defeat.” My eyes closed slowly and his fingers gave me a squeeze so I opened them. “Push, baby,” he whispered.
He held my eyes and just like that day in our cham, something came over me, something I didn’t know I had, it surged through me, taking over and I gritted my teeth, nodded my head, closed my eyes, dug my heels in my husband’s shoulders and I pushed.
Hard.
Then again.
And again.
And a-fucking-gain.
“He crowns,” an assistant whispered.
“Praise the True Mother,” the healer breathed.
Then I pushed again.
And again.
“That’s it, my Circe,” Lahn encouraged, his fingers not curled around my ankles anymore but stroking deep into the flesh of my inner thighs, his arms wrapped around to do it.
So I pushed again and Lahn’s hands moved from me to between my legs as I felt him come.
“Oh Circe!” Diandra cried with delight.
“The king’s blade!” the healer called quickly.
I collapsed into my supporting arms as water splashed around me.
Hallelujah. He was out!
I licked my lips and rolled my head on the healer’s shoulder to see the last assistant was now in the water too and working with Lahn between my legs.
Then I heard his deep, now thick, voice call, “My Circe,” and I rolled my head back to see him holding up a perfect, tiny, black-fuzzy-headed baby boy.
And he was perfect. Absolutely. From the top of his fuzzy head to the tips of his baby toes.
He was also bawling his brains out.
I lost sight of my baby when the tears filled my eyes.
Then my body jerked and my scream pierced the air when new pain tore through my belly.
“Take the child!” the healer yelled and my body bucked then convulsed as pain washed anew, water splashed around me, people switched places and Lahn barked, “What is happening?”
After a few moments when my belly was prodded as was between my legs, the healer answered happily, “There comes another. Push my queen, push. ”
Another?
I twisted my head to look at her as she positioned herself again behind me.
“Another? Another what?”
“You carry twins,” she told me, “push, my true golden queen.”
Twins?
My eyes shot to Lahn and I snapped, “Do you have twins in your family?”
He stared at me and ordered, “Circe, push.”
“Tell me! ” I shrieked.
“Yes!” he clipped. “My father was birthed before his sister who shared his womb.”
Oh. My. God!
“And you didn’t think to tell me? ” I screeched.
“Circe, my love, push! ” Diandra cried.
I glared at Lahn.
Then I gritted my teeth, closed my eyes, dug my heels into my king’s shoulders ( hard) and I pushed.
My daughter slid out easily.
She had golden fuzz on her head.
