~~~***~~~

Day 525, 0300hrs

~~~***~~~

Conrad was brought out of his thoughts by a particularly bad cramp. The handle of his tea cup snapped under the pressure of his hand, and fell to the floor where in shattered upon impact. He cried out. Gisela had warned him that this was normal, his body's way of preparing to deliver his baby. Still the cramps had gotten a lot worse over the course of the last few hours. He defiantly wasn't going to be getting back to sleep tonight. Perhaps he'd better go see Gisela in the morning.

He took a deep breath, slipped off the couch and carefully bent down to clean up the shards of his broken tea cup. After cleaning up his mess he got himself a new cup and settled himself down on the sofa – gritting his teeth against another cramp. He shifted slightly trying to alleviate the pain in his lower back.

Less than three weeks after Aisen's trial, the rampant rumor mill had become too much for him, and Yozak had taken him to a small disused hunting lodge located just outside of a small village on Weller lands, they'd stayed there for nearly six months. He'd come home wearing the pendant that hung around his neck and had been married just two weeks later. Ironically the small velvet ball had come with him. In some ways he'd been afraid to let the thing go. Afraid that if he left it behind the world would spiral away and he would wake to find that everything Yozak had done for him was nothing but a dream.

Afraid that he'd wake to find Aisen in his bed, after the council forced them to wed

It hadn't been till nearly a month after the trial that he'd realized just how expensive a gift that little rattling ball truly was. Velvet was expensive (even scrap velvet) and the ball was made of plush rich velvet. He was ashamed to even think about it now, but he'd scolded Yozak for getting his unborn child such an expensive gift. In fact he hadn't stopped ranting until Yozak gently grabbed his shoulders and firmly but kindly informed him that it was his money and if he felt like spending a week's pay on a ball – it was his decision to make.

He smiled just looking at the little thing sitting innocently on his shelf.

He glanced around his rooms, they were very similar and yet all most completely different from his old quarters. When they'd returned from their visit to the Weller lands he'd discovered that Yozak, Gisela, Günter, Yuri, his lady mother, and both of his brothers had collaborated to move him out of his old quarters while they'd been away. As Yuri put it – they'd moved him back into the royal wing with the rest of the family, were he belonged. He'd blushed a bright red, when Yuri informed him that the palace guard had been informed about Yozak.

Apparently none of them had been too surprised.

Another cramp hit him, and he must have cried out in pain, however softly, because suddenly his beloved husband was at his side. Yozak sat beside him on the couch and took the tea cup from him. He set the delicate thing on the table before gently wrapping him in his strong arms. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Conrart nodded against his shoulder. "Can't sleep," he replied quietly.

"Nightmare?" Yozak inquired.

"Yes," Conrad answered, a bit embarrassed by the admission.

Yozak sighed, "Aisen again?"

Conrad nodded into his shoulder, "my back hurts to, and the cramps are making me uncomfortable to." he snuggled closer to Yozak – taking comfort in the other man's familiar warmth.

Yozak's hand slid down until it rested on top of Conrad's distended stomach. "You should see Gisela." He said after a moment of absent rubbing.

"I intend to, in the morning."

"It's morning now – I'll go get her. You just relax and put you feet up."

"Yozak, its only 3am let the poor woman sleep. I'll go see her as soon as the sun rises."

"No, I'll go get her first thing in the morning."

Conrad knew he wasn't going to win this argument, so he caved. "Alright, you'll go get Gisela in the morning and I'll wait here."

"Right now, I want you to come back to bed." Yozak said calmly, his hands deftly messaging Conrart's shoulders.

Conrad resisted the urge to melt against his husband, and shook his head. "I can't sleep – my back hurts."

Yozak kissed his temple. "I know, but its cold, and despite being pregnant you are still rather thin –except for your baby bump. Come on let's get you back into bed where it's warm. You can lie down – on your side – and I'll give you a back rub and a bit of a massage. If you still can't sleep that's fine. At least you'll be warm and comfortable. I'll even stay up and read to you if you like. I meant what I had engraved on that pendent. I'll always be there for you." He yawned "even at three in the morning."

Conrad laughed, "thank you."

"do you want me to carry you?" Yozak asked rising from the sofa.

Conrad shook his head, "no, thank you."

"Alright," Yozak said, "I'll go fluff your pillows and warm up the massage oil." He patted Conrart on the shoulder and headed back into their bedchambers.

Conrad smiled and followed his husband at a much slower waddling pace. "One more month." He muttered. "And then you'll be in my arms and I'll be able to walk normally again." He paused and added. "I can't wait to actually meet you, little one."

Apparently his child took him literally.

Another cramp washed over him and he doubled over in pain. Suppressing the urge to cry out, knowing it would bring Yozak back to him at a run. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through the cramp. This one was lasting far longer than the others.

Maybe he should send Yozak to get Gisela now.

Then he felt it –

A flood of warmth and shocking cold running down his legs

He looked down, stupidly, despite already knowing exactly what he would see. His leggings and the hem of his night shirt were soaked through and he was standing in a pool of liquid. He blinked, he didn't think this was good.

"Yozak," he called, "We're going to have a baby."

Yozak's answering laugh drifted out of the bedchambers, "You're just now realizing this?" he asked jovially.

Conrad rolled his eyes and called back, "No I mean we're going to have a baby right now."

"What?!"

"I think I'm in labor." Conrad replied.

Yozak bolted out of their bedroom and seemed to simply appear at his side. He looked down taking in the same sight Conrad was currently staring at. He blinked and stepped closer to Conrad. Conrad blinked when Yozak deftly stripped him of his sodden leggings. The shirt followed.

Conrad watched quietly, mildly surprised when Yozak balled the fabric up in one hand.

"Spread your legs a bit." The other man ordered.

Conrart blinked and did as he was told, watching Yozak's every move. He managed not to Jump when Yozak carefully cleaned the fluid off of his legs.

"Now that you're mostly clean, let's get you back into bed. Then I'll go get Gisela, or find someone who can take word to her. Then I'll come back and be with you. Okay?" Yozak told him as he carefully scooped him up into his arms.

Conrad nodded into his shoulder.

Yozak set him down onto the bed, lifted his legs slightly and pulled the blankets up around him. Conrad settled himself back against the pillows Yozak had quickly fluffed for him, and smiled when his husband gently kissed his cheek before turning and leaving the room at a run.

~~~***~~~

Day 525 0325hrs

~~~***~~~

Yozak bolted out of the door that led into his quarters and turned down the hall. He wasn't ashamed to admit it, he was terrified. Gisela had warned them of the possibility of Conrad either miscarrying or delivering early in the third trimester. With scarcely a month left – he'd thought they'd beaten the odds. Now he just prayed that come sun rise he would still have a husband, and that their child would be safely in Conrad's arms.

He wasn't stupid he knew just how dangerous this was for both Conrart and the baby.

He ran through the halls, cursing the lack of Guards inside the Royal wing, and kept right on running until he ran into someone.

Literally

The impact sent whoever he'd run into crashing to the ground, and Yozak stumbled to a halt. He glanced down and felt himself flush at the sight of his king clad in his PJ's sitting on the floor. He was terrified, but not of Yuri, Conrad was in labor. He needed to get Gisela, but he also needed to be with Conrad.

He knew he had no right to order his king to do anything, but at that moment he really didn't care. Conrart and their unborn child could be in serious trouble.

"Get Gisela, Conrad's in labor!" he ordered sharply, ignoring the fact that Yuri was his king – at that moment he would have given the same order to the great one himself.

That said he turned and bolted back to his quarters Content in the knowledge that Yuri would do as he sort of asked.

~~~***~~~

Yuri blinked at the spot Yozak had just been standing in completely surprised, then the other man's words registered with his tired brain. Conrad was in Labor, and almost a month prematurely.

That so wasn't good!

He scrambled to his feet and ran in the direction of Gisela's quarters.

He was worried, he didn't know much about childbirth, but he did realize that this could be dangerous for both his godfather and the man's unborn child.

He finally reached Gisela's quarters and began pounding franticly on the door. A few minutes later Gisela answered the door, clad in a robe.

"Conrad's in labor!" Yuri said by way of explanation, and found himself shoved out of the way as Gisela took off down the hall.

He took off after her, determined to gather the rest of the family and wait, until they had news.

~~~***~~~

Day 525, 0342

~~~***~~~

Gisela ran for all she was worth across the castle, if Conrad was in Labor, both he and his unborn child were in danger. She took slim comfort in the fact that it was Yuri she'd found at her door and not Yozak that at least meant that Conrad still had the support of his husband.

She didn't bother to knock when she reached the doors to their Quarters, she just let herself in. she could here Conrart crying out as another contraction washed over him.

She couldn't help smiling at the sight that awaited her when she entered the bedchambers. Conrad was sitting in bed in a mostly reclined position, using Yozak as a backrest. Yozak was gently rubbing Conrad's shoulders, and keeping up a litany of soothing words and soft comforting sounds.

She pulled the covers aside so that she could examine Conrart, softly ordering him to bend his knees and spread his legs so that she could do her Job.

Conrad did as he was told, crying out as another contraction hit him.

That set the contractions at less than 3 minutes apart. That was alarming, particularly when coupled with the fact that his birthing canal had yet to fully open, let alone dilate.

The opening in males had the consistency of soft scar tissue. It split open along the seam, but sometimes in first pregnancies, and in men who'd given birth to several children, the canal didn't open completely – the canal would begin to dilate, but the opening would be held together by a few stubborn, strips of skin.

It looked like that was what was currently happening to Conrart, if the little flap of skin holding the opening mostly closed didn't tear soon, she'd have no choice but to cut it. She needed to see how much time they had.

Briskly she examined him, gently manhandling his distended belly to see if his child was in the right position. It was. She asked questions trying to determine just how long he'd been in labor and how long ago his water had broken.

Alarmingly his water had broken almost 30 minutes ago, and from the sounds of it he'd likely been in labor for the last few days, and hadn't known it.

She didn't have much time.

This baby was coming and it was coming now.

She estimated Conrart would be a mother sometime in the next hour, two at most.

She didn't have a choice, she'd have to cut through that bit of skin now, if he wasn't open and fully dilated by the time the baby was in the canal (and that could be any minute now) the blood loss from the child tearing through that flap of skin or worse the canal itself – could kill Conrad.

At best it would render him barren.

She met Yozak's eyes and gave Conrad a reassuring smile, "I give it less than an hour till this child arrives." She said simply. "There's a minor complication, though. The birthing canal is being held partly closed by a flap of skin. I'm going to have to cut it."

Conrad and Yozak blanched.

She looked at Yozak, "where's your dagger?" she asked simply.

"Top drawer." Yozak replied simply.

Gisela walked over liberated the blade and set it down on the bed then she went and picked up a lit candle. She needed to sterilize the blade – fire was the best way to do that. It was going to be painful, but it would keep Conrad from bleeding out.

Conrart squirmed when she approached him with the blade, the gifts of their people assured that Conrart had never actually had to have a wound cauterized before, and having her cut through him and cauterize the gash at the same time was likely not something he even wanted to think about.

She looked up at Yozak as she settled herself between Conrart's legs blade in hand. "Hold him still." She ordered gently but firmly. "This is going to hurt."

That said she waited quietly while Yozak wrapped his arms around Conrad's shoulders cradling him to his chest and restraining him in one move. Then bracing her left hand on the inside of his thigh, in an attempt to keep him from kicking her, she deftly sliced through the offending strip of skin.

Conrart screamed and jerked in Yozak's arms, but to his credit he didn't kick at her.

She channeled some of her magic through her hands and set about soothing his burned skin. She couldn't use her gift to heal the incision as she would have done had the baby been full term and Conrart fully dilated. She couldn't risk it, not with both Conrart's and the baby's lives hanging in the balance. She needed her magic just in case. Hopefully she'd be able to heal the burn after the baby was born. If not Conrad would simply have to endure a few days of discomfort.

She spent the next 45 minutes, delivering Conrart's baby.

"Okay, one last push Conrart, that's it you're doing fine." She told him as the child finally slid free of his body and into her waiting hands. Deftly she cut the cord and handed Conrad his baby. Trying not to laugh at Yozak's overjoyed shout of "I'm a father."

~~~***~~~

Day 525, 0446 hrs

~~~***~~~

Yozak slid out from behind Conrad took one look at their little girl and, completely lost it. "I'm a father," he shouted and ran from the room keeping up that mantra. He probably would have kept right on running through the castle, until he woke both the living and the dead had he not opened their front door and come face to face with his extended family.

"I'm a father!" he yelled. "She's beautiful my little girl, I'm a father, she's the most beautiful little girl in the world."

Even little Greta laughed.

"What's her name?" Cecilia asked.

He paused, "I don't know I ran out before we could name her." He replied already halfway back into his quarters. Behind him he could here his family laughing at his over enthusiasm.

He skidded to a stop beside his laughing mate. Conrart was gazing down at their newly born child, a look of combined adoration and fear on his beautiful face. Yozak settled himself down beside his family noting the way the tiny squirming bundle in his love's arms closely resembled Conrad.

She had a soft halo of brown hair, only a shade or two lighter than her mother's, however, it was her beautiful purple eyes that caught and held his attention. Gently he placed his hand on Conrad's shoulder, "You know it's a shame I don't remember my father, mother once told me he had beautiful purple eyes."

Conrart blinked at him, than he smiled, and handed him their small daughter. "What's her name?" he asked.

Yozak blinked, it was true among their people it was the father who named a child, but he hadn't expected Conrad to give him that honor.

He had the perfect name for her already. A name he knew would serve his beautiful daughter well. a name that would reaffirm how much he already loved her every time somebody said it – besides it truly suited her.

"Ysolde." He told Conrart. "Her name is Ysolde."

As he'd expected his husband recognized the name immediately. "Yozak, are you sure? I-I'm honored you would even consider it, but are you sure you want her to have your mother's name?"

Yozak smiled at Conrad, and replied calmly. "The name means beautiful, and it reminds me of my mother's strength, both of will and of character. It suits her. Besides I always told you I was going to name any girl child I had after my mother. And Ysolde is my daughter, even if that bastard sired her. She is perfect and she's ours. The name is hers, now, and I'm sure she will not only live up to it, but surpass the many women who carried it before her."

Conrart smiled, and brushed away a single stray tear, before holding out his arms for their daughter. "Hello little Ysolde, welcome to the world," He said, and then added in a soft whisper "thank you for giving me something to live for."

Yozak shifted and wrapped his arm around his husband's thin shoulders. "I love you both." He said sincerely. "You are my world." He paused and glanced up at Gisela.

The healer had a small smile on her face as she watched them. "As I told Conrad while you were busy having a fit of joy, I want him to rest for the next two days, and let me know if there's any lingering discomfort. But it's okay for him to go on short walks and to have visitors, as long as he takes it easy he'll be fine."

Yozak chuckled "that's a good thing since the rest of the family is right outside."

"I'll let them in when I leave. Congratulations to you both."

~~~***~~~

Day 525, 0450

~~~***~~~

Gwendal had been terrified when Yuri awoke him with the news of Conrad's labor. Conrad wasn't due for another month. He hoped Gisela could stop the birth and again stabilize his brother's child, but he didn't know if she could. He'd tried to reassure his wife and get her to go back to sleep but the woman had refused insisting on coming with him to wait outside his little brother's door. They hadn't been the first to arrive, but they had been close. Only their mother had gotten their before him. Yuri, Greta and Wolfram had been the last to arrive.

He was worried from inside Conrad's rooms they could hear the man crying out in pain. It seemed that Gisela hadn't been able to stop the birth, and it seemed Conrad's difficult pregnancy had led to a difficult delivery.

It seemed like an eternity before they heard Yozak's initial shout of joy coupled with the throaty wail of a newly born infant.

He couldn't help laughing at the man, but he admitted to being annoyed when the door closed behind Yozak.

A few minutes later the door opened to reveal a weary but smiling Gisela, "A healthy baby girl," she said simply. "Both mother and baby are doing well, Conrad will be in a bit of discomfort for the next few days to a week as the birthcanal disappears and his womb shrinks back down. Other than that he's fine. You may visit with him, but try not to over stimulate him, he needs his rest." That said she walked away.

Gwendal led his wife into his little brother's rooms following his lady mother. Isabella settled herself on the edge of Conrad's bed. "She's beautiful Conrart." She said kindly. "What's her name?"

"Ysolde," Conrart replied without looking up from the now yawning bundle in his arms. "After Yozak's mother."

"It's a beautiful name," Yuri commented.

Ysolde's little thumb made its way to her mouth, and in that moment Gwendal knew this little girl was going to have her uncle wrapped very tightly around her little finger. She was just too cute.

He only heard his mother's next words because he was standing at her shoulder, and even there he nearly missed it.

'Dan Hiri, you would be proud of your son. Ysolde, you and your husband would be proud of your son as well.' she whispered before walking over to Conrad's side and gently kissing his forehead. "She's beautiful baby."

Conrart glanced up at her giving his thanks before turning his attention back to his newborn daughter.

Gwendal smiled slightly – all was right again Conrart was almost healed, he was safe and happily married. Yuri and Wolfram were married, mother was dating Raven who was currently standing a little ways apart from the rest of the family. He had his wife and a child of his own on the way.

Yes life – for now at least – was perfect.

~~~***~~~

A.N. thanks for reading this is the last chapter of part 1. I'll start posting part 2 soon. Thanks for reading. Please read and review.