Open by Ashley Fox Page B

once the babe is here, once you have your strength
back. It isn ’ t
healer ’ s wine, I promise. I
prepared it, it ’ s your
favourite, with plenty of honey. It ’ s midwinter, did you know? You must have a glass. And at
least eat a little, just a few berries. Please mama,
please... ”
    Mera
hadn ’ t meant to sound so
forlorn at the end, but she couldn ’ t help it. Seeing her mother like this, knowing she thought
she would die … suddenly the
tears fell and she couldn ’ t
stop them. Her mother ’ s hand
rose to wipe them away. “ Meredith, Mera, I will take a little.
Don ’ t
cry. ”
    Mera
unwrapped the hanky Tansy had wrapped them in, revealing seven fat
juniper berries. She took up one and placed it in her
mother ’ s mouth. Slowly and
dutifully her mother chewed and swallowed all seven. Tansy passed
her a goblet of the wine warmed with angelica, and her mother sat
and sipped. She even gave a small
laugh. “ Well, this tastes
much better than the other, thank you, I …”
    Her mother
gasped, Mera quickly took the goblet away from her, holding her
hand tight as another contraction hit. This one was longer than the
last. When it had passed she gave her back the goblet and
encouraged her to drink. They sat like this for some time, mostly
in silence, holding hands. Mera wiping her mothers brow with a cool
cloth, for an hour then two. A few times the healer walked in to
ask if her mother was well, or as well as she was. During this time
contractions came and went. It seemed to Mera they were getting
longer, harder for her mother, and she embraced the quiet that
Cerid had instilled and sought to gentle her
mother ’ s pain. Soon she was
asking Mera to help her up, to turn around onto all fours. Her
forehead rested on the sheets, her hands near tearing the cloth
with each wave. Mera thought there was more colour to her
cheeks. “ Send for the
midwife, I … ..ah, I want to
bear down. I think it ’ s
time. ”
    Tansy rushed
from the room, wearing a fragile hope on her face and Mera rubbed
her mother ’ s back as another
contraction hit, on the very tail of the last. Her mother writhed
and cried out, and fluids ran down her legs. Blood, and a thicker
yellow substance. A pungent odour hung on the air. The midwife and
healer entered. She immediately moved to her
mother ’ s rear and
unceremoniously lifted her night dress. She let out a pleased
humph, her hands seeking below. “ I can feel the babe ’ s head, well done, my Queen. You are doing beautifully.
It ’ s time now, you need to
push dear, push with the next. I know you are tired, but it
won ’ t be long
now! ”
    Even as the
midwife was talking another wave rolled over her mother, Mera could
see her exposed stomach roll and roil. She knew what happened
during birth, but seeing it like
this … why would women want to
go through it?
    As the
contraction passed they moved her onto her back. The healer
supporting her legs, the midwife manipulating her opening. Her
mother turned a slick face to her, eyes beseeching. “ Please stay, my daughter, my,
please … ah! ”
    Her mother gripped her hand so tight Mera was
sure it would break, but she held on. Returning that grip and
giving her mother something solid to cling to as creation cleaved
her mortal flesh.
     

CHAPTER TWELVE
     
The Sun
     
     
    Llew sat and
watched his father. He paced, then he sat, pulling his hair, only
to pace again. He was white as the dead and seemed almost angry in
his worry. Llew was rather frightened of him in that moment. He had
been like this since Mera ’ s
maid had rushed in to take the healers. Before that they had been
telling them that if the Queen started to fade, their only option
would be to accept the her death, but perhaps save the babe by
cutting him out. Llew had felt sick listening to them. Is this how
his mother had died? He rarely thought of her,
couldn ’ t really remember
her, but watching his father ’ s agony and hearing the screams that filtered through