The Queen of Rosefield

Chapter 1

    "It's a girl my lord."  The midwife aid as she left the bed chamber holding a newborn infant.

    "No son?"  The king asked a he looked at the small bundle in the midwifes arms.  "There's no male heir to take my throne."

    "My lord, your wife is still young and there is time for a son to be born to you."

    Groans of pain came from the inside of the bed chamber and a young girl opened the door.  "Millie, the queen is trying to deliver a second child."  She said quickly.  "We need you."

    "Give me the girl child."  The king said and reached for his daughter.  He held her close to him and looked into the tiny red face of his child as she opened her eyes.  "Is this my fate, to father only girl children?  Is there to be no son to carry on my line?"

    "My lord."  Came the voice of another man that was standing close to the old king.

    "What is it Lord Delmar?"  The king asked and jerked his head up as he heard his wife scream in pain.

    "The Master Swordsman is here to see you.  What shall I tell him?"

    "Tell him to wait for me.  I'll speak to him when I know the fate of the throne."

    "Yes my lord."  Lord Delmar said and left the king.

    Soon the steps of Lord Delmar were replaced by a softer step and the steps of a bare footed toddler.  "You must be very quiet Anna, the queen will soon be delivering her child."  The woman whispered down to the little girl as she balanced a tray of food.  She looked up and saw the king as he held a babe in his arms.  "My lord, has the heir arrived already?"

    "If only Ruth.  I hold in my arms another girl child."

    "Oh my lord, is there something I can do?"

    "I don't know.  The midwife is with the queen as she delivers another child." 

    "Here my king, let me set this down and I'll take the child."

    "Thank you Ruth.  I don't know how to thank you enough."

    "No my lord, I'm the one who is forever thankful to you for my own daughter."

    "Yes, my eldest daughter.  We must make sure she is well educated and when she is older an understands her roll in the castle, I'll choose her a good husband so she'll not marry below her status.  She'll marry a man befitting her fathers throne."

    "You would do that for a lowly cooks daughter?"

    "She is also a kings daughter."

    "Thank you my lord, now may I hold the babe.  She must be getting hungry by now."

    "Feed her if you can."  the king said and handed the baby to the cook.  He watched as the small dark haired baby began to nurse.

    "She was hungry my lord."  Ruth said and crooned to the baby as she nursed.

    "My lord."  The midwife said as she opened the door of the queens bed chamber.

    "What is it?"  He asked as he looked up.

    "You have a son my lord but..."  She didn't finish her words before she was cut off.

    "But what?  Tell me woman!"

    "Your heir, he has killed his mother."  She said softly.

    The king paled as he looked at the midwife.  "My wife if dead?"  He asked in a choked voice.

    "Nearly my lord.  She won't last long."

    "I'll see my wife before she dies."  He said and stood.

    "Yes my lord."  She said and looked at the cook as she nursed the baby girl.  "I'll find a proper nurse for your daughter also my lord.  A cook is to lowly to nurse your children."

    "Ruth will be wet nurse to my children as she has given me my first child two years ago."

    "Yes my lord king."  The midwife said and stepped away from the king.

    He walked to the bed where his wife lay dying and in her arms she held their son.  "Here is your heir dear husband."  She said and pulled the covers over the child's white head.  "He is so pale and white, but he is a big boy."

    "Yes he's big."  The king said and looked at his son briefly.  "Take the child out and give him to Ruth."  The king said and waited for his heir to be taken from the chamber.  "Your daughter is beautiful.  She's so tiny and red."  He said with a laugh as a tear fell from his eyes.  "She has a head full of black hair just like yours, and I do believe she'll look like you also when she's grown."

    "My love, don't grieve.  Know that I'm with you always.  I'll never leave you as long as I'm in your heart."

    "Sarah, I'll never love another woman but you."  He said and leaned forward to kiss his wife for the last time.

    "Promise to love your children and not hold my death against them."

    "I promise to love them."  He said and saw his wife relax in death.  "But I don't promise to not blame my son.  He'll know that he killed his mother at his birth."  The king said and left the bed chamber.  He looked at Ruth as she tended to his heir.  "You'll be wet nurse to my son, but not the girl child.  I must think about her for a while."

    "Do you not want your daughter?"

    "Yes I want her, but I don't want her to grow up the way her brother will.  She'll have two parents that'll love her."

    "My lord, what are you saying?"

    "I don't want Malana to see or hear how I raise her brother.  She's not to know how much I loathe the sight of him.  How I hate him for killing his beautiful mother."

    "I don't understand what you are saying, but may God know and heal your broken heart."

    "Yes, pray for me Ruth.  Pray to God that I am healed of my pain."  He said and left the cook with his new babies and headed for the Great Hall.  He had a meeting with the Master Swordsman about making swords for his knights.

    "All rise, the king has arrived!"  Lord Delmar called when he saw the king.

    Other knights and lords hailed the king loudly and only quieted when the king was seated and raised his hand for silence.  "The queen is dead.  she has given her life to give me an heir to the throne."  he said and looked at his lords and knights.

    "We must mourn the queen for thirty days my king."  Lord Delmar said.  "There should be no meetings until after the mourning period is over."

    "I must see the Master Swordsman today."  The king said and stood.  "Send him to me and you begin preparing for the burial and mourning period for the queen."

    "Yes my king."  Lord Delmar said and waited until the Great Hall was empty before he sent in the Master Swordsman.

    "My king."  The Master Swordsman said as he bowed before the king.

    "My old friend Jonathon.  It's good to see you again."

    "And you my king."

    "Jonathon, have you become a father yet?"

    "No.  Ten times my Gwen has carried our child in her belly, and ten times she has lost it right after she begins to grow larger.  She is a brokenhearted woman."

    "And you my friend, what of you?"

    "I would like to have a son to carry on making swords, but I believe I would rather have a daughter just so I could see the life return to Gwen's eyes."

    "A daughter?"

    "Yes, a daughter."

    The king thought for a moment and when he looked at his friend again, he clasped his right shoulder hard.  "I have a daughter for you to take back to Gwen."

    "My king, how can this be?"

    "It is my own daughter."  He whispered.

    "Anna?"

    "No Jonathon.  Her name is Malana.  She is my new daughter.  Mine and Sarah's."

    "The princess?"

    "Yes, and you must raised her as your own.  Teach her the mastery of the swords.  I'll send tutors to teach her the schooling she will need.  Horses for your stable.  Money for whatever it is she will need and for you raising her."

    "Why don't you want to raise her with the queen my king?"

    "Because she will need the love of two parents and not one who blames her twin brother for their mothers death."

    "Queen Sarah is dead."  the Master Swordsman said in shock.

    "Yes.  My wife is dead and we must find a wet nurse.  You must go before final preparations are made for the mourning period to begin."

    "There is a young woman that I found crying in town.  Her child had just died and she is full of milk.  She can nurse the babe for us."

    "Good, now come with me and we'll get the child.  You must leave by way of the stable so no one can see you."

    "I have to get the woman.  I'll meet you in the stable as soon as I have her."

    "Good, and be quick about it my friend.  Time is important."

    "I shall."

    An hour later the king handed his infant daughter to a young woman that had sad brown eyes.  She was sitting upon the back of an old gray mare that carried a light load of supplies.  "I shall nurture this child as long as I'm allowed for my master, and for my king."  She said as she looked at the tiny black haired babe.

    "Never breathe a word of where she came from or it will be your head."  The king said.  "Her name is Malana."

    "I understand my king.  She is my master, Jonathon, the Master Swordsman's daughter Malana."

    "Yes she is."  The king said and looked at his friend.  "You know what to do.  When she is sixteen, I'll send for her and she'll be brought before me.  I'll have her betrothed to a knight in my court."

    "As you say my king."  Jonathon said with a nod.

    "Now go.  Go home Jonathon, Master Swordsman, and raise our daughter with love."  The king said and watched as his friend rode from the castle on his own personal mount from the stable.