chapter 2

King Ephraim did not waste a sweat by delaying in going back to Serpent Land for the necessary rituals to be done. Afterwards he was so pleased with the Duke that he gave him a large piece of land and golds. Duke Williams was glad he could helped the king in a way that his heart cherished the most.

He returned home a happier king. Willing to share the good news. It wasn't known that a king could summoned all his wives into his chambers all at once. Well he did. He summoned them. It was in the youth of the peaceful night that they honored their husband's call. One after the other.

Queen Lucy was first. She wore a white night wear. Simple and fitted. She looked so elegant in it.

King Ephraim was seated on an arm chair placed by the tail of the grand bed. When he saw her, he stood and gave her a warm hug. Then glue his lips to hers. In a passionate longing. Forgetting he summoned other queens.

"Emmm" queen Charlene clear her throat. They turned to her. She gave Queen Lucy a killer sneer. "My king... I greet you".

The king stretched his hands and pulled her into his embraced.

"You summoned her too?" queen Charlene asked in a mocking tone

"Yes!" The king answered her calmly.

Then the bell rang again. Queen Charlene stared surprised at her king. The king ordered them into the sit he had arranged opposite the bed.

" Sit over there my queens".

Queen Lucy sat at one end while queen Charlene sat at the other end near the high window leaving an empty armchair in the middle.

Shortly after queen Daniella came running. She apologized for her lateness and took her sit in-between queen Charlene and queen Lucy.

The king was already seated admiring his choices.

" My beautiful queens. I called you out to apologized for not being there for you. I know as a king I have a lot of responsibility that steals into my time. I also have the right to not say what I'm saying. But saying it won't take a pint off my blood. I am certain I have not been the best of a husband to each and everyone of you. Please accept my apologies"

" My king... You have been more than the best to us. Especially to me". It was queen Lucy that spoke. Queen Charlene almost made her disappeared with their stern sneer. She took solace in the king's grey eyes. It was as though they were divided. indeed they were.

"Yes my king.. she is right" queen Daniella said. "you need tender no apologies my lord. You have been..."

Queen Charlene cut her short. " You have been best to them that are claiming. I believe my king that this apologies is for me..." She took a breathe and looked at Queen Daniella. She sized her up. "So I accept the apologies. I also hope my king". She bowed in her seated position. " That I shall see a changed for the better".

The king regretted the day he married her. She is related by blood to Duke Williams. Miss Charlene was given in engagement to prince Ephraim as a dues. To pay for his misdeed. Prince Ephraim on one of his numerous adventures into the woods. He accidentally murdered a pregnant woman who no one knows why she was there at that time.

Only sir Philips, Duke Williams uncle and Rolland was there. Rolland who is late now was the prince's most trusted guard. Even in death he could never betrayed his master. The problem was sir Phillips. He claimed he also came to hunt for wild animals at that point in time.

King Ephraim's kingship title was at stake. If the royal council knows about it. Another shall be crowned in his stead while he shall be disgraced publicly as a murderer. The potential king was meant to guard his citizens and not killed them. Especially an innocent harmless one. He would have definitely pay for it.

The only way that could make sir Phillips stay quite was to marry miss Charlene, his daughter. That was when prince Ephraim was still a bachelor. He later married queen Lucy before redeeming his pledged to miss Charlene after much persuasion and threats.

Being the first queen was what miss Charlene wanted. she really thought she would be. But then prince Ephraim married miss Lucy before her. She hated him for this. This also was the root of her hatred for queen Lucy and the king as well.

**

He wanted to tell his queens about what he was told in Serpent Land. That they shall bear children but when he saw the dislike among them. He was disappointed and resolved to keep it to himself.

"I noticed that my queens are not at peace with one another. So I called all of you here to make up for any wrong. You must forgive each other just as you have forgiven me".

Queen Lucy was the first while queen Charlene being the eldest was the second wife. queen Daniella and queen Lucy were peers.

"I am the eldest among them. So I suggest they do the right thing". Queen Charlene said and crossed her legs.

The wind was heavy it gently pushed the thinking drapes to her hand. She sent it back. The spacious bed chamber was lit up by the lamps. It enable king Ephraim to see their facial expressions. Mostly queen Charlene and queen Daniella belittling queen lucy with their looks.

The king rested both elbow on the arm of his sit. His brow knitted at the misunderstanding among his queens. He had been too busy searching for ways to have a child and attaining to the matters of the state that he failed to fixed his home. The Joy he had when he first summoned them was forfeited.

A maid just knocked. She came to set the fireplace. It was winter. So their sit was shifted besides the king. Queen Charlene and queen Daniella sat by the right hand facing queen Lucy. The king sat opposite the fireplace.

"I give you ten minutes to settled your differences". The king said in an angry commanding tone. His eyes was staring chills into their spines.

They stood up. All of them remained standing because of the words of the king. Queen Lucy cleared her throat. She then walked to queen Daniella and apologized for the things she did and did not do. For being most beautiful and most loved by their husband. Just for peace to reigned.

Since none was willing to take the initiative she decided to show example as the first queen of Golden Hill Kingdom. She was the officially recognized queen of their kingdom yet she humbled her self before the concubines.

After she was settled with Queen Daniella. She moved to queen Charlene. Queen Charlene had throw her gaze to familiar sight. The portrait of king Ephraim and queen Lucy posing like a trophy on the wall. The bronze statue by the side of the talking drapes and then the woodenware.

"My queen..." Queen Lucy tried to get her attention. "I know we have never really gotten along".

"We have.." Queen Charlene interrupted. Her eye's could have ripped off the heart of queen Lucy.

But she maintained her cool and tried to controlled her voice from sounding upset.

" I have not been good to you". Queen Lucy continue

"I'm willing to changed so we could be at peace with ourselves as one family that we are. I apologize. Please forgive my bad manners my co queen".

" Co queen" this made queen Charlene to be more furious but she concealed it because the king was watching them. She let out a weird laughter and said in a loud carefree tone.

"My fellow queen. You don't have to apologize for being our husband's favorite. It not your fault. I forgive you".

The king arched a brow. His stared locked with Queen Charlene's, when she was in the arms of queen Lucy. She didn't look away. she gazed back smiling wickedly, resting her head on queen Lucy's shoulders.

They embraced each other because the king said so. This gave them the room to speak freely with one another before the king.

King Ephraim was pleased. He gave a resonating clapped while they hugged. He then broke the joy to them. They were surprised but hoped it would be true.

Within this period of their pretentious peaceful watched. Their legs were many in the king's bedchamber until there was a visible prove of their hidden activity. A positive prove that made their king laid down the whole kingdom at their feet.

In a months interval queen Charlene took in. And Queen Lucy and lastly queen Daniella. All three queens took in, in same time interval. Queen Charlene had a still birth. So was other queens when they were due. All of them in sequence. None of their child survived.

The king's joy was buried and in shambles. His hope was lost. He became desolate. Thinking of too many things where he had actually gone wrong other than the deadly mistake he made by killing the pregnant woman. A strayed arrow pierced her stomach through to her back. She bled and died that night. Since then he has and is still paying dearly for it.

On those days a Raven must be seen perching on the corridor's window. Shortly after the queen would deliver a dead child.

So Tyson Odin Anaconda's predictions of the king's death after the birth of his child never came to pass neither was his request granted because those children never survived.

***

Since then his queens has not took in again. Only recently that Queen Lucy conceived. Seeing this Raven here again means bad Omen.

King Ephraim wept and thought. He tried to think but he thought of nothing. Nothing he could think of that could be done to save his unborn child and queen who has been in labor for hours.

"Chased it away", king Ephraim said in a weak tone with head buried in his palms.

The guard stood still, the other one was far off. King Ephraim threw his gaze at him from the corner of an eye, he was staring pitifully at his King.

"A King is supposed to be feared and respected not pitied". He screamed

The guard quickly went on his knees when he shockingly picked up his senses. The burning eyes of the king roasted him of his bodily fluids and sent hail of heats down to his dehydrated loins.

King Ephraim thought of killing him but he didn't want to stained his hands with blood especially not on this day.

"You are lucky it's on a day like this"

He hovered over him glowering with raised shoulders and his heart throbbing loudly in his chest. The guard was shivering, he prostrated for mercy. King Ephraim left angrily.

He advanced forcefully into the throne hall. His nobles stood as he entered. He stared at them with eyes that speaks danger if things didn't go well. They bowed in humbled submission before the king. Their faces etched emotions of plead for mercy in an unpreventable fate.

The shrilling sound from the birthing chamber made the king pardoned them. He went back to the corridor. The chief guard had sent the other guard away. King Ephraim kept spacing. Often he will attempt to enter the chamber when he hears the whimpering coming from it, but stopped half way at the door and held his peace. When he could no longer contained with the whimpering, he bashed in.

"your Majesty".

The midwives turned frightened. There were seven of them. Two were focusing in-between the queen's sprayed legs. Another two was giving the queens protruding belly a quick massage. One towered over her head, boosting her self confidence needed for a safe delivery. The remaining two run petty errands within the birthing chamber. They then focused on their duties.

"Push harder your highness. Your baby is almost here". One of the midwife attending to the queen said.

The king stepped out and closed the door slowly. He had beads of sweat gathered around his forehead, chin and neck and in places unthinkable. His long golden hair sat uncomfortable on his shoulders. He swayed it back and forth and pushed it off, as if his burden was imbedded in it. His grey eyes dim and his face turned pale. His legs was too heavy to carry his body. His royal robe became a burden, but he couldn't pulled it off.

The sight he saw weaken his bone. He saw his queen in deep pains. She sat legs apart on the birthing stool patting and whining and sweating and pale. The child was stocked in the woman of his queen. She had a breech birth. He feared they might not survived, both mother and child.

King Ephraim suddenly stood head held high not willing to revealed his weakness to his subject or be pitied again. He could condoned being pitied by Tyson Odin Anaconda but not by a mere guard. He left without a word