With the longest day of the year fast approaching, Lisa could not help but wonder if she would give birth when the sun was at its peak as irony given Vlad's nature and the unique nature of their child.
"Eager for this to be over?" Vlad suddenly asked, bringing Lisa back to the present.
"I don't mind being with child; in fact, I quite like it," Lisa replied after some thought. "But I would to meet our child as soon as possible. So yes, I'm eager for this to be over."
Lisa's fingertips traced the lines on Vlad's face, causing him to slowly open his eyes and look at her. "It's time you come back up and kiss me," she playfully demanded.
Vlad made a small groan, making a show of stretching his supposed old joints to Lisa's amusement. He eventually got back up and held her chin, tilting it upward and staring deep into those light blue eyes of hers sparkling in the sunset. No words were needed to convey the depth of her love to him and vice versa. She was his wife, soon to be the mother of their child.
With the last sliver of the sun sinking below the horizon, Vlad and Lisa shared a most tender kiss between the two of them.