His Caged Princess

1. Prologue

The scorching heat of the sun burned down upon the green fields; the sweltering haze clear to the naked eye. The grass was long, reaching high towards the blazing sun, the soft yet scarce breeze swaying the meadows like a soothing rhythm. A rhythm that was a stark contrast to the agonising screams of a woman amid childbirth, for in the middle of these fields was a small hut where a woman lay on a wooden bed. Her eyes stinging with tears of pain.

“You are almost there,” The elder woman who was assisting the labour encouraged soothingly, her eyes flitting to the sun in the sky,

“I must hurry before the eclipse…” the woman on the bed cried in pain, her light blond hair sticky with sweat.

“We cannot control the hands of time nor the cards of destiny, place your faith in God,” The elder woman said looking towards the handsome young man who stood in the corner, a rich navy cloak over his shoulders was the only thing giving away his wealth. But despite that, he held an aura of importance around him. His sharp grey held pride as they gazed at the woman who lay on the bed before shifting his gaze to the elder woman.

“Catherina… how much longer,” he asked quietly,

“My king, there is no timer on these things, but I believe when the blood eclipse graces our lands the princess will be born,” Catherina said.

The younger woman looked at her defiantly, her red irises holding denial and refusal

“It may be a boy,” she said firmly, Catherina simply smiled gently. The fate of this child was preordained, but she said nothing, not wanting to overwhelm the woman any more than she already was.

Minutes had passed but it seemed like hours, the skies darkened as a red glow blanketed the lands. The rare blood moon blocking out the light of the sun, everything seemed to still as if awaiting something special…

The king now held the woman's hand kissing it gently, as a scream tore through her body, moments later a blinding light emitted around the entire hut, as a soft cry filled the air

“Congratulations your majesty, it is a girl,” Catherina said clipping the cord and wrapping the child in a woven blanket, turning towards the king who stood still.

A storm of emotions swirled inside him, Relief, happiness and the sheer weight that the child his love had given birth to was not ordinary, the woman on the bed closed her eyes, turning her face away from the child and man.

Tugging her hand free as the king reached for the child, he took the bundle carefully, looking back at him were two blazing eyes of red and gold, brighter than the sun, and the king was forced to look away from their intensity.

Catherina left the room giving the parents of the child privacy. After all, even they did not know how special this child was and she could not tell them, for the time was not right.

“Do you not wish to carry her?” the king asked the woman cradling the child in his arm. She closed her eyes sitting up, her back towards him

“No. Take her and leave,” she said her heart breaking into a thousand pieces and she knew no matter how hard she tried, once something was broken it could never be whole. The moment her child was determined a female, she knew she had to let her go.

The young king looked at the back of the woman he loved with all his heart, could they not flee? Live together as a family?

“Things do not need to be this way,” he said quietly looking down at the cooing baby in his arms, feeling his heart fill with warmth, how could you love something you had just laid eyes on?

“There is no other option,” she said coldly, her voice sounding icy, if she had known his identity to begin with she would have avoided this but it was too late.