"The baby is coming."
The words left my mouth calmly, rationally, as if I was commenting on the weather instead of announcing that I was about to give birth in a forest settlement while my husband was possibly dying and the kingdom was plunging into magical darkness.
"What?" Mira's voice rose to a near shriek. "My Lady, you can't have the baby now! It's not time! You're only five months along!"
"Tell that to the baby. They seem to have their own schedule." I grabbed Mira's arm as a contraction hit, pain radiating through my entire body. "The ritual. Daemon said the baby was waiting for the ritual to complete. Now that it has, now that darkness has fallen, they're ready to be born."
"But you're not ready! Your body isn't prepared for this!" Mira looked around wildly for help. "Someone get a healer! Now!"
Several of the old family women rushed forward, their faces concerned but professional. They'd delivered babies before, knew what to do even in crisis situations.
