Dark Wrath: Chapter One

Chapter One

"My Lord, we need more towels." A frantic midwife orders as she turns her attention back to the mother whose face is pale as a sheet. The young nurse continues to encourage the second time mother and barely registers the closing of the door.

The room is small just big enough for five people to walk in and around comfortably. Blood soaked towels litter the floor as a haunting proof of the difficulty this second birth was giving the mother. A fire in the fireplace keeps the chilling wind of winter from reaching the pair as they attempt to deliver the new born.

The mother cries out weakly in pain as she pushes. Tired, puffy brown eyes stare down at the midwife pleading for this to be over. Gasping heavily for air she continues hoping her husband would return soon.

Meanwhile outside the father rushes through the hallways ordering the servants to close the windows. The cold air would not do for his wife's already slipping condition. Deep inside a voice whispers that the month since the discovery have weakened her. With a dismissal of such depressing conclusions he quickly finds some more towels while hissing to a young maid, "Be sure to have extras in a few minutes."

The young maid nods fearfully at him, "Right away, My Lord. Is the Lady alright?"

The worry in the young woman's face echoes his own internal concern but he nods grimly at her. "My wife shall be fine. The child, too."

With that said he picks up his pace and rushes back to the direction he had come. Praying that his wife is still alive when he reached it. As he reaches the hallway he is happy to feel only warm coming within. Arms laden with towels, he opens the door at the end of the hall quickly just in time to hear the midwife announce, "It's a beautiful healthy girl."

"A girl?" The father manages to ask through his shock. His once laden down arms are now empty. The towels now lie forgotten on the floor.

The midwife turns and smiles encouraging at the father, "Yes. A beauty at that. Don't worry, My Lord, your first daughter is perfectly healthy."

'It can't be a girl. If she lives she'll destroy us. Surely Nastusia knows that!' The father frantically thinks as he stiffens at the sight of the beautiful newborn cradled in his wife's arms.

The father stares icily at the woman, "May I talk to my wife for a moment. Alone."

With an uneasy glance at the wailing newborn and the pale mother, she nods slowly, "Please don't take long, my lord. She mustn't be moved. In her condition she will die from the blood loss if she strains herself too much. Please don't upset her, my lord."

As she heads to the door she turns back and questions, "Shall I get Mamoru? To see the child?" The thought of the older brother being left out of this moment seemed cruel to her.

The father sighs and nods. The nurse nods calls for the brother who as if he had been waiting rushes in with excitement. Looking around to spot his mother he asks curiously, "Do I have a younger brother?"

The mother chuckles lightly only to fall into a coughing fit. The sheer intensity of the coughs cause the young baby to wake. Wailing at the sudden disturbance the young girl is quickly comforted by the young mother.

Finally able to speak again she whispers, "No, Mamoru you have a younger sister."

The brother rushes forward to see. Leaning over he gently touches one of her fingers asking, "Did you name her, mom?"

"Yes. I have named her Evelyn." The mother smiles down at the young boy. She glances over at the midwife who is watching her intently.

The father waits; glaring intently at the nurse to exit. As the door to close softly behind her he firmly reminds his wife, "We can't keep her, Nastusia."

There is no feeling of love towards this child in his voice. Mamoru who is leaning over the bed to peer at his new sister looks up at his father, startled by his tone. He instinctively moves closer to his mother while watching his father warily.

The mother now breathing irregularly struggles to look up from the baby girl to her husband. She pales at his words as her heart begins to pound in fear. Tears fall down her face as she begs, "Please, Dakota. Not Evelyn!"

Her tearful pleas only enrage the man as he growls, "We already discussed this. A girl is too big of a risk to let live! I won't allow our clan to be destroyed by a mere girl." His dark eyes pierce his wife's frightened look as she weakly tries to sit up only for him to shout, "Do not sit when you don't even have the strength to talk."

The mother's eyes hardened as she growls out furiously, "I won't allow you to kill our daughter. She does not deserve such a fate. When I need strength to protect my children nothing can stop me."

The brother tenses in shock. What were they saying? He can't be talking of getting rid of his sister. Worried that they were talking of what he was thinking they were, he says boldly, "I won't let you take her. You'll have to get through me first."

With his declaration he stands up in front of the hospital bed. Body tense and a look of fierce protectiveness he glares defiantly up at his father. Even as his father stalks up to him in anger he remains still refusing to give up. The dark brown eyes of his mother's stares down his own father in attempt to prevent the man from fulfilling his plan.

Just as the father moves to knock him aside, Nastusia rasps out weakly while staggering out of the bed. "No, Dakota! Leave, Mamoru alone. Please."

Dakota glares angrily at his wife hissing, "You know we can't keep her. Why do you insist on protecting this...this thing of evil!"

The mother's face darkens in both rage and distress. A large puddle of blood begins to form from underneath her as she walks with trembling legs towards her husband. The infant held precariously in her arms, which barely hold the strength to keep Evelyn up. Blood trickling down her mouth, she finally whispers, "I won't allow you to kill her. Not an innocent child. Not like the others of your clan have done. I want my daughter, Evelyn, to have a happy life. No one will stand in the way of my wish...even you, husband."

Roaring in rage Dakota runs past Mamoru towards his wife and daughter. Just as he reaches to grab the baby the mother silently says as she gasps in the fear of dying for air, "My Lady, I beseech for your protection. Please, please protect my child from her clan. I don't want her to end up like the other baby girls."

As the father touches the child a bright white swirl etches into her forearm. The seal of protection. The mother manages to smile in relief as the midwife rushes in. She glares at the father and mother before moving to catch the young mother as she leans over coughing up blood.

"My Lady, please hold still." The woman orders as she presses the towel against the bleeding area in desperation to save the young woman. "Mamoru, please take the baby. You need to support her head."

The brother stares in fear at the blood but swallows it in order to move forward. Just as he leans to take his sister his mother gives him a firm look while mouthing for him not to.

The young girl opens her eyes and Nastusia smiles warmly at the child. The bright amethyst eyes and star shaped pupil takes her already fading breath away. "I love you, my beautiful daughter."

With a soft sigh the mother slides to the floor. Eyes shut tightly she whispers feebly, "Mamoru please protect your sister."

With her last breath the mother dies with the young girl held in her grasp. Blood soaks through the towels and onto the midwife's hands. Tears fill the brother's eyes as he whispers, "Why?"

The midwife glares at the father, "What did you do?! She wasn't suppose to get up. Whatever you did, you'll regret it."

With a growl she calls for the servants to take the father out while gently removing the sleeping baby from the dead mother's arm with tear filled eyes.

Kneeling down beside the saddened brother she whispers gently, "It's not your fault, Mamoru."

The boy shakes his head before muttering fiercely, "From now on I shall live to protect my sister and others. No longer shall I allow the clan to become so hungry for power."

The midwife sighs sadly as she gently covers the mother's face with a white cloth and the two stand in silence. The young girl cradled carefully in her brother's arms.