Chapter 22: Chapter 22

HELP FROM ENEMIES

Having decided not to tell Arin about Benita, I now had a new maid... wonderful.

Arin had breakfast in bed with me and then had to go to the forge urgently. He was under a lot of stress because he stayed with me all day yesterday. I was knitting my baby's blanket again, the finishing touches. She was bright white and fat. I couldn't wait to use them. While I was still waiting for Benita, I knitted more warm socks, gloves and sewed some little shirts. But Benita didn't show up.

At one point, Syman sneaked into my room. He immediately warmed himself by the fireplace and told me all sorts of things about the forge. How busy Arin was, how he snapped around because he was stressed,... I missed him. He should snap around here.

Syman disappeared and Benita remained missing. Also good.

At noon I hoped Arin would come to me, but he was too stressed to eat at all. It was agony. But Benita showed up! She just opened the door, put a plate on the chest under my window, and sat stubbornly in the chair by the fireplace.

I didn't like the sight of her in our bedroom. However, I would not have liked her stubborn look anywhere!

I rolled out of bed and threw Arin's dark green coat around my shoulders. Sat down on the chest and ate my food. A stew.

"Unbelievable." growled the fake snake by the chimney. "You want me to play your maid? Do you like it that way?"

I just smiled and played with the strings on Arin's coat. Then it dawned on her.

"It's his? Now you're showing yourself off too?"

"I don't have to show anything." I pulled the soft fabric from my stomach. "He's my man, in case you missed it."

Benita's cheeks flushed with anger. "You bastard were just forced on him! He never wanted you!"

Out of her mouth, Bastard didn't even hurt me. She was like an offended child lashing out.

"And yet he didn't marry you."

She jumped up angrily and rushed towards me. "You just want to humiliate me here! You want to play games with me!"

I felt a tug in my stomach again... calm, don't get excited. I tried to talk to her calmly. "Arin decided it. It's not an adventure for me either."

She clenched her fists. "Arin wanted it that way?"

"Do you think I need you around all the time?"

Really not...

Benita thought for a moment, then steamed away, slamming the door behind her. Thank god she was gone!

In fact, for a week, she only showed up once to bring me food, insult me, and disappear.

Every day the pain became more and more unfathomable. Sometimes they woke me up, sometimes they bothered me while I was eating, and more and more often I had to stop working on the baby things to concentrate.

"You really succeeded." Arin praised me. He had the baby blanket between his fingers.

"I've tried so hard to make it good. So that it can use it for a long time."

He folded them again and put them back in the cradle he had brought me three days ago. He had specially bought them from a dealer in a town and brought them back.

"It's already late." I murmured, hoping he would lie down with me and ignore the midwife's warning.

"However." He put more wood in the fireplace and headed for the door. "I'll have a drink with Kora and Taran." Oh no... He shifted from one foot to the other. "I have to go, otherwise I'll forget myself."

"Please forget yourself..." Arin sucked in his breath in frustration. Nearly! I raised my arms overhead and stuck out my chest. "Arin..."

His whole body tensed. "Elaine... I..."

I stretched a bit and tried to pull it off with my eyes. He hesitated...then knelt on the bed, growling, and pulled me closer to position himself on top of me. My baby ball pressed against his taut stomach.

He yanked the thin linen shirt over my head. He growled again as I did the same to his shirt, digging my fingers into his sides. I felt a tug. But not in the stomach.

"Elain..." it was a weak protest. Nothing compared to the desire he had for it.

Then something terrible happened. Cruel... unfair!

There was a knock at the door.

"Arin? May I come in?" Syman... why always him!?

Arin rose with a sigh. "Give me a moment." He handed me my shirt and put his back on. Without looking at me again, he stormed out of the room, grabbing his cloak and was gone. DAMNED!

Arin pulled the dark green hood over his head and hurried across the courtyard. The cloak billowed around his arms, the snow crunched beneath him and his breath hitched white. How could he lose himself like that? But it was Elain... he lost his control every time.

He saw Taran and Kora at the castle gate. These dorks will distract him from the naked lady in his bed. Or so he hoped.

It was like that. They joked and abused each other. Until Arin relaxed and passed the time with his brothers. Elain had to sleep soundly before he could go back.

He fled like a virgin.

"Look who's coming." Kora points behind Arin. By the light of the torches hanging in fixtures on the castle wall, a small, nimble shadow moved toward them. He shouted something.

"Syman!?"

The boy hurried and roared again. "Elain! The baby!"

Arin froze. Now..?

"The baby is coming!"

Time seemed to stand still around Arin. Elain is having the child! it echoed in his head. It was slowly sinking into his subconscious. Then panic broke out...

"Syman, get the midwife!"

He ran through the darkness to the castle, up the stairs, dove down the long hallway, and yanked open the door. As so many times before. Elain sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through her golden hair. It spilled out around her arching back.

"Elain..." he walked around the bed and knelt in front of her. What should he do? What should he say?

She smiled bravely. "Hi."

"Hi." He was far more stressed than she was. He was about to faint.

He had fought many battles, experienced a lot and even killed his uncle in a duel. But he never felt more afraid than in this moment. Terrifying, exciting...

"I'm scared as hell." she laughed.

"You can do it." He also?

Syman yanked open the door. "The midwife is on her way. She tells Elain to lie in bed."

She made a painful face. Oh he hated it when she suffered.

"A winter baby..." she gasped, clenching her fists. "So are you."

Arin nodded. Unable to say anything.

Did she notice his insecurity? Was she trying to talk to him to calm him down? He didn't want that. He wanted to be strong for her, but it was just incredibly difficult for him. What a wimp he was!

The midwife walked into the room as if she had all the time in the world.

Arin stood by my bed like a wall. This horrible woman sauntered over to us and sat on Arin's side of the bed at the end of the bed. "Bad time, my lady."

"I'm terribly sorry."

"Jason Junior finally fell asleep. He must be having a growth spurt."

Arin snorted indignantly. "Would you like some more tea!? My wife is in pain!"

She scowled up at Arin. "She'll have that for a whole day! It's her first child, it will be a long time before you hold your brat in your arms!"

My what!? I angrily tried to pull myself up, but Arin caught my shoulder.

"Hold your tongue." he murmured too quietly.

"Go now." The woman snorted annoyed and clutched her temples.

I begged Arin silently not to go. This woman was not kind to me... He kissed my forehead and smiled. "I'll be back soon."

The midwife drove off my stomach, examined how far my baby was and mixed tea for me. "See you again tomorrow night. Until then, drink this tea and get through it."

She got up again, handed me my mug and then stood by the fireplace. "Are you going to keep your daughter?"

"Of course!" Shortly after I wanted to sit up, I winced again.

The midwife nodded slowly. "Bathe if it's too painful."

"Alright..." My stomach was getting hard again and it felt like my whole body was pressing against my hips...

She pushed her loosened brown strands back into her loosely pinned-up bun. Again, I was amazed at how young she was, despite being so precocious. She couldn't be older than Florence.

"Hard to believe that I'm giving birth to another Campbell..." Shaking her head, she opened the door and Arin appeared. "Men." She snorted annoyed and slipped past my husband.

"I hate this woman..."

Arin smiled and rejoined me on the bed. Behind him came Tessa and the maid who was currently flirting with Taran, with a vat and a pile of cloths, candles and a sewing box. A moment later some helpers brought in steaming water, brought me some really strong soup and two little clay bottles.

"Oh dear..." Arin looked at the sewing box and turned as pale as the snow in the yard.

I really felt sorry for him. All of this had to really wear him down. Where you never talked to men about something offensive like childbirth. Consequently, he had no idea what was in store for me here.

Arin sat next to me on the bed. "Did Christin mention anything else?"

"Who?"

"The midwife?"

"Nothing important." He gently brushed my hair away from my face. Arin looked tired, tomorrow he had to go back to the forge. How could he sleep in this tumult? I nestled my cheek in his hand. "You should rest."

Arin grinned mischievously. "Are you putting me to bed, my lady?"

I immediately remembered it. I told him that at the beginning of our marriage. So much time passed by. It felt like another life. Just a year ago, I lived with Ulrike and Jacob on the farm, wore trousers and used to fight with the workers for fun. Now I was married, had a child and had a home. I had found my place.

"I would never dare, my lord." I quoted him and his dimple appeared. "But you have to go to the smithy tomorrow."

"Don't worry. If I get tired, Syman will have to share his bed with me."

But he already looked exhausted. And scared. "Everything will be fine, I know it."

He squeezed my hand tightly. "I know. I still go to prayer."

I laughed because I didn't know my black knight praying. Or could imagine.

A little embarrassed, he rubbed his neck. "It's guessing. And if that's all I can do, then damn it, I'll do it!"

"Better leave the damnout of it."

He raised a finger menacingly. "I will pray that you will show respect to your husband, I swear."

"In order." The pain started again and I longed for the hot water. Arin helped me up but was shooed away immediately afterwards.

Did he actually go to prayer?

The water only helped to a limited extent, as they shoveled snow in so that it didn't get too hot for the child. But the pain continued...

Arin barely survived the night. Elain writhed in pain. Christin, the midwife, had turned up just after dawn and forbade him to enter the bedchamber. And so to Elain.

Due to his sleep deprivation, he had such a tantrum in the knight's hall that three of his brothers had to stop him and wrestle him down.

At breakfast he could hardly eat a bite.

As well as? His wife writhed in pain, only got soup and tea and he was told to stuff his stomach with bacon, eggs and steaming buns?

"Chill out." Bea smiled at him. "It's not as bad as you think."

"But it takes so long." He felt his mood sink.

"It's her first child." Naha, Samuel's wife, grabbed his hand. "After the first three, it goes much faster."

The first three. Let me get over one thing first, he thought to himself. But only nodded surrendered.

Claudia, Joe's wife, lifted a cloth and revealed her bundle, a little girl. "After that everything is forgotten anyway."

It trickled down Taran's back next to Arin. "I can't stand this topic. I don't want to imagine how it's supposed to work."

Arin immediately agreed. He would never survive that. He could only hope that things went as planned and that mother and child were safe.

The hours were getting longer and longer when Arin couldn't see his wife. It had to happen soon, she had to get over it soon. All the women got frantic and kept patting his shoulder as they passed.

At some point he felt helpless and powerless as he had not in twenty years. He last felt this way when his father stood across from him. And even then there was only one person who could ease this condition for him.

"In."

Avan sat in his chair and hurriedly wrote on a piece of paper. His brow was furrowed and his jaw clenched. Still, he was as calm as Arin would have liked to be. Without saying a word, he fell onto the stools on the wall by the window.

Looking up, Avan didn't seem surprised. He took a glass and sat down with Arin.

"You knew I was coming?"

Smiling knowingly, Avan handed him the glass. Arin drank, the liquid burning down his throat.

Avan studied Arin's condition. "How far is it already?"

"Everyone's getting frantic and she's whimpering louder and louder."

"Then she is very far." Arin caught his eye. Say something that calms me down, he begged silently. Avan understood. "You're doing well. That's all you can do." He poured more and forced Arin to drink it. "She's strong. You'll get them both back healthy."

Since Arin's tongue was loosened, he said so bluntly. "I'm really scared, Avi."

He smiled. "I know. That's how I felt then. And it never stops. Once it's born, you're always scared. You almost go crazy sometimes."

Arin swallowed. "Do you think I will become like our father?"

Avan cocked his head.

"Father was a good man, Arin. He was really loving to me and patiently taught me everything. I think at some point he didn't realize how bad he was behaving. Maybe after nine kids he actually became a bit jaded. But I know he never acted out of malice. He believed he was doing the right thing."

Arin had never seen his father like this. And he found it hard to believe his big brother's words. However, Avan had been with her father most of the time. More than any of the other brothers. If so, he could only trust Avan on the subject.

"And that you are very strong like him is a fact." Avan smiled warmly. "Always hot-tempered and stubborn. So self-assured it makes you tear your hair out."

"That calms me..."

"But" Avan raised his index finger. "You have our mother's soft heart. And Elain would certainly kill you with her own hands if you went insane like Father."

That actually helped. He had known it, Avan was honest enough to help him.

"Arin!" It came from the hallway. The door was thrown open and Bea stood panting in the door frame. She wanted to say something else, but it wasn't necessary.

Arin had already jumped up and walked past her.

Christin patted my hand and wiped the sweat from my forehead. "Try deep breaths."

I barely got what she said. The only thing that got through to my ears at the moment was the agonized crying of my infant. It was all that mattered at the moment. It was breathing and screaming, that was good.

A ray of light slowly penetrated the door. Then he was gone again. I couldn't even turn my head to see who had come.

Then my hand was grasped and lips pressed to it. "Arin..."

"I'm so glad you're okay." He kissed the back of my hand again. He looked as done as I felt. His dimple appeared in his tired face. "And our child."

Christin was clutching a bundle as she walked toward us from the fireplace. "Ten fingers, ten toes."

It was still screaming. She laid the bundle - my bundle - on my chest. Arin caught his breath. The face was all pink and the skin was so incredibly soft. When I put it on to breastfeed it went quiet.

"Don't you want a wet nurse?" Christine wrote something on a piece of paper.

"No way." After all, the child was mine!

The room gradually emptied. Until Christin and my husband were the only ones who stayed. Arin looked at the child as if he were made of gold. He carefully grabbed the corner of the sheet in which it was wrapped and pulled it aside.

"A young." Arin carefully wrapped him up again. He proudly put his hand on his little head. "The boy really is a real Campbell. Big and starving."

His radiance was contagious. He was so relieved.

Christin handed Arin a damp linen cloth and then discreetly left the room. Arin used the cloth to blot the sweat from my face.

"I don't think you've ever looked more beautiful."

I couldn't be so tired that he couldn't make me laugh. Even if my laughter was only quiet and hotter.

"I don't feel that way, right now."

"How then?"

"A little crazy. Like I could kill anyone who tries to get close to my son."

"I understand that." Dreamily he stroked the black hair on the little heads. I would have liked to give it to Arin, but I didn't want to let go of it just yet. I was afraid he would stop breathing if I did.

"You must be tired." he breathed after a long silence. He gently pressed his lips to mine.

"He's staying with us, isn't he?" The cradle suddenly no longer seemed safe enough.

"Of course. I'll stay awake and take care."

I put the boy next to me in the crook of my arm. I hoped not to fall asleep yet, this moment was so peaceful. But before I could finish the thought, my eyes were closing.

ARINS SON

When I opened my eyes, Arin's head was leaning against the ornate headboard and his eyes were closed. I couldn't be mad, he looked just as exhausted as I did earlier. But that wasn't important now. The boy woke me up. He bleated softly and had almost kicked off the sheets.

I tried not to wake Arin and took care of my child. My child. Oh god. How important that sounded.

Fed and wrapped, he became calm again.

"I watched until he fell asleep." grumbled Arin sleepily. He blinked to wake up.

"All right." How could I blame him? I stroked his cheek. He had grown a small beard. "Do you want to take him now?"

He proudly took it from me and rocked it. "What have you driven me insane?" he whispered.

"You're not that clumsy." He'd been pacing nervously for days. And now he looked so calm and balanced, as if the last few hours had been forgotten. How natural.

"I have many brothers with many children, dearest." He smiled shyly. "I often watched the little brats."

Actually, I could have imagined that. I was feeling really great right now. At least internally, my body was in a different state.

"I have to get used to calling him by his name." I yawned. Hungry, I was starving.

Arin put the little one in the cradle and put my blanket over him. His chest swelled. He stood in front of the cradle and smiled. "Armin." Arin was blessed. "It's already morning, we must have slept a long time."

I got up carefully. "Should we go down for breakfast?"

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely. I can't wait to get back among people."

When Armin woke up again, Elain took care of him, got dressed and followed Arin into the knight's hall. She walked slowly and considered every step. Arin, on the other hand, was aware of how incredibly proud he must seem. After all, everyone was waiting for the two of them. And everyone would wait for the name and gender.

And so it happened. Throughout breakfast, Elain was questioned about Armin, wished them luck, and slapped Arin on the back so many times that he felt like a horse. But a proud horse. An incredibly proud horse.

The day in the smithy grew longer and longer as it neared the end of the day. He was working on the iron ring for a carriage wheel.

"May I look after him?" Syman handed the hammer to Arin.

"You better ask Elain. I think she won't let him out of her sight for the first few weeks."

But the squire was again elsewhere with his thoughts. "May I teach him to ride!? And teach him to the smithy? Like you me?"

Arin was flattered and simply nodded. "We'll see, let him arrive in the world."

Syman smiled happily and continued to watch Arin. "You must make sure you work carefully when it comes to something like the iron ring. If it falls off, someone may have an accident."

The little boy tried his best to listen. But his mind was elsewhere. Arin allowed himself a joke and banged the hammer against a sheet of metal. The loud bang startled Syman.

"Where are you with your thoughts, apprentice?"

"Sorry Arin." He smiled apologetically. "It's like having a little brother."

He couldn't blame him for that. Precisely because he's really been alone in the smithy twice - and it's still standing.

"Then just run to Elain."

"Secure!?" He loved it when his cousin looked so happy.

"You have two days off. But after that you have to get back to business."

"Promised!" Syman hung up his heavy apron and ran.

"And Arin gave you leave?" I sat by the fireplace in our chamber with the cradle beside me, working on a thicker shirt for Arin. The winter would definitely get colder. The wind picked up.

"yep, so I can see Armin." Syman leaned over the cradle and stroked his black soft down. "Does he look like me?"

I leaned over a little too. Actually, Armin looked like Taran and Arin. But he certainly had something of Syman, after all, it was a family. "Certainly. Only time will tell." When the wood cracked, Syman immediately jumped up and added a few more parts. "You're really a help, Syman."

"Thank you very much!" He sat down next to me on the armrest. "I'm glad we found you. Arin finally has a family and is comfortable."

I ran my fingers through his thick hair as usual. "You know you belong."

Flattered, he turned away and stared at the cradle again. "May I pick him up?"

"Why not? Have you ever held a baby?"

"However." He carefully lifted Armin out of the cradle and laid him on his stomach on his chest.

"You're really good at that." Syman proudly rocked my son.

"Arin once told me that he always carried me around like that."

"Did you often visit your cousins?" Without hesitation, Syman handed me the bundle as he started to whine.

"Most with Arin and Taran. Avan already had Bea then, Eric was busy and the others had their own lives."

He told me some stories about the three cheeky little boys who did a lot of nonsense and Arin who always stood up for Syman. You could clearly hear how much the boy adored his cousin.

Did Syman realize how badly I looked at him?

A knock on the door drew our attention.

Syman was about to open it when someone burst through the door and Syman jumped back in surprise.

I felt an uncomfortable tingling in my neck when I recognized Benita in the door.