SosD1

Shades of Silver
~Dawn's Whisper~
~1~

�Keep her away from me!�

�Your Majesty, the child needs to be turned or taken out, or we�ll lose them both.�

�Mal. Kul shivit!.�

Of the four people in the simply, earthly embellished room, three were women, one in the bed straining, her blankets covered her propped up knees. Another, looking very similar to the first, but younger by a few years sat at the head of the bed with her sister, wiping the woman�s face with a damp cloth, sacrificing her hand to the squeezing her of the pains of labor.

�Phen, come on, you can show that old bat, you and the babe will be fin. Push.�

The woman in bed gripped the bed sheets and leaned forward, hunching over her enlarged stomach before crying out and falling back into the arms of the one man in the room. Gently he touched her face with a wet cloth, kissing her shoulder and temple softly while murmuring words.

�Come on Semiair, you know I won�t lose you. And we won�t lose out baby now will we? Hold my hands. Push.� Their fingers laced, a swarthy and tan with no beginning or end and two matching embedded rings.

�The child needs to be pulled out my Lord!� The final woman in the room was older then all, though obviously prematurely, once black hair now laced with gray was up in a light bun, an old fashion of the previous queen. Dressed plainly in a gray brown uniform of castle staff, highest of maids, once again an old, very stiff fashion.

Standing at the foot of the bed she no longer tried to kneel onto the stool that sat there, or touch the covers to help with the birthing, each time she moved forward resulted in a scream or kick from the current Queen.

�Stay the hell away from me!� The staff outside the outer chamber doors needed not have their ears pressed to the door, as had been for the better part of an hour. Seminairs� voice rose and carried as she cried out and strained but her eyes did not leave the spinster at the foot of her bed. Gritting her teeth she stared narrowly at the older woman.

�You hate me. You�ve hated me from the moment I walked by you and the Lady Sermanithus. More so since I�ve met Neal and so on. You are happy, I felt it, when you found out the babe was facing the wrong way. Happy we may not live. Get away from me!� She screamed, squeezing her hands against his. Moving quickly, her sister moved past the old woman to the foot of the bed and lifted the sheets.

�Come on Sem, I see the feet, come on.� On the footstool she kneeled, her hands grasping the child�s� small legs and slowly helping to ease the babe out her sisters� womb. Glancing over her shoulder she spoke gruffly to the old maid.

�You heard your Queen. Be gone.�

The maid seemed uncertain, and looked to the man on the bed pleadingly.

�I watched you be brought into the world, your majesty. Wiped your nose, fed you, took care of you loved you like my own son. Would you not let me see your child into the world? You married beneath you, a gypsy in fact, not the sweet natured gentle lady your parents had arranged for you. Will you allow lust to blind you further? You have not been married long enough, even if you had her conceive a child on your wedding night, for her to bear this babe now. This is an omen my lord, would a child of the rightful family come to term this soon, in such a way? Is the babe even yours sire?�

�Get out Rosa, now! Get out of my sight and don�t let me find you till you are called for. Semiair is whom I love, whom I choose, your Queen, and is bearing the child she and I have made. The day of conception, though none whatsoever of your business was a good few weeks before our wedding. If I hear you say otherwise about our child�s parentage and you will be removed from the castle! Make this clear, to all the staff!�

�It�s a girl! Oh, the cord, the cord!� The young gypsy stood and pushed past Rosa to a tray behind her; knocking over most of the utensils before finding the pair of scissors she sought and returned to the babe.

�She�s not breathing.� Leaning over from behind Semiair, her husband peered down at their pale wet child, at the life cord wrapped around its neck and kissed h is wifes� temple whispering softly as their view was blocked, already feeling the renewed tears course down her cheek.

Silence fell in the room, a breeze blew gently across the bed as the early morning sun began to rise lighting the sky, and the breeze seemed to whisper softly to each within the room.

Semiair heard a gentle voice that soothed the pain and wiped away the tears and heat. �Young mother, you�ve done well, know no fear and have peace, all will be well.�

To her husband the voice was that of reassurance, �Dear King, upon whom the crown has not had long to rest, fight, not to win, but not to lose all. Have faith, and all will be avenged.�

A single word with encouragement was speaking to the younger gypsy as she worked with the baby blowing air into its lungs. �Courage.�

To Rosa who remained in the room forgotten, the voice had no warmth, but was as cold as a winter�s night; �Death will come to you after helping the one you sought to kill. Where you live no babes will be birthed. Be cursed and to be outcast till the day of your demise. Only then to once more be blessed.�

Till finally the soft breeze swirled around the struggling babe, and spoke with warmth that help both regret and sorrow.

�My wondrous child, though your fate is out of my hands, it will be shadowed by despair, loneliness, and betrayal. You have a bright destiny before you, my love and protection around you. Be happy little one. Be happy��

A struggled cry broke the peace and the breeze faded away, on the be the baby cried, strong and loud that made her mother smile and aunt sigh, as gingerly, her father lifted the still wet child into his arms.

�You my love, will be�Kaya, after your smart Aunt over there. Though after this I think we�ll call you -�

�Jinx.� Semiair smiled at her husband from the bed. �We�ll call her Jinx, its cute for a girl. Kaya Jinx Sermanithus. It doesn�t flow, but it fits. Doesn�t it Neal?�

The young King smiled at his wife then the babe, �Kaya Jinx Sermanithus.�

The door to the bedchambers softly closed and Rosa walked out of the room into the hall. The staff scattered and the old maid turned and headed down the stair well. At the base if the stairs two guards stood, spears crossed over the stairway door. Sitting in a chair, sat the doctor. Upon seeing Rosa the doctor stood face turning a shade of crimson.

�What is the meaning of this Rosa, I have not been permitted pasted all day, and the Queen is having a difficult birth I�ve heard.� The maid ignored the man motioning the guards aside for a moment before answering.

�It was a difficult birth, despite my efforts, the child lives. It�s a girl by the way, �Kaya Jinx Sermanithus�, came feet first, and cord around her neck and still had the lungs to shake the room. Be gone doctor, the mother is very tired, as are the rest, and the castle will not be a safe place in thirty minutes. I rather not see our greatest doctor killed.�

�Rosa, you do not mean� you aren�t�Rosa! This is treason!� The doctor watched as the maid turned and went back up the stares; the guards once again bared his path.

�Rosa! There may be bleeding, you know that!�

�It is not my fault, doctor, if they do not check or know how to stop the blood. Remember doctor, thirty minutes.�