1 Long-Awaited Birth (Part - I)

A beautiful lady was resting against the head of a huge mahogany bed, she looked pale and fatigue could be seen in her eyebrows but it cannot hide the radiance in them.

The room was illuminated in a western manner. It was designed grandly and elegantly but it didn't seem pretentious.

Not far from the bed three maids stood and another lady in white robes was holding a red bundle very carefully. The lady in white had a very troubled look on her face, she hesitated to approach the lady on the bed.

"Madame Lennon, let me have a look at my child." Hearing the gentle voice carrying absolute authority Madame Lennon shuffles on her feet towards the bed.

"Duchess, the child borne..." Taking the baby into her arm the Duchess looked down. The baby was healthy pale in color, eyes still closed breathing softly.

The most noticeable feature would be the head full of fluffy silver hair. Once her sights caught the distinct hair color, a flash of surprise passed but it resumes its happiness.

Hearing no accusation or furious shout, Madame Lennon looked up and discerned the Duchess's reaction. A great sigh of relief left her lips. She cannot bear to anger this distinguished personage who is the beloved of one of the most fearsome Lord Duke.

Sabrina opened her eyes and could see a beautiful lady in her twenties with long black hair that goes behind her back gazing at her fondly. She felt strange, her own body was weightless. For her, the lady looked giant.

Focusing on the stunning features of the beauty made Sabrina gasp, but it came out incoherent like a baby. Next, trying to move her own body gave her the answer she was dreading most. The tiny hands gave her the last push towards her current reality.

'A baby...'

She suddenly felt airborne as the Duchess raised her in the air with her large hands. A startled cry came out from the little mouth but again it sounded like a baby's wail. A kiss landed on her forehead and gentle cooing made Sabrina relax a bit. Duchess tightly snuggled her into her bosom.

'Mm... she smells nice, it's a familiar feeling.' Stopping these thoughts she once again tried to concentrate on the pressing issue.

"My lovely baby, you are so cute and adorable." Her small eyes, red as a polished ruby concentrated on the beautiful lady.

'She should be my mother.'

A muffled bang sounded from one direction, it came from the door. Two more people joined in the room.

A handsome man wearing an official military uniform completed with a double-breasted frock coat, a red-lined cape, trousers, and boots came with a boy. Boys features resemble the man, he was around five years old.

The man approached the bed, his facial muscles taught with no expression. His gaze landed on the Duchess and the baby, seeing them his expression relaxed. Maids and Madame Lennon saluted the incoming people, "Greetings My Lord and Young Lord."

Carefully caressing the face of Duchess he summoned, "Edriesa take Madame Lennon to the study and call Zoran here." The maids hurried to follow the order and scurried out of the room in a neat procession without startling the family of four.

Duke Armaturov had been uncertain over his wife's pregnancy, although a piece of good news it was an arduous one. It was her first pregnancy and it gave his nonexistent heart a heartache. He never urged her to have a child but she was determined about having one.

In the first place, his lineage was a cursed one who couldn't give birth to a child of their own. The circumstance improved a millennium back, but it is still a rare occurrence for a child being reproduced between couples.

He is a feared and respected existence and his only liability would be his wife and son, but maybe now a new life would be added to this list.

"Certainly My Lord." A lady in a black military outfit with a red pattern materialized near the Duchess as if she was ever-present there in shadows. Her countenance still holding the innocence of a young teenager was without any emotion.

Then in a blink of an eye, she arrived in front of Madame Lennon, leading the way, "Madame, please come with me."

The man shifted his gaze to look down at the red bundle, "Let me have her love." The Duchess squinted happily and whispered, "Siniel you have a princess now to shower your love."

He hugged the Duchess along with the baby and kissed her forehead. Carrying the baby into his arms like holding the most valuable gem, he peered down at her. Sabrina got enthralled again by the eyes as red as blood. Even though it was an astonishing color for the eyes but it holds a strong emotion of gentle affection and delight that makes it more fascinating.

"My love, she is exquisite. Thank you for this gift." The Duchess's contentment can be seen by her complexion which got rosier listening to the words.

"I want to see her too." Feeling excluded, the young child also waddled towards the duo, pouting as he tugged at his mother's sleeves.

The man gave a chiding glance at the young child, "Behave, your mother is tired." The young child shuffled towards Duchess to hide from his father's holler but still gripped the sleeve further tightly.

The Duchess rebuked back the man and caressed the young boy's hair, "Siniel you are too rough... don't startle the baby. And Vlad, honey you are rather young yourself, how may you be able to carry your sister?" The boy drooped his head dejectedly.

She chuckled, raised his head, and gently stared into his eyes, "I might have a path to assist you to hold her, but you have to pledge that you will forever safeguard her."

The young child nodded his head furiously, "Yes, I pledge to protect her. I shall confront every harm approaching her and it shall pass through me before arriving at her."

*Knock knock*

"Master." A man of tall stature, broad shoulders, long legs donning a butler ensemble entered from the door. His eyes transmitting elation for his Master and Lady.

Without veering to glance, Duke Armaturov sanctioned gravely, "Look after Madame Lennon, do not allow her to depart anywhere."

Once heeding the order, all expression of Zoran was restored to solemnity, "As you mandate Master." Following his Master's command, he vanished the following moment.

His wife gave him an uncertain look. So, he whispered into her ear and smooched it. "There is nothing for you to be concerned about when I stand here." She nodded her head affirmatively while her gazes speak for her unbreakable faith.

Thus Duchess veered around to glance at her forgotten son who went silent when crucial matters were being talked over. She implored her husband, "Dear assist him in holding her." The man is relatively occupied teasing his daughter bend to obey his wife's edict.

Duke Armaturov crouched and supported his son in carrying their daughter. The young boy felt the lightweight of the newborn and fell in love with one glimpse at his sister. She was so lovely that he never wished to give her back. Her ruby eyes were wide open and scrutinizing him. He poked her cheeks lightly to inspect if she was truly fragile sufficiently to break, exactly like she looked.

"Very well, it should be enough." Duke Armaturov carried her back, fearing his young son would frighten her.

The Duchess was watching everything with a relaxed smile, and reckoned something, "Siniel, what should we name her?"

Duke Armaturov answered back without hesitancy, "Why don't you bestow her a desirable name, Love. She will follow the duchy's last name, so her name should come from you."

"As you often confess I am your heart, and she came to be its heartbeat. So her name shall be Cordelia, Cordelia Esperance Bloodrose." The proclamation was brought and everyone loved it.

Contemplating the entire spectacle quietly, Sabrina no Cordelia presently, calmly sorted out every data she assembled.

She is not an ordinary newborn, as they possess developing brains which at birth is about a quarter of the size of the average adult brain. It keeps growing till the age of five when it's completely developed like a grown-up brain.

Whereas in her circumstance, the size doesn't make a difference because it is functioning as an adult one. Secondly, her recollection may be blurred but she realizes, that she lived a life prior.

Furthermore, this realm may not be exactly like her earlier one. The red iris is merely a work of fiction in her former realm, whereas, here she already encountered family members who are holders of the red iris.

The additional evidence can be this room which is opulently organized as medieval European nations from her former realm, the dressing customs match but the period does not. And this family of hers converse with a language which she cannot speak herself but interpreting is not an issue.

These aspects cannot be ignored.

To Be Continued...

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