The screams tore free from Mab's throat and bounced off of the walls to strike Lute's pointed fairy ears with painful violence. Lute winced but struggled on. "Push, my lady, please!" She hoped that the fairy queen was aware that she was not ordering her around but attempting to help relieve her of the child in her womb. After all, it might just be that Lute's head would be on the chopping block once the child was born if the queen was at all offended by Lute's behavior. Mab gave one last heave and what had seemed like the crown of a child's head emerged fully and Lute caught it in her arms. It seemed the child was born bald as an--
Her eyes widened and she glanced up at Mab, who had fallen back against the pillow and was now panting in relief. Lute wiped the smooth surface clean of the gore of birth and wrapped it in fresh linens, treating it as well as she would a real baby, one that would have been crying and writhing at this point.
An egg. Fairies never gave birth to eggs, they were warm-blooded and tended to give birth to actual babies. Lute wondered briefly about the strange creature's father and looked up at her Lady. The silence caught Mab's attention and she sat up to look at her handmaid. "Well? Is it dead?" She did not sound at all grieved at the possibility. Perhaps she would be relieved at one less potential assassin after her life and the crown, Lute thought.
"It is hard to tell, my lady." Lute's mind raced to figure out a way to explain this anomaly. Mab snapped to full consciousness now, all exhaustion forgotten.
"Show me," she commanded and Lute took a deep breath before raising the egg up to view and steeled herself for the onslaught of fury. Mab glared daggers at Lute. "What is that, some childinsh trick? Show me my child at once!"
"Please, my lady, this is what you've given birth to!" Lute held the egg in outstretched arms like a shield against the queen's ire. It was over for her now, there was no doubt about that. A gathering of black magic began filling to room with a pressure not unlike that before a great storm. At least it would be quick, Lute thought. But she was saved by a meek knock on the chamber doors.
Mab snarled and her head whipped to the direction of the sound where an attendant entered, then paused with her mouth open, as if gasping for air in the heavy atmosphere. "This had better be good!" Mab snapped and the attendant's mouth closed quickly.
"Forgive the interruption but the demons are refusing to wait much longe." The fairy girl's eyes were large and fear had turned her skin grey. She looked the way Lute felt as soon as the egg landed in her arms.