Night Visits(36)

I felt the easing of tension in her body as I wiped the tears from her eyes. She'd been quietly listening to my thoughts, the pain seemingly forgotten. The ladies in waiting had all in readiness and at last I felt my daughter's presence stronger. "She's here.

" The words were barely past my lips before the most beautiful sight touched my eyes. From my angle above and behind her I could see to down between her legs where our daughter entered the world with not so much as a sound. Her jewel colored eyes opened and looked directly into mine and my breath caught. "Perfection..." I uttered the word just as she was removed to the waiting table where she was cleaned and swaddled before being placed in the royal cradle to wait while her brother was birthed.

"Nicolas now." I spoke out loud to my unborn son who as usual had waited on his sister. It wasn't long before he too was born and the afterbirth was taken care of.

Tamara was tired and jubilant at once her children grasped tightly in her arms as she studied them. How different from just a few short hours ago. The others had left so it was just me and my little family.

"They're beautiful Donovan, thank you."

"Thank me? No thank you, you've given me and my people who are even now lining the streets outside a blessed gift."

"Why are they lining the streets?"

"It's tradition, when a royal child is born the child is revealed to the population at birth. With the empress it's of even greater import, that's why they're waiting but if you need a little more time it’s okay they'll not leave until they've seen our children." She passed the babies into my waiting arms before she eased off the bed; the women had already cleaned her up amid her profuse apologies for mistreating them. They'd all shushed her and then told her stories of their own birthing experience. I now knew way too much about some of my subjects but it had put Tamara at ease and that's all that mattered.

"I'm ready." She wore a gown of pure white, there were layers and layers of the softest material flowing around her down to her ankles. Her hair was brushed loose and beautiful around her shoulders and down her back, her skin pink and healthy. "I can't wait to have you again." She blushed at my words and reached for Nicolai, it was probably not very well done of me to think of taking her to my bed again so soon after she'd gone through the horror of giving birth, but I couldn't help it. Even now after having borne my seed she looked more beautiful than anything I'd ever seen in my life, in this world or her own. "Come." With one arm wrapped around her and the other one holding our daughter I led us out to the balcony where our people waited to congratulate us.





The End