Velveteen Angel
The pain was intense. It was like fire burning her entire body, and even her strongest willpower could not stop the sounds that came from her mouth, nor the tears that flowed from her eyes. She knew she was being loud, probably scaring some of the nearby residents but she couldn’t help it. Let’s see THEM try and give birth! Ha! Those big strong burley characters would break down in tears too, she could guarantee it.
She had been outside fussing around, half-heartedly cleaning some furs from dinner a few days previously. Furs were useful trade amongst the pride, and you never knew when you’d need to trade someone. When the waves of pain had overtaken her body, she had had just enough time to flee back to the dens. She knew she would be safe in Bousvor’s den. As a Captain, he had respect. His den was safe. People were afraid of him. Nothing bad could happen in his den. She kept repeating those thoughts to herself.
Her stomach had swollen so much; she felt like a whale but she would take that feeling over the waves of torment that rolled across her. Her stomach was cramping, and they were coming quite close together. Oh god. Did that mean she was about to give birth? She wasn’t ready for this. She didn’t know if she’d ever be ready for this. She sobbed, her breath catching in her throat and stopping any noise from coming out, only her face was scrunched up in extreme agony.
Unbeknown to the captain of the drama unfolding in his den, Bousvor was returning to the pride. A hefty sized zebra dragged between his legs. True to form, Kisu had stopped hunting large prey for him in retaliation for the prank he’d played on her about his captaincy. In addition, lately something had seemed off about the lioness. So the male had taken to hunting every couple of days for large game for them. His brow wrinkled in thought as he tried to place his paw on it.
As he approached his den his nose wrinkled at an odd smell. Nevermind all the crazy flowers Kisu had been bringing into the den lately. Females. Bousvor dropped his kill to get a better sniff. He could tell his thrall was close by. “Kisukari? I’ve brought dinner,” he called out as he looked around for her.
Oh no. Bousvor was back. She hadn’t really known where he was, she was half hoping he had gone out on a viking and simply hadn’t told her. But he was unlikely to do that. Despite being her owner, he was rather considerate. It was annoying. Oh why hadn’t he gone out on a viking? What was she going to do? She whimpered as a wave of pain rocked her body.
“Don’t come in, Bousvor!” She called out, her voice heavily strained but trying to appear normal. “I’m having some…lady issues. I need some privacy!” Well, lady issues was the best way to call pregnancy she supposed. She thought it would make him uncomfortable and he’d leave, but unfortunately, a particularly large spasm happened and she couldn’t help but cry out in agony. She sobbed as it faded again, curling up into a ball at the back of the den. Was she dying?
His head turned toward the voice coming from his den. He blinked as he was told not to enter his own den. Of all the nerve! A thrall having the nerve to tell her master not to enter? Though he did pause after his initial intentions to barge in as she called out she was having lady issues. Bousvor stood there a moment, trying to figure out what lady issues she could be talking about. She hadn’t had anything like this before except the usual moodiness.
“Uh well….. ok.” He stood there a moment more undecided. Maybe he could give her a little bit of time, but he wanted to eat and rest in his den. Just as he was about to turn away he heard her cry. Whipping about he shouldered into the den. He wouldn’t let anyone harm his thrall! Bousvor stood massively in the doorway as he glared about for an intruder. Except there wasn’t any, just his thrall.
“Kisu! What’s going on?” He demanded.
She stared at him with watery eyes, unable to form a response. How could she tell him this? Sorry, I’ve been lying to you for months, I am not fat, I am pregnant. I’m sorry. She squeezed her eyes shut and cried out as another spasm wracked her body. This was so embarrassing. She didn’t want him here. “Please leave,” she begged. “Please. Please. Please.” She was sobbing now. She didn’t want him to witness her in this state. She was a powerful princess, but now she was a weakened wreck.
She heard a soft mewl and knew that one of the cubs had arrived. She fought all the pain that came from moving, and nudged the baby close to her chest. The cub was pale, and she laughed inwardly. Oh god. It’s colour looked like Bous. She felt hysterical.
He felt rooted to the spot as he stared at a cub. Something clicked in the back of his mind; this he realized was what had been lurking back there all along. Although he’d unknowingly teased the lioness, she really had been pregnant. And she hadn’t told him. He could have been mad at her, but he wasn’t. She certainly looked like she was paying for her deception now.
Bousvor felt his minding racing. He had no idea what to do to help Kisu as he was a male and a bachelor one at that! Even if he didn’t know what to do for her she clearly needed some kind of help. The male took a deep breath. “Hold on Kisu,” he said reassuringly. “I’ll get you help.” It really was the least he could do.
The male turned quickly around and left the den. He headed toward the main gathering area of the pride and searched frantically. A female, he needed to find a female. Specifically one who knew something about birthing. He needed a midwife. Spotting a group of lionesses he raced up breathless. “Is one of you a midwife? There’s a bit of an emergency!” He looked pleadingly as they glanced at each other. It wasn’t often they were accosted by a large, slightly frantic male.
One stepped forward. “Oh if it’s an emergency then I guess I can help.” Bousvor barely let her finished before he was hurrying her toward his dens. The lioness grumped at being rushed. He led the way inside and she followed. Brushing around the bulky male the midwife took a look at her patient. Immediately she practically shoved Bousvor back out of the den.
“Now, now there girlie. Slow deep breaths and lets see what you got.” The midwife soothed and examined the first cub.
She was so glad that he left, she barely even heard what he said to her, she was just in so much pain. Was she supposed to be in this much pain? She hadn’t been around any pregnant females, she had never had cubs herself, and her parents hadn’t had any cubs after her. She was literally clueless as to what to do. She sobbed and cuddled the young cub to her, gently trying to clean it as best she could but she had to stop to cry every few moments.
When the stranger came into the den, she tensed up. Was she going to take her cub away? “Please don’t take her,” she begged softly, trying to stop the midwife from getting to the cub. “I need her, please don’t take her from me.” She didn’t hear the words that the midwife offered, so concerned that someone would take the babies from her. She knew she couldn’t keep them forever, but couldn’t they let her have more time? She had just given birth. “Please. She’s my daughter, please.” She felt another intense pulse of pain and cried out.
He was surprised to find himself hustled back outside his den. What had just happened there? He paced back and forth fretting. Unable to do anything more than wait.
The midwife tisked at her with her tongue. “I’m not taking her away, just checking. You need to focus and take deep breaths. When you feel pressure then push.” Expertly she cleaned off the young cub and made sure she was breathing well before returning the tiny cub to her mother. She wanted to say something, but held back at the sight of the scrawny mother. Really what was that male thinking? She turned her attention to the mother and soothed her paw over the swollen belly. “Looks like we’ll be here awhile.”
Kisukari was so relieved that the female did not intend to take her cub from her that she followed her advice unquestioning. She started to slow her breathing, taking in long deep breaths and she felt better in control now. She was glad Bousvor was out of the den, and that this stranger was the one who was seeing her in distress. She didn’t care about this female, but she didn’t need Bousvor seeing her in such a disgusting state. She cuddled her cub when she was returned to her, and continued to follow the strangers advice. They were going to be here a while? Oh god, she just wanted this over.
It felt like hours had passed, but Kisukari was completely unaware of the actual time. Six cubs. Six perfect little angels. Four girls and two boys. They were perfect, each and every one of them. She cuddled them close, but she was exhausted, barely able to lift her own body weight. She laid sprawled on her side, her head laying limp on the floor as she panted, eyes closed. She felt…numb. Completely spent. Was this how she died? She wondered dramatically, and gave a soft whimper.
The midwife purred and licked her patient’s forehead. “Well done girlie. I’ll be off now. Make sure you eat or you won’t be able to feed them all.” With that, she padded out of the den and right into the pacing male outside. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it and cast a sympathetic at the distraught male. He’d find out soon enough. She nodded and left.
Bousvor barely noticed the look the midwife cast at him. He hurried into den. Stepping up he looked over his thrall and her, surprisingly, large number of cubs. How had she had that many?! He noticed now that she looked so much thinner. Bousvor headed back out and gnawed a hind leg off the zebra and brought it in. “Here,” he laid the meal nearby. He took a seat and watched her with narrowed green eyes for a moment. Whilst he was bursting with questions, she didn’t look up to much more tonight.
Kisukari smiled weakly at the midwife, whispering a quiet “thank you” as the female left. She wanted to say more, say something sassy and determined but she was physically and mentally exhausted. Six cubs. Six perfect cubs. She would lose them all. She peered at them with tired eyes, and glanced up only when Bousvor entered the den. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again without a sound. What could she say?
Her heart sunk as he turned and left the den without a word, fearing that he was angry…but instead he returned moments later with the hind leg of a zebra. Her stomach rumbled at the sight of the delicious meal, and she struggled to push herself upright off the ground. She didn’t try to get to her feet, instead only trying to roll onto her stomach. The tiny cubs wiggled about, protesting her movement as they had been cuddle up to her. She felt her head spinning and blinked, trying to clear the spots.
“Bous…vor…” she whispered, before thudding back to the ground, falling back to her original position on the ground. Her body couldn’t hold up anymore, exhausted and dizzied from her ordeal. Her eyes slipped closed. Later she would insist that she simply fell asleep, but she knew she had passed out. This was more than her body could take.
He sighed and nosed the meal into a corner out of the way, then gently covered the lioness with a fur. Bousvor went out into the fresh air to clear his head and think.