Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Abigail nearly collapsed to the ground. She looked pleadingly at the midwife, but the midwife was also at a loss. In her lifetime, she had witnessed the dangers of childbirth many times, but when it became that perilous, there was no saving either the mother or the child. "What do we do? What can we do?" Abigail cried, tears streaming down her face as she wiped the sweat from Leona's brow. "You're suffering so much, Leona. I'm so sorry."

"It hurts..." Leona could only repeat those two words, her gaze pleading for help from one person after another, but no one could offer her relief.

Outside, hurried footsteps echoed-Heather had arrived.

She rushed into the delivery room, pushed Carissa aside, and took Leona's hand in her own.

"Leona, I'm here. How are you feeling?"

"Hurts..." Leona looked at her mother with no trace of joy. In fact, she looked fearful and wanted to pull away from Heather's grasp as she searched for her cousin.

"Just endure a little longer. Giving birth is painful. When I had you, it was agony, too, but I made it through. You can do this." Heather squatted down beside her and spoke softly. "Take slow, deep breaths in and out. It will help with the pain."

Ivy interjected, "Your Grace, she took a blow to the abdomen. The baby is likely in danger, and it could endanger the duchess' life as well. This pain is beyond mere endurance."

has already gone to fetch the royal physician. He

thought to herself that the royal physician's skills were on par with her own. Only Sebastian could truly help, but she refrained from saying so. It wouldn't do to

partition screen, asking about the

swallow anything. The excruciating pain made her nauseous. She managed to sip the concoction a couple of times

to check her pulse. However, the physician hesitated, citing that men should not enter the birthing room, especially

physician frowned as he looked at the results. "Is her cervix not fully dilated

has opened a little," the

this be? Is there

not excessive, but her waters

asked, "What about

said, "We've tried, but

while. Heather urgently urged, "You have to come up with something!" Hearing Leona's cries growing increasingly desperate, the