Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 239: Little Pinches

2 June, 1362. Magdaline Castle, Islia.

Camilla opened her heavy, scratchy eyes slowly, throwing a forearm across her face to shade herself from the sunlight streaming in. She then extended her arm to William’s side of the bed. It was already empty and cold.

Why did it have to be morning already?

She had endured another night of broken sleep. The baby continuously twisted and prodded inside her even more than Malcolm had, making her back ache. She’d also gotten up three times to stumble to the privy.

At least she wasn’t having to follow the same confinement rules as she had with Malcolm, Camilla told herself. And for that, she was grateful. While she’d been confined to her bedchamber for the past fortnight, there was no tapestry blocking out the daylight and no constantly roaring fire making the room stuffy. Camilla was allowed to eat whatever she liked and her ladies visited her daily.

Most importantly, William hadn’t left her side. While he was out most of each day, occupied by his usual tasks, she found comfort in sleeping within his arms every night.

Apparently, a husband remaining so close to his wife in the last month before her child was born, was moderately scandalous. William loved breaking rules and Camilla loved his steady, cheerful presence. Even if he did tease her when he lay against her at night, complaining that the baby’s kicking was disturbing his rest.

Even though she knew he was just as anxious as she was.

William crept quietly into the bedchamber, then smiled when he noticed she was already awake.

"Good morning, my dear. Did you sleep well?" He flashed his devastatingly gorgeous smile at her.

Camilla felt herself melt when she saw him, forgetting about her sore back and the little pinches of pain above each hipbone. "I slept alright." She managed to smile as she lied.

"No you didn’t." William looked at her, brow creased. "Lie back down and try to rest more. Did you want anything to eat before you do?"

Camilla shook her head wearily and lay back down, tired to the depths of her soul. She noticed William was already bathed and dressed for the day, meaning it was already later than she thought.

William leaned over and tucked the blanket around her shoulders as she lay curled over on her side. "I have a meeting with the other princes shortly, but should be back in an hour. If you need me before then, Matilda and Louisa are in the next room. Send me a message through them, alright?"

She nodded sleepily and smiled when she felt him brush her hair back and kiss her cheek. A moment later, he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Wonderful. My husband looks like a young sun god, the man who turns the head of all the single - and most married - women in court. Meanwhile, I’m confined to this room and have become an achy, slow moving lump, Camilla grumbled silently. What a striking looking pair we must make these days.

There wasn’t much she could do about it for now, though. Camilla decided to follow her husband’s advice and go back to sleep. She closed her eyes but no matter how she lay and how much she shifted position, there was no way to get comfortable. Her back hurt and the baby was poking her relentlessly.

Camilla ran her hand over her swollen belly. "Is this all really needed? I’m tired. Can’t I just have a little uninterrupted rest?"

The response was two firm kicks just under her rib cage.

"Ouch. I’ll take that as a no." she winced. "Are you going to be just like your father? Constantly creating an uproar just for the fun of it?" The thought of being outnumbered by William and two boisterous little lads was giving her cause for concern.

After a few more minutes, Camilla gave up on the idea of getting more sleep. She decided to stand and gently pace around the bedchamber for a while. Sometimes, the movement would lull the little one to be calm.

Rolling out of bed and standing up carefully, she placed her hands on her lower back and tried to stretch out her unhappy muscles. Most days, she cherished her belly and felt gratitude for the upcoming arrival. Other days however, she just felt well and truly done with being pregnant.

Waddling over to the window, she could see the sun making its slow climb in the sky, as well as the courtiers milling around the beautiful gardens. It would be another warm, cloudless day. She remembered going riding and picnicking and hunting for game with William last spring and summer, back when she could still see her own feet.

The constant dull pain in her back eased a little, though her hipbones still ached. She continued to pace slowly, humming a tune under her breath. Her ladies would usually visit her before noon, though Elizabeth couldn’t always make it, given she was suffering the nausea and exhaustion of early pregnancy.

"My lady, is there anything we can fetch for you?" Camilla heard Matilda’s voice behind her.

She turned slowly to face her maids, her lips twitching in amusement at Matilda’s stiff expression. The eldest maid was eyeing Camilla’s belly straining under her nightgown, as if it were a catapult about to unexpectedly launch a boulder. Camilla was about to respond that everything was as well as could be expected, when a cramp pulsed across her lower back.

She paused and swallowed. The pain receded quickly and Camilla straightened her shoulders. "I’m fine, Matilda. If you could-" The cramp suddenly burned again, twice as strong and choking off Camilla’s words. She gasped.

"My lady! Are you alright?"

Camilla shook her head slightly. "I don’t know. It could be nothing. Perhaps you should fetch my husband just in case."

Matilda turned to run out of the bedchamber, clearly wanting to put plenty of distance between herself and the swollen woman. The maid started charging out the door when she suddenly crashed into someone.

"Your Grace!" Matilda squeaked. "Your wife-"

Calmly but firmly easing the maid to his side, William strode into the bedchamber. "What’s wrong?"

Camilla slumped a little, relieved he was with her again. She looked into his concerned gaze. "My back has started hurting. Well, more than usual, I mean."

At that moment, a fierce, burning pain tracked across her back and belly, followed by a strange clenching sensation low in her body. Warm liquid began gushing down her legs.

Camilla gasped in fright, immediately thinking she must be bleeding. Pulling up her nightgown a little, she saw nothing but clear fluid on her ankles and bare feet, creating a puddle beneath her. "It’s not blood, thank the heavens." She sighed with relief.

"Holy fuck! What the hell is it then?" William screeched, his face immediately turning pallid. He looked like he was about to clutch onto Matilda next to him for support.

Louisa eyed him flatly and replied, "Those are the waters around the baby, my lord."

"Waters? What! What does that mean?" William stared hard at Louisa, as if on the verge of shaking her for more information.

"Husband..." Camilla murmured. "The same thing happened with Malcolm. I think it’s to be expected."

"When a woman loses her waters like that, it means the child’s arrival is imminent. Within the day, usually." Louisa added.

"Are you sure? How do you know all that?" William continued gaping at the stocky maid.

She shrugged and continued speaking in a toneless voice, "I’ve been present for the births of my sisters’ children. It’s nothing new, my lord. Not for women, anyway. Men might struggle with it all."

Camilla snorted in amusement. Despite her fear, there was something funny about seeing her dashing, brave husband now quaking in his boots and staring at Louisa as if she were some kind of oracle. "William." she said sweetly.

"Yes?" A pair of frightened green eyes honed in on her.

"I think it’s best you fetch the midwives right away, just in case." Camilla kept her voice as calm as she could. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if her husband lost his reason in front of her.

"Yes! I’ll get word to Tession right this moment!" William turned to run out the door, before turning to look at her again. "Do you need me to carry you to the bed first?"

Camilla bit her lip as another pain began to build, forcing her muscles to clench. "No, it’s alright. I prefer to stay standing at the moment. Lying down makes my back worse." she managed to grit out. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Are you sure? Because I can easily-"

"For the love of all that’s holy, William!" Camilla found herself growling in a voice she didn’t even recognise as her own. "Stop arguing with me and find the fucking midwives!"

She hated cursing, she truly did. But in that moment, it couldn’t be helped.

William clearly got the message. He bolted from the bedchamber.

"Well done, my lady." she heard Louisa mumble.