Welcome once more to Short Story Saturday. This was hurriedly scrawled last week and I haven’t had time to edit so you’ll have to forgive me for the state it’s in. It is set fifteen or so years after the events of Queen of Hearts. Also JOIN US here!!!! Read Part 1 before you forge too far ahead! 🙂
‘Alexi, there’s something I have to tell you and you must promise, by all the gods, by your ancestors’ graves and on your life that you will tell no one.’
‘What is it?’
‘Promise me.’
‘I promise.’ Alexandru replied but, seeing Kara wasn’t convinced he rose from his chair and knelt in front of her. Taking her hand, he kissed the signet ring, ‘My Queen, I promise by the Firdieu, by the graves of my ancestors, by the shears I cut your hair with when we were children together, by the sword which spilt blood in your names, and on my life, unworthy as it is, I swear that whatever you tell me will not leave this room unless you tell me otherwise. So I swear.’
‘I’m going to have a baby.’
Alexi froze, midway to his feet, ‘A baby?’ he grinned, ‘That’s brilliant! The king will be pleased. It is the king’s child, isn’t it? Kara?’
‘The child I carry is a child of Anrien. Who sired it bears no weight in the matter.’
‘Kara-’
‘You made a solemn oath. When the child is born, you will take it to safety, far, far, far away from here and then I can die in peace.’
‘You talk of dying as if you have no other option.’
‘I talk of dying as if I am willing. Which I am, once the future is safe.’
‘You would sacrifice yourself for your unborn child?’
‘Alexi, do you not know me at all? I would sacrifice everything, have sacrificed anything for Anrien. I would sacrifice my own children if it meant other children could sleep in peace and grow up beyond the storm cloud of war.’
‘You’re tired, Kara. You should rest, in your condition.’
Kara fixed her bloodshot eyes on him and sighed, ‘Perhaps you’re right.’
R.E. Navan 