The Dying

14

Dinner is going well. Marcus was pleased at the stir they caused as they walked into the dinning hall. Aurora on his right and Margaret on his left, both wearing the daring dresses that only have the top half attached to the skirt at the sides leaving both the front and backs bare. The breast being the only part covered in the front.

Marcus heard more than one admiring comment on the beauty of the females and smiles inwardly knowing that they are his. He makes sure that they are both seated before taking his own seat.

"Will you be announcing the pregnancies before or after we eat?" Margaret leans over and asks.

"I'm not sure which would be better." Marcus tells them hesitantly.

"Before, that way the females will be able to eat or return to duties without having to worry further." Aurora says softly.

"Would that make you feel better as well, Aurora?" Marcus asks her in concern.

Aurora shrugs, "It won't bother me either way. I'm not worried about things. You and they are." Indeed Aurora has shut down many of her feelings at this point. Why feel anything when you have no choice in matters?

Marcus looks at Margaret in alarm and Margaret nods.

Once he can calm himself down and he's sure that all those that are coming for dinner tonight have arrived he stands and immediately conversations fall off. Once there is quiet Marcus says, "As you all know, Garrett was removed from the throne for failing to prove that he was indeed the rightful heir by producing an heir. I wanted just one for him to prove that he indeed deserved the throne. He failed.

"Emmett, will you give your report?"

Emmett stands, "As I call your name will you please stand here in front of the king's table?" Emmett then calls the two servants and the two mistresses that Garrett failed to impregnate, then he called Karla and finally he called Aurora and Margaret. All seven of the females line up beside Emmett.

"All these females have been examined by me and found to be pregnant by Marcus. Further more, Lady Aurora and Princess Margaret are pregnant with multiple children. Lady Aurora is with five and Princess Aurora is with four. Any who doubt me are free to come and check for yourselves if you are able."

"I am sorry for this indignity Aurora, Margaret, but it will stop any from doubting me and Marcus."

"We understand, Emmett. Thank you." Aurora says but there is no warmth in her voice and Emmett looks at her in confusion and a bit of worry.

"Thank you, Emmett." Margaret says and gives him a warm smile.

Almost immediately there are many that refuse to believe that Marcus could have fathered so many children in such a short amount of time. Several others look at him astounded. Demetri was the last one to be able to father any amount of children and even he never had that many at one time.

Several of those that doubt line up to check for themselves to see if the females are pregnant or not. By the time they get to Aurora and Margaret they are looking more than a little green and sick. The ones that can tell how many they are pregnant with just stare in shock before they are escorted back to their seats.

"Those that doubted, please stand and tell what you found on your own examinations." Emmett says more than a little pleased.

One after another confirms what Emmett had told them.

As the females prepare to leave or return to their seats, one of the servants that is pregnant stops and faces the other diners.

In a voice of power and strength that the servant was never known to have she declares, "Changes will be made. There will be no further dissension. Marcus is my chosen and he has asked and gained the hands of Aurora and Margaret as his queen and princess. Aurora's words will be equal to his. Should any more try to remove him from his place on the throne they will be dealt with by me.

"He and my daughters are the last chance you have of surviving. If you deny my will once more than I will destroy my people rather than allow the abominations to continue. You will not harm my daughters any further. I know that Marcus has already put into law that the females have the choice to say no. Any found to violate that law will be punished, if not by Marcus then by me. He might not ever learn of it, but nothing is unseen by me. I will not have my daughters crying to me like they did in the past. I will not have them die from abandonment and abuse.

"You have turned to males for love, as long as you don't use and abuse my daughters then I don't care if you carry on. Just remember, you can't have children without the female." With that the female that spoke collapsed, the other servant catches and Emmett hurries to her.

"What the hell was that, Marcus?" Margaret demands of the king.

"That was the throne giving a warning to the people."

"Well, I guess you are having at least two daughters then, aren't you?" Aurora mutters softly.

"I hope that they are all daughters. I would love nothing more than to spoil them rotten."

Aurora snorts in disbelief. The whole society has always put males first, even before Demetri changed things. Females couldn't inherit the throne.

"If our first born is female then she will be the crown princess. She will be the one to inherit the throne, Aurora."

Aurora scoffs, "Your people won't accept a crown princess. They will demand a male on the throne, even if it isn't one of my children, but one from Margaret or from the other female or females."

"Doesn't matter what the people say, it will matter what the throne says. If she says that the ruler will be a female, then it will be a female." Marcus says shrugging.

Aurora doesn't have the energy to fight him on this. It just plain isn't worth it so she goes back to eating her food.

Margaret looks at Marcus and squeezes his hand. She's very afraid for her mother.

Marcus squeezes her hand back and does his best to eat the now tasteless food. His head is spinning trying to find something, anything he can do to make sure that Aurora knows of his love.

He admits it to himself, he loves her, but he doesn't know how to tell her. Not that she would believe him, not at this time.

Dinner seems to last forever and still nothing comes to mind on how to save things with Aurora.

"If you two would come with me. I had the servants move you to the queen's quarters while we were eating. I don't think you've ever been there."

The two are willing. By now Aurora just wants to lie down and sleep. She's exhausted and wants nothing more than to sleep. She hopes that she will sleep and never wake up or even better, wake up and find that it's all been some horrible nightmare and that she is actually on Earth and is dreaming this elaborate history.

This is nothing more than a nightmare, she repeats to herself over and over again as they move down the hall.