THE CURSED PRINCESS

The Healer

A week after using the new drugs, the queen's condition didn't change. She kept vomiting and had started losing weight.

Arthur stood in the room, fighting to control his annoyance as he watched and directed the four maids in their room.

"Clear out the room." He barked. "Make sure that not a single pill from that physician remains in this room."

"You can't do this, Arthur." Diane pleaded, holding on to him. "I might get pregnant if I keep using those pills."

"Or you might die and I won't ever be a father. No, I'm not risking your life that way. Don't you see what this is doing to you? You've gotten lean because you vomit everyday.

You are stressed out from the toll your body is going through, I'm stressed out from worrying about you, and the maids aren't left behind as well.

They have to fetch more water because of you and clean our quarters more than they usually do."

"Arthur," she pleaded, her mind only focused on the probability of getting pregnant and not the pain that she was going through.

"I won't hear anymore of that, my queen. Let it go."

She pouted and left his side, sitting at a side and watching as the maids worked.

Few minutes later, the maids bowed to Arthur. "We are done cleaning the whole place, your highness."

"Thank you. You can go." He said, watching as they dispersed.

He turned to Diane. "I hope for your sake that you didn't keep part of the drugs somewhere."

"I didn't though I wish I had done that if I had known that you would get rid of the drugs."

"I will gladly get rid of anything that wants to get rid of you." He scoffed. "You will die if you keep using that or become too slim to carry the weight of the pregnancy if you eventually take in. Both scenarios aren't what I want to think of."

"How will I get pregnant now?" She pouted.

"I will find another physician for you." He promised. "Just not the one who wants to send you to our ancestors before I'm ready for that. Maybe I should find one of the ancient healers to be in charge of your care."

The next day, Diane could barely sit still with the excitement running through her veins as she waited for the arrival of the healer.

She jumped off the bed when Cora rushed into the room to announce the arrival of the healer.

"She is here, your highness." Cora breathed.

"Thank goodness." Diane breathed. "Let's go."

She stopped as she remembered something and turned to Cora. "Regardless of what happens today, don't tell the king anything."

Cora swallowed. "That would be impossible, your highness.

The king already made me promise to tell him everything that happens to you."

Diane winced, hating how meticulous Arthur was. He must have known that she would tell Cora not to tell him anything and reach out to her first.

He was a good king because he was always one step ahead of his opponents.

"You should do what you want to do." She told Cora.

"I'm sorry, your highness."

"It's not your fault." Diane shrugged. "I can't tell you to shun the king's order."

The healer stood up and bowed as she saw the queen. "Greetings, your highness."

Diane waved at the woman to sit, not bothered by how old she was. She didn't mind having a consultation with a deity if that would give her a baby.

After a few minutes with the healer who confirmed that there was nothing wrong with her and gave her herbal tonics to help her conceive, Diane walked back to her bedroom, hopeful about getting pregnant as she had been a week ago.

"I don't think you should drink that." Cora frowned as she stared at Diane.

Diane shook her head and squeezed her nose as she jiggled the content of the cup in her hand.

Cora had filled the cup five minutes ago with the herbal tonic she had gotten from the healer but she had been unable to drink it because of the stench of the dark liquid.

"I will drink it."

"I can't stand the stench of what is in that cup. How can you think of drinking it?"

"Because I might get pregnant if I drink it." Diane said, ready to do anything to be pregnant.

"Or you might get sick if you drink it." Cora winced.

"Don't tell me the king has rubbed off on you." Diane chuckled, swirling the liquid once more.

"I can't understand why you are not worried about yourself as he is."

"Because I want to be a mother. I can't wait to hold my baby."

"Both the physician and the healer said that there is nothing wrong with you. Can't you believe them and wait till you get pregnant without making yourself go through all this, your highness?"

"What if I have to wait for years? I don't think I can endure any more of these barren years."

"My queen!" Cora gasped. "You are not barren."

"Do I have to wait for everyone to say that before I start taking measures? Is it until the maids, guards and the officials start talking?"

"No one will dare to talk. I will pluck out their tongues if they do."

"The officials, too?" Diane chuckled.

"His majesty can pluck out the tongues of those."

Diane laughed. "They won't be stupid enough to talk about me when the two of them can hear. You are a senior court lady.

The maids won't breathe my name in a bad manner when you are around."

"They shouldn't dare talk about you at all."

"Let me drink this tonic so no one will have to talk."

"I should get a bucket in case you want to vomit after drinking it."

Diane made a face. "Don't say that, Cora. You don't really want me to puke."

"I don't want you to drink it at all."

"The choice isn't up to you. I have to drink it."

Diane said, hating how she was repeating herself.

She pressed her nose together, opened her mouth and downed the tonic at a go. Cora looked away before the disgusted expression on her face made the queen nauseated and got her puking.

"How do you feel?" Cora asked, half-expecting the queen to admit that she was disgusted.

"I feel like I'm going to get pregnant."

Cora snorted. "You said that a week ago after taking that pill."

"I hope this doesn't make me weak." Diane sighed. "Arthur wouldn't send any more physicians to me regardless of the promise that he had made to me."

Two weeks later, Diane started feeling strange, getting feverish and losing her appetite. Arthur called for the palace physician, worried that all the measures that she had gone through were finally catching up with her.

He vowed that he was never going to let her try hard anymore to conceive. He was fine if she didn't have a baby and he hoped that she would accept that as well and stop making herself suffer.

He watched as the physician did a check up on her, leaning closer as if he could diagnose what was wrong with her. He hated to see her pale and tired and rubbed at his forehead, rubbing the worry lines on it.

"What is the problem?" He asked, staring at the physician who had suddenly gone still.

The physician smiled as he turned to Arthur, his eyes beaming with joy. "Congratulations, Your Majesty. The queen is pregnant."

Arthur stared in shock at him, unable to believe that he had actually heard him right. He heard Diane crying softly where she laid and knew he had heard right.

He was right. He was finally going to be a father. He rushed to Diane's side and scooped her up in an embrace as he cried with her, glad that her struggles were over.