The Birth

Screams filled the palace's main pavilion and servants ran from here to there. Some with pots of warm water, and others with clean clothes.

The King's empowering voice gave orders, an impatient look embracing his face. After all, it was his wife, the Queen giving birth after seven years of their marriage. There was finally going to be an heir to the throne.

There was nothing that excited the king more. The realization that he will finally be able to show his son, his heir to the world, was more than enough to overwhelm him.

Oh, how he would cherish him, give him the best of teachers, how he would make him wear clothes of the most finest fabric and feed him meals made by the best chefs in the kingdom, how he would give him the largest room in the palace, with the cosiest bed and the warmest fireplace, how he would watch him run in the palace gardens and play around and finally how he would see him grow into a perfectly handsome young prince, who would carry on his generation. Just the thought of all this was too intimidating for King Edmund.

Another scream from the room kicked him out of his thoughts, but it went down after a while and there was complete silence. Was the boy born, was the first thought that entered the King's mind.

A few minutes later a servant came hurrying over to the King and after giving a quick bow said, "It's a girl, Your Majesty. Her Highness has given birth to a Princess."

"What?"

The King turned pale, not with fear but with shock and disappointment over his shattered fantasy.

"A girl?"

"Yes, Your Majesty", the servant stuttered.

The King without delay strode over to the Queen's room. Slowly, the cries of a newborn made their way to his ears and they burned red. The servant followed, quite nervous.

As soon as he entered, the maids, servants, and the nanny all looked over, a little startled by the King's sudden entrance.

"Your Majesty", the nanny who held the little girl stepped forward, "Her Highness is taking a rest. I suggest you visit after a while. Her Highness and the baby—"

"Get out", she was cut off by the King, "Everyone, get out!", he bellowed.

Realising that annoying the King wasn't the best idea, the nanny motioned everyone to follow her out, as she covered the baby with a cloth.

When everyone left, the King walked towards the Queen's bed. She looked at him with half-opened eyes.

"Honey...", she whispered still exhausted by the birth process.

The King bent down and shook her shoulders, "Do you realise what big of a mistake you have committed?"

"Mistake?", the Queen stuttered.

"It's a girl. I needed an heir to my throne, a son but after all these years IT'S A GIRL", his voice echoed through the room.

There was a silence in the room and silence for what seemed like forever.

"It isn't my fault...", the queen spoke after a while, her voice cracking as tears formed on the brim at the brim of her eyes. The King got up and turned his face away.

"There is only one way. The girl must die. I don't want the entire kingdom to know that the King's first child, after a wait of seven years is a girl. That will only fix more evil eyes onto my throne", he spoke.

"Die?", the Queen spoke through tears, "After all the efforts I have done to give birth to her, why must she die?", she asked, her voice raising.

"Why not? Or do you have any other solution in your mind?", the King turned to face her, a frown still implanted on his forehead.