Kneeling in front of her, he peered into her eyes, pushing her dark hair behind her ears. “Luna, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing!” she whispered through gritted teeth. She was bent over slightly, clutching her round belly as if her life depended on it.
“Guards!” Tasim called out.
A moment later, three guards burst into the apartment, guns drawn.
“My wife is in labor!” he exclaimed. “Get the doctor!”
Tasim scooped her up, and carried her out of the apartment. One of the guards had a wheelchair just outside the door, for just such a situation. Tasim put her in the chair, then waved the guard out of the way, needing to push his wife to the palace hospital room himself.
“I’m not in labor!” Luna insisted. Then she screamed, bending over as a contraction hit her. “I’m fine! I just…it’s just…a little pain!”
“Right,” Tasim replied, his heart pounding in panic. “Let the doctor tell me that!”
Luna started sobbing at that point. The pain ripped across her belly. Earlier in the night, the pain seemed to ebb at times, giving her a moment to recover. But now…now it was just one unending wave of pain.
“I can’t do this, Tasim!” she cried out, whimpering because she was so tired. “I just can’t do it! Peter is stronger! She’s better at this whole mothering thing! I want to go back to bed! I don’t want to do this!”
Tasim ignored her, moving as fast as he could without tipping over the wheelchair. The doctor and several nurses were waiting as soon as they arrived. Immediately, Tasim lifted Luna out of the chair, placing her gently on the delivery table. “You’re going to be okay,” he promised her, stroking her hair back from her sweaty face.
Tears streaked down her cheeks and she shook her head. “It hurts and…!” Luna curled up, screaming as another contraction hit her.
The nurses didn’t bother to put Luna into a hospital gown. The doctor examined Luna and grinned. “Your wife is fully dilated, Your Highness. And…” Luna screamed, grabbing Tasim’s hand and squeezing with all her might.
“I’m not doing this!” she insisted, practically growling out that statement.
“Okay, well, let’s just get through this one moment at a time, okay?” He kissed her forehead.
“You’re patronizing me! You know how much I hate that!”
Tasim swallowed a chuckle and stepped slightly behind Luna’s shoulders as he and the nurses tried valiantly to hide their amusement.
With a huge gush, Luna’s water broke. After that, things went pretty quickly. It might have been only a few minutes, or several hours, neither Luna nor Tasim was aware. Luna screamed, the doctor urged her to push and Tasim told her repeatedly how strong, beautiful, and powerful she was. After several pushes, the baby crowned and Luna shook her head, still determined not to go through with the delivery. “No! I’m not ready!” she screamed, leaning forward as her body took over the delivery process. She pushed and screamed, telling everyone that she wasn’t doing it. That she was going back to bed.
“It’s a boy!” the doctor announced, grinning hugely as Luna slumped back against the delivery table, exhausted, her face flushed with tears and sweat.
Tasim looked at the tiny infant, then at his wife. “You still not ready?” he teased, as relief surged through him
Luna might have laughed, but she simply didn’t have the energy. Not anymore. “This is where you lie and tell me I’m beautiful,” she warned him.
Tasim laughed, squeezing her hand as he leaned in and kissed her. “You are beyond beautiful! And you’re all mine!”
She rolled her eyes. “That will do.”
The nurses moved forward, placing the now-swaddled newborn in her arms. “Congratulations, Your Highness,” she said, before stepping back to give the new family a bit of privacy.
“You are so beautiful,” Tasim whispered. “I love you!”
“I love you too,” Luna laughed, sighing with happiness. “We have a boy!”