You Are My Light Part II

246 - Birthing

We're messing with the timeline, ladies and gentlemen. Frary married in 1x08, so no mash weirdness or Frola/Frola baby.

/

"Oh, God!"

"Shh, it's alright, it's alright," the dauphin says, running his hands over his wife's face as it contorts in pain. He can barely see her in the darkness of the night and the dying nubs of the candles surrounding the two of them in the carriage. But he does know when she places a hand on her substantial stomach and the gown that is damp from her waters spilling a few minutes ago. "you're alright," he whispers, looking over from the carriage from right to left. "Bash, can't you go any faster? The baby's coming soon!"

"You think I don't know that?" the bastard son of France calls from the drivers' position. "You try navigating in the dark with no directions!" he finishes. Francis curses him in his mind, looking back from the peep hole and to the strewn face of his wife. She's a chalky white pale, her face is damp with the sweat and the pain from her insides as the small occupant continues to descent from his mothers' womb. She moans as her pains begin to lessen, the grip she has on the bench they're seated on lessening with the whiteness of her knuckles darkening.

"Better?" Francis asks, Mary sniffles, nods slightly as she tries to relax in the uncomfortable chair she and her husband have been sat on for the better part of five hours. He strokes her face, runs his fingers through her hair, does whatever he can to bring comfort to his wife in the brief respite of pain that she's gifted with. He's frantic, terrified, he has no idea what to do, no idea where they are, there is no sign of life wherever they all are, let alone a castle or a lowly midwife.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, he thinks, looking out of the window at the dark forest they've found themselves in. The child was supposed to arrive in the safety of the castle, Mary was supposed to have been surrounded by midwives and physicians, and the babe would arrive safely in this world in the month after this one. Mary still had a month to go in her childbearing, she's too early for the child to arrive, they hadn't even gone on bedrest. But alas, after visiting the collection of villages  benefitted by Francis' recent trade deal with Germany, the Dauphin, Dauphiness and the bastard son of France had been attacked by anti-Medici rebels, and their guards and footman had been slain in an attempt to get to the royal couple and their expectant child. Sebastian and Francis had joined in the fight, while Mary was forced to cower to protect the life within her. Sebastian had lept onto the horseman's place, while Francis had joined his wife. But the startling she had had seemed to distress the baby, and she'd been having pains for hours, waters spilling not that long ago.

The future King is terrified, he doesn't know how to deliver a child, he's never been around it, since all of his siblings had been kept away from their mother when the child inside of her had decided to enter the world. The nannies hadn't wanted them to hear the screams of the Queen of France, and they only met their new sibling after the christenings. And, it seems as though he'd have to figure it out rather quickly, seeing how often his wife was having her pains.

"Francis, I've found shelter!" Sebastian suddenly calls.

Francis could have sung to the Christian God. "Thank the Lord!" he settles. "Where?"

"It's not that big, but it's something." Sebastian charms the horses into taking them to the lowly hut he had found. Mary hisses in another breath, groaning as she begins to feel another wave of pain. Francis cupped her face and tried his best to comfort her as the wave of pain went her whimpering and gasping, her face strewning into an expression he hated, for he knew it represents pain. She relaxes a moment after the carriage finally stops.