18

I allowed the maid to help me get to the bath. Then u asked her to leave. She had drawn a warm bath will milk, and lavender and mint leaves in it. The lavender and mint would both help with the pain, while mixed with the warm milk would help the sourness.

I sat in the bath for a while wondering what Peter was doing. I got out and the maid started a fire for me and I put my rob on. I walked out to the balcony and watched the fireworks created by the magicians. Peter still wasn't back by the end of them.

It was late in the night when I went to sleep. When I woke Peter wasn't there but his spot on the bed showed he had come back at some point. I went and got breakfast but he wasn't there and then I didn't see him all day. Dinner came and went by myself. It went on like this for over almost a month.

It changed when he came to tell me about a war that was breaking out. He said I should go this time, since I can handle myself and my brother would also be there. He also said he still had a lot of work to do and was needed since he had just taken over. I agreed, and a week later I left. He didn't come to see me off, as I lead part of our army away. Months past out on the battle field with me leading the charge, it when I realized something was wrong. I hadn't gotten a single letter from Peter and I hadn't had a period. It had been 5 almost 6 months. I had started to show already.

I couldn't be out in the middle of battle anymore. I wrote to my brother who was located back at the capital and to my husband. I only got a response from my brother. Peter continued to ignore me.

My brother told me he was going to come and take my spot on the battle field and that I needed to be safe and take it easy. He would be there as soon as he could with a doctor. I already knew though. I didn't need a doctor to tell me I was with child.

My commanding officers, all made sure I was never alone or in the front lines and tried to keep me just in the tent to give commands and strategize. Despite the letter from my brother two months passed with no other word from the capital. We were winning and we're going to take over the other empire to grow our own.

Months had passed and we had went into there territory and taken it almost completely over. All of my people were telling me to leave and they could manage without me until my brother arrived. A battle field is no place for a pregnant queen or a child.

I choose not to listen as a leader I had a responsibility. I ended up giving birth in a river with one of my healers. While a battle raged on all around us. A river red with blood of our and our enemies fallen. A place filled with screams of injured and dying warriors. Where bodies covered the ground. That is where I gave birth and a new tinny cries filled the air. A baby who didn't know where he was, he was handed up to me. I held him and rocked him in my arms as he cried. His hair just like his fathers but he had my bright purple eyes. Your name will be Zach. Don't worry my child I will protect you. With that some of the men spread out to inform the commanders. Everyone fought even harder with the renewed strength of the first prince being born. I rejoined the battle using my magic publicly for the first time. We pushed our enemies back even more. That same night they surrendered. They realized they had been beaten and an agreement was finalized making them part of our empire. Their imperial family was captured and publicly executed the next morning.

Their heads put in spears and paraded back to our capital while their bodies were left hanging in front of there burning castle. People road ahead and informed everyone of the news of our victory and the birth of the first prince. As we road through towns people lined up to see us and celebrate.

When we arrived at the capital and road up to the castle I lead the way with Zach in my arms.

I was meant with by Peter and his advisors and Nora stood behind him. She was showing. I knew something was wrong but I didn't realize that he had been sleeping with someone else already.

It sent my advisors and those who had sworn their loyalty to me into an outrage and soon the outrage was being screamed by the commoners as well.

I was furious as well. I found out two weeks later that my brother never made it to the front lines because he was murdered before he could ever leave the capital. He had been poisoned after a meeting at the castle. It broke my heart and I decided my revenge that we had once given up on would be left to me to fulfill.

With that I sat with my loyal advisors and we hatched our plan. Nora would be given additives in her tea and soup that had no flavor or smell but would cause her to miss carry. It was a plant called egret, it also makes the consumer become infertile if taken twice or more a day for two weeks. She drinks tea in the morning and at lunch, and soup is the only thing that doesn't make her feel sick. We would hide a large amount in her room to be found that way they would know she was giving it to herself and egret is a plant locally found on their manor. I would use my magic to do all of this so nobody would see a thing. My advisor part is that they would investigate her family as they had been doing illegal things and it would be published that way the people know, and it would force Peters hand. We also had evidence Nora had something to do with my brothers death which would also turn any of her supporter and anyone who had aligned themselves with my brother over to my side although most had already gone to me in private to pledge their support.