Throne of Blood

Part I Chapter 15

Queen Esmer made her way to the bedroom as the intense pains shot throughout her midsection. She felt as though a million sharp daggers were stabbing her insides as she nearly collapsed from the fresh wave of pain. She pushed through the bedroom doors and stumbled onto the bed, where she rolled onto her back and let out a groan in relief.

The pregnancy had been taking a toll on her body, especially since her husband's departure. She had hardly slept, her eating had begun to dwindle, and the pain of her burden had reached an all-time high. A fresh wave of shooting pain shot through her stomach, sending a scream out of the queen's mouth.

Soon her handmaidens burst into the room, scurrying about like ants to take care of their queen. The head maiden barked orders at the younger two as they ran out of the room and quickly returned with a bowl of water and towels.

The handmaids gently pressed the towels dabbed in water along the queens forehead to cool her down. The queen groaned at the intense pains in her gut as the shooting fire burned her insides. Soon the pain began to subside after what felt like an eternity as the sharp daggers turned into a slight discomfort which descended into normalcy. Esmer thanked her maids and ordered them to leave her so she could rest. Each maid scattered out of the room as quickly as they had come in leaving the queen alone once again.

Esmer laid there angry at her husband. Angry at him for leaving her in such a time like this, angry at his impatience, and angry at his duties to the kingdom. She was tired of being a queen and him being the king. If only they could be like the lazy lords and ladies that filled their halls. Then she could enjoy life without the burdens of duty.

As Esmer lay there bemoaning her life and the requirements of it she heard a firm knock at the door. The queen let out a sigh before permitting the guest into her room. As the door creaked open in came Chancellor Brenwick. The tall slender figure of the friend only heightened the anger inside her. After all it was Brenwick who convinced her husband to leave her.

"Ah Brenwick how are you?" she asked him.

"I might ask the same of you my queen," the man responded with a look of tenderness knowing the pain she had just endured.

"I've been better. I'll be better when Valrun returns," she said breaking his gaze, staring up at the ceiling as she felt tears well up in her eyes.

"We all shall my queen," Brenwick said giving her an understanding look, "but for now we must be patient. It is important that your husband visit Petroas. You cannot deny the reports that his brother has been...well...a bit off recently."

"Melchel had always been an odd bird Brenwick," the queen scoffed, rolling her eyes at the chancellor. "I understand you might think it to be the utmost importance to visit his brother right now, but ensuring that his heir is born along with the safety of his wife might be a bit more important." Esmer added extra emphasis on the last word as she glared at Brenwick behind her icy eyes.

"My queen I understand your frustration with the king's decision but it is for the best. There are rumors of a dark force preparing to attack our kingdom and we must be ready. While we are in a time of peace this moment peace is not something that will last. Unless all humanity is wiped out by some great force the wickedness of the individual will neve cease to seek something greater than all of mankind's own good. People are selfish my queen, and until they realize that there is nothing more important than living peacefully with one another, there will always be something to fear."

Esmer knew Brenwick's words to be true but she hated to admit it. She knew the peace would not last forever and she had indeed heard the rumors of the growing army in Kavanland. But how could there be a war once again? It had not been too long ago that her father and husband had engaged in a war of their own with Esmer caught in the middle of it all. She hated the bloodshed and feared that her love might not make it out of another war. Esmer longed for the peace to last but like all things, it too must come to an end.

"You are right Brenwick," the queen said letting out a sigh. "I only wish we could avoid the bloodshed and keep what we have together. So much has already been lost, I do not wish to lose anymore."

"That is my hope as well. As long as we ensure that the kingdom remains together, and we keep tabs on the events of this world then we shall be much better off than were we to sit in our towers, ignorant of the world around."

As usual, Brenwick was right. The queen needed to be patient in this time of uncertainty and trust the wisdom of the council. For now she would wait, hoping that all would be well with her husbands journey and he would come back with only the assurance that all is well.