CHAPTER 5 - SOUTHEAST

Despite the busy schedule and precautions, the Queen even though pregnant, decided to visit the indigenous group of their country.

"Welcome, our Queen! Thank you for visiting us. Let's head inside, the foods are ready," greetings from the leader.

"It is always my pleasure, Chieftain! You guys always make me feel welcomed and safe here in your place, who wouldn't want to come here as often like me?" they laughed.

"Well, we always wait for you to come here, Your Highness. But, knowing that you are pregnant, we want to know you are resting so well," answered the Chieftain.

A group of soldiers entered the hall, "Chieftain," he looked at the Queen and bowed down, "Your Highness, the Soothsayer would like to see you."

The Queen smiled, "I would like to meet her too. Tell her to join us. Thank you."

The soldiers bowed and then leave. The Chieftain and the Queen were patiently waiting for the Soothsayer.

"Aren't you hungry already, our Queen?"

"I'm fine, let's wait for the Soothsayer."

Not long after the Queen said that a woman appeared in front of the sitting next to the Queen. It is noticeable that the Queen herself was shocked about it.

"Oh my!" she let out a deep sigh, "Greetings to you Soothsayer."

The woman slowly looked on her face.

"Oh! You look like the lady we saw in the forest late at night, a few days ago. But you look so different now, you look younger and you are now dressed well," said the Queen.

"Yes, Your Highness. I would like to thank you for helping me out by looking into the future of your daughter," the Soothsayer said.

"Really? Well, that's so nice! But, you don't have to, Madam. Anyone in my shoes will do the same. Seeing an old lady in such a situation, someone will immediately respond help," she explained.

"I am afraid to say, that is not true," she looked at the Chieftain, "I have been there for a couple of nights and you are the only one who tried to help. That even the respected Chieftain ignored when he saw me."

The Chieftain looked at her intently, "I guess you have mistaken me for someone else, Madam Soothsayer," he sipped from his drink.

"Well, I guess I'm not, Chieftain Walter. It was that night when you are following Madam Flaur running with a man who doesn't seem to be a resident here. You saw me, you even gazed at me as if you are telling me to be silent or I will be dead. So I nodded, and you left that instant," she smirked at the Chieftain.

Walter dropped his utensils, "You are completely mistaken, Folly."

The Soothsayer drink wine from her glass, "Calling me by my name now, Walter? I heard Flaur is pregnant and will soon give birth, the same as the Queen. The child will live happily and be satisfied even in the time you are not the Chieftain anymore. The child will live as a different person from who she has to be, and I'm afraid she will take after Flaur."

"I thought you came here for the Queen, how come that you are now telling me these things when I am not interested?" he clenched his fists.

"Relax, Walter. That vision just popped out of the from nowhere so I felt the urgency to tell you."

"Ahm, I think—" she interrupted the Queen.

"No, My Queen. We will finish yours now," she held the Queen's hand, she looked at her with pity on her eyes, "The princess will be part of the nation's wonderful legend and will make things for our beloved Southeast back as to the ways it was before."

"Well, that's great news! But why do I see pity on your eyes?" the Queen asked.

"That is because she will live a miserable life. She will grow with the King but she will not be recognized as the Princess, argh!" she shouted while holding her head like it was about to burst.

She continued to be in that state for a while before she disappeared.

"Why would it happen? Why is it that she will only live with the King and not also with you, Your Highness?" asked the Chieftain.

With tears starting to build up in her eyes, the Queen answered with a beautiful smile, "The King and I will always be one. The King and me. That's the thought of marrying each other right? Being one with God."

While on her way home, strictly guarded by palace soldiers, the Queen can't help to cry. She was fully aware of the consequences of the choices she has made. But the joy of giving birth removed all of that from her for quite some time. When she left their place, she was warned that the only way to continue living was to not bear a child. But seeing how fond her husband, King Charles to kids made her wanted to give it to him even if it means her life would come to an end.

Gabrielle came from a place where everyone would wish to be. But like all of them living there, they all wish to get out of that paradise of suffering. It is not easy to live there. It is painful to stay there. All she wanted was to have a family, but in their case, the definition of a perfect family was to marry and live with the one who lives there like them. It was a cruel world for the women because if the woman would bore a child that was not brought by the same kind, the woman would die after giving birth and was believed to be not reincarnated forever. Unlike with the men, they will live but they would see their family gone one by one.

"Oh, you're finally here, My queen," King Charles welcomed her with a warm hug, "How was your visit?"

"It was amazing as always, Love," he hugged him back.

"Prepare us some tea and ahm, what do you want, Love?" he looked at her with loving eyes.

"I want dark chocolate cake please," and they walk towards the garden.

"I won't allow you to go anywhere without me again. And if necessary, I won't let you leave the palace."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Charles."

"What was that for?"

"For saving me from that place and letting me experience this kind of life even for a short while."

He looked at her full of confusion, "What do you mean by that?" he chuckled, "Is that also because of your pregnancy, that you become so emotional like that?"

"Thank you for all of this, Charles. I want to name her Bella, Charles. Name her Bella. It is up to you if would like to add a second name but please let's name her, Bella."

"We will name her, Bella," he held her hands.

As they stay like that, the tea and cake were about to come when Gabrielle felt something that made her grip on Charles' hand harder.

"Why? What's wrong, Love?"

"She's about to come, Love. It hurts, argh!" she shouted in pain.