CHAPTER 23
Archie
The foal was comingbreech.
I stood outside Azzurra's stall, watching Dr.Martens work with the kind of controlled urgency that meant things were serious but not yet catastrophic.The mare was on her side, breathing hard, her coat dark with sweat despite the cool evening air.
"How long has she been like this?"Betty asked quietly beside me.
"About an hour.Dr.Martens said the first foal is positioned wrong.She's trying to turn it manually."
"First foal?"Betty's hand found mine."There's more than one?"
"Twins.Which is rare for horses and makes everything more complicated."I squeezed her hand, grateful she was here."I got your text that you were back.I was going to come find you, but then Azzurra went into labor."
"You stayed with her.Of course you did."She leaned against my shoulder, and the tension eased from my chest.
"How did your trip go?”
"I'll tell you after.Right now, let's just focus on making sure Azzurra and her babies are okay."
Dr.Martens looked up from where she was working."Your Highness, I've got the first foal repositioned.She should be able to deliver naturally now, but I'll need you both to stay calm.Azzurra can sense anxiety, and she needs to stay relaxed."
"We can do that," Betty said, then looked at me."Right?"
"I can fake it convincingly."
The next thirty minutes were the longest of my life.Dr.Martens talked Azzurra through the contractions with the patience of someone who'd done this hundreds of times.Her assistant stood ready with towels and equipment whose purpose I didn't want to think about too closely.
Betty's hand never left mine.
"There we go," Dr.Martens said finally."Here comes the first one."
The foal slid into the world in a rush of fluid and flailing legs, a perfect little filly with Azzurra's chestnut coloring and a white star on her forehead.Dr.Martens worked quickly, clearing the foal's airways and making sure she was breathing properly.
"She's beautiful," Betty said.
"One down, one to go."Dr.Martens returned her attention to Azzurra."The second foal is positioned correctly.This should be easier."
It was.Ten minutes later, a colt joined his sister in the straw, slightly smaller but equally healthy.Both foals were already trying to stand on legs that didn't quite know how to work yet, wobbling and falling and trying again with the kind of determination that made my chest ache.
"Twins," I said, unable to keep the wonder out of my voice."Healthy twins."
"Rare but not unheard of," Dr.Martens said, checking both foals thoroughly."Azzurra did beautifully.She'll need monitoring for the next few hours, but I expect a full recovery for all three of them."
