The Raven (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"I suppose it would serve me right if I died." She murmured softly, still wallowing in her pity as Kitty showed her more kindness than her own mother ever had. "At least Boar would have a happy child and a fresh start."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oh, sweetheart..." Kitty whispered, hugging her close. "It'd kill him if he lost you, child or no. Now don't you think like that. You don't have a debt left to pay anymore as long as you do your best to be a good person from here on out. That and seeing all our family members happy is all any of us want from each other."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Why do you care about me so much?" Emma asked, no suspicion in her tone as she stared at her mother-in-law. "My own mother never cared about me. She never wanted me. Why do you?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"We Ghis have a philosophy about the world and the people in it... We love everyone til they give us a reason not to. But if they can redeem themselves, we'll give them another chance to prove themselves. Where you and Boar are concerned... you've gone wrong, but if you were bad or heartless people you wouldn't love each other and I think we'd know... we have a way of knowing good or bad when we see it. Sure, Durban wasn't sure of you at first, but he and the rest of us know you have a heart and that's what matters." Kitty gave her a smile. "As for me personally... I wouldn't miss a chance to welcome my son's love to the family for the world. Boar's good man, if stubborn and impressionable... But he has a pure heart. I trust that heart."

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma was quiet for a long moment as Kitty said that, thinking over her words and how she might bridge the gap between them. "Boar wanted you at our wedding. He was sad that we didn't tell you, but everything happened so fast that we didn't have anyone but a witness and the priest."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That's alright. We have a tradition of two weddings per couple here, it seems. After all, I want my chance to make you a dress. I made one for Marri, I changed my own for Julia, and I'm sure I'll end up doing something similar for my girls and Ashien's future wife." Kitty sat back with a sigh and a smile. "I told my children they could get married anytime, anywhere, as long as they had a second wedding at home."

 

[heartofcourage]

Again, Emma was incredibly quiet as Kitty talked about a second wedding and making her another dress. She hadn't even had a wedding dress the first time. She had simply wore what she had put on that morning to the church, wed Boar, and bedded him as soon as they had returned home. Marriage had never entered her mind as something special and romantic. It seemed that Inverness, it most certainly was.

"You don't have to make me a dress." She whispered in the softest voice, a little bit of the lost child that she had been coming through in her tone. "There's no need for something like that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"As a mother and a strong keeper of tradition, I think there's plenty of need. If only for a little celebration to brighten things up. A wedding is an excuse to get together family and friends for a while and forget our troubles." Kitty kissed her cheek, rising slowly to her feet. "But if you'll excuse me, love... I'm exhausted and I'm sure Brogan will walk through that door any minute to check on me."

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma nodded, watching as Kitty left and mulling over the words that her mother-in-law had imparted to her. Later that evening, after Boar had dutifully tucked her into bed, she was still awake and staring at the ceiling as the fire burned low in the hearth. She knew Boar was awake as well and she moved her head to stare at his profile in the low light.

"Your Ma wants to have a second wedding for us." Emma said softly. "I told her that I don't think we needed one."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Tha's Ma... ye'll never change 'er mind. Weddings're her thing, she loves 'em." Boar turned to smile at her. "Let 'er have a little fun... she doesn't get t'do much these days, bein' so ill." As much as Boar never showed it, the idea of his mother being so ill really hurt him and he tried to make things easy on her.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Do you think we need another one?" Emma asked as he turned on his side and smiled at her. "I was never much for things like that. Weddings...always left a bad taste in my mouth."

She had never been to a wedding where the two people actually loved each other. Her parents didn't love one another. Her brother didn't love his wife. The prince didn't love his princess. It was baffling to her that this family, the Ghis that were so strong and territorial, seemed so enamored with the idea.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think ye'll like our sort... we do Lunasian weddings, more because they're less dreary an' grey like Christian ones tend t'be. We celebrate an' we enjoy ourselves because no Ghis ever married anyone who wasn' a' least a dear friend, if no' their love. We do it fer th'celebration, not th'ceremony."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Maybe after the baby comes..." Emma said, not really saying yes or no to the idea of having a second wedding with Boar. "Until then, I'm happy to just be with you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Y'can always leave it fer later," Boar assured her. But when she said she was glad just to be with him, his smile softened and be pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I love ya, Emma."

 

[heartofcourage]

"And I love you, Lynndon." She whispered softly, giving him the softest of smiles.

He was the only one that ever got to see that smile or hear those words. She wasn't one to flaunt her love in front of anyone else.

 

[KieranSoares]

It was some time later as spring was really setting in that the family learned that Julia was expecting and that same day, the Ghis family sat out at Loch Inverness to enjoy the first beautiful and warm day that doubled as a quiet little celebration for Julia and Brogan. At the most peaceful point of the day, Boar sat with Emma in the shade enjoying their own quiet moment. She'd been experiencing quite a bit of discomfort lately but nothing painful. It was quite sudden when a contraction hit her hard without mercy.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma let out a choked gasp as the pain ripped through her. She was to her feet in an instant, her hands gripping her tightened belly as she franticAlly looked towards her husband. It seemed that her baby was coming, no mattered she was ready or not.

"Boar." She whispered in a desperate tone. "I think the baby is coming."

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar was up almost as quickly as Emma, and Valentina nearby was with them in a flash. Boar wouldn't panic in front of Emma but it was clear he was just as surprised that it'd happened so suddenly. Carefully scooping Emma up, Boar carried her to the keep while Valentina stayed with them. Marri would be helping them as she was the most experienced mother next to Kitty. Once Emma was settled, Boar stayed at her side until Valentina forced him to leave as she knew he was going to panic and make it worse, especially if things went wrong. And they certainly did go wrong.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma didn't want Boar to leave her side, but Valentina and Marri soon forced him to go outside the delivery room. She was in tears, the brave facade that she always kept up shattered as the pain and fear overwhelmed her completely. The pain was hot and intense, lancing through her as the two women worked to make her comfortable for the long process.

"I want him here." She begged them, looking between the two women as they each assured her that it would be best if he waited outside the room. "Dammit, listen to me! I want Boar here with me!"

 

[KieranSoares]

"He can come back when he calms down," Valentina told her firmly, knowing that a raging and terrified Boar would only make it harder on Emma as things continued to go wrong. Emma had gone into labor so quickly and violently that her body simply couldn't keep up with itself and though Valentina didn't say it aloud, Marri knew there was a worry that the baby- or babies as Valentina believed now- might suffocate.

It was God-awful pain, far worse than what Emma had heard of, and Valentina knew it and sought to relieve some of it with numbing herbs.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma couldn't control herself as each pain came heavily upon her. Soon she was screaming, terrified as the muscles in her belly clenched painfully. Valentina's herbs did nothing to stop the pain from coming and Emma knew that she was surely dying. Her only thoughts in that moment were first for her baby and second for her husband.

Her eyes turned towards the door, weeping as another sharp pain coursed through her as she willed Boar to come back. She needed him there, holding her hand, telling her that things would be alright. She needed his strength to help her through this.

 

[KieranSoares]

Her difficult birth went on for hours and hours until Valentina decided a risk needed to be taken for the sake of Emma's survival as she was sure the baby wouldn't make it by this point. Some incredibly strong herbs left Emma entirely knocked out while Valentina was forced to cut into her body to save her.

It would be days before Emma became truly conscious again.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma woke to the sounds of a baby crying. It sounded so close, yet so far away at the same time. Someone spoke to the child in a deep tone, soothing it until the crying stopped. Everything was peacefully silent after that, save for the noise of heavy steps shuffling around the room.

"Boar?" She murmured softly, her eyes so heavy that she couldn't open them. "Lynn...?"

 

[KieranSoares]

The heavy steps paused in a moment of surprise before approaching. A huge, warm hand touched her freezing-cold cheek and the other laid over her own cold hand. "I'm here, sweet'eart," her husband's deep voice reached her through the mental fog.

 

[heartofcourage]

Never did a voice sound so good to Emma than her husband's in that moment. She struggled to turn her head towards him, fought to try and open her eyes, but nothing was willing to work. She let out a sigh as his palm warmed her skin and she found herself simply too tired to do anything.

"Sleepy." Was all she could muster to say in a soft voice. "Belly hurts."

There was a dull ache in her belly. It was numbed nicely by whatever Valentina had given her, but she could still feel the pain of the wound which had been necessary to deliver her baby.