She was a woman after all. It seemed as if she had fought against it all her life, and somehow it had crept up on her and embraced her completely. Yet, at this point she lost all desire to battle it.

A man could never know the love she felt for her son. He could never know the amount of brute strength it takes to bring a life into the world. She had fought battles, sailed ships, and killed men but she never felt as proud, as whole, and as perfect as she did now. Her son looked up at her with wide eyes, taking in everything for the first time. She couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful and perfect he was. For a brief moment she forgot that the father of her child was a man she despised, a man she was forced to call husband. The child was hers, and no one could tell her different. She was a mother, a woman. She felt flawless and complete, she began to realize that she was designed to be woman, and for the first time in her life, she loved it.

She gazed at her son, her heart thumping with delight. Suddenly, a gunshots and shouts wrung out above deck. The sounds startled the child, and she pulled the child away from her breast and hugged him close in a desperate attempt to comfort the frightened baby. She began to worry, as the shouts intensified.

"What's happening up there?" She yelled, hoping someone, anyone would hear her. "Someone tell me!"

Hesitantly, her maidservant Magella called from the deck. Distractedly, she answered her, "Grania, Captain, English sailors have come on board, Donal…the man's a traitor. He wants us to surrender."

Grania, angry about the fact that such a precious moment should be interrupted, all too quickly swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. She set the child, now crying pathetically, on the bed laying a gentle kiss on his tiny forehead. She stood up, and as a wave of dizziness swept over her, she let out a wretched cry instructing Magella to bring her sword. Magella hesitant at the sight of the pitiful and ragged creature trembling in front of her, slowly made her way towards where the sword perched on the wall. As more shots rang out above deck, and Grania doubled over in pain on her way to the ladder, Magella hastily changed her mind about yeilding to Grania's orders.

"No, no Grania, you're too weak!" Magella said as she gripped Grania's shuddering frame.

Grania's blood boiled, and though she didn't mean to personally attack Magella, she threw her off and yelled with more fury than she had before, "Give me my sword!"

She attempted to steady herself while every muscle in her body screamed at her. Magella tentatively took the sword of the wall of handed it to Grania. As she took it in her hands she briefly collapsed under its unusual weight. She pried herself off the floor and motioned towards the sobbing infant.

"Take care of him…"

All of a sudden, a surge of energy rushed through her veins, and she climbed up the ladder and stumbled on to the deck. The battle surrounded her, and it was all she could do to keep from dropping right where she stood.