my heart never stops beating for you; birthing

[Lea]

For the first time ever, her life is quiet.

In her previous life, she’d almost never had a moment to herself.  As a small child, she’d been dragged all across Beqanna by her fool of a mother, seeking out a father that had little interested in the both of them.  As a yearling, she had been dumped on the Dalean throne by that same mother, who’d been looking to curry favour with that same father.  Everyone had expected her to fail.  But she hadn’t.

Over the space of fourteen years, she had brought the Dale out of the slow, silent death it had been dying, and had turned it back into a bright and thriving kingdom.  She had recruited, made alliances, found love, had children.  She’d suffered losses, been subject to abuse, and witnessed terrible things.  She had spent every single waking moment striving for the betterment of the kingdom.

And in the end, what had it brought her?  Death.  Death, and the eventual destruction of many of her children’s lives.

But now in her second life, there is no throne to sit, no kingdom to run.  She is simply an ordinary mare, living out her days in a kingdom where she can never hold any importance.  And it brings her peace.

She spends her days either by herself or with Errant, exploring the frozen kingdom and enjoying the quiet that the lack of responsibility brings.  She is no one now.  But she is happy.  And soon, she will be adding another little life to their family. 

It’s early morning when the labour pains strike.  She’s been through this before, so she doesn’t panic and simply takes herself to a quiet corner of the Tundra (a little cave that she had scoped out many days before).  The birth is easy and quick, and in under an hour, a little damp bundle is lying on the earthen cave floor.  As she’s done so many times before, she rushes to clean off the little black figure, humming happily as she works.  How could she have ever wanted more than this?

A laugh escapes her when she realizes the gender of the child - a girl!  Another girl!  Six girls, out of seven children.  She can’t wait to see Errant’s face.  Chuckling, she reaches down to nuzzle the girl’s face.  “Hello beautiful.”  She nudges at the filly, trying to encourage her to try stand so that she can feed.  “I think I’ll call you Xiah.”

lea

my heart never stops beating for you

I have permission from Cassi to post this early, as I will be away during birthing season, and will have difficulty posting.  Official birth day is still technically the same.