Fanfic:Zulaya's Birth
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Crysthia sat propped in bed, fidgeting. A book lay cast to one side, and her lap desk with a few papers still atop it on her other side. Her bulging belly was a nuisance, and because of her slight build she could no longer get around easily. She had been confined to the bed, by her Yellow Ajah midwife as soon as it became evident that even walking was a chore to the small woman. She was due to have the child any day now, but she'd been in bed for weeks already. She wanted this over with. She would have paced if she could have managed it.
"Other women do not have this problem why in the light must I be confined to bed?" she'd complained, when first told it would be best for her to remain there.
It had been patiently explained to her that she simply wasn't built for bearing children, especially as the child was only half Cairhienin, and it would appear that she was going to favor her father in stature rather than her mother. Crysthia had cried at this reminder of Lucan. It seemed she was constantly weeping between the grief and the pregnancy generated emotions.
She'd not been allowed much in the way of work given her "condition". Crysthia was beginning to loathe that word. In truth she could get little done anyway. She had to lay propped carefully on her side to use the lap desk, sitting completely up seemed no longer possible. The constant flow of bizarre emotions kept her concentration at a minimum and she couldn't channel enough to light a candle any longer, but she was desperate for something to do.
"Do you need anything Keeper?" Turyella, the Yellow midwife asked as she poked her head in to check on her charge. She asked the same question every hour. They expected her to go into labor within the next few days, so there was now always a Yellow stationed in the sitting room. Just as her slight frame caused her to be confined during this last month of the pregnancy, so it was also likely to present her a difficult birth. Crysthia was all set to deliver a scathing reply as she had every hour for the past two days when suddenly a convulsion took her unawares and she screamed in pain, clutching at her engorged abdomen.
Turyella was there in an instant, delving Crysthia without thought. "The child is coming Keeper. I think perhaps this will be a shorter labor than we anticipated." Crysthia screamed again as another violent contraction gripped her.
Half an hour later Crysthia's legs were wide open at the edge of the bed and Turyella was encouraging her to push. Light! Nobody told her birthing would be this painful! She felt as though she were being ripped apart. Gritting her teeth she pushed one last time and felt the babe being ripped from her at last. She lay back exhausted and light-headed. Lucan's face swam before her. He was smiling at her. Tremulously she smiled back.
Turyella thrust the screaming baby into the arms of an Accepted who'd been hovering by for just this task. The girl immediately began to wash the birthing fluids off the child while the Yellow turned back to the Keeper. Crysthia was as white as a sheet, she'd lost a lot of blood. Slowly and carefully Turyella began weaving the five powers into the complex Healing that would not take precious energy from Crysthia. She could not replace the blood lost, but with everything else healed, the Keeper would recover from that naturally enough with some rest and food.
The baby was wrapped in a blanket and delivered into the arms of her mother. Crysthia smiled at her daughter, who was already falling asleep.
"What will you name her?" Turyella asked.
"Zulaya." Crysthia said simply.
"A beautiful name." Turyella responded. "And the surname? Will she take yours?"
Crysthia realized the Yellow was not merely inquiring out of curiosity but was intending to enter the birth into the records. She had considered whether to name the child after her or Lucan. In truth she did not want to saddle the child with a Cairhienin name, yet the baby's father's name was a mouthful. After giving it some thought and a trip to the library she'd settled on the first part of Lucan's surname, as the second part was considered a salt name, earned later by the seafolk.
"She shall be Zulaya din Nicander. I think perhaps she will take after her father more than I."
At the moment Crysthia had pronounced the girl's name Turyella went rigid. In a nearly hoarse dead-sounded voice she began to speak.
"The child Zulaya may well follow in her sire's footsteps. She will be strong in the power, stronger than most that have graced the tower in generations. She must be guided carefully, her role is important."
Turyella went limp, collapsing on the floor. Crysthia was stunned. The accepted who had been in attendance went to the Yellow's side to offer aid. So it seems my daughter will be a channeler then. Crysthia thought as she looked at Zulaya. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.
The accepted had managed to rouse Turyella. "I apologize Keeper, I have the foretelling sometimes but I don't recall it ever coming on that strongly."
Crysthia waved her hand in acknowledgement. "There is no need for apologies Sister. We cannot always control our gifts. I would however suggest such news be kept quiet. I want my daughter to grow up as normally as possible. She doesn't need a prophecy hanging over her head." She looked meaningfully at the accepted.
Turyella had naturally murmured an "of course Keeper" and bustled the accepted out of the room. Whether the Yellow herself had spoken to others or the accepted had put about the rumors was unknown, but rumors circulated none-the-less that the Keeper's child would be a very strong channeler.
