Livia reached over to wake Destin in the middle of the night.
‘The baby’s coming,’ she whispered, her breaths bursting in and out.
And he sat bolt upright, fully alert in an instant. He threw himself out of bed, pulling on his breeches. ‘I’ll go and get the maid.’
‘No,’ she said, gripping his arm. ‘Don’t leave me. I need you.’
‘It’s just for a moment, Livia.’
‘No, please,’ she said, gripping him hard, her eyes wide. The pains had been bearable until now, but they’d started to come thick and fast, and she was trying to control her fear. She knew the baby was imminent, she could feel the pressure down below, and she didn’t want to let him out of her sight. She knew, if she had to, she could do this without him, but she didn’t want to. She wanted him right here. Always.
He sat back down beside her on the bed and stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ear, before taking her hand in his. ‘I’m just going to tell the guard down the corridor to fetch Marta and your servants. Perhaps they can run the bath... I promise I’ll be back in just a moment.’
She nodded, and bravely she released him, letting him go. She was so desperate to meet her baby. So excited to hold it in her arms at last. Yet visions of her mother and baby brother kept entering her mind, and she couldn’t shake them away.
But as he’d promised, Destin was back almost immediately. ‘It will be all right, Livia. I’m here. You can do this. We can do this, together.’ He sat on the bed, leaning against the wall, pulling her back against his chest, so she was sitting between his legs. ‘Look how far we’ve come already,’ he reminded her, kissing her on the forehead. And they really had.
When they had met in the mountains, she had been but a girl, on the cusp of being a woman and a queen. With Destin at her side, she had been able to achieve all that she had set out to do, and he told her every day that she had done the same for him. They were ruling this empire here together, successfully, and it had been the most glorious nine months of her life.
The wedding had been a dream come true, with all their friends around them. She had worn an exquisite gown and the ceremony had been magnificent, with the celebrations going on for weeks. But she had lived for the nights, where they had made every moment together count. They had made love whenever and wherever they could, not being able to get enough of each other. She had wanted him inside her, over and again, wanting him to show her how much he loved her, and her him in return. And she had fallen pregnant quickly.
She had worried he might not desire her as much as her belly had swollen, but the opposite was true. He had wanted her more, knowing she was growing his child inside her, finding her even more fascinating. And he’d been more protective of her than ever.
And now, it was as if they were facing their final fear together. The baby was coming and her maids were all there at her side, gathered around the bed, but it was her husband who was holding her in his arms, supporting her, encouraging her on with whispers of praise and love, and when she gave a final excruciating push and they heard their baby’s first cry, she sank back against him as he planted proud kisses on her shoulders and cheeks.
Marta wrapped the child up and handed their child over to them, so they could cradle her in their arms. ‘Congratulations,’ she said. ‘You have a beautiful, healthy daughter.’
And they both looked down on her in wonderment and love...
‘Is she...?’ Destin asked, his voice cracking.
‘Healthy, my lord,’ Marta told him, before ushering everyone out of the room, leaving them to be alone.
Livia curled her one arm around her daughter and brought her other hand up to hold her husband’s tear-streaked face. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, her own eyes overflowing. ‘For being there for me.’
‘Always,’ he said, kissing her forehead. ‘You never cease to amaze me, Livia. You were incredible. So brave. I am in awe of you. I love you so much. Thank you, for making me the proudest, happiest man in the whole of the empire...’ He stroked his hand down her arm, giving her a squeeze, before trailing his finger along his child’s cheek, in awe of her too. ‘She’s perfect. Just like you.’
‘And you,’ Livia countered. ‘I hope she grows up to be just like her father. The man I love.’
‘A warrior? I’m not sure I could allow her to fight,’ he said, already fiercely protective of her.
‘If she would like. But certainly a protector of the realm, with the biggest heart I know.’
‘What shall we call her?’ he asked gently, his eyes shining down on her.
‘I was thinking Edie,’ Livia said, ‘after the little edelweiss flower you gave me. So that she knows we and the empire will always be devoted to her.’
Like that little plant, blossoming out in the rock garden, she and Destin had been able to weather anything that had been thrown at them, and they’d thrived in spite of it all. Their devotion to one another had kept them strong, and she knew now, it always would.