Aurora

I patted down her forehead as she screamed in agony, sweat running down her face.

"Get this cursed child out of me before it sucks me dry!" She screeched.

I sighed as she swatted me away once more, annoyed with everything and everyone around her.

"My queen, you must lay still or something may go wrong." I chided.

"Nothing would go wrong if those damned foraxes weren't so-" she was cut off as another contraction wracked her body, this time her scream leaving me disoriented.

"They're coming quickly, any second now and your baby will be born." I patted her arm.

"Get it out!" She yelled, her eyes turning pitch black. I noticed a stabbing pain every time I breathed in, and my vision becoming crystalline. One of the several nurses around her bed collapsed to the floor, convulsing, scratching at their chest for something that seemingly wasn't there.

It wasn't soon enough that an eerie black crystal protruded from their chest, forcing a dark liquid to seep from their facial orifices.

They were dead.

“Good riddance.” My queen raised, looking at the nurse on the floor with hooded eyes.

“Aegirine!” I exclaimed. “Show some remorse.”

She hissed at me and was ready to attack me when we all suddenly felt a surge of power. Alarmed, she was only able to groan when the next contraction struck.

“Push, my queen, push now!” One of the doctors exclaimed.

“What the hell do you think I've been doing this whole time you imbecile!” She screamed before pain overtook her and she was no longer able to speak.

“Just a bit more…” The doctor mumbled before we were all graced by the dissonant cries of a newborn child.

“It’s a girl.” A doctor smiled but Aegirine only scoffed.

“Give me that stupid thing.” She rolled her tired eyes, yanking the baby from my arms immediately after it was placed there. “I needed a prince, not a princess.”

I frowned at her. She seemed perfectly capable to do anything a prince could. Though, she was right. This kingdom needs a prince.

“Failure after failure, all we have are stupid girls. A bunch of old fools twiddling their thumbs think that we're safe with only princesses. And now-” She gripped the newborn painfully tight and it cried out even louder. “the first legitimate heir to the throne is a damned girl!” She yelled before chucking the newborn towards the nearest wall. It wailed as it soared and I scrambled to catch it before it hit the wall. Luckily, I did.

“Naomi, dump that disgusting creature in the nearest oliar. It's useless to me.” I frowned. In newfound anger, she screamed and yelled at all of us to get out of her sight. Not wanting to face her wrath, we all obliged, leaving the corpse of the dead nurse to her insanity.

“You'll be okay, my dear.” I cradled the small newborn in my arms, trying to hush it as best as I could while walking at a brisk pace. She cooed softly and I smiled. I lightly tickled her chest and she grabbed onto my finger, causing my heart to swell.

Pausing in an archway, I looked down at her in thought. What shall your name be, hmm?

I looked outside, realizing I was on one of the upper levels of the castle, overlooking the fields.

A soft breeze lifted my shoulder length hair, carrying leaves and flower petals our way. I smiled when a rose petal landed on her face, causing her to giggle. She reached up and took it into her small hands.

I watched, amazed, as, seemingly, green and gold tendrils moved under the newborn's skin, before the flower petal shrunk then disappeared under her touch.

Did she kill it? I wondered, slightly disappointed. I looked back out to the landscape before startling, nearly falling over.

Before me floated thousands and thousands of roses floating away with the wind.

I glanced back down at the giggling babe, who clapped her hands, and each time she did so, green and gold sparks exploded from around her hands. It made my hair stand on end.

Paling I remember what Aegirine had said before. ‘Before it sucked her dry,’ she had said. Did she actually sap the magical essence from her mother before she was born?

Though it didn't make sense that it wasn't the same as her mother’s. Nevertheless…

“You like nature, huh?” I whispered, smiling. “How about I name you after our nature god, Arasain?”

I leaned against the stone railing behind me, rocking her back and forth as the church tower in the town below rang its bell, signifying it was already noon. She stirred slightly in my arms at the sound, hitting my chest from the ringing sound it probably left in her ears. I laughed at how adorable she was.

“I think Arrabella sounds better, don't you?”