who: @wyldewillow
when and where: roughly one hour to midnight, lucrezia redwyne finds herself within a small garden courtyard, with a small bundle of blankets nestled within her arms against her chest. it had happened once again; callum florent was unable to latch onto any of his nursemaids, resulting in lucrezia needing to be awakened to breastfeed herself. now, the babe would not settle.
"are you going to burp for mama?" he was upright against her shoulder, her hand softly patting and rubbing his back as she attempted to soothe the quiet gurgles and groans that came from him, knowing he could hold his neck up in small enough moments to peer up at the brightness of the stars. "your tummy is hurting you, isn't it?" but she could feel his discomfort, knowing he were unable to pass the gas that made him irritable and in pain; and regardless of how much she had attempted to burp him, it was not coming.
he was fine with omer out here. but omer wasn't in his solar when she popped in, over an hour ago. she ignored the bad feeling in her gut. there was a reason, there was always a reason.
she had stood and walked up and down the cobbles with him over her shoulder, she had sat him up on her lap and supported him by his arms, she had lain him over her skirts…nothing had worked. "silly tummy." she murmured, giving him a soft kiss. but it had not resulted in crying, only disgruntled sounds of discomfort. had she done it wrong? had she given him too much? she could feel him beneath her palm, and she could swear that he had gotten skinnier - the feeding was becoming an issue. what was she to do?
"one burp, ya omri, a small one. let's help callum's tummy."
she quietly soothed him as her hand moved up and down his back some more, praying it would not result in the cry. the cry he done, one of pure desperation; the one that made his entire face go red, and he hardly allowed himself pause to breathe. where genuine tears stained his cheeks. it were as though she had jinxed herself, because not soon after what she thought was finally a burp, was instead the beginning of the tears. a frustrated sigh slipped from her, trying to ignore the slight tears that came to her eyes.
she was so exhausted, and she fought the urge to allow herself to cry there and then. "okay...okay, we're going. we're going. please callum, stop - stop."
she stood, knowing she could not stay outside for him to scream - too many would hear, those whose apartments ran along the courtyard. she could go back to their apartments, where night would soon turn to day and he would eventually fall asleep out of exhaustion, still whimpering in his sleep. and it was only then she realised there was someone else in the garden, the sight immediately making her recoil: how had she not realised that?
and her guard lowered when she saw it were a woman. "forgive me, my lady. i didn't see you there...i'd have moved." she hoped the woman did not see the slight tears that were welling in her orbs.