Chapter 50 - 48 (1/2)
\ Months later /
After an unbearable wait...
The day Erza was to be born arrived...
On that day the wind was blowing, the sky was darker than usual and nature was restless.
In the palace, Shin was in the corridor in front of his room waiting.
No one was allowed in, there was only Irene and the dry women.
Shin went back and forth with visible stress on his face but also excitement.
Belserion was also there to wait, reassuring Shin that everything was going to be all right.
Even Belserion's eyes were shining with excitement and couldn't help but be nervous.
He considered Irene as his daughter.
”Aaaaah”
Irene's cries of pain spread to the corridor.
Hearing these cries made Shin even more nervous and his heart tightened.
And after minutes and minutes of waiting, Irene's screams stopped and the door to her room opened.
”Waaaah”
When the bedroom door opened, the baby's cries came with it.
On hearing her, Shin's breath stopped and her eyes shone.
He had heard this cry for the first time but it seemed so familiar, so close and as if he was calling out to him.
”You may come in, my king” said the dry woman while bowing.
Shin didn't look for the moon and returned in a hurry to the room with a gaping smile.
Belserion was just as excited and followed Shin closely but always left first place to Shin because he was the father and he didn't want to interfere too much.
When he arrived in the room, the sunlight that passed through the windows was concentrated on the bed in which Irene was lying.
Outside, the dark sky had returned to its most beautiful colours, the raging wind had turned into a gentle breeze, the trees were waltzing with joy and the animals were humming in ecstasy.
The citizens who knew about the Queen's birth were stressed until they saw the reaction of the nature around them confirming the birth of the baby.
They were not surprised by this kind of phenomenon as they considered Shin almost like a God so only an enthusiastic and happy smile appeared on their faces.
In the room, the rays of light were more precisely focused on Irene and the beautiful little baby in her arms as if they were the centre of the world.
”Come darling, I'm sure she wants to see you” exclaimed Irene with a smile full of tenderness.
”Waaaah...”
As Shin looked at Irene when he heard her, the little baby in his arms stopped crying and turned his head towards Shin.
As Shin's face approached, the crying baby fell silent and looked at Shin curiously with his little cheeks filled with baby fat.
Seeing Shin next to her and the baby's reaction to his approach, Irene smiled ironically.
”Eh eh, you must have already guessed but look who it is, it's your daddy” Irene said affectionately, making little ċȧrėsses with her finger on the baby's cheek.
The baby laughed at her little ċȧrėsses but kept staring at Shin until the baby reached out its hands to Shin with a beautiful smile, still laughing at his mother's teasing.
Shin smiled and stretched out his arms to take her and the closer he got, the bigger the baby's smile grew.
When Shin took her in his arms, he felt a feeling, such a special bond and a very strong dėsɨrė to protect the little thing in his arms.
”It's all right... Don't cry... Your father is here to protect you” said Shin with a soft and peaceful but reassuring voice.
She was his flesh and blood, his little princess that he would cherish forever.
He sat on a chair next to Irene's bed as the baby continued to reach out to Shin's face with insistence.
”It looks like she wants to touch you,” Irene said, laughing softly.
She wasn't very energetic and a little tired of giving birth to the baby.
Understanding Irene's suggestion, Shin brought his face closer to the baby's little hands.
When the little hand touched Shin's cheek, the baby's smile grew stronger and she uttered a little cry of discovery and appreciation.
Shin responded by teasing the baby, giving a beautiful scene between the dad and the girl.
As she had just been born and was still a baby, after a few minutes of fun she fell asleep in Shin's arms.
But Shin could not give the baby back to Irene, nor even put her in her cradle, because she was clinging to him by holding on tightly to his clothes.
”She looks like her daddy's little girl,” said Irene with exasperation and a little jealousy, followed by a sigh of joy.
”She's a good little girl” replied Shin with a proud smile, looking at his daughter with adoration and tenderness.
”It's true” replied Irene with overflowing maternal love.
”Have you thought of a name?” asked Shin.
He already knew the answer but decided to ignore it.
And who knows, maybe his presence will change something.
Irene thought about Shin's question and then looked at him with a smile.
”Erza” said Irene.
”Erza... A pretty name, but why that one?”
He liked the name Erza but was always curious to know why, even more now that she was his daughter.
”Because you mumbled the name while you were sleeping” Irene replied teasingly.
”I-Is it true?” Shin replied, a little embarrassed to know that he was talking while he was sleeping.
”Then it's decided... Erza Ai Belserion” said Shin, looking at Erza with care and overflowing affection.
”Yes, our treasure” said Irene while also looking at Erza with tenderness.
The room was now empty, leaving only Shin, Irene and Erza.
Belserion had left after seeing the baby Erza to announce the great news to the kingdom.
”Now you should rest,” Shin said to Irene carefully.
”Hm” Irene nodded obediently.
It was still daylight, but the birth had taken up a lot of Irene's energy and the effort required had exhausted her.
”Our little princess should also sleep in her bed but it seems she doesn't want to let go of her daddy, I'm jealous”.
Irene says it with a little pout as she looks at Shin jealously as she sees baby Erza holding her daddy so tightly.
”Ah ah, then we have to join you” laughs Shin with his cute sulk.
He went to bed to get into it without waking up baby Erza.
Irene, without saying anything, collapsed against Shin, putting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm around baby Erza.
”Rest well, you've earned it”.
With a little kiss on her forehead, Irene fell asleep with a smile on her face.
Seeing this, Shin's smile widened and softened.
How could it not?
He was now in his bed, comfortably settled with his wife and daughter.
Taking advantage of this happiness, Shin closed his eyes and fell asleep after a few minutes of appreciation.
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\ 1 year later /
1 year has passed since Erza's birth.
Since then, the kingdom has been in a pleasant peace and quiet.
Irene had become less active in her work and looked after Erza, taking regular breaks and leaving Erza to Shin.
The kingdom had been taken over by Belserion who was ȧssisted by Shin.
Since the day Erza was born, Shin had reduced his time on the battlefields.
Taking care of a baby is a challenge for Shin but also a blessing.
Erza's arrival further strengthened the bond between him and Irene and they could now be considered one big, beautiful family.
In just a few months Erza was already very smart for her age and was already starting to walk.
Apart from that, she seemed to be growing more or less normally to the relief of Shin and Irene.
He could enjoy and create more memories.
Shin was in his room with Erza at the moment, both of them seeming to enjoy each other to the fullest.
Due to Shin's ȧssistance with Belserion, Erza was with her mother more often than her dad.