***

“Kyahhh!”

Valetta’s cries made Leonard swallow hard, the sound loud in the tense air. He would have gone dragon hunting for three days and nights if it meant escaping the helplessness he felt now, just sitting here with her screams cutting through him like knives. It was enough to drive him mad.

“Why… why is it taking so long? It’s been a whole day – why hasn’t the baby come yet?”

He shouted, his face pale as a ghost. Yet Valetta’s anguished cries continued to fill the halls.

“First labour often takes time, Your Grace. Please try to be patient.”

But how could he be patient when the woman he loved was in such pain? To eat or sleep at such a time was unthinkable – heartless.

All he wanted was to be by her side, to hold her hand, to do something, anything – but the midwives had forced him out as the contractions intensified.

“Gods… I’m going mad.”

He murmured, running a trembling hand through his hair.

“Your Grace, you yourself were born after three full days and nights of labour.”

Leonard, looking utterly lost, stared at him and asked hoarsely. “Does that mean Valetta has to suffer like this for two more days?”

“Her Ladyship and the child will be fine.

Paul reassured him gently.

“Please try not to worry.”

“D*mn it…”

He felt powerless. If Valetta asked for it, he’d conquer the nation and lay it at her feet – but when it came to the birth, there was nothing he could do. Not even stand by her side. That alone was enough to drive him mad.

Why had he let it happen? He wanted to strangle his past self for giving her those fertility herbs.

“Young master, no! You mustn’t, young master!”

Voices echoed down the corridor. As Leonard looked up, he saw Ernst dodging the hands of the servants trying to hold him back and running at full speed towards him.

“Ernst?”

“Uncle!”

Ernst ran up and threw his arms around Leonard’s leg.

“Uncle, when is Aunt—?”

“Kyahhh! Ahhh!”

Valetta’s scream cut Ernst off. Leonard belatedly clapped his hands over Ernst’s ears, but it was too late. The boy had gone pale and there were tears in his eyes.

“Is… is Auntie in pain? Is she going to die?”

“No. She’ll be fine. It’s just…”

Leonard didn’t know how to explain childbirth and pain to a child. So he just held Ernst instead. Ernst wrapped his little arms around Leonard’s neck and his little body trembled.

“Ernst. This is what happens when a baby is born.”

The two of them clung to each other, shaking with fear.

“She’ll be fine.”

Leonard kept whispering – to Ernst or to himself, he wasn’t sure.

As they waited for the birth, a last cry pierced the air. Then… “Congratulations, Your Grace.”

A baby’s cry followed the voice from beyond the door, and Paul smiled broadly. The sound was loud and strong – the child appeared healthy.

The door opened and a midwife stepped out. Leonard instinctively tightened his grip on Ernst. He asked urgently.

“Is Valetta all right?”

“Her Ladyship is in good health, as is your son. Congratulations, Your Grace.”

“I need to see her.”

“Please wait a moment while we tidy up inside.”

The midwife’s eyes fell on Ernst. It wouldn’t do to show the child a room drenched in blood and sweat. Understanding the look, Leonard waited quietly for permission to enter.

Some time passed before the door finally opened for them. The baby’s cries still echoed from inside. Leonard gently set Ernst down and took his hand as they hurried inside.

Valetta was lying on the bed, her face pale and exhausted.

“Valetta. Are you all right? No, don’t answer. Just rest. You must be so tired.”

Leonard gently stroked her sweaty face. She’d been working for more than half a day – she looked so exhausted that it wouldn’t have been surprising if she’d passed out on the spot.

“My lady, look—your son.”

The midwife showed her the still-crying newborn. Only then did Leonard turn his eyes to the child. The baby’s skin was red and wrinkled, his eyes still tightly shut.

“He has black hair.”

“Yes. He takes after me.”

“The baby must be hungry.”

Ernst said, his eyes wide as he watched the newborn. But Valetta didn’t respond. She just sniffled quietly.

As the baby’s cries grew louder, Ernst looked worriedly between the baby and Valetta. When neither Valetta nor Leonard paid any attention to the newborn, Ernst began to fidget and stamp her feet.

“Auntie, the baby’s crying because he’s hungry!”

Valetta looked at the baby, then closed her eyes. Ernst was twiddling his fingers nervously.

“Leonard. Let’s call the baby Ludwig. Neither the Irpmans nor the Canies have ever used that name before.”

“Ludwig? Ludwig Carnies… It’s a good name.”

There had never been an heir named Ludwig in the history of either family, so it was a fitting name – symbolising the beginning of a new chapter. As the two continued their conversation, Ernst let out a frustrated cry.

“Auntie! The baby’s hungry! We have to feed him! Food!”

Leonard and Valetta exchanged glances at Ernst’s reaction. Leonard then picked Ernst up and carried him out of the room.

Once they were out in the corridor, Ernst, clearly frightened, grabbed Leonard’s hand and shook it. For someone so small, he had quite a grip.

“Uncle, the baby has to eat.”

“Are you worried about the baby, Ernst?”

“Well, yeah! He was crying because he’s hungry!”

By now Valetta was probably breastfeeding the baby. Worried that Ernst might feel uncomfortable or jealous of the newborn, Valetta had come up with a plan before the birth.

She had said that when Ernst met the baby for the first time, she would deliberately ignore the newborn. That way, Ernst would feel the urge to protect the baby and recognise it as his younger sibling. And it had worked.

“I think your aunt is feeding Ludwig now. Do you see? He’s not crying anymore.”

“Oh? The baby has stopped crying!”

“That’s right.”

Leonard patted Ernst gently on the head. It would have been a lie to say that he didn’t feel a surge of emotion when he saw Ludwig. He wanted to take a good look at who the baby most resembled, but it was more important to set the right tone for this first meeting between Ernst and his new sibling.

“Young Master, let’s go back to your room now. Her Grace needs to rest.”

“What if the baby cries again? Can I give him my evening chocolate?”

As he watched Ernst and Paul walk off hand in hand, Leonard allowed himself a small smile. Then he turned and walked back to Valetta.

She nursed Ludwig, her eyes fixed on her son. Everything about him was still a miracle to her – how he nursed, how healthy he looked. She was simply grateful to have met him in this way.

“Valetta… you did well. I thought I was going to lose you…”

Leonard’s voice was thick with emotion. Valetta’s face was no different when she looked up – tears were already streaming down her face as she looked at the baby.

“He’s so beautiful.”

To Leonard the baby looked like a red yam, but through his mother’s eyes he was something else entirely. Valetta sniffled.

“He looks like you… but he’s so beautiful. He’s not even like you.”

Leonard crossed his arms, pretending to sulk, but in truth he too was awed and overwhelmed by how precious the baby was. The deep smile on his lips was proof of that.

When the baby was full and asleep, Valetta gently handed him to Leonard. The baby was so small, so light.

Leonard could hold him in one hand, but for fear of dropping or breaking him, he clumsily held him in both arms.

For the first time, Leonard studied the baby’s face carefully. Although it was still swollen and the eyes weren’t open, he could see immediately that Ludwig looked just like him.

Ludwig’s hair was black like Leonard’s. Perhaps his eyes would be gold like his. Leonard hoped that at least the baby’s eyes would be like Valetta’s. With that thought he handed the baby to the midwife.

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired.”

“Lie down and rest.”

“Hold my hand.”

Valetta murmured from the bed.

The contractions had been so intense that a blood vessel in one of her eyes had burst. Leonard swallowed the pain in his throat at the sight. Her delicate hand twitched weakly in his palm. With a trembling voice he said.

“There will be no second child. Never again…”

She would never understand how agonising it had been to wait for their child to be born. He’d felt like the stupidest man in the world, choking on the fear that she might not survive because of him.

“Mmm… I wonder whose eyes Ludwig has.”

Ignoring his words, Valetta murmured sleepily. Her voice faded – she was drifting off. Instead of pressing her for more children, Leonard simply kissed her forehead. Her face, drenched in sweat and pale with fatigue, her eyes bloodshot, had never looked more beautiful to him.

“Valetta. I’ll look after the baby now. Get some rest. You have done so well.”

Valetta’s eyes fluttered shut. He wasn’t sure if she heard him through her sleep – but it didn’t matter. Leonard whispered the words he had longed to say.

“I love you, Valetta.”

After carefully tucking her hand under the blanket, he stepped into the next room to learn from the midwife how to properly hold his child.

A few days later, when Ludwig opened his eyes, they found out whose eyes he had inherited – they were just like Leonard’s. Leonard looked a bit disappointed.

But two years later Ludwig’s younger brother, Heinrich, was born and he was the spitting image of Valetta. She then explained that all they needed now was a daughter who looked like both of them to make things perfect. Leonard insisted that there would be no more children.

But it didn’t look like Leonard was going to win this argument. After all, he seemed quite content with the noisy life that came with three sons.

Ernst, Ludwig and Heinrich – the ducal house of Carnies with its three lively boys was a happy home. At last, Valetta’s long-cherished wish had come true.