THE CURSED PRINCESS

The Fertility Program

"Your highness, the physician is here." Cora grinned as she rushed into the queen's bedroom.

Diane got up from bed, her lips stretching wide into the most beautiful smile that had ever been on her face.

"Good. Where is he?"

"He is the living room waiting for you, my queen."

"Let's go meet him. We shouldn't keep him waiting."

"Watch your steps, my queen." Cora warned.

"I won't fall." Diane replied, picking up her gown by the hem of it.

"I hope you won't but I'm afraid that you might trip because you are walking too fast."

"I'm excited."

Cora grinned. "I'm excited for you as well."

"Let's keep the excitement down a notch. Let me get pregnant before we get our hopes up."

"I know you will get pregnant." Cora smiled. "I can't wait to hold the little princess."

"You are always in sync with me, Cora. How did you know that I want a princess first?"

"Why won't I know the heart of my mistress?"

"But I want a prince for the king's sake."

"And you can have a prince later but a princess comes first."

"I guess you are right." Diane smiled, loving how that idea sounded to her.

"The palace would be super busy and exciting with the arrival of the royal cubs."

"Royal cubs?"

"I found a nickname for them already."

"I love it." Diane grinned.

At this point, she loved everything that had to do with kids.

"I'm glad to have pleased you, my queen."

"Let's get to the living room quickly before the physician complains that we are wasting his time."

"He can't dare say that to you." Cora hissed with mock outrage.

Diane laughed. "I'm a woman eager to be a mother right now so I want to be on the good side of the physician that can help me make that happen. I'm not about to intimidate him with my position at the moment."

"My queen is always right and considerate."

"Can you stop flattering me?"

The two walked into the room where the physician was seated, going over the charts of the queen that he had gotten from the palace physician.

"It's a delight to see you, physician." Diane said as she walked into the room. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"Not at all, your highness." The physician said, standing up to bow to her.

"Please, be seated." Diane waved her hand at him.

"From your charts that I have here, your highness." The physician began. "I see that there is nothing wrong with your ovaries."

"Makes me wonder why there aren't little princes and princesses running around the palace at the moment."

"Things like that can happen and it doesn't mean that it's your fault or that of the king."

"Can you make me have a baby?"

"We can stimulate your ovaries. I have some drugs for you and hopefully, you will have your babies as soon as you want."

"Babies?" Diane chuckled. "I like the sound of that."

"I just had my trainees make the drugs when I got the summons of the king so make sure you don't miss a dosage and you don't waste a pill. It's going to take me another month to find the herbs and make them into pills if these get misused."

"You don't have to tell me, physician. I promise you that I'm a diligent patient as much as I'm a diligent queen."

He nodded and handed the drugs wrapped in a small pouch to her. "I hope to see you pregnant by the next time I check up on you, your highness."

"I hope to be pregnant as well. Thanks for coming." Diane said as she watched him walk away, excited more than she had been hours ago.

"Get me a cup of water, Cora." She said to her maid after the physician had left.

"Yes, your highness." Cora said and rushed to get her the water.

Arthur ran from the meeting with the elders towards their living quarters, his heart thumping with panic as he prayed to the heavens.

"Where is she?" He snapped at Cora who quietly pointed at the bedroom, fully understanding why the king was in a sour mood.

He groaned as he stepped inside and saw Diane cuddled on the bed, her eyes closed as she moaned softly in pain and rubbed her belly.

"Diane, my love, it's me." He breathed as he sat on the bed and gently picked her hand up. "Your husband is here."

She opened her eyes slowly and groaned as if the act cost her more effort than she could spare.

"Close your eyes and rest." He said. "You don't have to look at me."

"I have to. I want to look at you, my husband." She sighed.

He gently wiped the sweats gathering on her forehead. "You look terrible."

"I feel terrible." She chuckled weakly.

"What happened? I heard you've been vomiting since afternoon."

"I started feeling strange after using that drug that the physician gave me. I've been vomiting and unable to move out of bed since then." She informed him.

He winced. "I shouldn't have let him come. I heard that a physician in one of our neighboring lands was working on a new type of medicine and thought that he could help you. I shouldn't have sent for him. I'm sorry, my love." He cried, pulling her up into an embrace.

"It's fine." She coughed. "I might be reacting to it because it's a strange drug. That doesn't mean that the medicine isn't going to be effective."

"I won't let you use it again."

She shook her head. "I have to use it, Arthur. I want to get pregnant. How can that happen if I give up because of a slight discomfort?"

"Slight discomfort?" He almost yelled at her. "I was told that four buckets have been brought in and out of your bedroom today, courtesy of your vomit."

She sighed. "Cora talks too much."

"Because she is concerned about you. Moreover, that can't be termed as her talking too much when I'm the one she told about what you are going through."

"I should have told her not to tell you anything. I didn't want to burden you."

"I thought we agreed that you are not a burden and you will always tell me everything."

"I knew you had an important meeting to deal with today. I didn't want to disturb you."

"And I will leave there anytime to be by your side if you need me."

"I'm fine, Arthur, so let me keep using that drug. I'm sure that I can handle it."

"For how long do you have to use it?"

"A month."

"If after some days, you are still like this, I will have the drugs thrown away. I don't care if they are new inventions or future medicine, you are my present and my future and I can't have you suffer."

"You say the sweetest things." She smiled, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.

"Because I'm meant to be sweet to you." He said and leaned down to kiss her fully on the lips.

"How was your meeting?" She asked after breaking the kiss. "Before I made you run away from it."

"I don't mind running away from the meeting anytime to come to your side. I was already bored anyway."

"Tell me all about the meeting."

"I will." He smiled and shifted to the middle of the bed, pulling her against his chest as they both laid down.