Full chapter title: Our Shallow Faith It Has Left Us Broke.
When Micheáilín woke up, she could overhear a man and a woman arguing.
"Baccán, I don't care that we may get hurt for this! I could not leave her out to die!"
"Aelish, this puts us in the line of fire now!"
"She is our queen! She didn't ask for this! We are nursing her back to health! She was assaulted, by Morgoth, nonetheless! Someone has to be there with her to help heal that scar! And I for one will not leave her just for Morgoth to come back and finish the job!"
Micheáilín tried to get out of the bed and leave the house, but Aelish would not let her.
"No no no, your majesty. You must lie back down and rest."
"Could everyone please stop calling me Your Majesty? I was only crowned today."
"Of course, my lady Micheáilín."
"Just Micheáilín is fine."
"Of course."
"How did I get here?"
"The giant spider Ungoliant left you at our doorstep."
"I could hear you both arguing. And if my presence here puts a strain on your marriage, I can just leave."
"No! No, Micheáilín! It is not safe for you to be out there on your own. Morgoth could come after you again."
"I think he already got what he wanted from me."
"And what did he want?"
"A child."
Baccán was now even more in fear for his life and the life of his wife. IfMicheáilín was indeed pregnant, Morgoth could hunt her down and destroy Baccán and Aelish in the process.
"Then we have to get rid of the child!"
"Baccán!"
"Aelish! The longer she stays, the more danger we are all in! And even more so if she is indeed carrying Morgoth's child! There are ways we can get rid of the child!"
"From his point of view, he is right. But from mine, this child is all that Morgoth wants from me. And he only needs one. If I can be the only one to raise this baby, then Morgoth's child will be the death of him. And if I am already pregnant, then he won't assault me again. And besides, the only one I know of who has the right ingredients to get rid of a baby is already gone."
"And who was that?!"
"My mother."
Aelish let Micheáilín sleep in their cottage, while Baccán decided to sleep in the barn. But by morning, Micheáilín was gone.
"Do you hear me Melkor?! Do you hear me?! You wanted my mother, you got her! You have won her in all of her treachery! In all of her hate! Her wickedness! She was more evil than you ever could be! And she will be the death of you!"
Micheáilín returned to the place where her family's cottage once stood, and built a new cottage. One that was not stained with the blood of the world. As her pregnancy progressed, the giant spider Ungoliant started to regularly visit Micheáilín. Baccán did not allow Aelish to visit her, but she regularly left food for Micheáilín at the door step.
The day Micheáilín's labour pains started, her first thought was to try to clean up the mess from her water breaking. Her next thought was to try to get to Baccán and Aelish's house for help, but Baccán turned her away at the door. Her contractions had progressed too quickly and she was in too much pain to make it back to her cottage. She laid down up against a tree.
"Oh Lord, turn not thy face from me, who lie in a woeful state, lamenting on my sinful life, before they mercy gate."
She screamed with all of the breath in her lungs when the next contraction hit her, when she knew it was time to push.
" Mamaí ! Mamaí , where are you?!"
She was so delirious she thought her mother came to her rescue.
" Mamaí , I can't deliver this baby by myself! Help me, please?!"
"I am here, my sweet girl. Just follow my voice."
Micheáilín pushed and she could see the head of her baby, and more blood. The spider Ungoliant was watching from up high in the tree that Micheáilín was up against.
"Lord Jesus Christ, please, please don't let my baby die. You can take me, but please, not my baby. If I pass, please let my baby be raised by someone with a good heart and soul. Please."
The next two contractions came, and Micheáilín pushed with all that she had in her. She had not seen so much blood since the day her family died.
Once her baby was out, she fell back against the tree, her strength almost gone. She could hear her baby's cries, but she was too weak to pick her up.
"Hold on, my little one. Let me breathe. I've got you,my sweet. Just let me breathe."
She reached out for her little one, but she had nothing on her to cut the cord with. She grabbed hold of the cord, and recited a spell to make it burn away and turn to ash.
"My little girl. My little ice battle. Carrying you has made my life feel frozen, like ice, and delivering you has been a battle. Your name will be Yseult, meaning just that. I will love you, I love you know, and I have loved you since the moment I knew you were growing within me."
Ungoliant came down from the tree to comfort Micheáilín. After all, Ungoliant was a mother too.
"I don't know if I can trust you, Ungoliant. But I am sure you would have killed me by now if that was your goal."
Ungoliant did not speak, but she was able to convey her thoughts to Micheáilin by the look in her eyes.. The two had a common enemy, named Morgoth. Ungoliant promised the House of Terebinthia her protection from Morgoth, if need be. She promised Micheáilín that the Queen of Terebinthia would have the utmost authority of all of the spiders in the land. The only thing Ungoliant wanted was Morgoth gone, and she knew Micheaílín did as well.