All This, For You?

[Ylva Kvalheim]

Tired. Bored. Irritated. Heavy. Ylva had been all of these at once for the past two months, and she was counting down the days till the baby was due. After all, how was Ylva to know that babies didn't always come on the exact date that they were said to be delivered? If she had known that, she wouldn't have bothered asking for a date and received her money back from the Healer. Nevertheless, Araxfell came as a rather unpleasant surprise at exactly two weeks before July the twenty-fourth while Ylva was scanning cookbooks and trying to understand exactly how anyone made anything at all.

An unpleasant twinge in her midsection made her want to slap her round stomach. Usually a good poke in the foot would shift her son, but in the past month or so he had been strangely immobile. She didn't blame him; it must have been getting quite cramped in there. But this particular pain was unlike anything she had ever encountered before, and it was growing tighter and tighter in her midsection. Ylva dropped the egg whisk and pressed herself hard against the cupboards. For a long minute, she rolled her shoulders and shuffled around slowly, unable to bear stillness while the pain rolled over her. Two minutes later, she began her omelette. Fifteen minutes after that, she was forced to stop. Half an hour later, leaving a half finished omelette on the counter, she entered the study in search of Axel and planted her hands on the desk.
"We need the birthing pool. Now."

 

[Axel Zhefarovich]

Axel had sent Athena off to the Manor to be watched after by Rayna. Axel trusted that woman with his child. At least they both agreed on something, and that was the daughter not being a pushover. Rayna was itching to slit Ylva's throat, and Axel would allow that just after the divorce and the child was his. He didn't care for the woman, and wouldn't go out of his way to save her from an inevitable fate. Glancing up from his paperwork, he saw the heavy wife herself enter. He was about to be snarky and tell her to knock, but her words made him roll his eyes and he muttered, "Fine." Standing up, he walking to the bathroom and turned on the hot water and let the tub fill up. Axel told Ylva, "Don't bother taking off your shirt. Just get in, and cover yourself with a towel. I don't want to see anything I don't have to." Axel wouldn't need a Healer. He was close enough to one but he was a killer, so that would be just redundant. Axel moved out of the way and motioned with his hand for her to enter the tub of water.

 

[Ylva Kvalheim]

An extremely hormonal Ylva wanted to remove her wand and curse Axel for being so immature. How many children did he have already? She didn't know, and frankly she didn't care. But the least he could be was civil at a time like this, and he hadn't even the heart for that. She didn't have time for theatrics or the lack of pride enough to throw a tantrum, but the slight huff of irritation said it all. Her eyes grew cold as steel, and though she wouldn't bare touching him when she was this angry, she may as well had grabbed him by the throat with the viciousness of her words. "I don't care about your feelings for me one way or another. You are going to do exactly as I say for the next however many hours and then leave me alone." Without another word she slid into the water, dress and all, and closed her eyes. Ylva had no idea what birth was life, but she could tell that it was going to turn her world upside down.

---

Her panting was like nails on a chalkboard to her own ears. Ylva let out a frail shriek of agony as she gave one last push before collapsing back into the water with a splash. The hormones rushing through her forced her to keep panting, and she reached out to grab Axel’s hand. If she could have opened her eyes she would have, to glare submission. Allow me this, or there will be hell to pay. Hell was her favoured word of choice for the day, though she would never admit to swearing (let alone screaming as the baby came). Ylva would have crushed his fingers if it wasn’t for all those days of reading up on pregnancy trauma. Only take a hold of two fingers, she repeated in her mind. Damn it all, why should she care for his broken fingers? She simply refused to look at him. Reduced to childishness, she swore that all this was his fault in her mind. Ylva did not realise that most of it had reached her lips.
“Dammit, you b*stard! God ... help you if you ever ... give me another of these... demons ... murder you ... in your sleep!” she gasped as the last roll of pain pushed her over the edge.

---

With a new baby cradled against her chest, Ylva was utterly lost. What on earth? she repeated like a mantra in her mind. She was fairly comfortable in the large bed stationed in the corner of the nursery, but the tiny little monster clinging to her collarbone had thrown all thoughts of true comfort out the window. She still hadn't quite made the connection that she had carried this inside her for the past nine months. This. That. Araxfell. New-born babies were bizarre, and she loved him instantly. It had been hours since the birth had transpired, and Araxfell had spent the entire time cradled against her chest and sleeping. Ylva, too, had slept briefly and only awoke to her crying babe once. It was only now that she relented, and with utterly careful arms, she lifted her child to Axel for him to hold.

---

---

 

[Axel Zhefarovich]

Oh thank Merlin for his daughter to be gone from this event. Axel stood by the birthing scene, and nothing was said. He just stared at her while she screamed in agony while the birth was done. Once that was finished, he cleaned up the mess, and he murmured to Ylva, "Hopefully, you won't have to give carry and give birth to another life given by me." Axel would not be in her burden for too much longer. But he knelt down when he saw the scene between mother and son. I knew that she wouldn't hate the creature. Axel smirked, as he took the baby into his arms like a professional, "I knew you wouldn't hate him for long." Araxfell was just a bit younger than Aleric. But soon, a month exactly, they would be brothers technically, and Ylva will be out of their lives for good. Axel glanced over at Ylva, and he said, "Perhaps you should rest for a while. Move around right after birth, and it could damage your body."

 

[Ylva Kvalheim]

Ylva sighed, staring up at Axel without the slightest hint of the usual derision or malice. She did not argue with his observation. No, she did not hate the child. Far from it, in fact. But as soon as one month was up, it was no longer her child. Contrary to what most women would want, Ylva planned to spend the entire time wheedling her son out of her heart where he seemed to have taken up permanent residence. If she bonded with him any more ... she did not dare think of the consequences. As far as she knew, Araxfell would be perfectly fine without her, and being the adult then she must learn to do the same. "I don't mind," she sighed, lifting her hand tiredly to stroke the top of her son's head. "I don't mind at all..."

There was a small pause as she took in Axel's advice to rest. She wanted to do so whilst holding her child, but with a sick feeling of loss, Ylva felt that it would be better for the child to spend time with its father. If anything, it was better for her that they were apart. Another touch and she felt that she could never let go of him otherwise. "Mit søde barn. He is, how do you say? Precious," said Ylva tiredly, her head sinking back into the pillows as she fell asleep.