King of Blades - 16. The Birth of a Prince

Exactly two weeks after the news of Queen Cyra's death, Anil gave birth to the Grand King's first son.

She began labor just before dawn. As the expected time for the birth had grown closer, Myri had taken to sleeping with her wife instead of Coulta and Wildas, in case such an event occurred. The healer was in control of the situation from the start, waking her husbands almost violently and ordering them around.

"Get a servant to fetch me cold water and a cloth. Find the castle midwife, too. I'm not as experienced as she is with any of this. Wildas, find your parents. You're mothers should be here, especially. Force Xiao if you must. I want none of her using her depression as an excuse now. Well, don't sit there gaping at me like I'm crazy! Our child is being born you fools!"

They were out of bed quickly after that, exchanging nightshirts for semi-presentable attire and shoving their feet into their shoes, moving as fast as they could. The news spread quickly after that, and an anxious air settled about the castle – childbirth didn't always go well, everyone knew, and no one dared to celebrate until the child was fully born and declared healthy.

Anil's room was quickly turned into a birthing chamber, with Myri overseeing everything. The castle midwife was there to assist, along with two other healers. Yvona and Xiao both sat with the queen to offer support and comfort, holding her hands while she cried out in pain. Even Wildas' bedchamber had been commandeered and served as a waiting area for a number of female servants who could be sent for other healers, fresh water, clean cloths, or whatever was needed. Meanwhile, the men were locked out of the Grand King's chamber completely, relegated to Wildas' office. Wildas spent the day walking around the room, fidgeting with just about everything, while Coulta paced.

Coulta was terrified. This was the day when he would finally learn if his inadvertent power shares with his spouses had left any noticeable effects on the child. Who the child have black marks on its skin? Would it have powers? Worse, would it be harmed in some way? Sickly? Deformed?

Shelton, who was sitting with them for the day, finally grew so tired of their fretting that he had wine brought to them to take the edge off their nerves. It helped only slightly.

Many people visited them, and it got to the point where Wildas simply propped the door open so anyone could step in. Rohan came by frequently, as did Wildas' other siblings – a few of the princesses were even permitted into the birthing chamber. The rest of Wildas' extended family stopped in once or twice; the majority of his aunts, uncles, and cousins who lived within the castle or the city. Jaimathan and Fae arrived just after the morning meal – which had been brought to the kings by servants and went mostly uneaten – and asked if they could stay throughout the day. The offer was happily accepted and Fae was admitted to the birthing room for the day, having left her own son with a trusted nurse. Teeya even visited for the final hour, just after the evening meal had also gone uneaten.

"It's been days since I talked to you last," Coulta complained.

"I've been busy," she replied sadly. "We've gotten so many requests for uniforms for soldiers lately."

He raised a brow in curiosity. "I thought you mostly did work for the nobles?"

She rubbed her neck tiredly. "The other tailors and seamstresses are so overwhelmed with orders that we agreed to take on some, too. Master Clyde swears after the war comes and goes, he is retiring and giving the entire business to me." She snorted. "The man will only retire when he's blind or his hand shakes too much to work. Even then he'd be fine with taking orders and passing them off to me and the six girls he was working for him."

"How many uniforms do you need to provide?" he asked.

"I don't even know, I just fill each order as soon as I can. We're making new uniforms for everyone in the Royal Guard, I know that much. I hate the uniforms. They are made to look better than all the other soldiers', but they still have to fit over light armor. And the color." She cringed and shuddered. "I'm never wearing red again."

Coulta grinned. "Other than the work, how have you been?"

She glanced at Wildas, who was talking with Shelton and Jaimathan about some long-ago war, then she turned back to Coulta and smiled brightly. "Do you remember Yerik?"

It took Coulta a moment, but the name took him back to his old life in Arren. "He was the servant who was always sent to bring me to Varin when he needed me to do a job for him." He felt a stab of despair as he thought of his old life, and he clamped his hands tightly on the arms of the chair he sat in.

Teeya nodded and gently squeezed her friend's forearm. "He followed me here. After I left he stayed on to serve Wildas' uncle, but he eventually left to find me." She smiled happily. "Oh, Coulta, I finally know what love is. It's amazing that he, of all people, wants to be with me. I don't have to worry about having to tell someone what was done to me, then watching them leave me in disgust. He understands, and he loves me. I love him, too."

Coulta hugged her tightly, feeling the happiest he had been in days. Yerik and Teeya belonged together, he was certain. They had both worked for Varin, and had both faced the same treatment. Varin had a cruel way of dominating his servants; by taking away all pleasures of the flesh. He had a magical healer with the power to remove a woman's womb and seal her so that no man in the world could bed her. He also castrated all his male servants. Coulta was never certain why he had been spared, though he speculated that Varin had thought it kept him strong for murdering people.

"Even if I have to come in disguise," Coulta told her with a grin, "I want to come to your wedding."

She pulled back and smacked his shoulder lightly. "Don't go making me think things are set for life just yet! It's only been a few months!"

"I got married after a few weeks," Coulta argued lightly.

"Yes, I know the story," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Your prince was given the option of friends or strangers and chose friends. You were destined to be with him anyway."

They were interrupted by the arrival of Alidex the unicorn, who stepped lightly into the office. The sound of hooves on the stone floor made everyone look up, despite being used to the stallion's presence in the castle.

The unicorn looked around the room at the five people currently within it, and declared, "The child is a son. He will carry the status of one father, the mark and magic of the other, and the docileness and grace of his mother. He will be a great king when his time comes to rule, and he will be greatly loved by all his people."

Alidex then turned and walked placidly out of the office.

Coulta felt like he was ready to be sick. Alidex's reference to a mark and magic could only be applied to what Coulta feared the most, that he had effected the unborn child by passing his powers to Anil.

A strong hand closed over his own and he looked up at his husband. Wildas looked nothing but determined. "Let's take this in stages," he said quietly, forcing Coulta to look him in the eye. "I will not let anyone take you from me or our family. Shelton will take care of things. He knows the truth. I know the truth. Anil and Myri know the truth. If we have to convince others of the truth, we will, but you will not be locked up or injured or exiled or anything. I will not let that happen. I love you."

Before Coulta could even come up with anything to say to that, the door into the Grand King's bedchamber opened and Myri appeared. She looked tired and deeply concerned. Her words did not betray her concern, however, and they hardly covered the intense mutterings going on inside.

"The Grand King has a healthy son. Come meet the newborn prince."