Chapter 1 - Return

It’s dark, how long it's been like this? I move but it's somewhat confined, am I in a bag? am I gagged? I can't talk, I can't open my eyes…

wait a minute...

Hmmm, oh! This again...

How many times it’s been now? I forgot... yeah, I forgot.

I better stop moving, it will just make it harder for her, let’s not complicate things again.

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“Push my lady, push, take a breath, yes like that, now push”

The midwife was telling me, but this baby doesn't stop moving, I’m really scared it is my first after all. I’ve heard those stories, when babies move too much at birth say they can die, I start to cry, I’m afraid.

When I opened my eyes I saw those loving red eyes, staring right at me. He is holding my hand while drying my tears. His short red hair and his reddish goatee, look at how proud he is! this is his first child too after all.

He let go of my face and puts his hand on my belly, as if realizing something he quickly went down. Looking at it for a second then he whispered something with a smile, I can't hear anything. the pain is too intense it’s just too much for me.

Oh! It stopped moving, he shot at me that loving smile of his, he's the best man in the world, I feel lucky to be his wife.

I’m proud to be bringing our first child into the world so let's do my best. Follow the midwife’s instructions ok? breathe, push, push, breathe, come on me, endure the pain, breathe, push, push.

“Keep going my lady, I see the head, just a little bit more, endure a bit more, breathe, and...”

She says again and I pushed harder than before, as she instructed me a week ago. ‘My lady when I tell you this “I see the head” you have to push harder and breath deeper’. So I got to push harder and breathe harder now.

It seems is over, but what's with the faces of everyone?, what's going on, I don't see your smiles, hey tell me something.

I can't talk, I'm too tired, I got to make an effort…

“Dear?”

I ask, he looks at me and smiles nervously. What's going on?

**slap**

**slap**

**slap**

“She's not crying hun and not breathing”

he says to me with a worried expression on his face. That just makes me worry even more!

**slap**

**slap**

**slap**

The midwife is spanking the baby on her small but lightly, then rubs her chest, and repeats.

It’s been a while now, it’s my baby ok? What's going on, I need to ask or I’ll go crazy.

“Hey dear, what's go...”

“Waaaa waAaaa waAaaaa waaAaa”

“WaaAaa wAaaaa waaaaaA waaaAa”

“WaaaAa waaaaa wAaaaaa waAaaa”

*sigh* I let out a sigh of relief, she cried at last! Mark’s face lights up and laughs, but he seems to have been holding it for too long so his leg give up and he falls down on his knees. Tears are flowing down his eyes but I'm no different though, I see the watery view in front of me, so I'ḿ crying too.

The midwife presents the child to me.

“So beautiful, look mark, she has your eyes”

I say as I regain my bearings, I’m holding my baby and hugging her lightly, then I brought her up to look at her. By all means she resembles mark a lot, that beautiful reddish eyes and that little red head. There is no doubt she's his father’s daughter.

“Hun, I’m sorry but, I just fell in love with our daughter, from today onwards, dont be jelous, shes the one I love the most, so, thank you, thank you Lea, than*sob*k you*sob*”

Mark tells me still crying a little.

So cute this man, who would think he's a knight? a general at that mind you, strong and brave, proud and stern at times even.

Dropping at me such words just makes me love him even more!

I love this man with all my heart, but he's right, right now, I feel the love for our child is just far beyond anything I’ve ever felt before.

“As long as you don't get jealous yourself that I love her as much as you do, I think we can make it work!”

I smile at the end of my words and he looks at me, comes up to my face and kisses me passionately, my lips felt hot and I closed my eyes, I’ll let him get away with it, I can't help it, he's the one I choose, and I’m glad he chose me too.

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**slap**

**slap**

**slap**

**rub rub**

“Dear?”

Somewhere behind me a woman asks.

Hey! What the... Stop slapping me, come on. I look at the woman that’s holding me by my little legs, her expression is worried sick. She’s been slapping me and rubbing my chest for about 20 seconds.

“She's not crying, and not breathing”

The man on my right says, his face is wearing a forced smile, he seems really worried, whats with this people. Can’t you guys see I’m fine?

**slap**

**slap**

**slap**

** rub rub **

Oh come on! stop spanking me already, it damn hurts you know.

“Hey, what's go...”

The woman with the crying voice speaks again and I realize I can't breathe, oh shit gotta cry right now.

“Waaaa waAaaa waAaaaa waaAaa”

“WaaAaa wAaaaa waaaaaA waaaAa”

“WaaaAa waaaAa wAaaaaa waAaaa”

Was that right? Too much? Too short? I don’t know, aAaaaaaaa I hate crying. Going through this process again is going to be annoying as hell...

I hope Ali this time isn't older than me again, that's going to be even more annoying.

Uh? Hey lady, it's ok, I'm fine, hmmm... mom is it, well mom, I’m fine, so would you please stop crying?, uh? wa wa wa wa waaaaa, what’s this man doing? Hey! Get a room! I’m here in front of you you know!

“WaaAaa waaAa aaa a aaaaaaaaaa”

Oh! You got it, yes that’s it, separate from her, she’s mine for now so back off! Hey lady, err mom, feed me, come on, feed me now.

..

..

..

Nothing happens, hmmm, oh true, damn it, got to cry again

“Waaaa waaaa waaaa”

“Waa wa wa waaa?”

I’m hungry, so come on, feed me now, that's it, yes that’s it.

Yawn, I’m sleepy, going to sleep.

I open my eyes, and there they are, lying in the bed.

It’s been 6 months since I was born, seems this time I’m born into a somewhat well-off family.

My mother is a really beautiful woman, black straight hair down to her back, black eyes, and really amazing figure.

My father is a sturdy fellow, his appearance isn't bad either, he actually is quite handsome. His hair is red, and his eyes are reddish too. Very much the same every time in regard of fathers, maybe it's a bloodline thing? No, I didn't leave any heirs, so it's not a direct descendant of mine.

Why is it that mothers vary a lot, oh well, this is the first time I’ve been birthed by a black haired, black eyed lady.

Father seems to be a soldier.

Some days I’m with mother in the garden of our place sunbathing when he comes back. He wears a fairly adorned black and silvery armor with a black long cloak with a silver winged horse sigil in the middle and a single long sword on his hips.

He never uses the helmet, It’s always sitting in his study.

I started crawling about a month ago, they seemed surprised at the time, maybe it was too early? Well it isn't like I could do it any earlier, my body didn't respond well and my balance was awful.

They complain that I don’t cry much other than when I’m hungry, but I really don’t like to cry, so bear with me ok!

I’m noticing that I call father by his name, that bothers me a little, it would be bothersome if I blurt “Mark” instead of “father” when I start speaking, I need to get this fixed but Mark is home just at night on weekdays and once every other weekend due to guards, so I don’t spend much time with him.

On those weekends that Mark is at home he brings over a lot of friends and they spend the days practicing the sword, talking and eating.

At first mother took me inside the house, when I noticed it was because she didn’t want me to see them, I started crying loudly until she brought me back out and calmed myself down.

“Seems Gat likes to see you men practice, so don't make much noise ok and keep a safe distance from her whenever possible”

Mother told the men, since then it’s been a regular occurrence.

To fix the distance with Mark I’ve started crawling into “father”’s study whenever I can, stop at the bookcase and make funny noises. I won’t cry so if you don't like it, make another child, come on father, read me a book.

“Awa awawawa awa”

Funny noises, Marks notices me and grabs a book, picks me up from the floor, puts me on his lap and reads the title.

“The Princess in the flower kingdom”

Ugggg… what a boring name, that’s not what I’d like to hear, but let’s go slowly - for now.

I’ll bear with it until he’s more comfortable reading to me, then I’ll and start making fun noises later when I want him to switch books, and stop at something more informative.

I’m not yet aware of how long it’s been since last I died, sometimes it even took almost a full thousand years for me to return.

“There was once a pink princess in the kingdom of rosedony”

He reads until I fall asleep, I mean come on, who wouldn’t. “Rosedony” really? what the heck is that, pink princess…… I'll puke my food out.

And this has been my life for the past year and a half, boringly repetitive.

I’m one year and a half now, I’m very aware that I’m different, my parents seem to have noticed it too.

I’m walking perfectly already and I’ve started saying words since I was eight months old, starting with “mama”, “papa” and “food”. Tt was tough to speak then but now I’m a lot more fluid.

But what seems to surprise them most is that I read, I go to father’s study, stand in front of the bookcase and point to books that I can't reach and he gives them to me.

At first he thought I wanted to imitate him, well of course, who would think a kid of one year old can read eh! But father still reads me the books whenever he can.

“Dear, again reading to Gat? Hurry up and get here, we have to go to my sister’s place, she gave birth to a baby girl last week remember?”

Mother call for us from downstairs.

I’ve met aunt Lucy, that is one hell of a beautiful woman, the only person I’ve met that is that beautiful is Aliyah. Believe me that is saying quite something about aunty.

Woop, I’m being carried now, father replied that he had forgotten, and whispered to my ear ‘you are my smart little angel you know’, he seems to be fond of the time he spends with me.

We go out of the castle, get into a horse-drawn carriage and start our way to aunt's home.

In this past year and a half I’ve understood that father is a man of arms, knight of the kingdom where we live in and has a lot of men in his charge.

Uncle Clay, my aunt’s husband, is my father’s second in command, a handsome and sturdy man just like Mark but bit shorter, his black haired and black eyes are very much like my mother and aunty.

After a while we arrived at the huge house there aunt Lucy and uncle Clay live, indeed a well-off family too!

Lets see, whats the little cousin like.

Thanks for reading my fiction! I hope to get your comments and help from now and in future issues.

Give and Take you know :D, you help me, I help you! isn't that the main reason why most of us gather here in RRL? to learn from each otner?

Cheers.