[CRP] Arakhadilo O Volil

[Aileigh]

Arakhadilo O Volil - Born of Love

January 20th of 1664 | Ettinford Estate, Ettinford Viscounty, Fenia

Birdsong reached her waking ears first, prompting a slow open of her eyes. Sunlight strained to reach her through the heavy curtains, creating a faint halo of light around the edges of the fabric. A yawn escaped her lips as she stretched out her arms over her head, arching her back a bit. It ached badly, but that was no surprise - she was, afterall, nine months pregnant. Her belly was large, bigger than it was with the first set of twins, which implied the two yet to be born would be decent sized and healthy. Her pregnancy had gone very well, with regular checks with the local midwife and doctor confirming things were progressing as expected. It brought her much joy to know that her unborn children seemed to be growing and doing well; she found pregnancy brought more stress than she had initially anticipated before her first one. To know one was completely and fully responsible for something so fragile, that anything one did could affect the outcome to dire consequences, was overwhelming at times.

As Aileigh stretched out her legs next, rolling onto her back, she recognized a dampness on the sheets. She bolted upright and pulled the blankets aside in an instant panic, but got a temporary moment of relief when she saw the wet spot she laid in was not blood. Then it dawned on her: her water broke.

Calmly, she slid out of bed. Hair disheveled, she went to the bedroom door and opened it. She was able to immediately flag down a servant, whom she gave instructions too, "Please summon the doctor and midwife. Tell them my water has broke."

As the woman hurried off, she retreated back into her room to change out of her wet nightgown. She dropped it into the hamper and pulled on a clean nightgown before taking a moment to brush and braid her hair. Feeling a bit more put together, she finally left the room. By this point, she had noticed small and rather painless contractions. They were spaced out by minutes and very short in duration, which told her that while she was in active labour now, she still had plenty of time for the medical aid to arrive.

The golden light in the hall told her that it was still early morning, so she went to her wife's room down the hall. She gave a light knock before entering, finding Thea still in bed, soundly asleep. She quietly approached and placed a gentle hand on her wife's shoulder, stirring her. Thea gave a sleepy smile and mumbled a 'morning', but alertness swept away the tiredness when Aileigh informed her of the situation. She was quick to get up and dress, before they made their way back to Aileigh's bedroom together to get settled for the upcoming events. Along the way, she told another servant to notify Andrzej what was happening, so he was in the loop. With her in labour, they would no longer be in direct contact until two weeks postpartum, per their cultural rules. It was to protect both herself and the babies from evil spirits, a complicated process with many strict regulations. Thea, being a woman, was allowed to partake in the delivery and aftercare, but men were not allowed to until the children were old enough to be baptized and named, not even the father. She would spend the next two weeks in isolation, in the protection of her charmed and cleansed room.

The next several hours felt long, but all in all, it only took ten hours from her summoning the doctor to hearing the first of two cries. Minutes later, a second cry joined the first and the twins were born: she had another daughter and son.

[Aileigh]

Following a brief check over by the medical professionals, each twin was placed on their mother's bare chest, who waited with bated breath to see their faces for the first time. Their cries quietened rather quickly in response to her touch and smell, the only thing familiar to them in the strange and cold world they were just thrusted into against their will. Bright eyes swept over their little features, exhausted and happy tears beginning to blur her vision. Thea stroked her hair as she leaned close to look too. Each of the babes were born with a head full of black hair that had a wave to it and she caught glimpses of blue amongst grey for the brief moments their eyes were open. Their skin was a bit red and splotchy, but the complexion already appeared to be a bit darker than her own fair skin, likely taking after their father's skin. They were beautiful; they were perfect.

She shifted them in turn, lifting them to her face to press a kiss to their head and whisper the quietest utterance into their ear, giving them each the first of three names. It was a name that would never be used - never spoken, never written, with no records beyond her memory of that moment. The name was a secret, the ultimate form of protection against possession. It was their true name and without knowing it, an evil spirit would be unable to take control. The next two names, their Romani name and their gaje (non-Roma) name, would not be given until two weeks of life in a formal ceremony and baptism. Until then, they would be otherwise nameless, per tradition.

After a few tender moments, Aileigh beckoned an attending servant with a quiet request, "Tell my protector that the twins have been born: a boy and a girl."

As the woman left in search of Andrzej, the doctor and midwife lingered to monitor the three of them. Aileigh paid little mind as Thea placed a warm blanket up over her chest, covering them while they enjoyed some time of skin-to-skin contact. Once the mess of childbirth was cleaned up, Thea slid into bed beside her to keep her company, distance between them only caused by the growing six-months-along belly of hers. Aileigh appreciated the company and after a while, she let the nursemaid take the newborns and her eyes finally drifted close in utter exhaustion.

Word of the safe arrival of the newest royals were sent back home, news she knew her family was impatiently waiting for. The next two weeks went well, although her recovery was slower than it had been in the past from the larger size of her new infants. Thea kept her company in her seclusion, which she appreciated greatly, being a more social person. Having a nursemaid meant she actually got some rest, but with the babes being kept in the same room, she was pretty much on their sleep schedule. She held them often and fed them at times herself, but did accept the assistance because two babes was considerably more tiring than just one.

Three days prior to the two week mark, a small caravan arrived to Ettinford, consisting of family and close friends that traveled from Bravia for the baptism. Once they arrived, she had a pretty constant stream of female visitors into her room during the days leading up to the ceremony. Aishe and Amnestria hardly left the room, but it was otherwise a revolving door. She didn't mind though - to spend time with her family was something she cherished, especially given the distance between them throughout the year.

The morning of the ceremony however, Aileigh requested privacy and summoned Andrzej. His presence would break the protection spells, but the day had come for the twins to leave seclusion and enter the world, so it no longer mattered. A swirl of nerves fluttered through her stomach as she waited, sitting in bed with a twin in each arm. Their quiet breathing helped her relax a bit, but the anticipation built with each passing second. She didn’t have to wait long though before the door opened.

Andrzej was a sight for sore eyes. It was rare for them to not see each other for a day, least of all a fortnight. He was always by her side or nearby, being her protector. His presence was an instant comfort and he was quick to approach the bed.

“Meet your son and daughter.” While today was the day they would be getting their names, until the ceremony they could not be used. Blue eyes searched his face, the girl in her arms stirring a bit in her sleep.

[Andrzej]

Andrzej had sensed it the moment Aileigh had started her labors. He had sensed that their little ones were ready to enter the world and it had taken every ounce of his willpower not to go directly to her. It just simply wasn't done and he knew that. So in order to appease the beast inside him he'd chosen to lounge on the roof of the manor directly over his lovers sleeping chamber. It was on that roof that the servant had found him to inform him that the twins had been born and now, after two weeks, the time had finally come for him to finally meet them. As he entered Aileigh's chambers his heart swelled with joy. "They are beautiful" he murmured softly as he approached the bed gazing down at the little bundles in her arms.

[Aileigh]

Her gaze lingered on his features a moment before drifting down to the babes, nodding softly. "Yes, they are. And healthy, the doctor said. You can't see them now, but both their eyes appear to me a mix of blue and grey. That could change in the next few weeks, of course, but it's a lovely colour. And if you lift back their hats, you'll see a mess of hair black as mine on each of them. Though, he seems to have a little bit more than her."

Her words were spoken quietly, although she knew they were both sound asleep and wouldn't stir to a normal volume. It was more the tenderness of the moment than the sleeping babes that had her voice lowered as she looked back up at him. "Please, sit. Would you like to hold one?"

She didn't really wait for him to respond before shifting, sitting up a bit more in anticipation of passing one of the infants into his waiting arms. As he settled down on the bed beside her, their son was moved from mother to father. The move caused a furrow of his brows, but he otherwise remained still and content in the warmth of his blanket.

"I could hear you up on the roof... Or well, I assume it was you and not someone else posted above my room." Her lips twitched with a smile. She understood his need to be close and imagined it had to be difficult to not be able to be at their sides during the past two weeks. At least now, the wait was over and there were no more barriers, magical or traditional. Or well, no more barriers besides the secrecy of their relationship. It would be a factor that would impact the children he sired, who would be raised as hers and Thea's, but at least he would be present in their daily lives - even if they would not be carrying his name. Of course, who knew what was to come. The seer didn't, as she actively avoided searching for answers in regards to her romance with her wife and her lover. Let what will come be on its own, without her influence or knowledge. "I hope the wait was bearable...

I missed you. Thank you for being near, it was a comfort."

[Andrzej]

Andrzej felt a rush of warmth flow through him as he held their son in his arms. A smile formed on his lips as he pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead. He then turned his attention towards his lover gazing into her eyes. "Being able to hold our son in my arms was well worth the wait" he murmured softly as his gaze lowered to their daughter. "Both of them are so beautiful"

[Aileigh]

It was not the first time she'd seen him hold a baby. He had held her other children on many occasions. However, there was something special about seeing him holding a child she knew was his own. A sense of ease and peace washed over her, flooding her with love, admiration. It was a special moment indeed, one she knew she'd look back on and cherish, no matter what the future held. She understood that she was treading a fine line with her relationships. For the past several months, things went more or less smoothly, but where there was romance, emotions could run high. Considering the polyamory was her choice and neither of her partners', who were not in a relationship with each other, she knew that tensions like jealousy could strike. Currently, they all had an understanding. The birth of the twins could change that, even prove fatal to the delicate balance of their lifestyle.

Her concern was Thea, who could be headstrong and had shown jealousy in the past when their relationship began to flourish beyond friendship. Andrzej had consistently been understanding and patient, but he also entered the relationship with her knowing she was married. While the marriage initially held no romantic interest, he accepted Thea was her wife by law and choice and would, in many aspects, come first. It was Thea who had to adjust to Aileigh's diverted attention, even though their marriage was built on the agreement of doing what they pleased privately.

With the arrangement that the twins would be raised and acknowledged as Thea's publicly, carrying the Winterbourne name and not Goldeye, she hoped that would curb any budding jealousy that may arise from her wife watching him be involved. Andrzej would be a part of the children's lives, remaining at her side as protector and lover, and would likely ultimately prove to be a father-figure, but the position of parents officially laid with the two women. Thea was in a very different position than Aileigh was when it came to the parentage of their children - all of Thea's lovers had been a fleeting night, with the exception of her first husband, who had tragically died days after their vows. None of the men were involved with their children, or even knew they sired offspring to begin with. Aileigh considered herself fortunate, for she was unsure how she'd handle being in Thea's position herself. All she knew was how grateful she was for her wife's continued understanding and grace.

The viscountess sunk further into the propped pillows, cradling their daughter, and pulled her wandering mind back to the present. Curiously, she asked, "A boy and a girl... Does this please you?"