30 years after The War

A scream broke through the silence of the palace of Day.

"You are doing wonderful, my love. Almost there the healers say not long now. Just a few more pushes." Helion spoke as his wife gripped his hand in a grip that was near bone shattering.

"You're never touching me again, Helion." She gasped out between breaths, a sentence he'd honor, if he knew she truly meant it, but the sparkle in her eye told him that even now, when she was in so much pain in the birthing process, she was not being truthful. Helion chuckled leaning forward to place a kiss to her brow, as she released his hand as the contraction subsided he brought that hand up to gently brush along the wing that protruded from her back closest to him. The woman shivered at the touch.

"Whatever you wish, my sweet." A knock sounded on the door interrupting the moment.

"Enter." Helion's voice rang out through the chamber. The healer in the corner moved forward grabbing a cool cloth intent to bring it to the laboring woman, but paused as the door opened and a second winged female entered the room.

"How are you fairing dear?" The woman asked moving towards her daughter quickly.

"The contractions are a lot closer together now." The answer came from the woman on the bed.

"I was just about to give her this cool cloth, and check to see if the babe has progressed down, my lady." The healer spoke softly. The Lady of the Night court nodded. She took the cloth the healer handed to her and moved to the opening at her daughter's side, opposite Helion. The healer moved to the end of the bed. Lifting the sheets to peer down.

"I can see the head. On your next contraction, I need you to push, my lady." The daughter of the High Lord of the Night Court gritted her teeth and clamped her hands down onto the bed beside her as the contraction started to build in her.

"Push, dearest. Push!" Her mother encouraged.

"You're doing wonderful, love, almost there!" The woman let out a scream as she pushed with all her might, nothing more important in that moment than meeting the new life she had created. And as her scream ended and the pain subsided a new scream was heard. All eyes in the room snapped forward toward the healer who held a little winged bundle in her arms. The infant squealed and squealed and it was beautiful enough to bring the trio at the head of the bed to tears.

"A girl!" The healer crowed with a broad smile handing the wrapped bundle to her mother. The new mother let out an elated sob as the babe began to settle, recognizing the scent and heartbeat amongst all the strange surroundings.

"Gods she's beautiful!" Helion whispered awestruck at the new life before him. He brushed a finger down the tiny face who blinked up at him.

"Congratulations." The Lady of the Night Court said, tears streaming down her face. "Put her to your breast my dear, she'll be hungry soon enough." The new mother looked startled.

"How do I- how do I hold her?" The older Illyrian smiled softly. She guided the baby and her daughter into position, showing her daughter how to position the nipple so that the baby would latch best, to not cause pain.

Hours later, after his daughter and wife and bed had been cleaned up, and the baby had been checked by the healer, receiving a clean bill of health, his wife had fed the infant again before falling into a hasty sleep. His mother-in-law had exited the room to give the news to both his own father, the High Lord of the Day Court and her mate the High Lord of the Night Court, both of which would likely be disappointed in the news of a girl. What was the point of a political marriage if it did not result in male heirs? Helion scoffed at the thought. He couldn't care less about the sex of the infant. All he cared for was that the baby was healthy, and so was his wife. A political marriage for sure, but one that had easily developed from allies, to friendship, to so so much more.

He stared down at the tiny bundle in his arms, a wistful smile on his face at the sight. Fae children were so rare, he was astounded that they had conceived so early. And yet here she was, the proof of their love, the proof that the day and night could be not just opposites but compliment each other, the strongest of allies. He leaned down, placing a kiss to his daughter's head and smiled again as she opened her eyes. Apparently while she definitely bore the lips, nose and face of his lineage the eyes were all night court. A deep sparkling violet that took his breath away at how similar they were to her mother's, and her uncle. And as if the brief thought summoned him, a knock sounded on the door. Helion smiled at the scent of the male.

"Enter." The heir of Day spoke quietly. The door opened softly, and in stepped his brother-in-law, heir to the Night Court. He stepped to his sister first, placing a kiss to her forehead, hard enough for her to feel his presence in her sleep but soft enough to not wake her.

"Would you believe, I think, that even though they both started grumbling about political alliances and male heirs, I scented a great deal of pride on each of them at the mention of a granddaughter. Though, not as much pride as my mother conveyed when she noted the babe had Illyrian wings." Helion huffed out a laugh turning fully towards the male.

"Would you like to hold your niece, Rhysand?"

"It would be my honor." As the newborn was passed to him and he beheld that beautiful face, the smallest, cutest leathery wings, and those violet eyes a mirror image of both his own and her mother's, Rhysand wept. He wept happy tears for the first time since he was a child. Some small piece of himself that had died in the war healed, and he knew that this child would be the most loved and cared for person in not just the day court, but the night court as well, she would build bridges between the two courts the likes of which neither side could have ever dreamed of. He could feel it so true in his chest that it startled him and he looked up at Helion with a question in his eyes. Helion snickered.

"So you felt it too then?"

"What was that?"

"I believe she's intuitive." Rhysand's mouth dropped.

"But, how, they're so very rare, there hasn't been a record of one since before my father was born."

"Mmhhmm, and when was the last time the Night and Day Courts had a political marriage that was directly from the children of the High Lords?" Rhysand's eyes brightened.

"Ohhhhhh. You knew this would happen?"

Helion shrugged.

"I guessed."

Rhys reached up and ran a hand gently against his niece's cheek.

"What is her name?" He asked.

"Well we decided to honor that dual heritage that we're both hell bent on making sure she experiences as she grows, along with the Mother's sign that this child would bring about a new world, one where we might all dream, at night or during the day." As he listened to his brother in law speak Rhysand looked up out the balcony window to the sky where the sun and moon lay together in the sky, still looking interconnected on their journey apart. He turned back to Helion who finished a broad smile on bothe of the males faces.

"This is Eclipse."