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Aelin loved her daughter with all of her heart, loved everything about her. Loved the way she looked, her blonde hair and green eyes a perfect mix of her parents. Loved the way she smiled and laughed, able to get her father to do whatever she wanted him to do with just one look. Loved the way she’d just begun showing her magic, fire magic, like Aelin herself.
But she did not love pregnancy.
Sure it was great, she was bringing another child into the world, another prince or princess for her and Rowan and their kingdom to love, but it was a painful as hell process. Eliott was a blessing, this new baby was a blessing, but pregnancy itself was not.
She still had two more months to go, and she was utterly and completely drained. And most days she still had the full workload she had before she got pregnant, much to Rowan’s chagrin, so she couldn’t even lay around in bed all day like her body was telling her to. Not that she really wanted to laze around all day, but sometimes it was needed.
Today was one of those days.
She’d woken up feeling like shit, the nausea that had plagued her since her first trimester digging at her guts as she groaned in pain, the baby shifting uncomfortably in her stomach. Rowan had noticed her condition right away, and had gone to get her some tea, returning as quickly as possible in order to give it to her and curl right back up with her in bed. He’d kept his hand on her stomach after that, using his meager healing magic to try and ease some of the pain, and it worked enough that she didn’t let him leave her side after that.
Which was working, until Eliott woke up and was crying for her mama, to which Aelin grumbled, wincing as she rolled to her side, her daughter pushing open their bedroom door, tear tracks on her face. She must’ve had a nightmare or something. And Aelin couldn’t deny her daughter any sort of comfort, so even though she was still nauseous and achy, she held out her arms, and her little princess climbed up onto their bed, sniffing her tears back.
“What’s wrong, darling?” Aelin asked quietly, her arms coming around to hug her tightly, Eliott forced to lay at an awkward angle because of the baby bump. Rowan was still laying next to them, a hand coming up to rest on their daughter’s back in comfort.
“I had a dream,” she said, her voice thick, “that your belly kept growing and growing,” Eliott sounded distraught, “until I couldn’t see you anymore.” A tear slipped down her small face. “You’re still here, mama, aren’t you?”
Aelin sighed, sitting up a bit as she guided Eliott to sit with her. Her daughter still hadn’t quite grasped the whole pregnancy thing. She didn’t really understand what was happening, no matter how many times they told her she was going to be a big sister. Aelin knew she’d be an amazing big sister, she just needed to know she had a sibling on the way first.
“I’m still here, baby,” she answered calmly, breathing a bit to fight the discomfort and nausea. “And I’ll always be here, forever and forever.” Eliott started shaking her head, and Aelin grabbed her little delicate hand in one of hers, guiding it to press against her stomach where the baby was moving around the most. “In a few months, I’ll be back to normal, and you’ll have a little brother or sister to play with.”
Eliott sniffed, looking unconvinced, but Aelin held her hand tighter, waiting, and waiting, and waiting, until the baby kicked.
The little girl’s eyes widened in shock, her body jerking back at the foreign feeling.
“What is that?” She asked, her voice full of wonder and confusion.
“That’s your little brother or sister,” Rowan answered this time, “that’s who mama’s growing in her belly, that’s why it’s getting so big.” Eliott looked at him, her eyes still wide. The baby kicked again, as if sensing it’s older sister was there, and this time, bringing tears to Aelin’s eyes, Eliott leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to where her hand was.
“When can I meet them?” The little girl asked, moving to curl up into Aelin’s chest, looking up at her mother, and Aelin chuckled, smoothing her hand over her hair.
“In a couple months,” she answered, “in just a couple months. And then you’ll be the best big sister in the world.”