Madeleine Bernadotte
"If I am understanding correctly, feel free to correct me, but your planning a secret alliance with Elizabeth?" Linnea asks, twelve times and she still doesn't understand that it's not secret if she becomes queen.
"Secret from Mary, she still lurks in the shadows and her ladies, apart from Lola, are still watching me. Sebastian has suspicions that when my heir is born she will attack again" I inform him, my hand rubbing my heavily pregnant stomach. It's common for Swedish monarchs to give birth prior to due dates, I must be watched in case something happens and the child is premature.
"Do not stress her majesty, she needs rest." Lola tells him as she helps me to my feet. Lola is a lovely girl, she came to me for help when Mary was acting out of sorts and I took her in as a friend.
"True right, your majesty" Linnea bows as I nod back at her before leaving the room.
"Your majesty, I may be out of line for mentioning this, but I heard word that Francis' old fling is back in court" Lola says as I come to a hault. His old fling?
"I'm sorry, I don't know what you are talking about" I tell her, a look of fear washes over her porcelain face.
"Olivia her name doesn't matter, she's back. Well, I should tell you all of what I know then considering you do not know about this. Let's go to your chambers and discuss this" she suggests as we near Francis and i's shared chambers.
"Tell me everything you know Lola" I tell her as we enter the room and sit on the couches.
"Olivia, Francis' rumoured first love. Apparently she was a noble who lived at court and she caught his eye, this was many year ago I believe, and well he ruined her according to her family. It's takes two to tango or so I've heard. Apparently he took her purity and threw her to the side, she spread awful rumours about him in turn. But she loves him, or is obsessed with him and came to court because she found out he wed and has a child on the way." She tells me as I begin to feel light headed, a sharp pain shooting through my abdomen and vision becoming blurred in the process.
"Your majesty?" Lola asks as I wave her off.
"Keep going, that's not all" I pick.
"Olivia has connections to the Vatican, that's why she's back. She's teaming with Mary I would assume to win Francis over because he supposedly 'has no control' around her. That's what I've heard from kitchen staff anyway" she continues as the pain shoots back through my abdomen and hiss in pain.
"Your majesty?"
"Continue Lady Lola, I must hear this" I order as she sighs before continuing.
"She arrives today, or has arrived which is not good. Queen Catherine has told me that Francis does not know that she is coming. This doesn't sound good. I mean - Your majesty?" She stops as I cry out in pain causing guards to rush into the room and move me over to the bed.
"Lady Lola, you must stay with our queen. I believe the baby is coming now" Per informs her as I cry out again. I cannot be going into labour, I cannot go into labour, I cannot have this baby now.
"Get Francis" she tells him before grabbing my hand as I continue to cry out in pain.
"Lady Lola, what is - my dear child! Guards! Guards! Get help, the Queen!" Catherine yells as she comes over to the bed before pushing me slightly upright. Is this the birthing position?
"Breathe Madeleine, Francis will be here soon" she whispers while petting my hair as Lola places a damp cloth on my forehead, patting the slight sweat away.
"Please, something is wrong" I cry out as Catherine continues to pat my hair,
"My dear child, nothing is wrong. You're in labour" she tells me.
"No, I can feel it. There's something wrong!" I tell her as the door opens again revealing Enoch and Nostradamus, Who hurriedly come to the bed where I lay and help put me in more of an upright position.
"She keeps saying there is something wrong, nothing is wrong" Catherine informs them as she backs away with Lola, I continue to scream out in agony.
"Pet, your just in labour" Linnea tells me as I grab her collar and pull her closer to me.
"My skirt is red. Not white. Something is wrong!" I scream at him before resting my her back, pushing ever so slightly to get this child out of me.
"Your majesty, I'm going to ask you to push and we will try to get the child out of you as soon as possible" Nostradamus tells me as I push harder, desperate to get this child out of me.
~
"Where is Francis? I sent Per for him hours ago" Lola panics as I pant breathlessly. Something is definitely wrong.
"Francis please" I breathe although he cannot hear me.
"It will be okay darling, he will come. I know my son and he would never abandon you in this time or life" Catherine tells me as I smile a tiny bit before screaming and pushing again.
"Where is he?" I cry into Catherine's skirt.
"He'll be here so Pet" Linnea tells me as I push again.
"I can't do it anymore! I need him!" I scream and my hearing starts to fade and I begin to choke on the air.
"Pet?"
"Madeleine?"
"My love?"
As the world stands still, I slip into unconsciousness.
