The Sisters Of The Court

Chapter 34: Alice

Katherine asked me what started the fire? I had no idea what started it! I woke up to a room full of flames. "Well-," I was cut off by Alix yelling out "She's in labor!"But my focus wasn't on that anymore, it was on the fact that I was in early labor. I looked down to find the bottom of my dress wet, looking as if it was drenched in water. Pain immediately followed as I screamed.

"We need to get her to a hospital!" Someone cries out but I paid no attention to who said it. "She needs a doctor!" I heard someone say. "She needs a carriage!" I heard George say as he held my non-burned hand in comfort. I was immediately put into the closets carriage to us. George sat by my side with me in very much pain as we left our son with his governess and everyone else.

I was scared, I was scared of what would be the outcome of this. George held onto my hand as I took deep breaths. The carriage raced to a near by hospital. The nurses immediately took me into a room and laid me down as the long and painful process started.
***
After pushing, sweating, being in pain for a few hours the cries of a baby came. "It's a boy!" The nurse shouts. I shut my eyes, I was scared, scared of the outcome, scared that this baby was going to die. "Your Imperial highness, do you not wish to see your son?" The nurse asks me confused. "I don't want to see him suffer, I don't want to see him hurt" I started crying. I felt the nurse place her hand on my shoulder, "Your imperial highness, you have a healthy baby boy" I heard her say comfortingly.

I looked up at her, "I do?" She nodded her head. "I- can I hold him?" I asked her. "Well of course your imperial highness" she turns to look at the other nurse that has my son wrapped around in thick blankets. She takes the baby from her and gives him to me. I look down and he is just precious, I was surprised by the fact that he resembled me so much. I admire him before realizing that George was still outside the room, "Call George in!" I said while looking down at my baby boy.

One of the nurses opened the door, I heard a few words be exchanged until George came running in. He looked frantic and panicked. He stood there silently looking at me and the baby in my arms. "He's a healthy baby boy!" I smiled. Relief washed over my husband's pale face as he kneels next to my bed to look at our son, "He looks more like his beautiful mother" George smiled as I blush.

"He- he isn't sick" I whisper to George. He looks at me with wide eyes. When Nicholas was born there were already bruises on his arms from the way that the maids from our home in Abastumani, held him. But he, our second son, he has no bruises. Tears of joy fills my eyes as I realize that this baby won't be made of glass. "What do you want to name him my love?" I asked him. George keeps his gaze on the baby, it was as if he was in a trance. "Do you want to hold him?" I asked. George looked up at me, "Yes" he mutters gently.

George stands up as he takes our son from my arms. "Isn't he wonderful?" I say while looking up at their father son moment. George keeps his eyes on the baby, he was still speechless. "Alexander" he mutters out of the blue. "Alexander?" I repeat. "Yes, do you like the name my love?"he looks at me. I smile at him, "It's perfect".
"Welcome to the world little Alexander," George smiles down at our son.

If I could, I would watch them interact with one another forever. But the nurse soon came in and told us that in a few hours a carriage will come to take us back to the palace. When she left George handed me Alexander and kneeled next to my bed again. "Thank you for everything Alice, I love you so much." He said before kissing my forehead. I blushed, "There is no need to thank me, I love you with all my heart." I beam.

"You are so wonderful my Alice" George says as baby Alexander starts falling asleep. I carefully move over in my bed to make room for George, "Come lay with me here darling" I tell him. George stands up and lays down next to me, wrapping his arms around me. "He looks so much like you" George whispers into my ear. "Nicholas looks so much like you" I say while looking at my husband's beautiful face. "I can't wait to go back home." George says quietly. "I can't wait to go back home too." I kiss his cheek.

"I promise you that we will get back there soon."George whispers before resting his head on my shoulder. I wish that we could stay like this forever.