Chapter 78 - My Water Broke

Leon raised his brow skeptically, "Are you sure?" 

"Uhm, I might just take a little break from eating then.." Eli replied as she took one last sip of the fruit juice served to her. 

Leon then gently assisted Eli to rest her back in her seat. It was a seat especially made for her comfort, since she was already at the late stage of pregnancy. 

Eli calmly rested her body in the chair while still enjoying the lively atmosphere of the banquet. 

However, after about thirty minutes, another wave of pain crept in her lower abdomen and back. "Hiss!" 

She slowly straightened up her back, rubbing it to ease the discomfort. 

She became worried, her instinct was already telling her that it wasn't just a simple indigestion. 'Am I suffering from Braxton Hicks or Labor contractions?' 

Eli felt nervous, she prayed that what she was experiencing was only braxton hicks. It happens when her own body prepares itself from the actual childbirth process, by preparing the muscles around the pelvic area and the cervix.

She had just entered her eighth month of pregnancy!

If she went on labor today, then Little Han would be a premature baby!

If she was actually in the modern world, she could at least feel a little bit of assurance because the medical technology was already advanced to properly care for a premature baby. 

But here in Prasinos, medical advancement was still a far fetched dream.

She took a deep breath and tried to relax. 'Calm down, calm down…' 

She looked around to see if Azayn was still at the banquet. However, Azayn was busy hosting the banquet in place of her father. 

She was really unsure of what to do. But she thought that it would be best for her to go home, so that she would at least feel calm and relaxed in the cottage.

Leon also felt Eli's sudden movement and saw that her face that was filled with uncertainty. 

"What's the matter?" Lowering his head, he asked in a gentle tone.

Eli hesitated for a while. But after thinking it through, she decided to trust Leon and replied, "I am feeling uncomfortable, do you think I could request to go home early?"

Leon widened his eyes in shock, his crystal blue eyes filled with worry and said, "I'll go call Azayn or at least Kayden…" He then proceeded to stand up. 

But before he could fully leave, Eli grasped the hem of his clothes and gently shook her head,

"I am too embarrassed to bother them and I am also worried that it might be inappropriate for you to leave the banquet early." 

Knowing that Azayn and Kayden played a big role as the children of Chief Eirllon, while Leon have to escort the Emperor and Queen, Eli didn't want to cause a commotion, so she tried to stop Leon.

Seeing the hesitation in Eli's eyes, Leon slowly sat again and cupped the hands that were clasping the hem of his suit.

"You do not need to worry about those things. See, everyone here understood your condition. If they were really unavailable, I will just ask the Grandmasters to keep an eye on the Emperor and Queen while I escort you back to our home."

Even though Eli hesitated, she reluctantly agreed to Leon's proposal. 

Face matters but Little Han matters more! 

She couldn't expose Little Han to danger just because she was too sensitive to think about how she troubled the people who genuinely cared for her.

Seeing that he successfully coaxed Eli, Leon smiled so tenderly and gently brushed Eli's baby hair around her forehead. The sensation brought by the light touch of his fingers gave Eli a wave of electricity. 

It made her heart skip a beat. 

"Stay there and wait for me. If you feel uncomfortable again, call for help." Leon was not aware of the effect of the little skinship he did.

He immediately stood up and talked to Azayn and Kayden first, then to the Emperor and Queen, then to the grandpas. 

All of them wore a worried expression. Eli watched as they all showed a face of concern and nodded with assurance. 

While Leon was conversing with them to ask for permission, Azayn and Kayden came to check her up. 

After describing the sensation she was feeling, Azayn replied and said, "I really pray that it was actually just your body adjusting to childbirth, for it may even come as early as your second trimester…"

Pausing for a while, a hint of anxiety appeared in her green eyes and continued, "Time the waves of pain, keep track of it. Be also on the lookout if you observe that the interval between the waves is getting closer…"

She gave a paper spell to Eli and said,

"If you noticed that the pain was already happening as frequently as five minutes, tear this paper down. If you also manage to notice a gush of liquid flow from you, do not hesitate to tear this paper down. I'll come for you immediately!"

Azayn held Eli's hands tight until she saw Eli nod in acknowledgement. She also prescribed some meditation and relaxation tips for Eli to do whenever the wave of pain comes.

While they were doing this, Kayden also advised many things to Leon to assist Eli when the time comes.

Soon, Leon came back with affirmation and they were led to the portal. They immediately used it to go back home. 

"Master! Prince Master! Welcome home!" Baobao and Wisey greeted the two home. They smiled so cheerfully like little puppies welcoming their masters after a day of not seeing them home. 

"Uhn! Have you been doing well at home?" Eli replied while Leon just gave a nod. 

"Yes! Oh Olivier and the bunch were just bickering outside!" Wisey replied. 

"Your Master is not feeling well, that's why we left earlier…" Leon said calmly. 

A worried look appeared on the two furry buddies' faces. "What shall we do, Prince Master?"

"Just look after her for a while, I'll prepare some things." He replied.

"Hiss! Ahh!!" Eli cried in pain, before Leon could even bring her to sit.

"Are you alright?" Leon asked in distress. 

"It's just a sudden wave of pain, probably…" Eli said, still grimacing in pain. "Azayn said, we need to record the interval and duration of the pain.." 

Leon immediately took a pen and paper, then recorded as requested.

He frantically looked for a place for Eli to sit and relax. However, on the waves of pain Eli was experiencing, she opted to move, stand up, walk or change position, trying to ease the sensation of pain.

Leon felt so helpless, seeing Eli move around, bend over, and agonize in pain as she held her stomach. All he could do was to rub her back to try to soothe her and wipe the rolling beads of sweat in her face.

It went like this until sun down, everyone in the house were so tensed and panicked. Everyone could hear Eli's groans of pain, however, they couldn't do anything but to wait until their help was needed. 

"Why is it like this?" Eli was already panicking. "It was still too early..why?" 

Leon couldn't answer a word and just comforted her. At this moment, the contraction interval was already down to six or seven minutes and the pain was already lasting for almost a minute.

"Hooosshh! Haaaa!" Eli tried to breathe through the pain that had now intensified for who knows how many times. 

She felt like her abdomen was on fire and at the same time, on ice. Her muscles were tightening painfully, her lower back was shouting that it was in distress.

"Little Han, must you come out this early?" She couldn't help but shout aloud. 

"Baby, your body is not ready yet… please…" She didn't know if it was because of the pain, or it was because of her fear of Little Han being born prematurely, that Eli was now starting to cry miserably. 

Leon couldn't help but hold her in his embrace, gently wiping the tears in her already colorless face, "Sush…. Sushhh, " 

Eli leaned on Leon's sturdy shoulders, she wasn't concerned about how intimate they looked at this moment,. All she had in mind was her deep prayers that nothing will happen to her baby Little Han. 

"Great Father please, I know you could see us from there. Please do not let Little Han suffer." She weakly uttered her prayers, while resting her weary body into Leon's embrace. 

However, it seemed like the Great One had set this situation for her as a hurdle she needed to overcome…

Instead of feeling calm after the wave of unimaginable pain, what she felt next was a gush of warm liquid flowing from her lower body. 

"Ahhh," Eli shivered in hopelessness, another wave of heartbreaking tears rolled in her pale face. She looked towards Leon, overcomed with fear and wailed, 

"Leoon…. My water just broke…"

Leon froze for a moment, but he quickly got himself together seeing that Eli was already emotionally affected.

Without hesitation, he tore Azayn's notification slip with a message, "Her water broke."

--

In the heavenly realm, the Great One, clad in the purest white of all stared toward a screen, on his lower left a hovering healthy orb. 

After a few seconds five guardians appeared beside him, asking, "You summoned us, Holy Overseer?"

The Great One looked towards the five guardians and lastly towards the healthy orb soul. 

With a gentle and happy tone he said to the healthy orb, "My dear child, this is my gift for you before you enter into paradise."

Then to everybody he announced with an excited tone.. "Everyone, it's time. My appointed time has come!"