BITTER VICTORY

"Your Majesty." Valerian heard someone say.

He wasn't certain if it was him they were addressing but nevertheless he opened his eyes.

There was a brilliant beam of light that was in his face and he was lying down on something more comfortable.

"Where am I?" Valerian asked.

"In a Duke's household." Helren replied.

"A Duke?" Valerian asked as his mind started to linger around and recollect everything that had happened.

It almost felt like a dream to him so he wanted to consult if it was true.

"How did we get here?" He asked as he came to his senses.

"You fainted after the war last night, this was the nearest most comfortable place to accommodate you." Helren replied.

"Oh, the war." Valerian said finally piecing everything together.

He tried to sit up but felt abdominal pain.

"Be careful your Majesty." Gerald said as they helped Valerian sit as he leaned against his pillow.

Suddenly, the doors of the room were flung open and Alexander rushed in out of the blue.

"Alexander?" Valerian said a little bit surprised.

"You stubborn idiot." Alexander said as though relieved to see that Valerian was alright.

Eventually, a doctor walked in after him.

"Your Majesty." He was calling behind Alexander but came to stop after he saw him looking at Valerian.

"We won the battle." Valerian said.

"You knew that with your condition I wouldn't allow you to leave the palace." Alexander said.

"And I understand but I wouldn't just sit down and look at you surrendering the Scoln lands." Valerian said.

"At least you are alive." Alexander said with a smile.

Valerian returned a smile at him as well.

"And Doctor, how is the baby?" Alexander asked.

"Yes doctor, how is my baby?" Valerian asked as well.

The entire room went dead silent except for the doctor who rather bowed his head.

"Don't be shy." Valerian encouraged the doctor.

"I wish I would say this as an old casual joke your Majesty." The Doctor said.

At once, the smiling faces of the King and the Queen instantly turned gloomy.

"What is the matter?" Alexander asked desperate to hear what the doctor wanted to say.

"I am sorry your Majesty but you miscarried." The Doctor said.

Valerian felt his heart shatter to pieces immediately.

For Alexander, the whole world came crushing down on him that he could barely say a single word.

"No." Valerian said.

"Apparently, going to the war, you pushed your body beyond it's limits.

You overstressed yourself and I am afraid to say this but it was harmful to both you and your baby.

It could have an effect on your fertility in the near future." The Doctor replied.

"No, don't lie to me." Valerian yelled.

The doctor bowed his head.

"I only wish that there was something that we could possibly do." The doctor said.

"Nooooo." Valerian mourned that his mourn was heard even outside.

The soldiers needed no announcement or notice to know the heartbreaking news Valerian had heard.

Alexander looked angrily at Valerian.

"This is your fault, you, it is you that murdered our child again." Alexander said.

Valerian cried bitterly and barely had the strength to keep up to Alexander's speech.

"You are the murderer here." Alexander accused as he angrily strode out if the room.

Valerian who was there depressed cried louder and louder as Alexander withdrew from his presence.

Gerald sat down on the bed next to his Queen and he did what he thought was best.

He pulled Valerian into a hug but not even that could calm him from the pain of hearing the News about the death of his baby.

"My baby, I could have saved him." Valerian said.

"It will all be alright." Gerald said.

"My baby, I killed my baby." Valerian persisted to say.

"No you didn't." Gerald said.

Alexander who had strode away finally got into one of the studies in the manor.

He locked himself behind the doors and windows his back against them, he slowly fell down.

He went bitterly as he recalled the words of the doctor.

They were constantly replaying at the back of his head that he stood up in an absolute fit of rage.

"No, not my child, why my child?" Alexander asked himself.

He started ripping things apart and throwing them.

He broke everything that he's got a hold of but he couldn't find the courage to keep on breaking things.

He was more tired much faster than he had expected.

He had been in a great hurry trying to get to his fainted Queen only to hear the news that the child the both of them expected was dead.

For another time in his life, Alexander cried bitterly and he couldn't stop his tears from falling down.

"It is my fault, I couldn't stop Valerian from leaving." He internally blamed himself.

"It is my fault, for falling in love and marrying someone as reckless as him." He continued to think about it.

Some time passed and the people that had moved up North had to return to their then peaceful Southern lands.

At least there was an assurance that the Skartians wouldn't be attacking them any time soon.

Valerian had at least made sure to not only threaten them but also others who would attempt conquest.

The Imperial couple were traveling back to the capital.

The ride back to the capital was a quiet one and amidst the cheers that Valerian received, he was in low spirits.

He could not find the courage to fly his flag because if this is what victory tasted like, for the first time in his military life, it was bitter.

The white flag was closed and it wasn't in his possession either.

He wasn't in his military uniform, just a black and white Velvet dress on his body.

It seemed to many as though he was mourning but the News had not gone public as of yet.

Only the military knew what Valerian was struggling with in the name of what, their victory?

Once the couple got to Silver Sattinborough, it was unbearable for them to even face each other.

"Helren." Alexander called.

"Yes your Majesty." Helren replied as he bowed his head.

"Have a separate room prepared for me." Alexander said.

"I would not want to get too excited and do something wrong, I think I need some space." Alexander added.

It was clear to Helren and Gerald that Alexander was avoiding Valerian.

He inwardly blamed the loss of their second child on his restlessness and irresponsibility.

"Yes, your Majesty." Helren replied.

At once, Alexander walked into the palace without even sparing a glance to look at Valerian at all.

Valerian was hurt by it but he did not say a single word to him at all.

He also continued inside the building.

The Prime Minister was not in his office so Alexander turned to Charles the moment he got inside.

"Welcome back your Majesty." Charles said but he was ignored by Alexander.

"So how is the Queen your Majesty?" Charles asked.

Alexander then stopped in his tracks.

"So you won't ask about my child, only my consort?" Alexander said.

"I am sorry, I did not mean it that way your Majesty." Charles said.

"Of course, you didn't mean it, no one means what they do these days as it seems to me." Alexander said.

"Your Majesty...." Charles was still saying when Alexander halted him with his hand.

"No worries, the Queen is alright, after all, she is quite resistant with her body when it comes to war." Alexander replied.

"That is a relief." Charles said.

"It does not feel that way to me." Alexander said and Charles was a little bit puzzled.

"And the child?" He eventually asked.

"My child, unfortunately, for his case, he is no more." Alexander replied that Charles was immediately thrown into dismay.

"Does the world know your Majesty?" Charles asked.

"No." Alexander replied.

"I could delay the information if you wish to keep it confidential." Charles said.

"There is no use in doing that at this very moment, it is not confidential since many people in the militia are already aware of it.

I can't keep it from the country even if I wanted to and it is the truth that I can not really run away from.

However much I want, it is still of no use to me." Alexander said.

"Then I shall pass your notice your Majesty." Charles said.

Charles departed from the King's presence and the press and all other mass media communication hubs circulated it.

Private Notices that were scattered across the land forced the masses to read it out loud.

"It is on a sad note that I hereby wish to inform the Scolns and the world at large.

The Royal family has been devastated will yet another loss of a royal child.

The country is henceforth to be in a state of national mourning." The announcement went out.

Every one from the members of the Royal family to the commons, prisons and the free even the ex prime Minister read the awful news.

At once, he burst into tears.

"For freedom, how agonizing that you had to pay it's price with the life of your child." The Prime Minister said to himself as he grieved.