A'lurejah: The Fae Princess

Chapter Thirteen

 We followed the healer into my mother’s room, and watched and waited as they woke her up from her induced sleep.

     Grayce opened her eyes and blinked at the bright lights, confused, she looked around, trying to figure out where she was and what had happened.  "M'karyano?"

    "Yes, Grayce, I am here."

    "Where am I? What happened?"

     "What do you remember last?"

     "I was at home, washing dishes and suddenly I felt really bad, I went to lay down for a little bit, and now I'm waking up here."

    "Grayce, you were in bed for weeks.  Not eating, not accepting anything to drink, just laying there, staring out the window.  We almost lost you.  I came to Avalon, begged my parents to help, and they did.  You've come back to me."  M'karyano cried.

    "I'm in Avalon?"

    "Yes, my dear,” Verisiel’s voice made Grayce jump slightly, she looked around and locked eyes with Beridhren’s mother, “you are in Avalon. The first mortal we have allowed to pass through our gates in 300 years."  Queen Verisiel said to her.

    "Oh my, how embarrassing!" She tried sitting up, and immediately said, "I need a trash can!"  As soon as it was given to her, she was vomiting into it.

    "What's happening??  I thought she was better??  Did he miss something?"  The anxiety and panic came bursting back out of M'karyano, he rushed to her side and held her hair back until she was done.

    “Do not worry, this is to be expected, sudden movements and lack of food for long periods of time will bring this on.” The healer reassured them, taking the trash can from Grayce and handing it to be carried out of the room.

    “My dear, we have some news for you.” Verisiel said softly, she nodded to the healer, and he told Grayce all about the pregnancy and the complications that might arise.

      “So, I might lose this one too?” She asked, teary eyed.

    “We will do all within our powers to ensure that doesn’t happen. If you and the baby are not compatible, we have ways to ensure that you both are healthy and that you both survive until the baby is ready to be delivered. What we would do, at that time, is remove the baby from your womb, place the baby in an artificial womb, leaving the placenta inside of you. The child and yourself would be together at all times, still being connected together, and when the time came, the delivery of the child would be so that it would not drain you and kill you.” The healer’s kind smile reassured my mother, and she looked over at M'karyano, exhaustion heavy on her face.

    "You, my dear, need to rest, and you, son, need to come with me." Verisiel said kindly.

    "Get some sleep, I'll be in the great hall.  See you soon." M'karyano kissed Grayce long and hard on her forehead, and left her to sleep.

    I followed them to the great hall where Verisiel made arrangements to have her nursemaids be sent to M'karyano's house to keep up their house hold and be with the children while their parents were here. 

    “If she goes home, she will still receive every amount of care we can send her, and if problems arise, we will bring her back here in a heartbeat, for now, rest, eat, relax, you will be here for a while.” Verisiel left him in the great hall.

    My vision swam again and this time I was being rushed back towards the healing rooms, Grayce had crashed heavily again.

    “What’s happening?  Is she okay?”  M'karyano asked.  The healers simply shook their heads, they did not know what was going on, Grayce was bottoming out, unable to maintain her vitals, her heart rate was dropping rapidly, then a thought, spoken out loud changed everything.

    “We will need to remove the child, and it needs to be done now. Verisiel, you and he will have to step outside, watch from the glass in the observation deck.” The healer instructed, Verisiel gripped M'karyano arm and we took off around the cover and up a flight of stairs and into a dark, quiet room with a large pane of glass overlooking Grayce's healing room. 

    They were fast at work, doing things that none of us understood. We stood there and watched and waited while Grayce's vitals dropped and picked up and dropped again. It was a tense, nail biting several hours. 

    The healers had now successfully separated the child from Grayce, the tiny baby was wrapped in what appeared to be golden, glittery light, rings of dark golden light circled the child, and the umbilical cord was protruding from Grayce's belly button. Grayce's vitals leveled out and steadied, and the baby’s vitals did the same. For the moment, they were both okay. Only time would tell if this would work.

    “What happens if this still doesn’t work?” M'karyano asked the healers some time later, outside of Grayce's room.

    “We remove the placenta and artificially grow the child in the womb totally separate from the mother, the mother and child would stay in the same room, and would still be connected to each other,  however that shouldn’t be what happens.  We are hoping to get Grayce stronger, and put the child back into her body, as long as the child remains of a size that we can do that. If Grayce's recovery should take longer than we expect, then she and the child will have to remain here until after birth. Only time will tell. Have peace for now, they are both thriving.” He said, “You will not be allowed into the room while the child is outside of the mother’s womb, the child and mother are vulnerable and susceptible to infections. No one will be allowed in except for sanitary staffing.” He told M'karyano.

  My vision swam again, this time I was standing in my old cottage, my parents were home, and my mother was holding a tiny little baby.

    “She’s so tiny, are we sure that she’s going to make it?” Grayce asked softly, still scared to lose another baby,

    “Do not frash, child, the baby is healthy, her small size is due to having been outside of your womb, the artificial wombs don’t allow for the baby to absorb all of the foods and nutrients that they would normally absorb when they are in mother’s womb. She will be small, and she might be frail, with great power, comes a great cost, and great responsibility. The Fae will always be here, watching her and caring for her, making sure that she never wants for anything. The nursemaids will stay as long as they are needed, and then they will come home. Take care of my grandbaby, for this one has a great destiny ahead of her.” Verisiel said, taking her leave of our house for the last time. She stopped and turned back, “What did you name her?” She asked.

    “A'lurejah Jayde.” Melinda beamed.

    “Hmm, it’s a good name.” She smiled and left our house, she would never step foot in it again.

    Antiel’s memories faded away, I felt her lift her hands off of my temples, and I opened my eyes.

    “You are free to move now, if you wish to do so.” She spoke softly.

    “These are the memories my grandmother wished you to share with me?” I asked, shocked.

    “Yes, these memories are vital to who you are, and understanding everything that has come to pass since even before you were born.” Antiel said.