Reborn to be His

Chapter Eleven: Family

I was sitting in the gardens looking at the ladies play by the water as I caressed my full belly, I am eighand half months pregnant and trying to avoid stress but it's hard when you have Mary causing issues constantly.
Greer has been going to the kitchen more regularly to see Leith, I told her that i supported her, but the decision would be hers alone.
Lola has been with me every step of the way and helped welcome Lucretica to court as lady to me, she was red faces when told of the arrangement thst was made should Francis or I have needs that the other could not attend which has not really happened yet.
Gree, Lola and Lucretica were talking and laughing while I thought of Mary, I had not spoken to her much since I found out she tried to reinstate the agreement with Francis and had the pope annul our marriage but she was offered Andre instead which she agreed too happily bit now she was having issue with it due to talking to Nostrudamus visions, then had the audacity to try and convince Henry that Bash should be made heir as he was he oldest.
Francis has been livid ever since but almost makes sure I am informed so as not to worry, that man knows me so well.
Just as I was about to call the girls over as the servants were about to arrive with food, I saw one servant that did not belong. He was messing in his handling and seemed to have something in his sleeve.
I pulled out my dagger that was in my pocket of my dress, he brought the food close to me, and then I saw the girls walking towards me.
I could feel him leaning his and whisper-

"Marie sends her regards."

Just as he was about to pull out his dagger, I pulled out mine and stabbed him in the throat, then ripped it out and did it again.
I heard people screaming my name or the guards before the girls pulled me into their embrace, checking me over.
I saw the guards check the now dead man, and my guards joined them in checking the body for clues to investigate how this assassin got so close to their princess.
I checked the girls over before I felt a sudden pain in my lower belly, I leaned forward before whispering in pain then felt a rush in-between my legs, the girls stopped talking before looking at me with concern.

"It seems, it......aaaahhhhhh.....its time."

I said through a contraction, they looked wide eye but helped me slowly get to the castle, as we approached Francis came running out wih fear and concern on his face then shock when he was me covered in blood, he moved faster then I had ever seen him and barely stopped when he got to me.

"Diana, are you alright? Where are you hurt?"

"It is not my blood, my love, but the assassin, but the shock has sent me into labour."

It seemed to take him a moment to process but we carried on, then we were met with Catherine and my mother who was here for the birth, Francis snapped out of it then picked me up before heading to the birthing room I had prepared, I refused to be locked away for a month in darkness and insisted that some traditions are made to be broken.
We were in a large room with a stone bath and heated vents for make the water warm, a large bed and large windows wih calming pictures and fresh air if needed, once he put me down he was forced out of the room as that was something they would not move on having a man in the birthing room, I had to give since I ignored most already but insisted on my healer in the room.
Lola and Luci helped me out of my clothes, and once I was washed down with a cloth, then I was given a thin nighty.
I ignored the midwife after she said I was not ready to push and started walking around the room, trying to talk with the ladies in the room to distract myself and breath through the contractions, this went on for another day before my healer checked me when I had the overwhelming need to push, he confirmed that I was ready and helped me on to the bed when another contraction hit and I started to push, this went on for an hour with Catherine wiping my head and my mother holding my head hen the girls cheering me on before finally the pressure was gone and a cry was heard.

"A boy, princess."

I cried with a smile, I could see Catherine and my mother smile then cry in joy before I groaned again making their eyes widen in shock, they of course did not believe my healer but now it would put their doubts to rest, another ten minutes before he pressure built and again relief with a cry of a new born.

"Another Boy."

I sighed in relief then looked at everyone smiling brightly at me because I gave the future king of France an Heir and a spare in one go,just as I was about to move my healer stopped me and looked a little nervous.

"You do not seem to be done yet, my princess."

I looked at my healer in utter shock when I felt another contraction hit me then looked at the others looking even more shocked then I did before I screamed out and pushed as my life could depend on it, multiple births in one go was so very dangerous in this time period and I need to save my child's life and hopefully mine.
Then a small cry was heard, the healer checked over the baby, the airways, the skin colour and to clear any blocks in the babies nose, then a louder cry came about making me sigh in relief.
I looked at him, and he gave me a beaming smile.

"A girl."

I smiled brightly at him, and then he checked me over to make sure I was well before helping with the large after birth.
Once I was done and given medication to help the healing process, my babies were brought to me, Catherine was one side and my mother was another with my ladies near as the servants brought the babies over.
They all looked so small, my eldest I felt looked a lot like Francis in the face especially the nose, my second boy looked similar to my father and would be the new Duke of Ross as agreed with the Scottish Lords, he would go at ten to grow up in Scotland, I hated to be away from him already but I could not leave the dukedom unprotected.
My daughter had blonde hair like us, and when she opened her eyes a little, she had her fathers bright blue eyes, I knew she would be the apple of her grandparents eye.
I could see Catherine already falling under her spell, and then an idea came to me.

"I wish to play a prank on the men,"

I said with mischievous smile making them return it, we planned what we would do before setting them in motion, Catherine would get them, I would hold my eldest, Lola would hold my second son and Luci would hold my daughter and hide them behind Greer.

Once they arrived, Francis all but sprinted into the room, he looked around and saw a tired but happy Diana smiling at him with a small baby in her arms, he looked at the baby with a large smile.
The joy he felt was in comparable to anything else he felt just as he was about to approach his mother held him before she indicated to the ladies who came out from behind Greer with two more bundles making Francis, Henry and Andre looking in shock.

"Well done, Francis, we have two sons and a daughter."

Diana said with a smirk making Henry laugh at his sons face, Francis moved forward then Luci approached him and gave him his daughter, he could see his mothers face and when she sleepily blinked at him, he saw his eyes and knew at that moment his heart was lost even more then before. He moved and sat next to his wife and saw his eldest son who looked like him according to his mother then his other son was brought close to him be his mother and he knew he would fight for this family Diana gave him, he looked at his father to come and meet his grandchildren.
Francis thought his father looked a little awkward but gentle places his daughter in his fathers arms who looked at her with amazement, he did not know it at that moment but she had him wrapped round her little fingers and Catherine knew looking at him that this one girl would have the choice none of the other royal childern ever had and she found that she was okay with that.