Out of the Ashes

Chapter 25: The dawn of a new era

(7k words, futa, dialogue, feel good chapter, family chapter, size comparison, wholesomeness, pregnancy, size praise, weight gain, female muscle, mini-giantess)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The echo of her heavy strides thundered through the halls, only accompanied by her deep, frantic breaths and the sound of her sword smacking into her side.

"Which direction?!" Alexia yelled at the two armoured sisters who guarded the parting staircase into the upper level.

"To the left. Third door."

The guard's voice barely managed to reach her queen in time, mere moments before she took a sharp turn and continued rushing up the flight, unable and unwilling to slow down for even a second. Her mind was robbed of any thoughts throughout her desperate sprint. Only one goal dominated her senses, filled her lungs with air and her legs with endless stamina -- reaching Maggie as fast as possible.

Alexia almost crashed into the wall at the last turn as she took three steps at a time. And then she was there. Her head only rose when she saw the red of the hallways carpet replace grey cobble, leading her where her journey ended. At the third door to the left. Just like back in Manuel's inn.

"Lexi!"

Sybilla jumped from the bench placed in front of the wooden door and took the approaching queen in her arms.

Time slowed down from the moment Lucilla barged into her meeting and told her the news. Nothing was of importance from that second onwards. Not her meeting with the countess who came to discuss the maritime exploration into the west or any plans she had for the rest of the day. Nothing. Only Maggie. It felt like she ran for hours and barely moved an inch, fearing she would not reach her wife in time. Yet reach her she did.

"Finally. You are here," she muttered, but Alexia barely heard her.

"Is she in there?" Alexia asked, without taking her gaze off the ornamented wooden door.

"Yes. With Queenmother and Sophia."

Alexia's tensed muscles relaxed when she heard that the royal family's physician had already arrived.

"How long?"

"Not too long. Ten minutes at most. We were quick," the princess insisted and tried to take Alexia's distant stare upon herself. "Everything is alright."

The queen's body still shivered but Sybilla's words didn't go fully unnoticed.

Eventually she managed to pull her eyes away from the entrance that separated her from her wife and addressed her sister-in law.

"What happened?"

"I will tell you every detail, but let us sit down first," Sybilla said, seeing the fear on Alexia's face and pulled her down to the bench.

"I was with Lucilla. Training at our tree. We both know she needs to work on her strength badly and I offered to help her," Sybilla said with a growing smirk like she often did when Lucilla's name was mentioned. "Margaret watched us from the upper level when her water broke. We were the first to notice and Lucilla alarmed all guards and found Queenmother before she searched for you and Kingmother."

Alexia didn't notice she reached for Sybilla's hardened hand until she tightened her grip.

"And how did she end up in an empty guest room?" Alexia asked.

"I carried her. Guess the workouts with you paid off in the end," Sybilla smiled.

"Sophia was the first to arrive and she said she needed a neat room with water. So, we brought her here. Queenmother joined them minutes later."

Listening to Sybilla's soft, cheerful voice brought Alexia's heartbeat down from the frantic beat of a drum to a level that allowed for coherent thoughts beyond blatant panic.

"You carried her? You alone?" Alexia said softly, while looking at the noticeable stretched and still sweaty training outfit of her new sister.

"Yup. All by myself," Sybilla replied with shining pride on her youthful face.

A face that turned into one of surprise when Alexia threw her own mighty arms around her neck.

"Thank you! Thank you so much. I will always be in your debt!"

The princess chuckled happily and rubbed her queen's powerful back as she returned the embrace.

"You are welcome. Big sis."

The two waited for minutes, eavesdropping on every bit of motion coming from within the guest room. Alexia's knees kept bouncing and her heels hitting the carpet while they endured every new growl of Margaret's pained voice. Every time brought her closer to get up, rip the door open and hold her wife's hand to share her pain. And every time Sybilla insisted how adamant Sophia was about them waiting outside, until Alexia herself was convinced.

"Have you two settled for a name yet?"

Sybilla's voice ripped Alexia out of her dreamlike state and remembered her that there was a reality beyond the door leading to Margaret's voice.

"Sorry?"

"The name of your daughter. Margaret said, you both would decide when it finally happened," the princess said. "Well, it is happening right now."

Alexia completely forgot about that... and it angered her how she could forget something so important. She and Maggie both thought of quite a few names, but promised to each other to only choose when they could see into their daughter's eyes. They were convinced the perfect name would come to them in this very moment. But Alexia wrote an entire list of names nevertheless and every single one of them eluded her.

"I have not. Not yet," Alexia returned, for once smiling when she saw Sybilla's emerald eyes fill with confusion. "But I am sure we will think of it when we hold her in our arms."

"Surely," Sybilla said, crossing her pumped arms and leaning back into the cold wall behind them. "You know, it is weird to know that I will be an aunt soon. I can't even imagine what it must feel like for you. How are you holding up?"

Alexia smiled knowingly, her feet for once stopping their rhythmic pace as she stretched herself.

"It doesn't feel real to be honest. I... it's like a dream. You know, the type of dream you have every night and still feel foolish for what your mind have come up with. Despite loving every second of it."

The queen followed the princess' example and leaned back herself, now sitting shoulder to shoulder.

"I just hope I will be a good mother, Sybilla. Better than mine. I know Maggie will be great," Alexia said and playfully pushed her elbow into the princess' iron side. "And so will you as an aunt."

Sybilla's already red face turned another shade and made even someone as imposing as her look girlish.

"Your doubts are completely unfounded, Lexi," Sybilla said, her massive arm now firmly resting on the queen's broad shoulder. "I am absolutely convinced you two will make for great mothers, both of you. And even if you two mess things up, I will be there and make sure your daughter won't turn out a spoiled brat."

Alexia's cackling would have turned into full blown laughter if it weren't for Margaret's voice trembling in pain filling the hallway.

"I have no doubt about that," Alexia said with a wide grin, looking at the hulking figure next to her.

It more than befitted Sybilla to be the one who first helped Margaret, Alexia thought. Especially doing so in a sweaty training shirt, not worrying for a second about being or getting herself dirty while doing so. She might not have been there in this crucial moment herself, but Alexia could tell Sybilla did not hesitate, dropped everything around her and did what needed to be done. Alexia grinned softly when a thought came to her mind that accompanied her on their shared training sessions, more so by the day: Sybilla was getting more and more like her mother, not just in body, but also in spirit. And that was a feat only few would ever achieve.

Suddenly another, louder thud emerged from the depths of the palace, heralding the arrival of another visitor. A visitor who sounded like she was charging into battle all by herself, clearly covered in thundering heavy armour and still at frightening speed.

"Kingmother," Sybilla said and rose with Alexia from their bench, when Anastasia also struggled to take the final corner with grace.

"Who... is... with... her?" Anastasia asked between deep, almost desperate breaths.

"Euridike... and Sophia," Alexia replied first but was taken back by seeing her former king.

Never in her life had she seen Anastasia this exhausted before. No matter how rigorous her training was, even when she took on the entire royal guard one by one, she barely broke a sweat, but today she looked utterly drained. Even if she ran through the entire palace in her heavy, black armour, swords and pistols dangling from both her sides, this came as a surprise to Alexia, who genuinely believed Anastasia was immune of fatigue -- and fear.

Anastasia stumbled forward before stopping as she clearly struggled to catch her breath. Her green eyes remained locked to the door, just like Alexia's did before. And just like her new queen, only looked a bit at ease when she heard that her daughter was in capable hands. Still, the dread never truly left her red face and kept her eyes wide and searching.

"Good," she said eventually, more to herself than Sybilla and Alexia. "That's good."

"Mother, please sit down," Sybilla said walking up to Anastasia, still rooted to her spot and staring at the door. "Catch your breath."

Only in that moment she first looked her age. She held on to her youth with firm hands, but her grip loosened before Alexia's eyes. The grey hair that had invaded her black mane seemed to have gained the upper hand. The wrinkles that until now were only second to her adamant gaze and her scar on her left cheek appeared to have gotten deeper since the last time Alexia saw her. Years of aging unfolded seemingly within seconds as she was gently guided to her seat by her daughter.

The bench groaned desperately when three muscle-bound warriors sat down on it. It turned out this would be the only sound filling the hallway for minutes. Alexia and Sybilla took turns to look after Anastasia who remained completely silent and motionless, even after she shook off her exhaustion.

Alexia only caught glimpses of Anastasia's darting eyes, travelling to the door and back to the carpet in almost regular intervals. Most could only guess what thoughts were bombarding her mind, but Alexia know it would the ones weighing down on herself. The uncertainty of childbirth, the nagging fear that despite the best medical care daughter and mother were only one complication away from death.

Every muffled sound Alexia heard could be the last memory she had of Maggie and seeing Anastasia contemplating the same scenario burdened her with the same weight on her chest she felt before speaking to Sybilla.

All three silently listened, winced and gasped as one whenever they heard Sophia or Euridike comforting Margaret crying in pain. Nothing else was left to take their minds off their grimmest fear, nothing to draw their attention away from the helplessness that had consumed them. Only deafening silence and uncertainty remained -- until one called to the gods for aid.

Sybilla never looked more puzzled than the second she saw her mother turn over her hands, opening her palms and started silently praying like the priestess of old used to. Alexia shared her confusion. Anastasia was always a woman of responsibility and logic, one who left nothing to chance. Amidst unsurmountable odds she remained steadfast and believed in her own ability and of those around her. She never had to rely on the gods to bring her victory. She won them herself. Her legacy was testament to that. Not a single one of her legends featured her beliefs or devotion to the gods at all. Alexia was certain of that, since she grew up with the tales of Anastasia's campaigns. She had listened to countless bards singing of the king's bigger than life feats and not a single one of them wasted a line to the gods. There was simply no room for them. Like there was no place for them in the king's life Alexia thought. Until now.

"That... must be the first time I have seen you pray, mother," Sybilla eventually said.

"I doubt anyone else has ever seen me doing that," Anastasia said, her eyes still closed and palms offered to the gods.

"I didn't know you believed in the gods," Alexia joined in and saw the former king's signature smirk forming.

"I do not," Anastasia said and at last lifted her head and revealed that confident smile of hers. She had arrived at last and pushed back the aging woman that had replaced her.

"Euridike was always the one who kept us on good terms with them. I on the other hand never mustered the courage to truly believe in them," Anastasia said and looked for the first time since her arrival like her true self.

Her backplate rattled when the 10ft guard leaned into the oddly comforting, cold brick wall, despite the royal guard's white cloak offering some cushion. Anastasia, now no longer anxiously leaning forward, towered above both already imposingly tall women seated to each side. She first addressed her queen to her right.

"You wonder why I am praying then?"

Anastasia nodded and listened keenly, eager to discover this new site of her mother-in-law.

The former highking, now donning only the armour of her former bodyguards looked to the ceiling and closed her eyes. Her palms remained open, her fingers spread wide and inviting when she started speaking.

"My mother once taught me a very important lesson. Many of them...," Anastasia paused and opened her eyes with another gentle grin. "...most of them... were valuable, but there was one any young girl needed to hear: You choose your own path."

The aura of a king radiated off the legendary warrior and cast a spell over princess and queen.

"Every action you take, every moment you decide to be good or the be bad, to do the things you deem right or necessary, with every strike of your sword and every time you offer a helpful hand you shape the world around you. You become the master of your own destiny," Anastasia said in a voice that was impossible to not be inspired by. "Through preparation, determination and perseverance you reach for the skies and should you fail, it will be on your own terms and because of your mistakes. Your mistakes alone. There will be no one to blame but yourself. My mother believed that until the moment she closed her eyes for good, and her mother before her."

"But... wouldn't that mean there is no point in praying in the first place?"

Sybilla's question hit the nail on the head, but it seemed Anastasia was more than aware of this blatant contradiction.

Her green eyes shone with the strength of the legendary figure that would live on forever in their people's history books. Anastasia's head slowly turned to her left until emerald eyes gazed into emerald eyes.

"Sadly, there are things that are not ours to shape. Regardless of how hard we push ourselves, no matter our preparation, some things in life will always remain out of our reach and leave us helpless. Today is such a day when we can only sit back and hope fate is on our side."

Sybilla's usually intense eyes were wide and filled with childlike wonder when she began to understand her mother's thought process.

"And you believe the gods will help us when we are at our most helpless?" Sybilla asked.

"Isn't that their entire purpose?" Anastasia said in such a dry-witted tone that she earned a smile from Alexia who shared the former king's beliefs. "Besides, you know why I think, against all odds, there really might be someone listening to my prayers?"

Sybilla shook her head feverishly.

"Because I only prayed two times in my life. That was on the days you and your sister were born and both times my pleads were answered," Anastasia said and now swung her ironclad arm around the bulky shoulder of her younger daughter. "I only asked for our daughters' well-being and someone somewhere blessed us with not only that, but also with the best two daughters we could have hoped for. If that is not divine, then I don't know what is."

Alexia's heart was pounding, her lips quivering ever so slightly when she saw Sybilla's face morph from one of confusion and wonder into one of pure joy. She was well-aware how much her new sister craved these words, how starved she felt for the love of the woman she modelled herself after. At last, she received it all and rarely had anyone ever earned it more than she, Alexia thought.

The hulking princess slowly sank into her mother's chestplate, their size difference apparent but never did Anastasia look more maternal. The 10ft legend kissed her daughters raven hair multiple times as a soft, but happy whimper emerged from the princess' smiling lips.

"That's what I am praying for," Anastasia said, unclear if it was meant to Alexia, Sybilla or herself.

Alexia silently watched their heartfelt embrace and revelled in the love emitting from both. A part of her felt like Sybilla's hug was somehow also hers.

There was a time she struggled to believe such pure affection could still exist, especially within the boundaries of family. She wanted to hold on to that glorified image of a caring, loving family with all her heart, until it was shattered by her own blood when they sent her away. She promised to herself at that day, the day she joined the royal guard, that she would never be this foolish again to believe she would ever experience such love for herself. But life chose to prove her wrong on so many occasions. Like at the day when she fell for Margaret and gave into her love while all the humans danced and drank around them. Today was another such day, when another gaping void burning in her soul was filled at last.

Not only would this day mark the beginning of her and Margaret's motherhood, but also the day she realised she married into a bloodline not only powerful and exalted, but also truly royal in their affection and love. A family she no longer just looked up to as one of their protectors but one who welcomed her with open arms and open hearts. Of all the honours ever bestowed upon her, this must be the greatest, Alexia thought with a content and ever-growing smile. Just like being part of this intimate moment between daughter and mother, or to her: sister and mother.

Anastasia returned to wordlessly praying, while Sybilla and Alexia didn't want to interrupt her. The silence looming over the hallway must have soaked into the door and from there conquered the guestroom. That or the ornamented wooden door somehow doubled in thickness, because minutes passed without even the slightest hint of Maggie giving birth.

Only Anastasia's presence and unshakable calmness stopped Alexia from giving into the sinister doubts that tormented her earlier. Just when she thought she mastered her inner demons and allowed herself to feel a sense of optimistic anticipation a bone-chilling scream erupted from within the chamber. Margaret's scream. Followed by Euridike's and Sophia's hectic voices.

The bench almost splintered when the newly crowned queen jumped up faster than a bowstring. Alexia, her veins now solely pumping ice back into her pounding heart, shook in horror and froze in place before she regained control over her feet. Her mind was set, she was going to open that door and rush in, not even the gods themselves would stop her. But there was one woman who had outgrown the gods themselves in her lifetime.

An unrelenting gauntlet held her back and pinned her to where she stood.

"Let go of me! I am going in," Alexia demanded and looked at Anastasia who didn't even have to lift her head to catch her daughter-in-law's hand.

"No, you are not."

"Please... I must go... "Alexia muttered in desperation, knowing she could not free herself from Anastasia's grasp. "What if... what if she..."