Light and Rust - Lady Ban

Bán closed her eyes as the life inside of her shifted, her green eyes locking onto the round belly as she licked it slightly to comfort herself. She had done so many times already and yet she was never prepared when it was time. Then again, this wasn't like her previous fawns had felt, this time it felt like...more. Like the fawn was really big or had more legs than normal. She was extremely worried that there would be a lot of legs more than anything, though Minnie had assured her that that was most likely not the case. Still; one could never know.

It was early morning when the nursemaids were called, Bán was already tired from a sleepless night. She had refused to let anyone else take care of her golden daughter Órlaith while heavy with fawn, she had felt like she needed to be close to her sweet, flowery filly. But now Óri and her siblings had been ushered away safely to Minnie, and as the pain came Bán closed her eyes to think about her happy fawns so that she could comfort herself from the ache as she pushed. An eternity seemed to pass, Bán was exhausted.

Then, a nursemaid broke the silence accompanied by a gurgling bleat. "It's a filly, m'lady!  A beautiful pale daughter!" Bán immediately wanted to look at her baby, but was pushed back by one of the servant does as she tried to get up. "M'lady please lay still, there's another little one that wants to come out. "I'm so tired, why is there another one?" the golden doe whined, panting slightly as she began to push. It didn't take long for the nursemaids to usher her newborn daughter into her sights, and the mere presence of the bleating fawn made her stronger. Some more time passed, and it felt like a hundred years to Bán as she pushed and whimpered. She had no idea she could have two fawns in one go!

Another bleat, this one stronger made the golden lady sigh in relief as she rested her head against the soft grass and leaves of her bed. "It's a prince m'lady! A healthy prince!" the nursemaids seemed very excited, but Bán was just happy that the whole thing was over. "Send a messenger to let the King know about m'lady and her fawns!" she could hear them order. Bán faintly heard one of them speak to her, but now she only had eyes for the two little bundles of love and joy against her side. She licked them clean, letting her magic brush over them as theirs responded. It made her heart flutter when she realized that they were like her Órlaith. She had never felt that before her golden filly, the tiny magic that reached out and wrapped around hers. The prince's magic felt a little stronger, more stubborn, but the little lady felt more warm to the touch. "Ianthe" Bán licked her little pale fawns forehead, not noticing that Ianthe's ears weren't even turned in her direction. The golden doe instead looked into her sons eyes, smiling. "Hades" she named him, and he bleated in response, leaning against his sister before he yawned and used her as a pillow.

Bán giggled, laying her head down to rest as her fawns began to suckle and settle down.