Ricardiana

twenty two

Nine months had passed by quickly here in the castle, Delaney was going to give birth any minute now, while Mum had barely begun to show. I looked at the two of them as they sat down; today was the day that Delaney was trying to induce labor. I stood back as Delaney, bare naked, had begun to squad and cry out loudly.

"Julian is dick for doing this to me!" She screams.

She clenches my hand tightly, and I look to Mum for guidance. I had no idea what I was doing, and frankly, the midwife that Delaney was appointed to had gotten sick. Luckily another one was on the way, but we had no idea how much longer it would take.

"Mum, it hurts." Delaney whimpers as we help her sit down in the bathtub.

"I know baby, I know, but you can do it." Mum soothes, rubbing the small of her back.

"Diana! Will you fetch for Rosie?" Delaney asks, then lets out an uncomfortable and painful groan, "Please!" She cries, and I am out the door looking for her maid.

I find her by the kitchen, washing Delaney's old clothes and ask her to come with me. When we head back, Liam and Dean are standing there, watching, petrified that Delaney was going through this. I rush towards her as she screams in pain, and she clenches my hand, causing me to scream with her. I hated seeing her like this.

"Oh my gosh, the baby is crowning!" Mum calls, peering in the bathtub.

"Diana! You have to help me get this baby out, please!" Delaney cries.

I nod. "Liam! Grab my hand! Ow!" She cries again.

I make my way to face her and tell her to push. She does and the baby's head comes out a little more, enough for me to grab it slightly and tug a little bit. She pushes again and cries in pain, and suddenly, the baby comes out and is in my hands. I tap it's back lightly, and it lets out a cry.

"It's a boy." I say, my eyes filling with tears.

Delaney's jaw drops and she lets out a sob which I can only assume is happy. I hand her, her child and Mum comes over with pair of scissors and hands them to me to cut the umbilical cord. I let a few tears out as I do so, and Delaney kisses her baby boy's forehead.

"Any idea on what you're going to name him?" Dean asks.

Delaney nods. "Charlie, after father."

Everyone lets out an 'ooh' or an 'ahh' as Delaney held Charlie to her chest. Liam wraps his arm around my shoulder and my head rests on his shoulder. I look down at my hands and make a disgusted face - I needed to wash them because I had baby gunk all over them.

I excuse myself to wash my hands, and then find myself walking towards the cellar where Julian is being held. I wanted to rub it in his face that his son was here and that he never will get to see him. I open the door and step in; the light bulbs were slightly dimmer than usual, and I stop as soon as I get in front of the cell door.

Julian looks up at me and gives me a pleading, yet devious look. "You're still in love with me, aren't you? Five months down here and I'm all you can think about, huh?"

"Actually, I came down to tell you that Delaney had the baby." I say, and Julian's face droops.

"Was it a boy or a girl?" He asks, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"A healthy baby boy."

"What is his name?" Julian asks.

I smirk and turn around, walking towards the door.

"Diana, please tell me! Wait, what did Delaney name him! Diana plea-" I shut the door and walk back up the stairs so I can go and see my nephew.

+

Delaney and Charlie had fallen asleep, which was good, because Delaney needed as much as she could get. I had walked outside, the rain falling down in ice cold droplets and made my way into the stable house. Richard smiles at me and Liam runs up to me and kisses me on the lips.

"Can I talk to you?" I ask him, and he nods, then the both of us venture off into his bed room.

"What is it, Diana?" He asks.

"Run away with me." I state.

"What?"

"Run away with me. Liam, I'm crazy, stupid in love with you and it took seeing Delaney's vagina to see that." I say. "I don't want to waste another minute without you. When I look back, I was holding myself back from Julian because I wanted to be with you." I tell him.

Liam has a stupid smile on his face. "You, Princess Diana, are in love with me?" He asks, picking me up.

"Crazy, stupid, love." I mumble, looking down at his face.

"Good, because I'm crazy, stupid in love with you too." He says, kissing me gently, but passionately.

"So will you do it? Will you run away with me?" I ask him as he sets me down.

"Anything for you, Diana."

+

"Are you sure you want to do this, Diana?" Liam asks as we saddle up the horses.

"Yes, I'm positive." I respond with a smile, getting on Sugar's back and grabbing the reigns.

"Alright, race you to the forest, Princess."

"You're on Stable Boy." I say, and then venture off into the rain with a lantern in one hand and the reigns in the other.

Sugar gets faster and faster, and I pull on her reigns to make her stop, but she doesn't.

"Whoa, girl!" I call, but she won't stop.

Just then, Sugar leans up, and I lose hold of the reigns, and it all goes black.

a/n: AHHHHHHHH i can't believe this book is almost over wtf like two more chapters can u believe????