Chapter Text
Another blood curling scream tore through the air as Periboea tried to push out Penelope's new sibling.
Penelope buried her face in her Father's neck, the same as what her little sister, Iphthime was doing with Alyzeus
"Are you sure she's going to be okay, " Penelope asked into her father's throat.
"Yes she will be my dear child," Icarius replied warmly. "Your mother's a strong nymph," he added with pride.
"She's birthed 7 kids already, what's one more?" Alyzeus said as he rocked a scared Iphthime back and forth. He was the eldest son and has been around for the birth of all of us, but he still flinched when Periboea screamed once again. Everyone did.
"That's it Periboea just one more push," is what I heard my Aunt Leda said a the floor below.
"I AM PUSHING."
"Still as feisty as ever," Icarius said dreamily.
I gave him a weird look, which made him laugh.
"Do you want to have as many children as your mother?" my father asked me. My brother Leucadius saw the look of disgust saw the look of disgust on my face and laughed audibly. "No? Not even a husband?" my father questioned.
I shook my head hard. "I'd rather be alone," I said casually. "With you and Mother," I added.
"Your mother will live forever but me, my brother, and his wife won't, your cousins will get married then who'll rule my part of the kingdom?" He asked teasingly, and poked my cheek.
"Fine, I'll get a husband before you die, but if I don't like him he'll be gone soon," I said stubbornly. "So choose wisely," I warned while narrowing my eyes at him. Mother and Father were lucky to have a loving marriage, most Queens and Princesses don't get that at all.
"Sometimes I can't tell whether you have me or your mother's humo-
Another scream tore through the entire palace, followed quickly by a baby's cry. Iphthime somehow snuggled closer to Alyzeus, when she was already attached to him like a cow to her suckling calf. Besides me she was the only one of us who looked like Mother. Our brothers looked like Father, which wasn't exactly a bad thing, they had some of Mother's features like eyes the color of a river, and we all had some scales on our skin. Alyzeus always picked at his, until his wife splashed some water on him.
I really hoped the new baby would look like her.
"Can we see it now?" I asked my father as he got up to visit Mother and the new baby.
"Yes, you can come now, just wait until I come in first okay?" My father said while holding my hands in his larger ones.
Alyzeus got up with Iphthime still attached to him, Leucadius and Imeusimus soon followed. I walked excitedly after father, I couldn't wait to see the new baby!
"Do you think it'll be a girl?" I asked Leucadius excitedly.
"I'll be happy with whatever comes out," he said rather tiredly. Mother has been in labor since before Dawn so we didn't get much sleep.
Father opened the door to the private chamber where Mother birthed all of us, including the new baby. He pointed at the floor, telling us to stay there.
After an agonizing wait of a few seconds he opened the door and beckoned us inside. It took all my energy to not run inside.
I took a deep breath and walked in, the room stank of blood and pregnancy but I didn't care, I just wanted to see the baby.
I saw a small swaddled bundle in Mother's arms. She looked tired but happy, like how she looked when she gave birth to Iphthime. Father had the same look at his face.
"Look at your brother, Penelope" My father said proudly, as mother turned the baby over so I could see it's face. It looked just like Mother! I gasped audibly.
"Iphthime look, look!" I tapped my sister's thigh quickly.
"What?" she mumbled petulantly, as she slightly turned her head from Alyzeus' neck. She gasped the same way I did!
"It looks like Mama!" She pointed. She squirmed like a wet eel until Alyzeus set her down. She ran over to the bed where Mother was laying, to get a closer look at the baby's serene face.
"I thought you would be upset if it wasn't a girl?" Alyzeus teased as he tickled under the baby's chin, making it giggle.
"That doesn't matter anymore, there's finally someone who looks like us" I said as I waved him off. I reached out to touch the baby's face which was resting against my mother's breast. He wasn't crying, which was odd.
"He seems quiet," I said after a while of us staring at the baby, waiting for it to make a sound. "Can I hold him?"
"Yes you can, just be careful with him, he's still fresh," My mother said. She gently handed him over to my waiting arms. I've held Iphthime and my baby cousins before, so I knew what to do. I supported his head and everything.
"He's so cute!" Iphthime gushed with her hands leaning over my arm to look at the baby’s pudgy face.
"What are you thinking of naming him?" Imeusimus whisper asked to my Dad.
"How about Perilaos, he who is around the people." My father said, cleverly.
"It suits him well doesn't it Penelope?" Imeusimus asked me.
"Yeah, it does" I said.