A widow had found herself in trouble with the palace when her son ran into the Duke Nicholas Howard, the cold and handsome bachelor of the Kingdom of Leuedai.
The Duke found himself being engaged with this young widow and her bastard son, wanting to...
A young woman sat before a grand mirror, staring blankly as she brushed her hair. She stopped at the sound of footsteps approaching her. Glancing up, a smile graced her pretty pink lips. It was her friend, and waiting maid, Cherin. Something was off about Cherin, her arms were behind her back as though she was hiding something. "What's wrong, Cherin?" Cherin heaved a sigh, knowing what she's about to day won't be an easy pipe to smoke. "Bellissima, I'm afraid you might be pregnant." She stated in a low tone, slowly revealing the thing she was hiding behind her. "It's been about forty days and your menses have yet to come. I took some wheat sprouts from the kitchen and dropped them in your chamber pot. They gave sprouted, Bellissima." "What? How could this be I- I thought the neem would work. What's happening?!" "Belle.. Belle!" Cherin grabbed a old of the inconsolable Princess. "I know, this might not be what you have wanted.. but think about it, you now have a child with the King. There's so many possibilities of what this child could become. He or she could become." "What if they're a monster..?" She countered. "But what of they aren't, Bellissima? You're their mother. I'm here and so is Jacques. With our influence how bad could it really be?"
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Nicholas noticed quite a strange smell, strange but somewhat familiar to him. He followed it and it led him to the kitchen where Orletha stood removing a small pot from the hearth. She fanned the pot to cool it. "What are you making?" He asked. "It's tea, for my menses. It's not really made for men to drink. It tastes really bitter." His eyes scanned the cozy little room, landing on a pile of leaves on the table. The leaves are narrow with jagged edges, it being boiled gives a familiar scent from his early childhood.
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"This leaf.. is neem." Said Cherin as she handed the leaf back to the confused Duke. "Neem?" "It's a herb that's commonly used as a home remedy for preventing pregnancies. Why do you ask?" "I was just curious, is all." "Does this have to do with the woman you've been seeing?" She nodded to herself with a down-turned grin, taking his silence as a yes to her question.
"This smell takes me back, Bell had me in the kitchen boiling these leaves away so she could drink it every morning." "Why would she?" "To prevent giving the King another heir. She hoped and if he thought she was barren, that he'd cast her aside and seek a new wife." "So she never wanted children." "Not with him, at least." She placed her hand on his shoulder, "I think she'd be proud, you're nothing like your brothers, nothing like your father either."
"Good to know." "I don't recall any time in Luedai's history that a Royal and commoner had.. relatioms. At least not.." She stopped herself from what she was about to say. "I think what she's doing is in your best interest- and hers. I don't know if what with her is a fling, or something serious.. For your mother's sake, let her decide."
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Enjoying this story? Then I'm sure you'd love this other historical (and dark fantasy) story of mine:
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