Megara had a sense that something was different as the evening drew its darkest shroud over Thebes. The stars of Hercules's constellation shone through a window that sacred bells hung in, and her eyes continually wandered to them as the realization that she was nearing her time grew more certain.
Alcmene's arrival was heralded by the sound of wagon wheels rolling up the hill.
Hercules ran out to greet her and led her into the sanctuary. "Everyone, my mother's here with her gifts!"
Megara watched the greetings with a vague interest. Her mind was slipping into a place removed from the world, and she'd never experienced anything like it before. She wished she could muster a real smile for Alcmene, but she was too distant from her reality. She'd descended into a small, quiet place at the center of her mind, and everything she did seemed smaller.
It wasn't until Alcmene walked up to her and took her hand that Megara really noticed her. The hands were warm, but she could feel the years of work that had shaped them. A tinge of a shudder ran through the fingers as if she'd curled them into claws with the repetitive motions of weaving for so long that she was now left with permanent reminders of those motions replaying in her flesh.
"You look like it's almost your time," the woman said. She'd said some other things, but Megara had been too distracted to understand.
"Yeah," she replied flatly. "Cassandra said it would be soon."
She saw Hercules's face, nervously hovering over Alcmene's shoulder, waiting for any sign he needed to dive in to help. The truth was, she didn't know how much he could do aside from providing his presence when she was in need, and she would never tell him so.
Alcmene bent over her, still clutching her hand. "May I feel for the baby?"
Her first instinct was to say no, lean away, and ask to be left alone. But it seemed ungrateful treatment of the woman who had salvaged a baby Hercules from the roadside and raised him as her own. She deserved a greater reward for the kindness and sacrifice she had shown to the best man in the cosmos. "You can," she replied.
Why was she being so short with her? It wasn't just her. Megara was starting to feel irritable.
The aged, trembling hand rested against Megara's belly, and the child inside shifted as if she, too, didn't want to be disturbed.
Megara wanted to whisper to Harmonia that they both had to be polite, but she didn't need to give away the game and make herself look crazy at the same time.
"My goodness, Hercules! She's almost as big as you were!'
"I was a god and a few days old," Hercules said, and Megara detected the telltale sound of him desperately trying not to alarm her.
"Oh, I know. But I remember you were so top-heavy. Your head was pretty large…" Alcmene's hand trailed lower, but Megara's boundaries kicked in, and she caught the woman by the wrist.
"I assure you: I can feel my daughter's head, and it's no larger than to be expected." She held up a fist. "Not much more than this."
There was something so infuriating about the fact she wasn't included in this conversation when it was she who had to endure the ordeal. It was becoming more difficult to withhold her disapproval.
"That's fortunate," Alcmene said. Her voice remained sweet, but she had noticed Megara's disapproval. "I never went through this myself, but it has always fascinated me. I've attended over a hundred births in rural Attica, though, and I'm happy to lend my expertise in that way."
"Thanks," Megara said, though perhaps too sharply.
"Mom also brought a wool garland to hang over the door," Hercules interjected. "We can hang it when Harmonia is with us."
"Why do you hang wool over the door?" Galatea asked. "Is it because your family are shepherds?"
Alcmne was stunned by the question, so Hercules took over and answered for her. "Oh, it's because most girls spend their lives weaving," he said.
"Why doesn't she know that?" Alcmene whispered.
"Galatea's life has been… unconventional," Hercules said.
"You mean your mother doesn't know?" Galatea gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.
Megara found it impossible not to laugh while Hercules sighed. "You've got to tell her, Herc, or I will."
"Okay…" Hercules drew a bracing breath. "Ma, I brought Galatea to life because I couldn't get a date to the Aphrodesia Dance, and Aphrodite helped give her a personality. It's one of the dumbest things I ever did, but I'm grateful it's worked out so well."
Alcmene stood so long with her mouth hanging open that Megara started laughing again. It was wrong to resent the woman, but the prodding still irritated her. She shouldn't be so petty.
"I'm really grateful the girls at Prometheus Academy weren't interested that week," Galatea said. "Let's get some food in our girl Meg. There's no telling when she'll need it."
"I always need it," Megara said. She slowly pushed herself out of her chair, focused and refusing help from Hercules until she forced herself to her feet. Her head rushed briefly until she leaned into Hercules, and his aura helped to stabilize her. "What would I do without you?" she whispered.
"I dunno, it looks like I did a number on you," Hercules replied with a nervous laugh.
"You did, but it was so fun…"
"Yeah…" he kissed her hair. "C'mon, let's do our best to make it a fun evening."
Every step felt like she was walking on shattered pottery underwater. She wouldn't let anyone know. Tension seeped into her mind, staining it like wine on a sponge. Something had changed.
"Are you all right?" Eurydice asked her, leaning over so that she could check Megara's face. "You look a little… red-faced."
"Fine," Megara forced between her teeth. "Does anyone know if Medusa's on her way?"
"She'll be here with Aphrodite," Galatea reassured her.
"All your friends will be here," Hercules translated to address the second layer of the question that she hadn't voiced. "None of us are leaving you to face this alone."
"I know that's the plan, but…" her mind wandered into distraction. There wasn't any pain, but she couldn't help but notice the intensity of a new feeling. There had been a few close calls and false alarms, but her whole psyche was tuned into this sensation.
"We won't let you down. I won't let anyone let you down anymore."
Megara smirked up at him, amused at the idea that he thought he could control that. Still, he seemed so far away even though his arm was around her to guide her into the dining room.
He hooked an arm under her legs and set pillows behind her to help prop her up. "I'll get you anything you want. We've got steak from the cow we sacrificed to my mother, honey cakes dedicated to Rhea and Aphrodite, venison for Artemis, and grapes for Dionysus."
"What does Dionysus have to do with birth?" Eurydice asked.
"We're invoking him because he's a relative of the Cadmeas," Cassandra explained.
"It's important to invoke as many gods as possible," Alcmene said, settling close to Megara's couch. "I knew a girl back in Attica who forgot to invoke Hera before her birth, so Hera got distracted and didn't help, so the poor thing was laboring for two days before anyone remembered to sacrifice to the queen. The girl survived, but her baby–"
"Mom!" Hercules exclaimed. "Don't jinx them! Meg needs positive thoughts only. She is way too good at negativity. Don't help her come up with more horror scenarios."
"Sorry," Alcmene said. "I remember there was a shepherdess who went into labor in the field, and her brother found her when she didn't come home for supper. She'd already given birth, all by herself. Sometimes, the right person under the right circumstances can pull through with no trouble and no assistance."
Megara nodded slowly. She wasn't as hardy as a shepherdess, but she didn't need to mention that aloud and let Hercules worry that she was worrying. "Can I have some beef?"
"Here!" Hercules thrust a beef skewer into her hand and smiled. "Anything else you want? Grape juice with honey?"
"Yeah." The word came out between her teeth. She wasn't in pain. "All of that."
Hercules provided her with everything, frequently checking her forehead and her belly as if to check on both her and Harmonia in turn.
"You'll make her nervous," Cassandra warned him.
"I've got to monitor," Hercules retorted. "I don't want to miss anything."
"Most of the time, it will start normal, and the girl might even be sleeping when it starts or think she can go through a day's work before it really starts," Alcmene said. "In Megara's case, she's got a demigoddess, so there's no telling if she's going to come fast or slow. The fast ones might seem like a blessing, but they're the ones who tear through their mothers the most."
"But that won't happen to you, Meg," Hercules said in a voice firm enough to dispel her fears. I will storm the Underworld to bring you back again if I have to. You're not going to be trapped down there. You belong where you're safe and loved, and I'll fight anyone to protect you—both of you."
Megara nodded slowly. Was her pain showing on her face? Would it look as if she was in pain from imagining what could happen to her, or did everyone already know? No. She was not in pain.
She'd finished her beef skewer. "I need to have one of everything to honor each goddess," she said, not even bothering to address Alcmene's warnings. Her eyes flickered toward Cassandra in silent hope that she'd get a forecast of the next several hours, but nothing appeared in her future sister-in-law's eyes.
"Sure, of course!" he cut her a share of venison and held it to her lips. If anyone was more afraid of what might happen than she was, it was Hercules.
"Are there ways to slow or speed a birth?" Galatea asked.
"There are herbs," Alcmene said.
"Do we have any of those?" Eurydice asked.
"Hera should have them," Galatea sounded as if she were trying to force herself to be more confident than she really was.
She wasn't the only one.
"Who made these honey cakes?" Megara asked.
"It was me!" Eurydice said. "There were stampers in the market, and I stamped some with lionesses and others with the moon! I hope you like them. The shape won't make a difference."
"I'll still need one of each to honor both goddesses," Megara said, though the sting had finally reached her notice.
"Of course." Hercules got her one of each and then stacked them together. "Whatever makes you safe and happy."
She shouldn't laugh at that, but she did.
"I know, I know," Hercules kissed her cheek, then scarfed down some beef and venison for himself.
"If Meg's feeling the contractions, is that the face she'd make?" Galatea asked.
Megara instantly stuffed the rest of the honey cake into her mouth to disguise whatever 'face' she was supposedly making.
"We should also give her some herbal tea," Alcmene said. "I brought her raspberries and raspberry leaves to infuse with the honeyed grape juice. That should help prepare her."
"I've had lots of raspberry leaf… thanks," Megara released a heavy breath as the tension resolved itself. She wished she wasn't such a spectacle, but she had no doubt she'd be the whole circus in no time.
"Would you like me to make it for you?" Eurydice asked. "Then I'll start playing some music. I'm not exactly Orpheus, but he's taught me a whole lot since we met."
"Yes. Both of those things," Megara said.
Eurydice ran off to be helpful.
Galatea moved to the same couch as Megara. "I'm not sure, but I feel like you might need someone to check on you."
"I'm fine."
"You and I both know that nobody says they're fine if they're actually fine," Galatea replied. "It's most important that you and Harmonia are safe and well taken care of. All of us are here to protect you, so if that means reminding you that there's no shame in voicing your pain, that's what we'll do."
"As often as you need," Hercules added.
There was a faint green light over his shoulder. "I see a small bundle wrapped in purple," Cassandra said. "Megara is holding the child. There's blood… everywhere…"
Megara groaned and doubled over in her seat. "No…"
"There's supposed to be blood everywhere," Alcmene said. "It has to come out. That's the only way to release Harmonia."
Cassandra ran across the room to join the pile-on around Megara. "I'm sorry for the timing of that, but you were holding her!"
There were too many people. Too many faces. Too many hands. Everyone was so close!
"We should start combing her hair to get all the tangles out," Alcmene said. "Then we'll unbind it, and everyone will untie every knot in the house. Open every box, every door. Nothing will be blocked."
It was happening!
It shouldn't be happening yet! She wasn't ready!
"Hold on!" Hercules lifted Megara and carried her off the couch into the next room. "It's okay, Meg. Nobody can force you to start this whole thing. It'll happen when your body is ready. Don't worry about any of their opinions. You're the boss. You're the boss of all of us. All right? Nothing here happens if you don't want it."
Megara gripped his tunic, and her eyes widened to reveal the seriousness of the situation. "It's happening. I can't do anything about it. It's about to get worse."
"Hey, it's okay. Remember what Rhea's told you. You're a lioness. You're not helpless. You're going to become a goddess. In my eyes, you became one the same night I attained godhood. Don't ever forget that."
This time, when a contraction hit, Megara curled and pressed herself against him, groaning in her pain. "I don't feel powerful. It's all happening to me, and all these people are watching…"
"That's only because we all admire you so much. You're brave and already showing us how much you love Harmonia. We're all so excited to meet her, and we want to help you. We'll be here no matter what happens because we love you." He kissed her cheek just as her contraction relaxed. "How many of those have you had?"
"I'm not sure… I've been in denial…"
"Then we'll start counting now. We'll get through this, Meg. You're going to be all right. Harmonia will be all right. This is only the beginning for us. I know you can beat this."
"But what if I can't?"
"You can." Hercules rested his brow against hers, and his aura soaked into her skin. "I know it's in you to survive. There's nothing and nobody that can take you away from me."