James shook his head and leaned against the warped handle of his broom as the giddy mob approached. Young elves sprinted past The Crow’s Nest, squealing as rain pelted them, oblivious to the mud flying in their wake. Thick splatters struck James’ apron, face, and to his disdain, his freshly swept verandah. His hands gripped the broom and chuckled as he began his work anew. The sky darkened as James swept out of sheer stubbornness.

Holly shook out her dark curls as she stepped outside the inn. "What a mess," she said. She began lighting the row of lanterns hanging from the roof of the eaves. She glanced back at the empty tables, still littered with remnants of the dinner rush. "I'm going inside to clean up and then we can close down for the night."

Thunder cracked and a sudden gust blew a discarded pamphlet onto James’ boot. Its bold headline proclaimed the latest gossip: Princess Petra's Vacation in Thalassa Extended. He scanned the sodden pages before crumbling them in his hand. Defeated, he strode inside and threw the broom toward a corner of the room. The crumpled newsletter suffered a similar fate, landing in the open flames of a wide stone hearth. Holly scrubbed debris from the dinner plates. Empty tankards of ale sat amid sticky rings on the table. She sighed in disgust as she cleaned the last remnants of food and drink. Holly tucked her tight curls behind her ears and glanced around the main room of the inn.

"I'm ready for bed. That dinner rush was exhausting," James said.

Holly piled all the dishes in the sink and cut a chunk of bar soap into her palm. She sunk the dishes in hot warm water and watched the soap dissolve into soft pink bubbles. Rain blew in steady droves against the window. "I'm leaving these until morning." Holly popped one of the bubbles floating in the air.

A loud knock rapped on the door and James kneaded his fingers between his eyes. He groaned. "We're closed," he yelled. A stronger knock shook the door, followed by a heavy thud as if someone had slid down the door. A short primal cry rose above the pounding rain. Then silence.

Holly and James exchanged looks of alarm. James opened the door to a hooded figure crumpled on their doorstep. The cloaked figure let out a guttural moan.

"Please," the figure begged. James crouched, lifted the sodden hood, and looked into a young woman's face framed by unkempt locks and the graceful sweep of elven ears. A thin hand grasped his arm and hazel eyes darted towards his, baleful and frightened.

Holly sank to the floor. "Oh gods, James," Holly said.

"What?" James looked to where she was staring and his eyes widened. From beneath the folds of her dark cloak rose the swell of a heavily pregnant belly.

The stranger tightened the death grip on his arm. "Help me. Please."

Holly stared at her and shook her head. "We need a Healer – now. What's your name?"

“No, no Healers -- please. I can't," the woman grimaced.

"But we aren't Healers; you need one. I know the best in town," Holly said.

"You have to promise me! No Healers! No one can know," the woman hissed, her eyes narrowing. James felt his arm protest in pain as the woman cried out. The woman moaned and curled into a ball at their feet. She threw back her hood in annoyance.

Holly's mouth fell open. "Princess Petra?"

"Seven hells," James said.

"But you," Holly faltered. "You are on holiday!"

"If you won't help me, I'll crawl back to the woods," Petra snapped.

James ran a hand down his face and looked at Holly. "Let's get her to the sitting room. Can you walk, Your Highness?"

The princess nodded. "Yes, yes. Just help me."

James and Holly got on either side of her and helped her walk through the dining room. They had almost made it to the small sitting room, when Petra’s weight shifted. James stumbled and gripped her waist to stabilize her, with Petra screaming into his shoulder. James supported more of her weight as they helped her onto a large sofa. Petra sunk into the cushions with a sigh. James closed the large double doors to the sitting room. Holly wrung her hands and threw kindling into the fire. Her hands shook as she tried to light a match. Sparks rose like fireflies as the flames grew.

James paced back and forth, repeatedly glancing at the princess. "Gods, gods, gods. Oh, my gods." James paused in his movements and closed his eyes in concentration. With a shimmer, he shape-shifted into a black crow, cawing frantically and flapping a set of glossy wings.

"James, get a hold of yourself," Holly snapped. Petra watched him shift back to human form, feathers falling to the floor. "Get the princess some blankets and get me some boiled rags and hot water. Lots of water."

He scurried out of the room. Holly turned back to the princess. "Here, Your Highness." Holly helped her sit up on the couch and removed her dripping cloak and thin shoes.

"Call me Petra. I don't deserve to be called Princess anymore," she said. Tears gleamed in her eyes, and she clutched her belly. "I am to surrender this baby as soon as it's out of me."

"I understand. I'm Holly, by the way."

"I'm pleased to meet you," Petra said. "I'm sorry for disturbing your…" Petra groaned. Holly held on to her hand and gave her a sympathetic look.

Holly offered a smile and breathed a sigh of relief when James arrived carrying a pile of steaming rags and a large kettle of hot water. Holly wrung a thick rag and placed it over the princess’s abdomen. "Here, this helped my sister in labor. Hot water and lots of it." Petra watched as James started to pace again. Holly rolled her eyes. "James, come here and put some pillows behind her hips and back so she is comfortable. I need towels to place beneath her – hurry."

"Right," he muttered. Petra leaned forward as he stacked pillows of all shapes behind her lower back. He darted away and returned with a stack of towels.

"Helping me may get you in a lot of trouble. I should not have come," Petra said. She stood from the couch. "I can't stay." She swayed and Holly helped her back to the couch as Petra cried out in pain. "Gods, it hurts."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

James sat on the floor. "I don't think you'd make it very far, Princess," James said. Petra glared at him as Holly started rubbing her back. James gazed toward the fire. "You'll be safe here. I promise." Petra leaned against the cushions. James looked at Holly.

"Are you sure we can't get a Healer for you? My mother would be happy to help," Holly said.

"No Healer who wants to keep her job will deliver a bastard," Petra hissed. "Oh gods..." Petra pressed a cushion against her mouth and screamed.

Holly stood and started scrubbing her hands. James felt Petra's fingers dig into his shoulder. Petra grimaced at him. "I'm sorry."

James gave her a soft smile and helped settle her shoulders against a large, plum cushion. "Yell as much as you want to," he said. "We only have one guest for the night, and he is likely sleeping off his drink."

Holly nodded. "Good. Just relax and breathe. I've delivered all sorts of animals on the farm." Petra sobbed as another wave of pain hit. "James, why don't you help the Princess get comfortable. May I take a look?"

Petra nodded and Holly lifted the sodden skirt. Petra hissed as another pain hit her. She twisted on the couch and James took one of her hands.

"I can't do this here. I should go," Petra said.

Holly smiled at her and cleared away strands of hair from Petra's face. "Petra, listen. You don't have to leave. No one is going to know you are here. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't even make it to the front door right now. Take some deep breaths for me.”

The pain sent her fingers into James’ forearm. He looked at Holly as Petra arched up from the pillows with a deep growl. James rubbed her back and helped Petra onto her knees. She rocked gently on all fours, groaning. Holly nodded and rubbed the small of Petra’s back. “It’s time, Princess. Push!”

"There you go,” James said. Petra struggled, swaying on the couch. "Come on, Princess. You can do this. Keep pushing.” James held one of her hands in his, smoothing his rough fingers over her soft palms.

Petra roared with another push. She stopped and fell back against James’ welcoming chest. "I can't. Please! Help me."

"You can, Petra. You must. You’re almost there," James said. Holly placed a fresh, hot towel across her abdomen. Petra sucked in a deep breath and pushed. Her hand turned white as she clutched James.

Holly sighed in relief as she saw the beginnings of a small crown of dark hair. "I can see the baby, Petra, your child is almost here."

"It isn't my child," she yelled. "I don't want to see it. I don't want it. Just take it."

James gave Petra a worried look. "Princess, no. Why would you say that?"

"I am not allowed to keep it," Petra said. "I made a mistake. And a promise.”

Holly gave her a sorrowful look and massaged one of her arms. "If that is what you want, then of course. We can help you find a family. You didn’t fail your child, and you are making sure your child is safe." Holly watched as Petra's eyes widened with pain and Holly smiled encouragement toward the Princess. "I know it hurts, but you have to give me another push."

"No, I can't." James felt her fingers entwine with his. Tears and perspiration mingled, setting Petra’s face aglow. "I can't do this," she sobbed weakly.

"You can and you will," Holly said. "Look at you. You're already doing it." Holly glanced at him, and he smiled his support towards Petra as she moaned.

He squeezed her hand. "I mean, you made it this far," James said. “You’ve already delivered half a baby!” A short laugh came from Petra. “Just hold my hand, push hard, and let’s give this child some air. Push, Princess.” He watched as the decidedly un-regal looking girl pushed again, and with each effort came her soft cries.

Holly’s tone rose, “You are almost there Petra! One more big push.”

James glanced down to see a small, rather messy infant slip into Holly’s guiding hands. She flipped the child over, gave it a solid pat with her palm, and small gasping cries pierced the air. Holly rubbed the chest of the infant with one of the warm towels as the cries rose in volume.

Holly smiled down at the baby. "Oh, Your Highness. He's beautiful. You have a son."

The princess cried to herself and shook her head. James looked at her in pity while the newborn elf cried in earnest, sensing his mother's distress. Holly held the baby close to her chest and cut the cord.

"Your Highness," James started. The princess shut her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Are you sure you don't want to hold him?"

"I'm sure. Take him away," Petra said.

Holly washed the child with warm rags and swaddled him. "James, can you take the baby into your room? Stay there with him while I help the princess get settled down here," Holly said.

James nodded and felt a jolt of nerves as Holly placed the small bundle in his arms. He left the room, cradling the tiny body against the warmth of his chest. James could hear the princess sobbing as he shut the door to the room. He released a shaky breath. The baby wailed rhythmically in his arms. He felt his knees shaking and slid down to the floor.

"Oh, my gods," he whispered. He shushed the baby and reached for a spare blanket. "You are quite the little surprise."

He took a long look down at the baby and swaddled him in a new blanket. Exhausted and still trembling, he groaned. The princess had given birth in his inn. The princess. Princess Petra. James touched the dark hair on the baby and traced a finger down to the tiny points of his ears.

"We'll take care of you," he said. Somehow. James felt his insides crumple as he remembered Petra's stricken face. He pulled down a pitcher of water and a cloth from a vanity and washed traces of vernix off the baby.

Holly slid through the door and smiled at James sitting on the floor. "How is he?"

"He's fine. I think he wants her though."

Holly stripped off her apron and started to wash her blood-soaked hands. "The princess has completely delivered now and she's resting in the sitting room. We can try to move her to her own room tomorrow." She watched as James cleaned tiny ears and impossibly small hands. James sighed as he swaddled him back in the blanket.

"When Her Highness is healed, is she just going to leave her child here?" James heard the anxiety in his voice and he swallowed. He tried to soothe the wailing child in his arms.

"James, we don't know the story. She is young. Obviously, she didn't get any support from the Crown. It sounds like they exiled her, told her to rid herself of him, and expected her to return like nothing happened.”

“So, she leaves him with strangers? Or better yet, just goes back to being a princess like he doesn’t exist?” James said indignantly. He looked down at the baby. "You're safe, little one." James tucked in a loose corner of the blanket as the baby quieted .

"Give her time. You didn't see her after you left with him. She just kept looking at the ceiling and crying. Petra may come round and may want to see him," Holly said.

"It feels wrong that I'm the first to hold him," he said. James smiled down at him and they watched as the baby gazed up at them. "He's beautiful."

"He doesn't even have a name, the poor thing," Holly said. “James, what are we going to do?"

"We have to talk to the princess and get the whole story," he said.

"He will be hungry," she said. "She doesn't even want to see him so I doubt the princess wants to try and feed him. It isn't like we can find a wet nurse without raising questions."

"We have goat's milk. It should work in a pinch." The infant started to fall asleep in his arms. “Gods.”

“James, we have to talk to her tomorrow. And, if we are to keep her secret, we need to come up with a tight story.”

James shrugged. “We can say we found him left on the doorstep. Almost half true.” He smiled at Holly and nudged her. “You want to hold him? I’ll get a basket from one of the other rooms and we can make the baby bird a nest.”

He slid the infant gently into her arms and left the room. James went into the kitchen and grabbed a large, square basket. His large hands wrapped around the willow handle. As he went through the kitchen and weaved around the bar area, he heard soft cries coming from the sitting room. James went to the double doors and ran his hand down the thin crack in the middle before turning back to the room where the smallest guest lay.

When he got back to the room, Holly was in a bent-wood chair, rocking the baby. James set the basket on his bed, and folded a soft blanket inside. Holly came over to the basket and securely nestled the sleeping child atop the soft blanket s.

James looked at Holly and then sat hurriedly on his bed as his knees began to shake. Holly bit her lip. “James, let’s get some rest while we can. Do you want me to take him to my room?”

James laughed as he curled up on the mattress. “No, you’ll wake him up.” He traced the handle of the basket before pulling the blankets over himself. “If he wakes, I’ll take care of him.”

Holly stopped at the door of his room and turned around. “We will take care of him together.” James smiled to himself as he huddled closer to the basket. He propped himself up on a pillow and watched the rise and fall of the tiny chest until he drifted off to sleep.