Chapter Ten
Birth of the Half-blood Prince
Ella writhed in pain as Darilth stood there helpless, holding her hand. The baby was too big and she didn’t have the strength to push. Dr. Wyern was trying to keep track of the contractions. But he was getting hopeless. The baby was too big and might break the mother’s bones. He would have to go for a C-Section.
Merelith stood by, reciting incantations that would ease her pain a little, but the situation seemed grave. Ella was pale and gray. Her skin was clammy and her hands were growing cold. Her breath came in shallow gasps. Yet, Darilth saw that there was still a glimmer of hope in her eyes, even though it was quickly contorted by pain.
“D... Darilth,” she gasped, “If I... die... please... take care of my baby.”
“No, you are not to die, Ella!” Darilth’s voice broke as he blinked and held her hand tighter. He kissed her face, again and again, trying to rid her of the horrible pain she was in. “You will live! You are not going to leave me alone!”
But she was too weak to respond.
“I can’t give her anesthesia. I need her to be conscious. Spinal Epidural will do,” Dr. Wyern said as he injected her with the drugs. Then he made the first incision.
Soon, the cries of a baby filled the air and eased some of the tension. It was a beautiful boy. Ella smiled faintly as she looked at her son. He was half human and half Drakonaar. A true half-blood prince. The subtle scales on his temples were there but he had human eyebrows too.
Ella was relieved but could feel herself slipping away.
“Darilth, you must do it now,” Merelith said.
Darilth nodded and cut his wrist with his knife. He then sucked his blood filling his mouth. Then he cupped her chin with one hand and closed his mouth on hers, slowly draining his dragon blood down her throat with the swift movement of his tongue. All the while, Merelith recited incantations.
He made her drink his blood until she drifted into a deep slumber. He knew she would be fine when she awakened and arose like a phoenix. Yet, she would have changed. She would be one of them, a Drakonaar. It would take some time for her to cope with the change. The Ella he fell in love with would still be there – her soul just the same. The same innocent woman he adored. But she would be much stronger than before. And she would be his Queen forever.
***
Darilth walked down the great halls of the castle toward his chambers. The Council meeting had just ended and the Chief had finally sentenced Keralth to death. He would be executed the next day. The dagger Keralth had used to stab his father was found as well as the assassin who killed the guard and the maid. Before they could get him to confess, though, he killed himself.
Darilth was at peace, but part of him felt sad. He just wished his father were alive to see his grandson. He would have seen then that his son was truly worthy of the throne. But it wasn’t destined to be. He took a deep breath and quietly entered his chambers.
***
Ella woke up. The first thing she saw was the light coming through the large window of the room. She was at the castle. She tried sitting up, but her head spun. Otherwise, she felt better, rejuvenated, as if filled with some kind of renewed energy. She looked at her hands. They were the same, but she felt different and she couldn’t figure out what it was.
Suddenly, she thought of her baby. Where was he? She slowly got out of bed and walked up to the window. She stopped halfway when she caught her reflection in the mirror at the opposite wall. She wore an ivory and gold chiffon dress. The gold, laser-cut, intricate motif covered her neck up to her breasts in a halter fashion. The fabric beneath the motif clung to her breasts, and the sheer fall of the gown just below her waist gave her an ethereal look. What caught her attention was that she was no longer an albino - no longer even human. She was one of them: a Drakonaar. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. The woman staring back at her was confident and beautiful. Her hair was silver-white with a beautiful sheen. Her eyes were now a deep shade of sapphire blue. Her skin was still pale, but a different shade of white. She touched the subtle scales that appeared on her temples and forehead. The brow-line was prominent with its subtle scaly ridges. She thought she looked strange but beautiful.
She was still gazing at her new image when Darilth came up behind her and wrapped two strong arms around her waist, his hard body against her soft one. He kissed her neck, his nose in her hair. Her scent was more exotic now, headier even.
“Darilth...” she whispered and turned in his arms, facing him. “How did this happen?” she asked him.
“I promised you that I would make you my queen, remember?” he said with that gorgeous smile of his. “I couldn’t let you die so soon.”
She simply gazed back at him in wonder. He claimed her mouth by his own with a passion so fervent and demanding that it took her breath away.
“Where’s our baby?” she asked.
“Come here,” he said in his low voice as he led her toward the other end of the room. A crib was placed there alongside one wall and in it slept their son peacefully.
“Thank you, Ella, for this wonderful gift. Thank you for giving me a reason to live,” he said, kissing her again.
“You are welcome, husband,” she said smiling her dazzling, alluring smile. She picked up the baby and held him close to her heart.
“What should we call him?” she asked.
“Prince Zoralth Rothgar,” Darilth said, smiling down at his son. “It means brave warrior.”
“I like it,” she said as she rested her head on his chest, the baby between them.