Bastian
Chapter Side Story 25 - Renewed Heart

✧Renewed Heart✧

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“The year has turned anew. Perhaps it’s time to celebrate the pregnancy, don’t you think?” The Countess of Trie started today’s conversation with her usual nagging.Odette simply smiled as she held the receiver to her ear.

   It was customary to hold celebrations when the pregnancy reached its stable stages, but Odette didn’t want any of that, she just wanted things to be peaceful, maybe out of some subconscious fear of something going wrong and not wanting to get peoples hopes up. When made it bearable was that Bastian shared this sentiment, even in the face of none stop nagging from relatives likes the Countess.

   “You might end up having the baby without any sort of celebration,” Countess Trier huffed.

   “You’re more than welcome to come by any time, I will make us some delicious tea, we can have our own little celebration.”

   “I swear, Odette, when you ignore me like this you’re the spitting image of Bastian,” the Countess said with a laugh.

   “Alright, shall I pencil you in for Thursday? You know, staying in Ratz has its perks, chiefly, I get to see you more often. Is there anything in particular you wish to eat?”

“Seeing you is more than enough for me.”

   “Oh my! I’ll bring you some of that chocolate cake you like so much from the Reinfeldt Hotel.” The pair laughed as they hung up the phone.

   It had been Bastian’s idea to move to Ratz in preparations for the birth. From where she liked to play the piano, she could see out through the window and see the Ferris Wheel in the park. It was the best sight Odette could wish for. Before their move to Ardenne, the Ratz mansion was far larger than her townhouse they now called home. They chose for its warmth and coziness and situated close enough to the primary doctor.

  Odette made her way downstairs to her piano in the drawing room. “How about we practice some waltz today?” she said to her child as she stroked her swollen belly.

   As she began to play, the soft tinkle of the keys roused the baby within her and she could feel it kick a little more than usual.

   From Summer to Autumn and then to winter. The seasons passed by in a blur. The baby was healthy through it all, much to Odette’s relief. All they had to do was wait for the season to change once more and she would be meeting her baby face to face.

   “Ma’am, its time for your walk,” Dora said after Odette had been playing for nearly an hour.

“Would you like to rest today?”

“No, please get everything ready, Dora.”

   “Yes, ma’am.”

   Odette shifted out of her seat in front of the piano. Her daily walks were something she held in high regard, she felt it important to keep moving, unless the weather was particularly bad.

   “Shall I get the white princesses ready as well?” Dora said, her gaze shifting to the four dogs laid out on a divan in the corner.

   So tired of constantly ringing out the full names of the four dogs, the servants about the mansion had shorten them to the collective title of ‘white princesses.’ Today, they each were adorned with a colourful ribbon loosely tied around their necks.

   “Margrethe, Adelaide, Henrietta, Cecilia,” Odette chimed each of their names. “Time for walkies.”

   As soon as Odette posed the question, the dogs burst from their torpor and bounded around the drawing room with eager yaps, their tails fluttering like some noble woman’s modesty fan.

In front of the parks western entrance there was a flower shop that Odette liked to visit on occasions. Dora and another maid would wait outside with the dogs while Odette perused the flowers inside. It wasn’t long until Odette came out holding a magnificent bouquet of yellow roses.

Red. Yellow. Scarlet. Blue. On her afternoon walks, Odette often found herself drawn to flowers of vibrant hues, a departure from her usual, more subdued choices.

   Dora did her best to hide the emotional turmoil that built up inside when ever she saw her mistress in such a wonderful site. Odette didn’t even notice, too engrossed in her flowers as she led the way back through the park. Dora followed after with the dogs, while another maid followed slowly behind with a stroller for any dog too tired to walk any more. It never got used.

   After a couple more laps of the park, they neared a gate that stood as the threshold to the Ratz mansion. Odette produced a key from the depths of her coat pocket to unlock it. Beyond the intricate wrought-iron barrier lay the mansion’s vast garden, welcoming them into its embrace.

She made her way to the pergola at the far end of the garden. Dora entrusted the care of the four dogs with the young maid, who was immediately swamped by the four fur balls and she went down with a soft yelp.

   Dora kept a respectable distance from Odette as she went to a flowerbed behind the pergola, where the Klauswitz’s first child had been laid to rest.

The hospital had discreetly maintained a grave for their first child. Its presence came to light the day following their move to the Ratz mansion. During a walk around the estate, Bastian led her to a spot he had dedicated to their child. At first glance, it seemed nothing more than a flowerbed, yet a closer look revealed subtle distinctions setting it apart from its surroundings.

   “Hello little one,” Odette said tenderly, placing the flowers down onto the grave.

   When Bastian had shown Odette where their daughter was buried, he simply said “she is buried here” and that was that. Odette could feel there was more he wanted to say. She could almost see Bastian carrying the tiny coffin down the garden, digging the grave himself and gingerly laying the child to rest. Every second must have been fresh heartache for him. She  almost felt resentful that Bastian had endured this alone and if it was not for the miracle of their reunion, this would have been a secret only he would have known about.

Yet, she harbored no blame towards him. “Thank you,” was all she managed to say. The rush to ignore the pain, her silent apology to their child, and the grief provided by her foolish, yet loveable man, were all entombed within her heart, just as Bastian had done that night.

   Odette caressed the cold dirt with a bare hand. Although there was no headstone to mark the resting place, Odette could see evidence of Bastian’s gentle care of the site. White pebbles lay in a neat pile only in this spot, as well as the last bouquet of flowers Odette had laid the last time she was here.

As Odette faced the truth they had both denied, her lingering feelings of unresolved grief began to fade, like the last snow melting at the arrival of spring. It made her feel as though she could love him with a heart forever renewed.

“It was a girl,” Bastian had said. A beautiful, truly beautiful daughter.

Odette closed her eyes, whispering a prayer for her daughter’s peace in heaven. Rising, she turned slowly, drawing deep breaths to quell the storm within her soul.

On their journey back, Odette and the maids ventured into the shops. They picked up treats for the household staff and yarn for knitting baby garments and socks. Catching on, Margrethe froze like a statue on the brink of their departure from the shopping district. Her daughters, mirrors of their mother, quickly adopted her pose, joining in her silent stand.

At the end, the little princesses were wheeled home in their stroller, towards the white marble mansion that stood majestically by the Prater riverbank, now aglow in the sunset that enveloped Ratz in warm light.

“The guest lounge has a visitor awaiting your arrival, ma’am,” announced the butler, who had rushed out to greet her, bearing this unforeseen news. Bemused, Odette stepped into the front hall.

   “Were we expecting guests?” Odette said.

   “No, ma’am, there were no prior arrangements, but it is the interior decorator, ma’am.” A content smile spread across Lovis’s weathered face. “The interior decorator is here, summoned at the master’s behest to discuss your preferences for the baby’s room decoration.”

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Bastian returned home a lot later than he had wanted, all thanks to the Naval New Year’s dinner held in honour of the Chiefs of Staff. He had tried his best to slip out early, knowing full well how the generals liked to drink until the dawn. He was finally allowed free when mentioning his heavily pregnant wife.

Escorted by the butler,  Bastian quietly went up the stairswas. He greeted his white Princesses in the living room and opened the door to the bedroom.

   “Bastian,” Odette said with a bright smile  as she sat knitting lace. “You’re home earlier than I expected.”

   “And I thought you would be asleep by now.” Bastian paused to glance at the clock. 11:15 PM. For Odette, this was deep into the night.

   “I am sleepy, but I was waiting for you.” Odette put down her knitting and rose from her chair, her pregnancy now so advanced that not even the baggiest pajamas could conceal its extent. Wrapping a lace shawl around her shoulders, she moved towards him with a soft gait, greeting him with a tender kiss. “Have you been drinking much?” she asked, scrutinizing Bastian’s face for signs.

   “No, just a bit,” Bastian replied with a smile, kissing Odette’s cheek. “Hello, Coco.” he whispered to his unborn child, tenderly resting his hand on the rounded belly. A tiny thump against his palm served as a response from within.

Odette had shared her wish to bestow a name upon their baby—a prenatal nickname—as a special gift marking their journey into parenthood.

‘Cocoa.’

   While they could not decide on an actual name, Bastian decided to invent a nick name in the meantime. The name came to him one evening as he watched Odette drinking a hot chocolate and given her love of all things chocolatey, naturally he thought the baby was going to be made of chocolate, so Cocoa became the chosen nick name, even though Odette thought it was a rather too informal nick name.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit too informal for a name?” Odette frowned, casting a questioning glance his way.

“Then, name it as you please, my princess,” Bastian replied, smoothly deferring the choice back to her. After considerable thought, Odette proposed a middle ground.

“Let’s call it Coco then.”  she said.

Bastian failed to grasp how dropping a letter altered anything, yet he honored his wife’s preference without question.

“I will also choose the baby’s formal name,” Odette declared with gravity, a statement Bastian accepted without hesitation. “Everyone is convinced Coco will be a boy, just like you, judging by the vigor of her movements. They’re sure of it.”

Odette, gently calming the child who continued to move spiritedly even in the dead of night, erupted into a fit of laughter, clear and joyous.

   Bastian let out a laugh as he felt a kick. “Sure enough,” he said. “Oh, I heard the interior decorator came today. Have you made a decision about the room?”

   “No, we haven’t decided yet,” Odette said, following Bastian as he hung up his coat and helped him undo his tie.

   “Why, it can’t be that hard, surely?” Bastian’s gaze narrowed as he looked down at her.   “I wanted to choose with you,” Odette said.

Pregnancy celebration, baby shopping, decorating the baby’s room.   It was a common that Odette would not make any decision or even attempt to prepare for the baby without Bastian by her side. She had detached herself from these activities. Bastian knew what it was that she feared, he feared it too and because of it, he respected his wife’s wishes, though he tried to encourage her at every opportunity.

   “I’ve thought about the general direction, but I have not come to a final decision yet. I’ve got some things marked in a catalogue, would you like to see them?”

   “Now?”

   “Only if you want to.”

   “Aren’t you tired?”

   “No, I think I napped too much during the day.”

   “Let me wash up first.” Bastian, having slipped out of his uniform and placed it neatly on hungers to be dry cleaned, slipped into a robe.

   “I’d like to take a bath together,” Odette said softly, “Would that be okay?” her voice melted into the quiet of the night.

Bastian glanced back at Odette, who had trailed behind him. Her question, though framed gently, carried the weight of a soft directive. Understanding what she truly sought, Bastian’s laughter echoed through the bathroom.

Odette certainly enjoyed their shared baths, though it was more like torture for him, but how could he refuse her?

 He had only wanted a quick shower, but it looked like he was going to have to indulge his princess.

Bastian turned on the faucet and lit the fireplace in the bathroom. Meanwhile, Odette selected her preferred bathboms, settling on lavender for its calming scent. The steam that rose from the bath, now infused with purple hues, further warmed the space.

With the preparations complete, Bastian shed his robe, and Odette slipped out of her pajamas. To Bastian, the sight of Odette, her slender frame elegantly bearing the weight of their unborn child, was endlessly fascinating—a true miracle of nature.

Gently, he helped Odette into the bath before joining her, ensuring she was comfortable first. As they settled in, the water’s gentle motion stilled, wrapping the room in a tranquil silence, cozy and intimate.