Three plus two makes five

The song and dance of pregnancy and labor were well known steps to her by now. Her first pregnancy with Avacyn and Saracyn had been filled with unknown and uncertainty and Fiametta's birth had been easier still. This time, as she paced their family den with the now familiar feeling of discomfort and restlessness, Manea felt even more at ease and simply ready to see these pups she and Alastor had created. This pregnancy felt like it had flown by in the blink of an eye and for the most part she was grateful for that. Carrying Fia had been difficult and draining on her body, but it had allowed her the time to rest and really enjoy the process of bringing life into the world. This time the symptoms had been so few and so mild that it almost felt like she hadn't really thought about the fact that she was about to give birth until the few days immediately leading up to this moment.

It was late at night when her water finally broke and the first real contractions began to grip at her sides and knock the air from her lungs. She stopped in the middle of the main chamber, gritting her teeth a bit to let the pain pass before she sighed and turned her gaze up to look to Alastor with a hint of a smile. "Will you call for Ikigai, darling?" she asked before she continued her steady pacing until the young princess arrived, knowing from experience that there was still some time to go before they would actually meet these pups and it wouldn't do her any good to go lay down right this moment. Occasionally her steps would pause as a particularly strong contraction squeezed at her sides, sending a lance of pain through her, but eventually she'd continue while she waited out the few minutes it would take for Ikigai to arrive.

"Manea & Alastor Mendacium"