Waiting

"Alright page, what's your name by the way?"

"Waldomar Fausto milord", the page a boy of nine or so summers replied.

"The younger son of the lord of Wainthe."

"Yes."

"Well, I want you to tell the constable that he is to order the porter to let no one who is not known to him to enter the castle until I order otherwise. He should also ensure that the messengers are ready to spread the word of the birth of my brother's child at a moment's noticed. He is then to get together with Erdal Spaci to organise a top to bottom search of the castle. Have them pair one of the soldiers I brought with me and one of the castle guards to perform this search.

They are to be on the lookout for anything suspicious especially any sign of a baby or baby paraphernalia. The constable and Erdal are to personally search the unoccupied parts of the baronial apartments and any other high-profile areas of the castle. For now, they are to leave the living space of the baronial family and all visitors to the castle alone. However, the living spaces of all those employed by the barony and or the baronial family are not exempt. They are to report to me straight away once the search is complete or if they find anything, have you got all that?"

"Yes, milord."

"We'll get to it."

Once Waldomar the page had left to complete the task assigned him Amondo checked the mirror book for a communication from Robin Wodeh and finding none headed up to his sister in laws apartment to check on her condition. Just before he could reach them the door to the apartment opened and Chopin Deird exited them. She was his wards aunt and the person he had selected to be present at the birth of his future nephew or niece to represent his interest and keep an eye on the others present.

"How goes it is the birth truly imminent and is she up to it.

"You can never be completely sure milord but it certainly seems that way to me. Still, her waters have yet to break and it will be many hours gods willing before the child is born and the future of Membe is known. She seems healthy enough and she is in good spirits and although it is early days yet I am confident that unless something out of the ordinary occurs she should survive whatever Motitas has in store for her and I am hopeful Teafinn will play no part in what is to come."

"Would it be fine for me to visit her now do you think?

"I would not advise it, milord, it is best to keep the number of those in attendance to a minimum, myself, her maid, the midwife, a helper, your three sisters and hers is more than enough. But if you must it is best to do it sooner rather than later and not to stay too long. As worried as you are that she has plans in place if it is a girl child or stillborn she must be even more worried that you plan to get rid of her and the child no matter what. I know you would never do such a thing, but you are as unfamiliar to her as she is to you and people hear of such things happening all the time. Whether such tales are true or not she has I imagine heard of such things more than you and being who she is well she must take them to heart."

"It is as you say and I will not even waste my breath trying to reassure her that what she dreads could never happen but I must see her anyway, lead the way."

Upon entering Nazma's bed-chamber he found lying on her bed being attended to by a middle-aged woman in the robes of a priestess of Motitas. Seira Nortje served as the local healer and was today carrying out her duties as Nazma's midwife. She was being assisted by a much younger looking woman whom he also assumed was her daughter. Not herself a priestess of Motitas she had been helping her mother carry out her duties since an early age and might one day join her order, but this was not a certainty. Also, in attendance were Nazma's maid Una, her sister Sallie and three out of four of Amondo's sisters.

"I will not stay long Nazma I am just here to reassure myself that you are well. I cannot claim to even begin to understand what you are about to experience but I am sure with the help of everyone here who has experienced it themselves you will in the future be able to look back on this day and not curse it. Be strong and know that you carry the hopes of all those within the barony and that for the last few weeks their prayers have no doubt weighed heavily towards you and the job at hand."

After saying his piece he left Nazma in the hands of the experts and paid a visit to the castle's chapel to pray for the safe delivery of his brother's child. He did so knowing full well that once it came to pass he would finally know what the future would have in store for him.

Dinner that evening was a much less solemn affair than originally planned and he spent the hours between it and bed with Sir Glenn Labrador and others in drink and merriment. By the time he woke up the next morning with a terrible hangover, there had been no change overnight in Nazma's condition. Her water had broken just after dinner, but the baby wasn't yet ready to join the world outside its mother's womb.

The search of the castle hadn't turned up anything other than an unlikely elicit affair between the wife of the Ewery and one of the villagers.