Back in her arms

As soon as he entered the infirmary with the baby in his arms Gia tried to rise from the bed.

"No, sit back down, you need your strength to hold the baby and your leg is still healing." He rushed to the woman's side and gently pushed her back down onto the pillows. "Please, lay back down or you'll hurt yourself." She went willingly enough but she reached towards the bundle in his arms with fierce determination, like she thought he would take the baby away from her again.

"Here, take her." Nikolas said, handing the baby over to her gently.

"Sweet baby." She whispered softly, making Nikolas smile at the two of them.

"By the way, Miss, I never did introduce myself before, did I?" He said sheepishly.

"Oh, I know your name, it's Nikolas." She said quickly, not taking her eyes off the bundle, Nikolas was shocked.

"Are you a seer now too?" He asked her as she began to unwrap the baby from the bundle.

"No, I have no magic, but I have ears. You and the men from before were talking and you were referred to by name more than once." That is true, he just didn't know that she had been conscious for that conversation, since he had seen the moment she opened her eyes to take in her surroundings.

"Yes, that is true, but I thought you were still sleeping, were you spying on us?" He laughed. Gia continued to undress the baby as he spoke.

"No, I was not spying, if it was meant to be a private conversation then have it where someone who is sleeping cannot just wake up and hear things." She sounded angered but she was obviously trying to hide the slight smile on her lips, of course, that could have been for the baby and not him, but a man could hope couldn't he.

"It was not private, not at all, and as we were discussing you I saw fit to have the conversation where you were, besides I was the one who rescued you and I intend to see you through this to the end." That earned him a questioning look from her.

"Hmm." Was all she said, and that made Nikolas laugh again.

"Might I ask your name Miss. I sort of don't know what to call you or the baby and calling you Miss and little one just doesn't feel good enough.

"My name is Gia, and this is Braelyn." She said with absolutely no hesitation, perhaps she was beginning to trust him, he hoped she would.

"I am so delighted to meet you Gia, you and this most enchanting little baby. The grannies I had caring for her said she is the most beautiful baby ever, even over their own children and grandchildren. And they were so happy to care for her even for such a short time." Gia smiled at this but then her face fell.

"Were they the ones who cleaned her up? Braelyn has been washed up and her clothes were changed, did they do that? Did they see her, her-?" Gia seemed unable to finish her last question.

"No, Gia, I was the one who cleaned her up, I brought you and the baby here myself after I righted your wagon. I made it to the scene in time to stop the bandits from looting it, the horses took a moment to calm down but they settled after I used a charm on them, I carried you and the baby to the wagon together and brought you straight back here. I am not the greatest at healing magic, so I left that to those who are, and I checked the baby instead. I cleaned her and changed her, called for Gretta and Linette to come care for her, and told them how to mix her milk." Despite all that he had done to help her and the baby Nikolas looked nervous as he gave his explanation, like he had done something he should not have but he didn't know what that might have been.

"How did you know how to mix her milk? And if you cleaned her up then you must have seen her-." Again, Gia seemed unable to finish her question, like a lump had formed in her throat.

"I knew how to mix her milk from experience, my aunt needed artificial mother's milk as well. And yes, I have seen her birthmarks, and I know what the legends tell us that it means." Nikolas kept his answer brief, unsure of how Gia felt about all of this just then. As he watched her, he noticed that her pale complexion went from milky to ghost white, she was afraid because he had seen the birthmarks and understood exactly what they meant.

"Then you know, don't you? You know who she is." Gia's voice was little more than a squeak.

"Yes, I know who she is, and I know you are not her birth mother, but you are her true mother, you are meant to be the one to raise her now." These words did not calm Gia like he thought they would, instead she started crying softly.

"No, I cannot be her mother, the queen is her mother. I am just a maid, I cannot be the mother to a princess, a princess as special as she is." Gia's voice cracked as she spoke.

"I think you are more than just a maid, Gia. Do you think that just a maid could travel nearly five hundred miles from the capitol to this village hidden in the trees with a newborn baby in tow? Do you think that just a maid would know that getting this child to our village would be the best thing for her? Do you think just a maid would be strong enough and smart enough to do that? I don't think that just a maid could do all that." His words were soft and steady, and he was hoping they'd be enough to calm her.

"But I didn't make it, not really. I was shot, after I had rolled the wagon and nearly killed us both. I failed in getting us here safely, I am a failure." Gia sounded scared and unsure.

"You are not a failure." Nikolas said firmly, causing Gia to look him in the eyes. "You rode here with just the two of you and were attacked only once in all that time, you protected the baby, did everything you could, and you were inside the barrier before you lost consciousness, you made it here all on your own, you are strong and brave. Most people would not have risked their lives for this baby, most would not have done everything in their power to do what was right. You are not a failure Gia, you're Braelyn's hero."

"Well, then I guess you're my hero Nikolas." Gia said, tears slowly streaming down her face, but she looked happy now, not sad anymore at all. And he had to admit that hearing her say his name made him feel happy as well.