Lord Allan and Lady Margaret Morse had been delighted to finally have a child on the way. But once his wife was showing Lord Allan began to worry that their secret would be revealed.
"I cannot attend your birth, I am a man."
"I did not ask you to husband."
"Surely you can not birth alone?" Lord Allan had a hint of hope in his voice.
"No Allan, I cannot."
"Are you quite certain?"
"I cannot catch the babe."
"Allan, you knew this was a risk. You said that at least our babe would live. I agreed with you. I still agree. 'Tis worth it to have a babe. Besides, surely we will be fine. We are nobility."
They had the conversation often. As Allan became more sick with worry he added a new element.
"What about our babe?"
"This baby kicks often enough. Surely we will have a healthy babe."
"What if...our babe shares our secret?"
"Babies do not tell secrets."
"Babies do not tell secrets."
"Confound it woman! What if our babe is like us?"
"Of course our baby will be like us."
"No...what if the baby...."
"Oh Allan. Perhaps the baby will not..."
Eventually the idea drove him mad. Now Lady Morse would be bringing a babe into the world with her husband in the Fool's Tower.
She'd been worried when she had gone to chapel. She wanted to pray for her husband in a church, hoping it would help her prayers reach the good Lord's ears. Thankfully no one had asked about Lord Allan. What would she have done then? Lie on a Sunday? Tell the royal family her husband had gone mad? For now she could keep his reputation in tact. The servants did not question his absence for they do not stay at night. Good thing they didn't stay. She wouldn't want anyone to know of all her sleepless nights.
For this moment, Lady Morse breathed in the sweet smell of the fruit ripening in the orchard. Her back had been aching all day. Being in the garden seemed to help somehow. She stood there with her eyes closed, breathing it in, feeling the breeze...when suddenly -
"Oh!"
That hurt. That really hurt.
She waddled over to one of the servants.
"Send for" and then she cried out.
"M'Lady, I will help ye inside."
"No," she said. "Send word to the midwife and Princess Jean. Tell them the babe is on the way."
"I will do so and return quickly m'Lady."
"No. Take the rest of the day off. Can't have a man about the place."
"I will jest help ye inside first m'Lady."
"No, please go."
He left running.
Lady Margaret made her slow waddle through the garden.
Inside she found Sister Shannon playing with the cat.
"Sister? Will you please help me up the ladder. I can't possibly make it up there alone."
Another pain gripped her.
"Mother! Mother, Lady Margaret's baby-"
Before the nun could finish the sentence Mother Teresa was by her side.
Between the 2 of them they somehow managed to get the laboring mother up the ladder in one piece.
"Now, to get this dress off you."
"No."
"M'Lady birthing a baby...well...it would stain your dress."
Another pain took her over and Lady Margaret stopped protesting.
They took off her dress, leaving her in her shift. Sister Shannon gasped.
"Sister Shannon," the nun said quickly, "it is just a little growth. Consider it like confession and keep to yourself."
Lady Margaret gave the nun a most thankful look in between pains.
"Widow Sanders is here," Dame Roberts announced as she came into the room.
For a moment Widow Sanders stared.
"Widow Sanders, please," another pain struck Lady Margaret.
Widow Sanders looked her in the eyes. It struck fear in the Lady's heart, for commoners do not do that.
"A midwife tells not," Widow Sanders said.
Lady Margaret breathed easier, but just for a moment. Another pain struck her. She moaned loudly.
"How long have ye been havin' these pains?"
"I sent for you as soon - oohhhh! - as soon as they began."
"And before that? Any other kinds of pain?"
"Just my back," Lady Margaret said as tears rolled down her cheeks. Someone wiped them away. Lady Margaret didn't notice who. "My back has been hurting especially bad all day."
"That is a sign of a baby on the way," Widow Sanders said matter of factly.
The pain suddenly worsened.
"Quick - the birthing chair."
The women followed Widow Sanders orders. Lady Margaret found herself in the chair. She hated being in this position in front of all these women, but was too worn out by now to protest. Behind her she heard the door creak.
Princess Jean slipped into the room. For once she was completely ignored.
Lady Morse wailed in pain. Princess Jean was quite startled. What would make her wail so?
Widow Sanders hurried over.
Widow Sanders crouched down before Lady Margaret. She leaned forward.
"Come out child!" the widow shouted up her skirts.
Princess Jean was shocked.
Lady Margaret began to sob.
It is no wonder, Princess Jean thought. To have someone shout up your skirts like that.
Lady Margaret hunched forward. She began making grunting sounds like a stuck pig. Sister Shannon began to pray. Widow Sanders called to the baby more fervently.
Princess Jean felt most uneasy. She watched Widow Sanders change position. Now her hands were between the Lady's knees. Should she intervene? This can't be right. But none of the other women seem to see anything amiss.
Lady Margaret's grunts turned into a scream.
What is the widow doing to her?
Princess Jean looked. The widow was not touching her at all.
"Push," said the widow firmly, "push hard."
Push what? Princess Jean didn't understand.
Something protruded from the Lady. Something bloody.
"Yer baby is almost here m'Lady," the Widow said brightly. "Someone give me a clean rag to get this baby presentable. Stop pushing a moment now."
That is the baby? Babies come in this world bloodied? Then it hit her. The baby caused those pains. Princess Jean shuddered, backing away.
Finding the cat in the corner of the room, Princess Jean occupied herself with it.
"Ahhhhh!!!!!"" Lady Margaret screamed.
Princess Jean turned. A gooey baby slipped into a clean cloth the midwife had ready. The baby let out a lusty wail. It was horrible. Princess Jean rushed from the room.
She had no idea birthing was like this.
Hmm... I wonder what Lord Allan was so worried about. Is he a Plantsim too? Plantsims seem common enough in Rosewood that they'd know by now that gestated babies can't be Plantsims. Curious...
ReplyDeletePoor Jean! I can't believe no one told her what to expect. I was hoping her mother would at least talk to her shortly after Lady Margaret asked, but apparently that didn't happen.
Things like this are kept hush hush, just in case the other person freaks out. This is their first baby and they had no idea if their baby would be born a nymph.
ReplyDeleteSister Shannon was told a little of what to expect earlier, but Jean came in at a bad moment where all thoughts were of the mother.