The morning dawned, cold and clear, the crisp feel of winter hanging in the air outside. Zandrianna awoke and stretched, looking around her bedroom with a twinkle of barely contained excitement in her clear green eyes.
Nothing, she thought, not Komatsu's disappearance, or the association's business, would stop her from sharing it with her daughter. Arising from her bed, she hummed a cheerful tune as she dressed and brushed her hair, before heading to Althessia's chambers.
The baby was awake and looking around the room from her tiny bed as Zandrianna approached, small cooing sounds coming from her as she apparently greeted the morning. Smiling down, Zandrianna picked her up, cradling her as she went to sit down and tend her. As she sat in the chair, she stroked the top of the baby's head and began telling her a tale in her clear, melodious voice. "Once upon a time ...."
28 Years Earlier
It was a cold winter's night, the start of Yule, and the midwife braced against the freezing winds as she raced to the house, following the tall man who had frantically summoned her. 'Husbands,' the woman thought to herself, 'always seemed to think the worst when it came to their wives giving birth, as though they were the first ones ever to do so.' She shook her head, amused by this fact but hiding it from the man. She knew from experience that he'd hardly appreciate her sentiments. Instead, she nodded as he held the door open for her and rushed back to the bedchambers where she could hear the young woman's painful exclamation.
"Settle down child," the older woman said, looking over at the young mother to be with a practiced eye. "Won't do you or your babe any good if you're too fraught or stressed to birth her." She set her bag down on a chair by the bed, then reaching over she felt the young woman's belly to see where the baby sat.
Turning her head, her reddish blonde hair laying damp against her forehead, Talianth watched the woman work as she prepared what she would need for the birth. "Granny," she said gratefully, as all the women in the village called the midwife, "I'm so happy to see you. You said t'would be painful but I didn't reali ...... AHHH!" her words were abruptly cut off by a sudden contraction.
"Aye, and I realize that, being your first child and all. But you'll get through it and I'll be right here to help you along child. Now, how many pains have you had since your husband left?"
Panting for a moment, Talianth was unable to speak. "I'm .... not sure Granny," she said finally, "But it seems they come practically on top of each other. My back had been hurting most of the day, but I paid it no mind since it's hurt more often than not the past few days." Closing her eyes, the young woman started to lay back, interrupted in her movement by a fresh wave of pain. A rohirric oath escaped from her lips as she turned pale and began panting once more.
The midwife looked down, nodding in satisfaction as she determined everything was going smoothly. Turning, she saw Talianth's husband standing in the doorway looking rather green and she pointed to him. "The water I asked for, is it ready yet? I'll need it very soon I imagine."
Seeing a way to escape watching his wife's pain, the man nodded curtly. "I'll go see right now, and bring it in myself if needed." He turned and strode off, almost at a run, and the midwife nodded with a smile, knowing it was the exact reaction she was hoping for. She then turned back to concentrate on Talianth and her work. "Alright child, from what I can see you're babe is eager to enter the world. The next pain you get, you're to bear down as hard as you can."
Between breaths, Talianth looked to the older woman. "I'm so excited ... and scared Granny ... what if something goes wrong, what if he ..... AHHHHHH!" Talianth's frantic questions were cut off by the swift onset of pain, as she began panting and pushing as the midwife had instructed, a trickle of sweat making it's way down her forehead.
"Good ... good ..." the midwife said as she watched the progress. "I see the head, keep pushing, you're doing fine." she said encouragingly to the young woman. "This one isn't going to take long at all, I don't think. Definitely impatient to be born. Wouldn't happen to know where that came from, would you?" the old woman said teasingly.
Talianth grinned through the pain, continuing to bear down, as it was well known in the village that she was not one to wait for much and tended to rush into things. "Granny ..." she said, her voice filled with amusement and caring.
The midwife smiled, and continued to look down. "Another push ... maybe two ... and it will be mostly done. Are you ready again child?"
"Do I have a choice?" Talianth grinned through her gritted teeth. "I think that mayb .... " her voice broke abruptly as a fresh wave of pain hit her and she started pushing, blowing her breath out rapidly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her husband return with the basin of water, pausing to mouth 'I love you' to him as his eyes met hers. Through the strain on his face he smiled back at his wife, seemingly calmed by the simple statement.
The midwife noted the husband's presence as well, and nodded her thanks to him as he set the basin of water near her feet, though she kept her eyes on her work. "Yes, keep pushing child. The babe is coming out fine." She reached her wrinkled hands out, gently grabbing the baby by the head and turning it, watching carefully as the face, then the neck appeared, followed by the shoulders. Placing on hand beneath the baby's head, she gently coaxed the shoulders free. "One more push Talianth ... you're almost done."
A sharp breath came from the young woman as she blew out hard, bearing down as hard as she could, her face turning pink from the exertion. Her eagerness to see her baby was seemingly only equaled by her babe's determination to be born, and shortly the pain she felt was replaced with a great sense of relief as the child slid from her body and into the midwife's waiting hands.
The midwife made quick work of cleaning the baby's nose and mouth before turning it over to rub its back and encourage it to breathe. In the background, she could hear Talianth's plaintive questioning for her baby, but she ignored it, focused on the new life in her arms.
For several moments the room was silent, save Talianth's worried gasps, then the baby stirred in the midwife's arms, taking a deep breath and letting out a shattering scream that could be heard down the hall and perhaps even out the front doors. "She is fine Talianth, and has a strong set of lungs for one so small. Your daughter ... is fine."
"A girl?" Talianth asked in surprise. "I have ... a daughter?" she turned to look at her husband, who wore the same surprised expression as his wife. "Please, Granny, I need to see her."
The old woman brought the newborn to Talianth's chest, laying her down gently as the young woman stared down in wonder and love at the life she had given. The baby's fine hair appeared almost golden, her skin still wrinkled and pink. "Oh ...." Talianth sighed, a smile of wonder crossing her delicate features. "We have ... a daughter."
"What will you name her," the midwife asked, knowing they had thought of nothing but sons since the news that Talianth was pregnant.
"I ...." Talianth paused, looking over at her husband, who nodded as he gave the decision to his wife. "I shall name her .... Zandrianna ..."
