"Already?" she gasped, instinctively reaching down to take hold of him.
"We have a marriage to consummate," Asher pointed out, "and I wish for it to be done properly."
Epilogue - Asher
"Are you sure you should be all the way out here?" Asher asked for what felt like the hundredth time. He could see the frustration on his wife's face, and yet he couldn't help but feel concerned.
Though the day was sunny, it was on the chilly side. There had been frost on the ground just that morning, and the ground among the trees was more than a little boggy.
"I have wings," Rayne pointed out, though Asher wasn't at all convinced her wings would be enough to save her if she slipped. Her swollen stomach seemed to be growing rounder with every passing day.
"And you have me," Elia's voice trilled from the other side of Rayne. Asher looked past his wife to see his now five-year-old daughter clutching Rayne's free hand. Her other was firmly planted beneath her stomach as if its weight was beginning to trouble her.
"I think we should turn back," Asher insisted. It was less than a month until they were due to welcome their first child, and although they were only in the woods at the bottom of the garden, he couldn't help but feel as though they were miles away from help if anything should go wrong.
"Please, my love, just five more minutes," Rayne pleaded. She reached out and took hold of his hand, her desperation clear in the way she held onto his fingers. "The midwives and your mother are already keeping a close enough eye on me as it is."
Even as she spoke, Asher heard footsteps coming toward them. Rayne was looking over his shoulder, and when he followed her gaze, he saw his mother and three of the women hired to care for his queen walking toward them. The stern look on his mother's face was enough for him to know that she would back him up as soon as she arrived at their side.
"At least sit down and rest," he advised, leading her over to the bench nearby.
"Elia, why don't you see if you can find us a frog?" Rayne suggested, the strain in her voice clear. Is something the matter? Does she want to get Elia away so she can tell me something? Asher thought, more concerned than ever. But the moment his daughter hurried away to the nearby pond, Rayne smiled and gestured for him to sit beside her.
"You worry far too much," she insisted, clutching his hand in hers before she laid his palm upon her stomach. The moment he felt the baby moving beneath his palm, he instantly began to relax.
"I just worry for the both of you," he admitted. Glancing over to where Elia was perched on the edge of the pond, he added, "I wasn't there when Elia was born."
"But you shall be when this one is," Rayne assured him. She squeezed his fingers in a gesture of comfort and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You need not worry about a thing."
Asher could see from the look on her face that she knew exactly what he was thinking. The closer they came to the birth, the more Asher worried. He’d thought he’d dealt with all his wounds years ago, but now that he came face to face with the birth of another child, he couldn't help but worry whether the past would repeat itself.
"Son, daughter," Queen Lyra greeted them the moment she arrived, with a respectful bow of her head. "I believe it is time we got you back to your rooms. You look exhausted, my dear."
"My thoughts exactly," Asher agreed with his mother, and the golden-haired woman began to urge Rayne to her feet.
"The two of you shall be the death of me," Rayne cursed even as she allowed her fellow queen and mother-in-law to guide her back to the castle.
"Come along, Elia!" Lyra called over her shoulder, and Asher remained upon the bench for a moment, watching the most important women in his life walk away.
That evening, Asher was woken from sleep by the frustrated tossing and turning of his uncomfortable wife. Her growing stomach had made it near impossible for her to find a comfortable position, and although she was surrounded by pillows, taking over much of the bed, Asher was always alert to her suffering.
This time, it seemed far worse than previous nights, and he was awake almost instantly the moment he heard her groan, her breath coming in a low pant.
"Asher, are you awake?" she whispered into the darkness, and he sat up immediately.
"What is it? What’s wrong?" he demanded. Even in the dim light, he could see the pain etched across her face.
"I think you should fetch your mother and the midwives," Rayne announced, and a moment later she bit back the beginnings of a scream, clutching at her stomach. "The baby is coming."
"But it's too early!" Asher protested even as he clambered from the bed and grabbed his robe from the end of it.
"Go!" Rayne urged. It was the only word she seemed to be able to get out before another scream erupted from her.
Asher need not have gone anywhere. The moment he opened the door, he found the midwives already rushing down the hall.
"The baby is coming!" Asher told them even as his mother appeared at his side.
"We know, my sweet," Lyra smiled and stroked his cheek. "Come out here and let my ladies get to work."