Chapitre 136: Amber
In the middle of the night many years ago there were therefore not only a few people suffering from a common insomnia.
Certainly on the other side of the canal, in central England, in the capital, that number will have been much higher than a simple town on a small island.
But although Man was quite small as an island, counted free from English and Irish rule, thanks to the revolution of William Stanley who lived centuries earlier, even in that limited number of people some suffered incredibly from insomnia.
One of those people was Meredith Dustin, a young Countess of Ireland who at that time in her thirty-five years of age, was, after a great loss, carrying a royal child in her womb, whose importance was considerably high.
She knew she had to protect it as an entire and lasting contract between the royal family of Russia, the Romanovs and the family of the Earl of southern Ireland, the Dustins, could depend on its birth.
If she had failed in her task as a biological mother for the little one a big problem would have arisen as their alliance would be destroyed in a short time.
Also for that reason it was not possible for her to get on another boat, travel and go to get her Diane back, because in that way, tossing it too much would risk losing the baby, something that no one wanted and that she herself could not afford.
Meredith lay on the soft and comfortable bed prepared for her, her head was sunk in the soft pillow, her long, soft brown hair fell handsomely over her shoulders, almost touching her belly, covered, together with her body by a fine white night gown belonging to her girlfriend.
It was pleasant to feel it with such lightness on her own body, it smelled of her, of Diane, it carried on it the same sweet but tingling smell, the same perfume with which she perfumed her hair, it was soaked on that dress despite having been washed.
Certainly soon Meredith would ask her brothers, Preston and Warren, to send her a travel bag full of her belongings so that she could live there until the end of her pregnancy.
Anyway, as long as that nightgown smelled of Diane it would have been a pleasure for her to wear it.
On the other hand Man was a safe haunt for everyone, it would most likely not be affected by the impending war and this reassured her that by staying there it could ensure a safe birth, medical treatment and a peaceful future for her baby at least as long as it was under her care.
Meredith smiled faintly, she looked out the window, the sky, the silver stars shining on the dark night sky, it was a beautiful sight at least as long as in that cool night air she stayed in her room, under the covers.
She caressed her abdomen with the tips of her fingers, felt how slowly it began to harden, protecting the baby inside, how it began to slowly swell, it was also at the beginning of the fourth month, so her pregnancy began to become more and more evident.
Many things had changed in her body over the past few weeks: she was slowly starting to feel some small movements in her womb and she was beginning to suffer more and more often from insomnia.
This also meant that the baby may have started to develop a gender of its own, whether it could be a boy or a girl, she did not know yet so she would have to wait for it to be born.
She was very intrigued by that little life that was growing inside her, that fetus that will have at that moment possessed the size of an unripe apple.
It was still her child as strange as it might seem but it was growing inside her and for this reason perhaps the thing intrigued her firsthand.
Meredith suddenly heard a loud thud from the room adjacent to her, she immediately worried, she knew that this room was the one where Lady Kara used to sleep, who by that time had reached the end of her eight month of pregnancy.
Everything worried her immensely and although she knew it was not kind to break into other people's rooms especially during the night, she felt in her heart that it could be an emergency, which was immediately noticed by hearing the woman from the thin walls starting to breathe faster and with more anxiety and feeling in those breaths a mixture of pain and fear.
Kara was giving birth to her child, she knew she had to act, she had to do something, she knew she had to intervene for the very safety of the woman and the child.
Meredith got out of bed nimbly, she covered her bare shoulders with a fine wool jacket, put on her socks and quickly got ready.
She opened the door, locked to her own room, entered the corridor on the first floor and when she did this the woman's moans became more and more evident and as she managed to reach the place she found to her surprise a warm and welcoming air.
In the long corridor there were already Lady Mary Morley, the young Prince Philip of just thirteen and the latter's girlfriend, the young twelve-year-old Sophia Stanley.
The three occupied part of the corridor, illuminated it with the light of oil lamps, it gave the scene such a light that the faces of those present, their expressions were evidently underlined.
Each of them seemed to have a look somewhat full of fear, they knew none of them were prepared for the event, she read it from their eyes full of fear, from the trembling of their lips.
-It is enough! I cannot feel how much my mother is suffering, it is necessary to call an expert doctor...- protested the young Philip, clutching his cloak on his shoulders, seeing the tremble of his hands Meredith immediately understood that the young prince was full of fear, she could sense it from the stammering in his sentences.
-My father should be here right now...not waging a stupid war somewhere...-.
She could not blame Philip, she knew how much he missed his father and she too was of the idea that it would be much more responsible for the man to stay by his wife's side in such a delicate moment and not give such a task to his son just thirteen years old.
-Philip, calm down, please, you know that at this hour of the night no doctor would be available and then the city is a half hour ride away only one way...- Sophia Stanley was at that moment perhaps the most rational, she held Philip's hand tightly, his boyfriend, she was trying to calm him down, to dampen that situation of tension and fear.
Meredith smiled briefly, it was sweet to see how two young teenagers, already possessed such a bond, which somehow overcame the physical and spiritual attraction, it was simply such a pure and sincere relationship.
The woman immediately felt Lady Mary's dark worried eyes settle on her pale face, neutral to that situation.
She was trying to understand what was happening, although she herself was actually the last to arrive on the spot.
-Meredith, dear, you came here too...- the woman admitted putting a faint smile on her face -...I am immensely sorry that you too were not able to fall asleep but the labor began half an hour ago and yet of the baby still nothing is known...-.
Meredith Dustin looked down briefly, she thought about what could be more useful to do at that moment.
As far as she had learned no doctor was available at that time, this meant that to help the lady in the birth at that moment were simple attendants with little experience.
This was not right, if something went wrong the poor woman could lose too much blood or infect the wound and lead to her death in a few days.
Meredith knew she had to do something, she lifted her big green eyes completely at Lady Morley, looking at her worried face, she knew that even though it might seem unkind she had to insist on intervening.
-Lady Morley, please, let me intervene in childbirth, I have already gathered a minimum of experience in it, I have studied here and there some basic medicine and I think I can be of use in this situation, please give me the opportunity to help this poor woman...-.
At those words the woman's face became even more worried than before, she knew she did not want to put too much anxiety or fear on her, especially in a time as delicate as the fourth month, but on the other hand she knew it the help of a person more experienced in that field was necessary.
-Dear...Meredith, are you really sure, you're pregnant too, isn't this experience too hard for you?-.
Lady Dustin quickly shook her head, on the other hand if the labor pains had already started for such a long time, at that point the top of the baby's head must already be visible.
-Please let the servants bring here a knife heated by the flame of the fire, a basin of hot water and some towels...- Meredith's hand tightened around Lady Mary's shoulder, she knew she was the only one who could do something in that moment.
She felt Lady Mary's face hint, she felt all the gazes directed at her, all her hopes being placed on her skill and delicacy, she felt the responsibilities grow in her.
Meredith was born to help others in difficult times, she always did and that fact would not change at all, not when she knew another person was sick and could be helped by her.
She had always done it, it was perhaps her merit of her or her fault, she did not know but she was sure of the fact that nothing would happen to her child, not as long as she was there.
She closed the door behind her back, gently caress her belly again, everything was fine at that moment, it seemed the little one was sleeping peacefully while his mother was engaged in gynecological assistance to her friend.
Meredith positioned herself directly with the attendants, she tried to make room between them and the first thing she felt she had to do was calm the woman in labor.
Lady Dustin observed in the woman's brown eyes, her skin, her brown hair, sprawled in a bun on the nape of her neck, she felt Kara was full of fear and pain, she felt it as salty and transparent tears fell on the reddened cheeks.
She looked straight into her eyes, in a moment that her pains had ceased she shook her hand, caressed it, smiled, she knew she had to convey confidence.
-Lady Kara, look, I'm here, I came to help you, everything will be fine but you have to calm down and listen to what I tell you, please-.
The woman in labor, in all the pain of that moment, seemed to trust her, she wanted to receive her newborn baby, hold it in her arms and more than anything else that the pain would cease, so she entrusted herself to the woman's care.
Meredith looked briefly under the woman's nightgown, the sheets soaked in blood, noticed that the top of the head was already visible, that was a good sign, it meant that once the head was completely out, the body would simply slip out of the woman.
She had arrived there perhaps too late but she already felt she could do something, as the attendants had obediently given the lady the command of the action.
The required equipment arrived inside the room, Meredith took one of the towels, wet it with warm water and proceeded to rub all the blood away from the wounds created, in order to make the birth easier for the woman.
-M...Meredith...- came out of the dry lips of the woman -I...thank you...-.
Lady Dustin smiled briefly, it was a pleasure that she trusted her just at that moment, when the baby's head was slowly slipping out of her.
There would have been a need to push a couple more times before the little body came out completely.
Meredith lightly placed both hands behind the newborn baby's neck and again asked the new mother to push so that the baby could finally come to light.
So it was, a last scream and then the complete end of the woman's pains, a few moments of silence, before a cry, almost silently sweet left a few moments of relaxation that night.
Meredith was now holding in her hands a small, sweet child, who was not just a baby but a princess who had come to light on that cold summer night.
The lady's eyes lit up, as her own hands gently held the little body of the little one, it was so moving that she had helped to give birth to that little one.
-Where...where is my baby?- Asked the exhausted woman in labor, catching air after giving birth, looking with her tired and wet eyes at her lady holding the small body in her arms.
-It's a baby girl, Lady Kara, at a guess I could estimate that she weighs about three and four kilos...- Meredith admitted letting the legitimate mother of the little girl, after all that pain, could hold her daughter in her arms.
She was so small, her pale skin was so soft, on her small head there were already numerous thin and fragrant hairs of the golden blond colour, the same as Henry's and two large eyes of the deep hazel brown colour.
The baby girl's small nose was hot and red and in a short time after giving birth she released a small, weak sneeze, interrupting the baby's crying.
-What do you want to call her? My lady?- Meredith asked placing both light hands stained with the blood of childbirth on her own belly, caressing it gently, full of affection.
She too, when she saw that scene, couldn't wait for her own child to come into the world to be able to hold it in her arms, for a few months until Aleksei, the legitimate father of the child in her womb, would be came to claim his rightful heir.
-I'll call her Amber, I've always liked this name very much, Amber... Amber Hannover- admitted Kara cradling her daughter in her arms, she felt how much she missed her husband.
Henry, who while his little baby girl was born was engaged in a war on the other side of the sea.
Observing the reddened colour of the little girl's face, those big brown eyes, those numerous blond hair, Kara's large eyes filled with numerous tears, some of which had begun to fall on her cheeks.
-Meredith, thank you so much...-.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone