An excerpt from Hidden: A Gemini Novella

Another week another blog. This week instead of writing about my recent experience and little lessons I've learned along the way, I decided to share a little bit of this world I am trying to create. This does not come from The Gemini. I'm still keeping that under wraps for another month (jazz hands), but I thougth that a piece from the novella would be a little treat if you like - no tricks this side. <3...

The piercing scream of a young woman shakes the walls of the castle. She is in pain. With her legs strapped in stirrups tied to the four poster king sized bed, blood pooling around her. The woman shakes her head, tired and in agony.

"You can do it, Tythira. One last push," her mother says, gently rubbing her sweaty leg. Another contraction hits the woman, causing another earth shattering wail to explode from her lungs. Her head pounds and her arms fall limp on her sides. She can't do it.

"If you don't push right now the baby will asphyxiate and you may both die!" someone else says in a stern voice, snapping the young girl back into the present.

"Call Baahil, please!" she wails.

Her husband. She needs her husband.

"The king cannot be here Tythira. You have to be strong. Think of the little girl."

"NOW!" she screams with all her might. Orange sparks fly around at her frustration and a scared servant rushes out. The girl's mother orders someone to summon the king and within minutes he's by his wife's side.

Feeling emboldened by her love, she takes one deep breath and pushes one last time.

Soft wails fill the air as the baby is finally released from her chasm. Tears fall down her face in relief and joy.

The man, with a look of wonder, takes the bloody critter in his arms, cradling her like she is the most precious thing he has ever had. The woman smiles contently, exhaustion weighing down on her muscles before they cease once more.

"Oh my gods. There's another one," one of the women in the room gasp.

"What?" the new mother questions. They did the tests. There was only one child.

"Tythira, one more time. Push!"

Time seems to stop, the woman too tired to birth the mystery child. She's cold. The world darkens and finally becomes black as she gives up.

'Tythira. Wake up!'

The girl blinks. Bright white walls surround her, her light blond hair flowing around her like an angel halo. Before her stands what she could only describe as light in the shape of a person. Her hair and body was all light, nearly blinding to the human eye.

"I can't" the girl says. She was giving birth to twins, then she just simply stopped. She knew what happened. She felt it as she lost consciousness and she could hear in the background as people called her name. Over and over.

"You have to give life to that child stuck in your body. She will save you."

"I can't. I'm too tired," the girl replies again. She will just die with her child and it will be fine.

The light flashes, scaring the girl slightly.

"It will not be fine. That child has to live. Without her," the light sighs, "she has a purpose in your world. A purpose that needs to be fulfilled,"

The girl swallows, feeling the weight of the light's words settling on her shoulders.

Finding the strength, somewhere she didn't think possible, the girl wakes up, and with everything she has pushes one last time.

The second child, another girl they descover, is born silently. No sound comes from her until the midwife slaps her lightly on her backside. The little pea sized baby fusses, whimpering in the midwife's arms.

"Can I hold her," the girl cries, her husband sitting beside her with a relieved look on his face. Her mother stands on the side tears streaming down her face. The midwife gently places the baby on her mother's chest, tucking a light blanket around her as if afraid to hurt the baby. She too has tears in her eyes. The air around the room is solemn, choking the girl - Tythira.

The weight on what she will be forced to do settles like a giant boulder in her stomach.

"The eclipse is tonight." the midwife says, breaking the silence. Tythira peers down at her baby, with eyes closed and lips puckered. She looks so peaceful laying on her mother's heart. Where she belongs.

Tythira shakes her head. Her tears roll like a waterfall down her face, nose burning and a bittersweet smile grazing her lips. She brushes one finger down her baby's soft pale skin. The baby coos and her little nose twitches from the contact and Tythira's heart squeezes.

She can't. She wants to say but the words get caught in her throat.

"My wife and I needs a moment, please!" the king states. She hasn't even asked where her other daughter is. Baahil closes the distance between himself and the tear streaked beautiful woman he calls wife. His heart breaks at her own heartache. He watches as his wife craddles the baby tighter to her.

"My love," he hedges. "You have to let go. You have to prepare for the ritual,"

She shakes her head. She knows she has to do it, but the words of the light reverberate in her head. Knowing that her husband will not understand or believe her, she nods her head, a plan already formulating in her head.

"Call Isolde. She will help me," Tythira whispers. She refuses to meet her husband's eye for fear that he will see right through her.

There are only a few hours left before the eclipse ends.

With the help of her mother and one of her maids, Tythira prepares for the Ceremonius Sacrifiso. With an hour to spare, the queen dressed in a flowing white gown and her queen crown adorning her head, she hikes up the Rizionia mountain with her baby curled up snuggly in a pure white blanket.

"You will not tell anyone about this." she tells her companion. With one shaky hand, Tythira places a delicate necklace on her baby's tiny neck, takes one last look at her and ligths a fire.

...

I hope you enjoyed getting a little sneaky peak into the mystical world of Miljor. And there's a lot more where this came from ;)

Lots of love

L <3