Her Cries

"Ahhhhhhh"

As heavy snow starts to cover the castle of Fraise and the ground starts to become white, something important is happening inside one of the castle chambers. With the hall filled with gruesome screams, and as the atmosphere in the palace becomes chaotic, only screams and frantic footsteps of servants running back and forth towards a specific room are audible.

"Just a little more, your majesty...please push!"

In the center of a lavish bedroom lay a woman covered with blood and sweat. Signs of struggle are apparent as her face contorts the more, she tries to push. She screamed louder as more tears escaped her eyes. A lot of help surrounds her at her beck and call. One servant wipes her sweat with a cloth, while another holds her hand. Her nails start to dig the servant's hand holding hers, but they cannot complain. The heir of this kingdom will be born today after almost six years of waiting, they can walk out of the room decapitated, and no one would care.

"I AM PUSHING. I can't take it anymore. Please, get my son out. NOW! AHHHH... please."

The servants looked at each other. They felt sorry for their queen. The whole kingdom knows how their king treats their queen, and it was not a pleasant sight to look at whenever they cross paths.

The physician is also starting to get anxious. Her queen's life and the kingdom's future heir are at stake here. Forget her getting beheaded for treason - if both the baby and the mother do not make it, the whole kingdom will be doomed. Everything is at stake in this pregnancy.

A man sat on a large throne situated at the center front of the grand hall. While the queen fights for both her's and her child's life, this man - being the father of the child seem unbothered by her wife's situation. Clad in an onyx black suit with an aura and strict demeanor that exudes power, the man was without a doubt a figure of authority. From the crown placed atop his head made from the finest gold and precious stones to the various medals adorning his chest as a result of kingdoms he had defeated in war; the King of Fraise is truly a sight to behold. Below him stood five men, each one as respectable and as cunning as the others. These men are the Council of the King which consists of Dukes and Marquise of the land.

Growing impatient by the minute, the king laid his head back on his throne while he crossed his leg as he tapped his fingers on the armchair.

"How long… does it take for a woman to birth a child." the king asked, obvious irritation in his voice.

"She's been screaming there for an HOUR. AN HOUR!" the king yelled, followed by the sound of breaking glass. The red liquid now splayed across started to stain the white marbled floor. Shards of glass were also scattered.

The people in the hall flinched at their king's outburst. Not because it was unexpected, but because at this point, anything can happen.

Their king's patience is running thin, and they have no idea how to subdue it. It's not like they can yank the prince out of its mother's womb to present to their psychotic king. As if the ministers had the same idea, they looked at each other. They all had a look of disgust and displeasure. If their queen took her sweet time giving birth to the prince, the king might do what they were thinking - yank the prince out. Queen be damned. They knew their king was that crazy and terrifying.

King Zachary rubbed the space between his eyebrows before he beckoned the guard to come forward. The guard stationed at his right hurriedly went and bowed at his king.

"Tell Beatrix that if she has not given birth for the next hour... I will have the heads of those who assisted in her labor." horror is evident in the eyes of the guard, but what can he do? Here, the king's word is the law. The guard bowed once again, but before he could take a step to relay the message, the screams turned silent.

The silence got replaced by a loud cry resonating from the queen's chamber. It was faint, but it was there.

Back in the queen's chamber, the queen is catching her breath. With her chest heaving up and down, she screamed, putting all her strength in that one last push. Finally, she heard a cry signifying that the labor was over. Smiled to herself, she's finally a mother after everything she's suffered.

"Maybe… maybe my husband will accept me now. Even if he does not, at least now, I can love someone who will love me equally." She thought to herself. She might have a loveless marriage, that does not mean her child will grow not feeling loved.

Sounds of sobbing made her cut her thoughts short, a sound she was sure was not made by her child. She was confused. The baby is alive and was crying just a moment ago. Why does it seem like something tragic happened though the child seems healthy?

"What is the matter?" She asked as she was sure the tears her servants were making were not due to happiness. " Hand me the child. Let me look at him."

"My queen…." The physician carefully handed her the child with her hands shaking, tears rolling down her cheeks.

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A messenger from the queen's chamber came running towards the king. His anxiety did not go unnoticed by the king. Impatient enough to bother with formalities, the king spoke before the messenger could even bow.

"How is the child?" He saw hesitance in the messenger's eyes. To encourage him, he sent a look to his right-hand man, who quickly understood what his king wanted.

"Speak." The guard unsheathed his sword before placing it beneath the messenger's chin, drawing awfully near his throat.

That only made the messenger even more nervous, but he had to deliver the message. He feared for not just his life but for the life of other servants involved in serving the queen as well. The king might have their head for what he was about to tell him.

" My king…." with his voice unstable and him kneeling on the marble floor, the messenger started to tell him what happened in the delivery room. The more he spoke, the more the king frowned. By the time the messenger finished, the king had a dark look in his eyes. He stood up and beheaded the messenger himself before storming out of the room to meet his wife. The ministers were horrified by what they witnessed. That is not the first-time blood spilled in these halls, but they still feel sick every time.

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She smiled as she held the child closer to her chest, carefully tracing her fingers to the baby's tender face. Clean of the blood, she can see the child's features much clearer now.

"This child has his father's nose and lips" She continued to study her baby's face. As if the child knew someone was staring, it opened its eyes and stared at the queen's eyes.

"Your eyes…." It was mirroring hers. Deep orbs the color of amethyst adorned her child's eyes. It was beautiful as it was enchanting. As she stared much deeper into her child's eyes resembling her own, her bright smile slowly turned to that of shock and horror as realization started to dawn on her.

She looked at her servants, who also had the same expression as her. Their faces showed fear, agony, and disappointment.

"Impossible…" She whispered. What has she done to deserve this?

She once again went to take and look at the child she held in her arms. The innocence held in her eyes made the queen hurt more. She hugged her child as she started to weep.

She feared for her life, but now she feared more for this child. The moment she had heard its first cry, she knew she would sacrifice everything for its safety and happiness.

"From the first time I had laid my eyes on you, I know that I have started loving you. Even in my death, I would never let anyone hurt you, my precious child. My beautiful daughter."

At that very moment, she heard heavy footsteps coming their way. Her loyal subjects looked at her in desperation. They all knew who was coming.

To others, he is a monster, a tyrant. He could kill without blinking and without remorse. But to her, he was her husband and her daughter's father. And nothing terrifies her more. He was the same man who vowed on their wedding day to torture her every day until her deathbed.

She knew why he was headed here, at it certainly was not to rejoice. This kingdom has been without an heir for six years because the king is disgusted with his queen. He refused to have a sexual relationship with her. He reasoned that he had to share his power with the queen - she had taken enough. Now, he refuses to give his body to her. It was not because he was saving himself for someone he loves - he merely wanted to torture Beatrix for agreeing to marry him.

He would bed woman after woman in the same bed he and his queen shared. Of course, the tyrant king still had his pride as the king. He wanted no bastard son. He would behead women who tried to carry his son in the name of an insult to the crown, treason.

The council was becoming restless. The queen is not getting younger, while the king is getting crazier by the minute. They had to do something. They did what any loyal subject would do - they drugged the king.

On the royal couple's sixth wedding anniversary, they had drugged the king's drink and made the queen wear a perfume that would stimulate a man's sexual desire.

The queen had no idea of such a plot. She wore what they told her to wear because she trusted those who served her. Much to her shock, later that night, the king forced her into submission.

She was crying as he took her against her will. It does not matter if he was her husband - this was not she expected of her marriage and her first time.

The memory of the morning after it happened was still vivid. She woke up when she felt cold water splash across her face. Feeling confused as to what happened, she jolted up. Memories started creeping back the moment she saw the king in front of her, holding an empty glass of water with a scowl on his face.

She could still remember how he leaned into her ear and whispered -

"Better hope that you get pregnant because this is the last time, I'm touching you. Intoxicated or not." He pulled back before speaking once more.

" I don't care if you go dressed or not - get out of my chamber and never come back." She gathered her things and left quickly. Before she could head out of the room, it seemed the king had more to say.

"Oh! Before I forgot. Do look out your balcony. I had set up a present for you in your garden, my queen." He flashed a wicked smile before he started to walk towards his office.

She wanted to scream, to cry, to vent her anger out. But it's as if her voice had left her. She doesn't know why, but before she knew it, her feet led her to the balcony.

What she saw made her stomach churn - it made her knees weak as she collapsed to the floor. How could she love a man as cruel as this? With her back leaned across the wall, she bent her knees closer to her chest and hugged them with her hands. That night she cried until there were no more tears to cry. When she opened her eyes, it was void of any emotions. What little love and respect she once had with her husband, they were lost now.

She thought she would marry a kind and benevolent king, she let his boyish charms and playful smiles fool her. That what was she was - a fool. The man she fell in love with and married was not kind nor benevolent, calling him a monster would be insulting for he was worse than that.

She called for a servant, and she asked them to clean the present her husband had made for her.

She saw them almost stumble to the ground, with their eyes wide open. They looked back at their queen, who had a blank expression on her face.

They did not expect the carnage they saw in their queen's courtyard. Severed heads of the cooks and servants who had served drinks and food during the banquet area are in wooden stakes. At the bottom of the poles, no longer than six feet, lay various organs to what they presumed was from the body of the servants.