"Push, My lady."
The frightened brunette demanded urgently, her hands were shaking, her eyes burning with all the unshed tears of despair. she was known as one of the best midwives in the royal palace but this delivery was the hardest she ever assisted, the lady in labor didn't have the healthiest nor happiest pregnancy, to begin with, and because of the unfortunate circumstances, the lady accompanied by the young midwife had to bear the trouble of moving from one residence to the other until they finally settled in that small shack near the dark forest.
The girl cursed under her breath, her brown bangs sticking to her sweaty forehead, she wished there was someone near to help save the lady she cherished. Unfortunately, there was no one else but her, the dying lady, and the monstrous howls of the night creatures.
"I know...", The lady whispered shakily, her few words consuming all the bits of energy she had left.
"I know I will not make it, Fae, But that is alright, I've lived my life to the fullest, Now it is my daughter's time.", she stopped to catch her breath, her eyes looking lost as tears made their way down her temples. it was the very first time she cried and it felt somehow alleviating, especially after living so long as the mighty woman she was.
"You have to promise me, Fae."
"Anything, My lady." The girl, who finally allowed herself to cry, wanted to reassure the woman in labor, and herself, that everything was going to be just fine, that she will survive and live to hold her baby in her arms, raise her to be not just a dignified lady like her mother, but also a princess by birth. However, Fae knew that it was only a sweet lie she wished to believe while the bitter merciless truth was the opposite as it was merely a matter of time, hours at best before the good lady is gone for good.
"Promise me, that you will take care of my daughter. She...already has so many enemies, and will have more. Please Fae, keep her safe, and when it is time, tell her about me, tell her everything and I am sure she will make the right choices.", The lady stopped, swallowing a sob that threatened to crack her thin resolution. "As for Edard, tell him I forgave him, tell him that what was meant to happen, happened. I never understood the choices he made. I... expected so much and asked for so much. It was unfair of me. Tell him that I hold myself equally responsible for how things ended, for me that is, for him life is still ahead, and he must take care of her, of our Sara."
"I will, my lady.", The lady smiled at the girl named Fae, wishing she can wipe away her tears but she had no power left in her to move. death was already there with them and she knew it. Nevertheless, dying wasn't a matter that can be easily accepted, even for someone who lived as long as she did, there was still that wish, for just a little more time, to see her daughter, to hold her in her arms and kiss her, to call her by her name, for the first and last time.
"Do it, Fae.", a load hiccup escaped the girl's lips once she heard the words, her tremulous hand tightened on the silver blade. Murmuring many barely audible ''sorry'', she ran the sharp metal all along the lady's swollen belly.
....
Fae hummed a sad tune while her swollen eyes stared at the wooden roof. the baby, who was indeed a girl just like her lady predicted was peacefully sleeping on her lap, unaware of her surroundings nor the tragic way she came to life. Fae's heart clenched when her eyes landed on the gory sight of her lady's lifeless body, laying on the bloodied sheets with her long vertical cut on her belly. how unfair, she thought to herself as she remembered the time she spent with the kind lady. for her to die in such a lonely place, in such a painful way. how unfair.
Fae sighed, getting up from the armchair when she noticed the sunlight seeping from under the door, the shack wasn't the fanciest residence they had but was still considered descent, with only one flaw, it didn't have any windows, something her lady personally asked for. According to her, the night was full of evils that needed to remain unseen once the sun sets. for Fae, it was but another puzzle from her lady as she rarely said anything which wasn't equally confusing, the woman was an enigma herself, starting by her unique appearance and ending by her powerful presence.
Taking out the clean swaddles, Fae carefully wrapped the little baby in their softness, all while admiring her unique features, even for a newborn, she was very beautiful, with silver hair and fair skin, just like her mother, however, she had a very peculiar brownish birthmark on her lower back, the one only those of the Yoren dynasty possessed, proving that baby Sara was none other than King Edard Yoren's daughter.
Once the baby was properly swaddled, Fae changed her bloodied dress into a plain grey one, the plainest she owned as she couldn't afford to look expensive nor eye-catching, not out of poverty, but because she didn't want to attract any unwanted attention and risk the girl's safety, throwing a dark cloak on top of it, she kissed her lady's forehead before leaving the shack, promising to watch after the baby girl and protect her even if it cost her life...
After few hours of nonstop riding, she made it to the Castle's back gate. Unexpectedly though, she was directly permitted access to the royal courts once her identity was checked. Strange, she thought as two guards asked her to follow them, for the king was waiting for her...
"Time to meet your Father, I hope you Won't hate him as much as I do," Fae whispered to the sleeping baby while pacing the golden corridors behind the guards toward the King's private study, she was indeed exhausted and emotionally drained. however, a strong determination was fueling her to keep walking, for she had made a promise and she intended to keep it.
As she entered the dimly lightened room, the doors were directly closed behind her, a strong alcoholic smell made her grimace immediately. Searching the room with her eyes, she spotted the King's sad face, sitting inelegantly near on a large chair near the window with a glass in his hand, he only took one glimpse at her and his eyes were filled with guilty tears.
"She died? "
"Yes", Fae answered sadly, without adding any titles. She was too tired and hurt to bother with pleasantries with the man she blamed for her lady’s death, and too bitter to care about his status or hers.
"I saw her in a dream yesterday... " the king gulped, trying to swallow his guilt and bitterness, "Was it painful? "
"Very."
"What is it?"
"It is a girl. She named her Sara, she looks like My Lady, but she has your birthmark. Your Majesty, I beg you to look at it." Fae's voice was desperate, placing her own opinion aside, she tried to get through the king's thick skull as it was in Sara's best interest to be recognized by her father.
"I don’t need that mark to know she is mine; I never doubted Historia.", The king sighed in defeat while his heart mourned the death of his lover.
Fae was dumbfounded for few seconds before her eyes lit up with anger that she tried to contain and conceal. Never doubted her? Then why did he accuse her of betraying him? Why didn't he bother to keep her safe? To keep her close? Fae only spent few months with the silver-haired lady but she came to love and respect her dearly, and to think there wasn't even a reason behind her lady’s suffering only filled her with more anger and loath towards the selfish excuse of a king sitting in front of her.
The King stood up, slowly advancing toward the young midwife, each step felt like a heavy chore, he kindly took his baby in his arms, the tears he was holding broke free, falling down his handsome face as he noticed the shocking resemblance between her and her mother, Historia, the only woman he ever loved.
Seeing the king's state and the loving way he was looking at his daughter, Fae's troubled mind slightly relaxed, holding on to the tiny hope that the king, despite all his flaws, had some good left in him to acknowledge the daughter her lady died for, love her and look after her, But before she could wake up from her warm daydream, a blade stabbed her from the back while a hand was muffling her pained screams as many other stabs followed, she was unable to turn and look at the one holding the blade, not that she tried to as she knew the killer, the real killer, was standing right in front of her, with the baby in his arms, and a guilty look on his face.
