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Resting in a lavishly adorned bed from a long-lost underwater civilization, the only light that shone now was dimly lit lamps scattered around the bedroom. The atmosphere was peacefully serene, contrasting the mother-to-be’s current state. Susan had been in labor for several hours now — long enough for the sun to set over her shared kingdom — leaving her exhausted and miserable with recurring contractions and hot flashes. The pain was both frustrating and intense, the pressure on her pelvis drove her to the brink; the midwives worked diligently by her side. They were disheartened when they could no longer provide any extra pain relief or birthing aids. This was just — unfortunately — going to be a long labor.
With labored breaths and soft whimpers, Susan sat on the edge of the bed, doubled over. Namor gently massaged her back in an effort to ease any discomfort, trying to support his wife however he could. “You’re doing wonderful, my love. Try to rest; our child will be here soon.” Leaving a tender kiss in her lovely blonde hair, the Atlantean king smiled, brushing her locks to one shoulder, clearing the side of her face. Seeing her scrunched, pained expression broke his heart. Sue was incredibly strong and resilient, it felt impossible to see her this disheveled. As he ran his hand up her back, Namor paused at her neck to unclasp her pearl necklace.
“My dear, you should try to lie down again, even if just for a few minutes.” He handed the exquisite necklace to one of the midwives, who accepted it respectfully and placed it safely with Susan’s belongings. Namor hoped it made the woman at least a bit more comfortable. With the midwives' assistance, the king gently guided Sue’s body back to the bed, lying her back against him. Behind his pained wife, he kept her comfortable, gently tying her blonde hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of her face.
Although everyone was tired — especially Sue — the midwives were committed to being present for the birth, even if it took all night. They couldn’t miss the chance to assist in bringing their future king or queen into the world. Sitting beside the bed was Lady Dorma, simply there if anything went wrong, and of course, to witness the birth. In separate seats at the end of the bed sat two midwives, both seeming quite similar in appearance; with their dark hair and beautiful blue skin.
In a sheepish tone, the younger midwife spoke up, standing from her seat, “Milady, if it’s alright, I’d like to check your dilation now.” Pausing before moving forward with the exam, she smiled as she received a nod of approval from Susan. Carefully moving the blanket aside, the midwife lifted her Queen’s gown, glancing between the woman’s legs. “I apologize in advance, ma’am. I know it’s uncomfortable.”
Sterile and clean for the sensitive environment, the midwife lowered her head as she physically checked Susan’s dilation. Her body tensed as Sue failed to hold back a quiet, pained squeak, her breath hitching. The midwife quickly concluded her results before backing up from the distressed mother-to-be, giving her room. “You seem to finally be 8cm dilated,” returning to her seat, the woman cleaned her fingers respectfully. “It is up to you whether you want to try pushing now, or wait until full dilation.”
Leaning back against Namor, Susan’s breath remained labored as she held her husband’s hand. Gently, her thumb rubbed over his knuckles, in a mix of comfort and anxiety. “Are there risks of complications with pushing early?” Speaking up, the Queen’s voice was shaky with pain, her undertone nervous and concerned, “I just want our baby to be as healthy as possible.”
With a smile, the midwife quickly reassured Susan as she lowered her gown back in position. “No ma’am, there are no risks.” Gently placing a hand on the laboring woman’s leg, she continued, “It’s all about personal preference; I would never guide you towards any risks. Your baby is safe in our hands.”
Resting her chin on the back of the seashell shaped chair, Lady Dorma took in the scene. She was really just there to be on the sidelines, the messenger if anything were to happen. Of course, she could always assist the midwives if needed, though she wasn’t actually certified for this line of work. “They truly are the finest midwives of the seas, dear. You have nothing to fear.” Her tired azure eyes studied Susan, before offering a reassuring smile to the struggling Queen.
As silence tensely hung in the room, Susan battled with indecision and worry. Beginning to push meant the laboring pains were almost over, however the pushing was horribly painful; though, unavoidable. She gave birth to one kid before with less support than this, she could manage again especially with better care.
Sensing his wife's nervousness in the prolonged silence, Namor quickly chimed in. “My love, please take your time. If you want to wait, you may wait.” Planting a kiss on the top of her head, the sub-mariner’s hand gently held Sue’s fidgeting fingers still. “If you would rather start pushing, you may do that too. I will support you with either decision, dear.”
Cringing and whimpering with the intense contractions, reflected on the long hours of labor she had already faced. Although she had lost track of time, the dark sea visible through the room's windows indicated that night had fallen quite some time ago. If she kept delaying with fear, this could take all night, which meant she would unfortunately drag everyone else through those exhausting hours as well. She couldn’t do that to them. With a deep shaky breath, Susan gulped back her nerves, “…I think I’m ready.” As a spike of anxiety washed over her, the Queen gently tightened her grip on Namor’s hand. In response, Namor offered his other hand, giving Sue the option to hold both if she needed support.
With her decision made, everything started to fall into place. The midwives sprung into action, moving their chairs away from the bed, and setting up their station. Neatly arranged on the bed were towels and baby blankets, enough to clean the newborn and swaddle them in a warm, fresh blanket afterward; next to Dorma was the prepared bassinet. The warmed baby bed was prepped hours ago — the moment Susan went into labor — the midwives made sure it was an option if the woman’s birthing process had been faster than anticipated. Unfortunately they were not that lucky.
As the midwives calmly prepared their area, Namor took it upon himself to get his wife ready. “Let’s slide you down a bit, my love.” Trying to get her in a better delivery position, the Atlantean King hesitantly let go of his wife’s hands. Gently, he placed his hands underneath Sue’s back, carefully providing support for the woman to press into while she shimmied down further.
With a groan and wince, Susan followed Namor’s plan, slowly lying flatter to the bed. Pressing her head into her husband’s abdomen, the woman was insistent on being as close as possible to the King; her head and shoulders still in his lap. The midwives allowed it — knowing they wouldn’t deny the Queen her wishes anyway — since her lower half was already flat, they had no objections. After adjusting her position, Susan opened her hands, holding them towards Namor, silently demanding his hold; she was quickly granted her demand.
Now in the proper position, the midwives both stood at the foot of the bed, removing the blanket and lifting Susan’s gown. The time for shy modesty had passed; childbirth was rarely casual or formal, but rather personal and intimate. With one last dilation check, the taller midwife announced, “you’re now 9cm dilated, Milady.” Confirming the Queen’s further — shockingly fast — progress, the younger midwife tucked a towel underneath the laboring blonde. There was no way it would prevent the mess from getting on the bed, but it did help in the moment. The midwives had already planned to change the sheets after the birth anyway.
As the painful minutes passed, Sue continued to push. At times, it felt futile, her body collapsing into Namor’s lap with a defeated cry after each particularly intense push; yielding little progress so far. The woman’s yelps and cries broke her husband’s heart; who longed to comfort her by running his fingers through her blonde hair. However, as his lovely Queen was preoccupying his hands, the sub-mariner settled with encouraging words and head kisses instead.
As the struggle intensified, sweat began to pepper Sue’s face; Dorma was quick to dab her face with a soft rag, ridding of the beads. Seeing as how Namor was focused on supporting his wife and the midwives attentively monitoring the situation, the redhead felt it was a kind gesture to lend a hand. After all, there were very few Atlanteans who would pass up the opportunity to help their Queen this intimately.
Although the struggle and pains were still present, Sue had to admit that giving birth underwater was preferable to her experience on land. The water was soothing, alleviating some of the pressure from her heavy belly, making it feel lighter than during her land pregnancy. With labored breaths and soft whimpers, Susan looked up at Namor, her flushed and exhausted face meeting his. It was embarrassing for him to see her like this, but she knew how important it was for him to be present during the arrival of his heir. She knew she couldn’t do it without him either.
Catching his wife's eyes, Namor quickly met her gaze. Loving, dark eyes glanced over her beauty, “you’re doing wonderful, my Queen.” Bringing Sue’s hand up, the sub-mariner left a soft kiss on the back of it. “Delivery will be over soon.”
Sighing softly with the kiss, the Queen finally got a moment to catch her breath. Susan’s body seemed to sink further into the bed, like a tidal wave of ease rushed over her. “I love you, Namor,” she quietly spoke with choked back whimpers, her head bobbing to the side, leaning into Dorma’s rag that soaked up her sweat beads.
“I love you too, my dear Susan.” Lowering her hand back to the bed, Namor’s lips curled into a reassuring smile.
The room was enveloped in a calm silence, broken only by the Queen's soft whimpers. Continuing to tiresomely exert herself, Susan lolled her head, quickly losing steam — though that was unacceptable. Mindlessly pushing and stifling her cries, Sue caught the attention of the midwives after a stronger push.
The youngest girl preemptively grabbed a towel, while the older midwife’s eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement, resting her hands between Sue’s legs. “You’re doing so well, Susan.” Finally seeing the baby, the woman tried to stay calm and collected for the Queen. “You’re almost there, just give me a few more strong pushes.”
Receiving the news that her hard work was paying off, a switch immediately flipped in Susan’s head. After hours of hard labor, just a few more pushes would end it all…she would finally be able to meet her precious baby. Following the midwife’s encouragement, the Queen whimpered as she squeezed her husband’s hands; her nails ever so slightly digging into his skin. Unbothered by her desperate hold, Namor happily allowed such treatment. It was the least he could provide to support his pained wife.
In her final moments of labor — the last few pushes — Sue struggled to hold back her cries, whimpering as her face scrunched. She had always believed childbirth would become easier with each pregnancy, but she was sorely mistaken. With the painful sensation between her legs, the blonde Queen let out a cry accompanied by a strong push; pressing her head back into her husband’s lap. With a deep breath, finally, her last push. A sudden wave of relief washed over as she felt the pressure lift from her pelvic floor; Susan continued to have her head thrown back into Namor, desperately catching her breath.
As the blonde recoiled from the intense pain, her body trembled involuntarily. The younger midwife quickly sprang into action with the last push, wrapping the newborn in a warm towel and gently cleaning them off before handing them over. The midwives smiled as they worked together, ensuring the baby was clean and carefully snipping the umbilical cord — not wanting to cause their Queen any further pain or discomfort.
While drying off the newborn, the younger midwife chirped with delight, “congratulations on your son, my lieges!” Announcing the baby’s gender, they handed him over, allowing him to connect skin-to-skin with his mother before being swaddled. Gently laying the boy on Susan’s chest, the taller midwife began trading out dirtied cloths for clean ones; firstly removing the dirtied towel between Sue’s legs.
Susan was instantly overcome with emotions upon seeing her beautiful, blond baby boy, a perfect blend of her and Namor’s features. Wrapping gentle arms around him, she smiled, shushing him softly as he began to cry and coo — his loudness a sign of good health. Looking up at Namor, butterflies fluttered around her stomach at the sight of her husband’s adoring gaze — solely focused on his heir with a soft smile — reaching down to carefully rub the baby’s back.
Dorma smiled as she tilted her head, leaning closer, examining the newborn, “he will be a worthy heir to King Namor’s throne.” Reaching forward, the Lady gently took the baby’s small hand into her own, “you did wonderfully, Susan.” Looking over at the two giddy midwives, the redhead nodded in thanks and appreciation of their work. Everyone in this room deserved recognition for their support during the long hours of their Queen’s labor.
—
As the night wore on, the final preparations began. One midwife replaced the bedding, while Namor and the other midwife helped Susan into a fresh gown — with Lady Dorma happily watching over their precious son. Soon, the room was quiet as guests departed, leaving Susan to feed her fussy newborn, before laying him down to sleep. The royal couple quickly followed his lead, drifting off to sleep themselves.
The Queen was utterly exhausted from the demanding day, so it was no surprise that she fell asleep almost immediately. Curled up in a clean blanket, Namor gently wrapped his arms around Susan from behind; being extra careful with her tired, sore body. The bassinet was placed securely next to the bed, allowing for immediate assistance if their baby needed it.
A soft glow from a lamp filled the room, creating a warm atmosphere for their small but growing family.