Quills: the Rise of the Northern Matriarch-Chapter 66: More to Protect 2

"It is happening so quickly." Nora panted. Although it was really tiring to push it actually did not feel unpleasant other than the pressure she felt. The oil and topicals made the process so much quicker. Perhaps it was the fact that she was in labor all day without knowing it.

"Oh, look at her hair. It is lighter than yours." Liem said the staff cleaned off who he presumed was his biological daughter. After a half hour, the family welcomed Sirona Quill. Named after the Celtic goddess of Healing. She took after Nora and had a crown of coppery blonde hair, pale flesh and Nora's sky blue eyes.

"Breathe in and exhale as you push down," Janel said. Nora took a deep breath and released it in bursts as she pushed. She tightly gripped Kadir's hand as Cerez stood by to wipe her forehead or give her a drink. Janel scanned her to check the progress. The cord could loop around the infants' necks during natural births.

"Hold on a moment. I need to adjust something. Sorry about this, but the cord could pose a risk of wrapping around the second infant's neck," explained Janel. Nora agreed, while Cerez, looking stressed, moved towards Nora and gently placed his hands on her shoulder. Janel skillfully guided the cord away from the child's neck, urging Nora in a supportive tone, "Push harder, Nora. Keep pushing!" Nora followed the instructions and pushed. Liem turned around in surprise to check.

Their second daughter, Astra Quill, was born after a more challenging labor. Nora felt confident that Astra was Kadir's daughter, as other than her blue eyes, she had Kadir's thick brown hair and deep complexion. Both her daughters were healthy but larger than average due to a longer gestation period. Astra, meaning "Star" in Latin, was a fitting name for a child of the Sedai and Quill clan. Despite the joy of Astra's birth, Nora couldn't ignore the disappointment on Cerez's face. She vowed to ensure he had a chance like Liem, using the excuse of wanting to give him his own child first before expanding her Bind further. Hoping this gesture would alleviate her guilt towards him, Nora wept from a cascade of emotions. She would make it as fair as possible for all of her spouses. Her spiral was cut short by the medical procedures which followed now that she had finished delivering the two infants.

She was given an injection to finish up the final portion of labor. Nora finished and the awkward healing part of her treatment began and ended with cleansing. Her labor was very successful. The twins were a very healthy size. Their cord blood and placenta were sent to family storage for use in case they had any future emergencies. They were tested in house to check for any genetic illnesses due to Nora's Northern origins. No one expected that they would be born without any of the signs of Morrits Syndrome, certainly not Janel who would be completing the tests privately on Nora's behalf. She would not consent to the information being studied yet. The potential in these samples for developing a genetic cure for the birth rate problem would be thoroughly investigated in the future when they have gained enough security and wealth. They were just as perfect as their mother, which was an incredible sign.

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When the birth announcement came out it was as sensational as it would be mundane on Earth. Gifts along with inquiries flooded the home. They would have to be very cautious about their children's safety, as their sons would also be 'perfect' and have the possibility to father way more children than they could count in the wrong hands. As well as the possibility that their daughters and their ancestors would suffer any effects due to the pheromonal effect that Nora had on men. Liem, Cerez and Kadir were looking at the next candidates who would already join their family when Nora was ready.

The family sat in the courtyard. Leilanna, Allurai and Nora were sitting in a shaded area in their private family garden with the four infants. They had started the habit after seeing Nora come outside every day. Nora was just trying to naturally prevent any jaundice and the sunlight helped prepare them to nap. Daven and Lena were already able to grab the toys they wanted. They gripped at the various soft toys that Nora sewed from colored fabric. Nora had made the two of them stuffed Loxon. It was a large marsupial bear in this world. Nora had the twins on their tummy and was holding their attention with a rainbow flashing toy pearl to help strengthen their muscles by having them look up. They were catching up quickly with Lena and Daven mentally, and she could see the frustration when they got upset when their cousin crawled over and claimed their toys. Astra started to make cries of discomfort as Daven crawled towards the toy. Sirona looked over confused, furrowing her brows as drool wet her lips. Thinking Astra was at her limit, Nora prepared to hand off the toy to her Daven.

Daven reached out with his tiny little hand and said "Uuuh, uuuh" with a huge grin.

"Thank you, you can have it if you like it." Nora said, engaging Daven. He really was, he was their first product tester. It was only fair to reward him for it. Nora pulled another three out of her bag for all of them to enjoy. As she handed the toy to Daven, the twins' faces began to crumple in displeasure almost simultaneously. Nora handed Allurai a ball quickly and started to tend to them, first by turning them over and checking their hygiene. Sirona started fussing louder. Shortly afterward, Astra lost her temper as well. Nora felt that it was time to feed them and put them down for a nap. She needed one as well. Nora yawned, it took a lot to raise two infants even with three others helping her. Her face had thinned out from the calorie deficit that came from breastfeeding.

"It looks like these two are hungry and tired, I am going to take them inside." She smiled at Allurai and Leilanna. "Good parting, Mother and Sister." Nora said and smiled tiredly. She really wished they had a better attitude towards breastfeeding here. Liem looked at her with sympathy. She explained about the helpful antibodies and skin-to-skin contact that breastfeeding brought. It made feeding the children a bonding experience instead of a task. They still had bottles from time to time, but they seemed to prefer Nora's milk over the manufactured food. He picked up their carriers.

The family headed into the home and helped her set up her nursing pillows. The twins ate happily, relieving the pain in her chest. Nora groaned in relief. Unfortunately for Nora, she produced a lot of breast milk. She had to express the rest in the shower or bathroom after the twins were full in the beginning. Now the twins have started to keep up with the demand. If she did not feed them on time, she would have to rely on someone to help and remove her blockages, which was embarrassing for her. Baths did not help. Salt water did not help. There were no breast pumps. So one of her spouses would have to clear the blockage. They all took turns. It would not be fair if she demeaned one of them. The men came out with a fresh platter of food for their meal. Tonight was the night. Nora had wanted some time to recover after the twins' birth before she had sex again. She was feeling more confident in her body and the eight weeks she had set aside for herself were done. She was glad the girls ran her practically dry. Her interface chimed. She was ovulating. She ate voraciously. She wanted them all, but she had a promise to keep to herself.

"I know today is the day I set aside for us to start having sex again. I am ovulating now. It is bad luck for my first night free. You know my feelings about wanting to give Cerez a child of his own. So?" Nora said awkwardly in Korean. They all stopped working. It was a serious discussion if she brought it up in their own private language.

"Are you sure you do not want to give yourself another cycle? We usually do not do these things this way. It is supposed to be a chance," Cerez said.

"I am ready, we will have to choose a new candidate soon anyway. Liem and Kadir can look at candidates and look after the twins. Do you object?" Nora asked. Kadir and Liem remained silent. It was only fair. They both had their own daughters.

"I would prefer to be involved in that decision as well," Cerez said. He preferred to add another friend from Dai' Hrene.

"See, no objections from them. Very well, Liem, Kadir and yourself can choose candidates afterward. So, Cerez, until the indicator has read as pregnant, you can be the only one for the next few days. I promise I will give you all independent time together after it is concrete that I am pregnant, or my cycle has passed." Nora said nervously in Korean. She pensively looked at the reactions across the room. Cerez had a shocked smile on his face. Liem and Kadir thought for a moment. This offer was too good to pass up.

"I am fine with these arrangements. I can plan a trip to some cultural sites." Liem said. It had been such a long time since he had a monopoly on her time. He would get his father to watch Sirona and Astra with him so he could split his focus to get his work done.

"How are we going to arrange our time, now or after, depending on the number of days he gets you to himself?" Kadir said, his interest piqued. A trip together could be nice.