Battle for Supremacy

Chapter 1: Unexpected Birth

The cold silent night seemed to be as dead as the inhabitants of the village. Their lifeless eyes seemed to stare at her as she walked around trying to find a single sign of life.

She passed from house to house to see if any one might have been spared from the ruth less soldiers bent on delivering the convoluted justice. They were a force to reckon as they had moved about with agility and snapped the life out of the entire village on the foot hill of Mount Clambus. No one had been sparred woman, child, the elderly. 

She was chocking on fear as she was seeing the gruesome sights in front of her. Some of the walls were covered in blood while there seemed to be a river of blood  as she crossed the threshold of the last home. She was shaking in silent tears as sobs threatened to espace her chest. 

She prayed for a miracle that some how the exiled queen would have been sparred. The hope was dying every moment she inched closer to her destination.

She reached the end of a long corridor in the wrecked house. Every thing was turned upside down. She had to step over a fallen table in her path. She lifted the painting on the corridor end to reveal the secret tunnel. The painting frame had been tattered and bore marks of blood. Her foot unexpectedly came in contact with an object. 

She screamed when she realized it was body. Body of her beloved son John. She had known in her heart that he wouldn't have survived when she entered the doomed village but she had hoped.

Now seeing his life-less body cut all hopes in her heart. He bore various stab marks on his body showing signs of struggle and torture. He had died while protecting the secret that also took the life of whole village.

She somehow calmed her broken heart of a mother to fulfil the higher duty of loyalty to the kingdom. 

She carried on to the tunnel by climbing over bricks of the wall. The tunnel was dark as usual. It took few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

She reached a small cot lying hidden behind a stack of varoius old articles of the house like chairs, cabinets and a pendulum clock.

She saw a figure lying in a mass of clothes and blankets. She stooped down to see the face of the exiled Queen Victoria of her kingdom.

"Serena...", the queen said in a weak voice. The old nurse caught her hand and whispered to her, "Your highness I am here".

The queen looked pained and fragile. She had suffered a lot and now pregnant with the future heir of the kingdom, her last hope was to bring the baby to this world. Her last three pregnancies had ended in miscarriages. It was her last hope as her husband Richard that been slaughtered by the vile filthy cousin Henry in a sick scheme to obtain the throne.

Now to protect her life, the whole village had sacrificed their lives. She felt like a monster. She wanted to be dead like her husband amd be united with him in death. But before she had a task to complete. She prayed to the almighty every night that the enemies be doomed to the darkest hole in the Hell for their betrayal.

"Serena, the whole village is dead. All because of me. and your John...", she broke down in a sob and couldn't continue. 

The nurse steeled herself and desperately tried not to break down. She had to be strong as it was   need of the hour.

"Your Highness please do not blame yourself for the carnage as it was bound to happen. The villagers have sacrified themselves to save you and the heir to throne. I request you to collect yourself and prepare for the birth, it's about time now"

Victoria understood what the nurse was trying to imply. She had to make through this time. She couldn't afford to loose the heir now.

She nodded and started praying to the Almighty to give her the strength to survive this ordeal.

The nurse opened the sack she was carrying. The reason she was alive was that she had gone to the neighbouring village the day before to get all medications for the birth.

She looked at the worn out clock in the room and waited.

Soon the queen experienced the first sign of pains. She shouted a little as the pain heaved through her weak body. " I have to stay strong for Richard", she kept on chanting in her head.

The pain subsided and she relaxed. The nurse meanwhile prepared a potion from the herbs she had gathered and made her drink it slowly.

As the pain returned she grabbed the nurse's hand in her grip to steady herself. The nurse muttered soothing words to encourage her.

The cycle of pain and calm continued for few long never- ending minutes. Victoria was beyong spent now and felt herself giving into the darkness that surrounded her eyes.

Suddenly the nurse shouted, "Highness you are very near just keep holding on please"

Victoria fought with all her might and then all of a sudden the cries of a new born filled the room.

She smiled through her pain at the sound. She had done it. The new heir was born against all odds.

The nurse checked the baby with experienced hands while cleaning it. She looked into the baby's face and observed how much the girl resembled her dead father, King Richard.

Victoria longed to see her baby and called now to the nurse in a faltering voice. Serena handled the baby to the queen who took her eagerly. 

"Your Highness your daughter is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. She looks just like her father", the nurse remarked.

Victoria blinked her eyes as they filled with unshed tears. Her broken heart was somewhat revived as she lovingly held onto the reminder of her husband.

"I choose to name her Helena, Princess Helena of Apoleshia" she whispered before giving in to the darkness