Rebirth.
1407 Words
On the other side of the forest, Alexia Russell cried in agony as she lay on her back, waiting to deliver her baby. Midwives surrounded her, but everyone felt helpless. It had been almost a day since her labour pain had started, but still there was no sign of the baby nor any movements. Alexia tossed and turned sideways, trying to contain herself.
Fredric Russell paced up and down outside her door, waiting from morning to hear the happy news. All he could hear was his wife’s screams.
The room was already packed with a physician sitting at the end of the bed waiting for release of the mucous plug, 3 midwives and Fredric’s mother, who stood right in the corner of the room, eyeing the situation.
The midwives rubbed the back of Alexia’s hand, soothed her as much as they could.
After an hour or so.
“Yes, the mucous plug has come out. She’ll give birth now.”
There was a rush of movements around the room. Towels and a warm water tub were set up. Lavender scented candles were lit.
A few more minutes of waiting.
“Here comes the baby.” The physician announced.
A baby covered in blood and mucus lay in the arms of the physician.
No one spoke. Silence spread across the room. Alexia had passed out.
As the people in the room waited, to their dismay, no sound was heard.
A tear trickled down the eyes of the maid sitting beside Alexia.
The midwives cleaned and wrapped the baby into a soft pink swaddling cloth.
The physician did the after procedure of helping her deliver the placenta.
The room settled in a gloom and doom. No one dared to speak.
All they could think about was how happy and excited Alexia was about this baby. How she would spend hours talking and caressing her womb. They all wondered how Alexia would react if she found out the truth.
In the corner of the room, Fred’s mom, Ms. Clara, rolled her eyes, and didn’t even want to look at the baby. A small smirk playing along her lips. No one in the room gave any heed to her presence that they failed to notice her calmness, as if this was what she expected.
The physician took the baby from the midwife's hands and stood near the door.
One of them helped him to open the door.
The people right outside the room fell silent. They took a glance between the baby in the doctor’s hands and the doctor.
No one responded.
“It’s a girl.” He swallowed hard. “It was a girl.” He corrected himself.
Fred moved closer to them, extended his hand to take hold of his lifeless baby.
He wasn’t expected to cry in a situation like this. He held on.
Clara came out of the room, took the baby from his hands, and handed her to the doctor.
“Do what needs to be done,” he ordered.
The doctor nodded and went in.
Alexia was starting to squirm.
“Baby, Ann.” she called out in her sleep.
The maids and the midwives had already started crying.
Alexia opened her eyes slowly. Her lips parted into an elegant smile, wanting to accept her baby into her arms.As she saw how the maids were hugging each other and crying, her smile dropped.
“Where’s my baby?” She asked. The doctor went towards the side of her bed.
Alexia eyed the bundle of clothes in the doctor’s arms, her breath caught in her lungs.
“No..No..It can’t be.” She cried.
Tears showered down her cheeks.
She held out her shaking arms to cradle her baby.
“Ann.” she cried, feeling the tiny hands, she rubbed her thumb against the delicate skin of the baby’s cheeks.
That’s when it happened. An astounding miracle.
The baby kicked.
Everyone’s eyes widened. Their ears hopefully waited for a cry.
A few seconds of stillness followed.
Then,
A shrill cry broke the silence of the room.
Everyone sobbed even harder, Alexia smiled as her tears flowed down her cheek endlessly.
“My baby, my love.” Alexia cried harder as she held her even more closely, Taking in the smell of her newborn baby.
“My pup.” She mumbled.
“The baby is alive and healthy.” The doctor announced it to the entire house.
The words rang through the hallways and filled the hall with little happy chatters.
The news didn’t take long to reach the ears of Fred and Clara.
They rushed to the room, with different emotions on either of their faces.
Fred stayed by his wife’s side and caressed the baby, lovingly. Clara stood beside the door frame wondering when and how did her plan go wrong.
Everything seemed to fall in place for the couple. A baby, a caring family.
“Andrea Russell, Welcome to this world.” Fred softly said to his baby.
He walked out of the room, the baby swaddled in his arms.
“Andrea Russell is here.” He announced.
Loud cheers and pleasantries could be heard echoing the hall.
The baby had calmed down in his arms, curling and ready to take a nap like a pup.
No one knew what was happening in the forest or in their beloved queen’s castle. Lives went on as usual in the darkness of the night.
Just then a ragged man came rushing through the main door and caught everyone's attention.
He panted heavily. A stumbled down on his way.
“What is it, Peter?” Fred enquired.
“Queen,” he paused. “Queen Athena is..” He could no longer continue his sentence.
The smiles and happy chatters died down, worry spread across the hall.
“Is no more.” he completed.
“Queen Athena is no more.” He cried.
Gasps filled the room, eyes widened.
“No,” Fred said slowly.
People rushed out of the hall and into the open front yard. They marched in the dead night over to the palace.
People had already crowded outside the closed gate, Which itself was a bad sign, for Queen Athena never fully locks her gates. She allowed any common people to come right in to tell her their sorrows and problems.
She was fierce and bold, even the strongest men feared to duel with her, for she was skilled at the best.
Fred and Clara had joined the crowd.
No one could even imagine the thought of their queen giving up and losing in a fight. There were no traces of a war announcement. Then what had happened.
No one dared to give a wild guess. Everyone hoped the news that they had heard was false.
The gate opened. Guards rushed forward and kept the people at bay.
Rebecca Ashford, Athena’s mother, came along with some guards. She stood looking at the vast crowd. Her eyes were red and puffy, tears flew down her cheeks.
“My beloved people of Ashmire.” she paused as she sniffed into her velvety handkerchief. “I’m sorry..” She cried harder.
Ethan Brown, Athena’s Husband joined her. He held her shoulders close to him.
His eyes were puffy as well.
“We are sorry to announce the demise of our dearest Queen, Athena.” He fell on his knees and covered his face.
The crowd altogether fell silent. Some gasped and some whooped for air.
Ethan’s parents were standing with them, they helped him onto his legs and patted him.
Everyone was in a state of shock.
“We couldn’t even save the baby.” Rebecca cried out loud.
Even the moon hid behind the clouds, the stars didn’t shine. The sky was pitch-black. Their Queen and the next heir were no more.
“Please disperse for now.” The military chief requested.
Obeying the command, the people dispersed.
Her family mourned.
In the Russell house, Alexia, not knowing the death of her precious Queen, sang a lullaby for her baby. She cradled her in her arms.
The baby slowly woke up, blinking a few times.
Her tiny hands fisted and hardly out of the swaddled cloth.
A tint of gold flashed in her eyes. Alexia looked closer without blinking.
“Oh my, What all am I imagining.” She laughed.
The baby closed her eyes and fell into a soft nap.
“Andrea Russell..” Alexia breathed.
- Writer
