Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep - Being revamped!
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Star Wars (All) › General
Rating:
Adult ++
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21
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Currently Reading:
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Category:
Star Wars (All) › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
21
Views:
9,624
Reviews:
97
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Star Wars movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
A New Day
*****************
Chapter 21: A New Day
Her contractions started with the new day. She did not wish to waken the Emperor, who looked so young as he slept in their bed, so she sat quietly in her favorite chair, looking at the bustling capital come to life with the dawn. Her hands lightly caressed her taut belly, telling the child within that all would be well and soon he or she would be here to greet the galaxy for the first time.
She turned to see him walking toward her on bare feet. Instantly, he sensed what was happening and knelt by her side, brushing back her hair from a forehead now damp with sweat.
“Why didn’t you wake me up, Ree?” he asked in a tender voice.
Shrugging, she looked back out at the sunlight now shining on the endless streams of traffic. “It will be hours yet,” she said. Her eyes came back to him. “And once you alert the medics, we will not have a moment of privacy.” She gave him a wry smile.
He nodded at that truth, fully aware of how much of their lives were on public display. The birth of the Imperial Heir would certainly be no exception and the frantic activity that would surround this birth had already taken a toll on them. There had been endless preparations made for the birth and it had come to take on the trappings of a state affair.
The Emperor allowed it only because Ree had expressed her understanding of the need for it. “The next time,” she had whispered with a coy smile. “There won’t be such a fuss.”
He had kissed her then, his hands running up and down the gravid curves of her body in appreciation.
Now he remained her only company, heeding her plea to delay notifying the medics of the impending birth. She asked so little of him that he was happy to give her this quiet moment, just the three of them. Together, they rode out the contractions; his hand holding hers as she tightly gripped it with the crest of each wave.
He whispered reassurances and comfort in her ear, praised her strength, told her how much this meant to him. Unable to reply, she pulled him closer to her and let his body support hers as she worked to bring forth their child.
At last, he whispered, “I must call the medics, Ree.” He gently escorted her to the bed and lowered her to it. It had become clear the labor had progressed significantly.
She nodded, too caught up in the pain to speak.
He flicked at the comm with the Force.
“Your Majesty?” an anonymous voice replied immediately.
“Notify the medical team that the Lady Ree is in labor,” he said calmly. Then he smiled as he heard chaos erupt at the other end of the comm. It seemed only a moment before the group of medics burst through the doors of their suite.
“How is Milady feeling?” one young woman said as she began her examination.
“Milady is feeling like poodoo,” she replied through gritted teeth. The Emperor gave a bark of laughter and continued to hold her hand.
“Does milord wish to stay?” Another medic asked curiously, shooting nervous glances at the tall figure by the bed.
Giving a short nod, the Emperor pulled a chair up and kept his eyes on Ree.
The hours passed and the medics hovered over the Emperor’s concubine, watching him with ill-concealed fear. He did not bother to dispel their fears, concluding that a healthy bit of fear for their leader would keep them in line. His severity with the medical staff was contradicted by his tenderness with the woman having his baby. He continued to reassure Ree as her labor progressed.
At last, the head medic announced that it was time for the expectant mother to push and it was the Emperor himself who moved behind her to lend his support, letting her lean against him as his child was born.
Ree heard the medic from a distance, the roaring in her ears slowly subsiding. Her labor had been long, but the Emperor had been with her, using his powers to ease her pain as much as he could, his steady voice there to guide her through the contractions.
He had been tender lover and concerned father at the same time, leading her safely through her ordeal.
Wearily, she opened her eyes and saw the Emperor place a wailing bundle in her arms. “Our son,” he said reverently. “You have given birth to an Emperor,” he whispered softly in her ear.
“He won’t sit on your throne for a long time, the gods willing,” she murmured, unwrapping the blanket that held their child.
Dark brown hair, made even darker because it was still birth-damp, covered his head in soft waves. Blue eyes that were a replica of his father’s stared up at her. When she looked at him, she did not see a future Emperor, but their child – a baby created out of the love she bore for the strange, enigmatic, and sometimes cruel man at her side.
The baby began to fuss and she put him to her breast, where he suckled eagerly. The Emperor laughed and leaned down to kiss her. “My son is as greedy as I am.”
“He’s perfect,” Ree said quietly. She looked up at Vader, Anakin only to her, with shining eyes. He saw something newly revealed in her eyes, but he had no time to wonder at it because her soft voice stunned him. “And I love him as much as I love his father.”
Both father and son looked at her. Her son’s mouth open and sated, her lover’s jaw slack with amazement.
The Emperor swallowed hard and then kissed her. “My gentle Ree,” he murmured. “Is there no end to your goodness?” He shook his head and brushed back her sweaty curls. “Our son will have need of your goodness – and my strength.”
She heard the rustle of a dozen feet shuffling in, for Anakin had told her that he must introduce their son to key courtiers right after the birth. They had compiled the list of privileged names together.
He took the babe from her and suddenly lifted him high so that the courtiers, who had been gathered in the royal bedchamber, to witness the introduction of the heir could see him.
“Behold – I present to you your next Emperor, Prince Mikkal.”
“Long live the prince!” The assembled voices cried in unison. “Long Live the Emperor!”
Anakin turned and smiled at Ree and his whispered words were for her alone.
“And long live the woman he loves.”
Ree closed her eyes in gratitude and disbelieving joy. “I love you, Anakin,” she said quietly as she cradled their son.
“I love you, Ree,” Anakin answered softly.
*****************
One more post!
Chapter 21: A New Day
Her contractions started with the new day. She did not wish to waken the Emperor, who looked so young as he slept in their bed, so she sat quietly in her favorite chair, looking at the bustling capital come to life with the dawn. Her hands lightly caressed her taut belly, telling the child within that all would be well and soon he or she would be here to greet the galaxy for the first time.
She turned to see him walking toward her on bare feet. Instantly, he sensed what was happening and knelt by her side, brushing back her hair from a forehead now damp with sweat.
“Why didn’t you wake me up, Ree?” he asked in a tender voice.
Shrugging, she looked back out at the sunlight now shining on the endless streams of traffic. “It will be hours yet,” she said. Her eyes came back to him. “And once you alert the medics, we will not have a moment of privacy.” She gave him a wry smile.
He nodded at that truth, fully aware of how much of their lives were on public display. The birth of the Imperial Heir would certainly be no exception and the frantic activity that would surround this birth had already taken a toll on them. There had been endless preparations made for the birth and it had come to take on the trappings of a state affair.
The Emperor allowed it only because Ree had expressed her understanding of the need for it. “The next time,” she had whispered with a coy smile. “There won’t be such a fuss.”
He had kissed her then, his hands running up and down the gravid curves of her body in appreciation.
Now he remained her only company, heeding her plea to delay notifying the medics of the impending birth. She asked so little of him that he was happy to give her this quiet moment, just the three of them. Together, they rode out the contractions; his hand holding hers as she tightly gripped it with the crest of each wave.
He whispered reassurances and comfort in her ear, praised her strength, told her how much this meant to him. Unable to reply, she pulled him closer to her and let his body support hers as she worked to bring forth their child.
At last, he whispered, “I must call the medics, Ree.” He gently escorted her to the bed and lowered her to it. It had become clear the labor had progressed significantly.
She nodded, too caught up in the pain to speak.
He flicked at the comm with the Force.
“Your Majesty?” an anonymous voice replied immediately.
“Notify the medical team that the Lady Ree is in labor,” he said calmly. Then he smiled as he heard chaos erupt at the other end of the comm. It seemed only a moment before the group of medics burst through the doors of their suite.
“How is Milady feeling?” one young woman said as she began her examination.
“Milady is feeling like poodoo,” she replied through gritted teeth. The Emperor gave a bark of laughter and continued to hold her hand.
“Does milord wish to stay?” Another medic asked curiously, shooting nervous glances at the tall figure by the bed.
Giving a short nod, the Emperor pulled a chair up and kept his eyes on Ree.
The hours passed and the medics hovered over the Emperor’s concubine, watching him with ill-concealed fear. He did not bother to dispel their fears, concluding that a healthy bit of fear for their leader would keep them in line. His severity with the medical staff was contradicted by his tenderness with the woman having his baby. He continued to reassure Ree as her labor progressed.
At last, the head medic announced that it was time for the expectant mother to push and it was the Emperor himself who moved behind her to lend his support, letting her lean against him as his child was born.
Ree heard the medic from a distance, the roaring in her ears slowly subsiding. Her labor had been long, but the Emperor had been with her, using his powers to ease her pain as much as he could, his steady voice there to guide her through the contractions.
He had been tender lover and concerned father at the same time, leading her safely through her ordeal.
Wearily, she opened her eyes and saw the Emperor place a wailing bundle in her arms. “Our son,” he said reverently. “You have given birth to an Emperor,” he whispered softly in her ear.
“He won’t sit on your throne for a long time, the gods willing,” she murmured, unwrapping the blanket that held their child.
Dark brown hair, made even darker because it was still birth-damp, covered his head in soft waves. Blue eyes that were a replica of his father’s stared up at her. When she looked at him, she did not see a future Emperor, but their child – a baby created out of the love she bore for the strange, enigmatic, and sometimes cruel man at her side.
The baby began to fuss and she put him to her breast, where he suckled eagerly. The Emperor laughed and leaned down to kiss her. “My son is as greedy as I am.”
“He’s perfect,” Ree said quietly. She looked up at Vader, Anakin only to her, with shining eyes. He saw something newly revealed in her eyes, but he had no time to wonder at it because her soft voice stunned him. “And I love him as much as I love his father.”
Both father and son looked at her. Her son’s mouth open and sated, her lover’s jaw slack with amazement.
The Emperor swallowed hard and then kissed her. “My gentle Ree,” he murmured. “Is there no end to your goodness?” He shook his head and brushed back her sweaty curls. “Our son will have need of your goodness – and my strength.”
She heard the rustle of a dozen feet shuffling in, for Anakin had told her that he must introduce their son to key courtiers right after the birth. They had compiled the list of privileged names together.
He took the babe from her and suddenly lifted him high so that the courtiers, who had been gathered in the royal bedchamber, to witness the introduction of the heir could see him.
“Behold – I present to you your next Emperor, Prince Mikkal.”
“Long live the prince!” The assembled voices cried in unison. “Long Live the Emperor!”
Anakin turned and smiled at Ree and his whispered words were for her alone.
“And long live the woman he loves.”
Ree closed her eyes in gratitude and disbelieving joy. “I love you, Anakin,” she said quietly as she cradled their son.
“I love you, Ree,” Anakin answered softly.
*****************
One more post!