chapter 4

Herald was sent into the city to invites as many citizens of Golden Hill as possible to the palace. They sound their trumpet in the city hall, in the market, on the streets and in all the places where their legs could go.

The people were bemused. Not knowing what the celebration was about that they would suddenly be called upon. They were not told the reason for the invitation. They were told that the king wanted to see everyone in the palace.

Some were excited as they would be visiting the palace for the first time. Other felt honoured to be summoned by a king. Every single person were invited even to the commonest of the commoner.

King Ephraim would have gladly told the whole world about his princess birthed if he could. His days of barrenness has finally come to an end.

When the thought of not having his queen by his side. The mother of his only heir, to honoured a day like this with him flashed through his mind. His soul grew weird. He remembered how fear and anxiety took hold of her, a night before that day. He tried all he could to convinced her that she would make it out. But fate was right beside her. It spoke through her when she said she had a feeling she might not make it out of the birthing chamber alive. It indeed happened.

She made king Ephraim promised her things. One of which was to protect their child from harm. Precisely to protect their child from the jealous consort and to love and care for her without a string.

It was not a difficult promise, king Ephraim already loved the child more than himself. Just the same way he loved her, queen Lucy. He was more than willing to protect her with his life.

"I wished you were here" . He kept lamenting. He never left her side through out the period of her pregnancy. When she was near labour he cuddled her that she forgot the discomfort and pains of the delivery signs she had.

Upon the day of her delivery, it was a bitter sweet experience. The child he has been hoping for came at long last, but his most beloveth wife sacrificed her life for it existence.

***

King Ephraim adorned himself with the most rarest and expensive of apparel to mark the birthed of the little princess with the whole kingdom. Great or not, all are one and must be treated right.

His nobles were not satisfied with the idea of hosting crowd. Having the whole kingdom trooped into the great Hall. They said there was no war and the people needed no solace.

However they didn't have a choice. He was the king and his decision was final. They could only tried to convinced him to act otherwise. Sadly their conviction didn't count.

The arrival of the king was announced and everywhere became silent. King Ephraim came out in his glory. His purple robe swept the floor. His golden and silver hair were neatly combed behind. It was too exquisite to be called greys. His crown was of pure golden. Shinning, it sat leisurely on his head. His greys eyes were the mirrors to his heart. A part of him was happy and the other sad. Loosing something so dear and having something most precious. He wept inwardly. It is a bitter sweet experience. king Ephraim looks like a god. Compose in his gait. Slow but steady.

The queens came behind him. They looked more beautiful than the title, queen. They were in gowns of different colours. Pink, red and blue designed with different ornaments and worn with fine jewelries. Prim and magnificent gliding in excellence. Even though some of them were jealous. They wished she was their child but they never wished to died during childbirth. Still they look their best.

The nobles represented too. In their costly coat and other clothing. They were already waiting on the king.

"Bitter sweet". He kept murmuring as he was ascending his throne.

The palace guards and maids were like fairies. In their ceremonial uniforms. They giggled and jogged about their duties. It was enormous that they need not be told what to do.

They local peasants who were never exposed to such displayed of wealth lagged around in viewing every single detailed spot on the palace. Some to capture for a life time. Something to take home to their sick and elderly ones who couldn't make it to the palace. To some their taste for royalties spew. Maybe the king was ready to take a new wife. They kept their fingers crossed.

The palace was everything gold and bronze and red. Enticing carvings were everywhere on the walls. Sculpture and depicted portraits. The gleaming chandelier and the attractive mural left them in awe. Mirror high walls make them see themselves. They took a second look to be sure their faces was not on another. They were surprised at how gorgeous they looked in a wealthy setting.

The palace workers were patiently guiding them to the hall. To create room for more to come forth.

The entire Golden Hill came prepared. A king's called for all into his royal palace is rare. They couldn't afford to disappoint him with their looks. The whole great hall was filled to the brim and was as grand as the streaks of silver on the king's head.

It was time for king Ephraim to addressed this people. His speech came out sluggishly but precise. It was due to the trauma of loosing a queen. After he welcomed and thanked them for honouring his invitations.

He first broke the sad new. One of the reasons they were suddenly invited. They mourned with him.

"A procession shall be made for queen Lucy's burial in the early hours of tomorrow. Everyone shall be present".

They were more than willing to go with him to any length. If only their presence wouldn't irritates him.

"my king we shall be your backbone". A man screamed from the crowd.

"our condolences".

The king nodded, appreciating their every thought which baffles his nobles and queen Charlene, what relationship he wanted to create with the people.

If he was too familiar with them. They might loose their fear for him she thought.

The king was not in her mind. He had target he set out to accomplished with his people. He was on it.

Here it is. The joy of the king, the peak of this invitation.

Ms. Brenda had prepared her. What concerns the celebrant. She was fast asleep after a long meal. Only if she knew they gathered because of her.

The little princess was brought before the king. He presented her before everyone.

"Your king is now a father" .

They thundered different applaud. Clapping according to the level of shocked and genuine joy the felt in their heart learning about this piece of news.

Listen. Her name is about to be pronounced.

"Today marks the birthed of my daughter. My Princess, your princess, our princess".

The apologize for interjecting the king's word with their applaud again. Most of them other than maybe the family of the palace workers suspected that the queen must have given birth since they learnt of her pregnancy. The people now knew why they were called upon.

The queen died during childbirth. It was such a pity. But the good news is the child survived. They were sincerely happy for their king.

"She shall be called princess Eleanor Ephraim Alexander Wilson the first of Golden Hill kingdom. The first and only worthy heir to the throne of Golden Hill kingdom".

The people hollered choruses of praises.

"The gods has finally honoured our king with a child.

Long lived the king!. Long lived our little princess!. Long lived Golden Hill our great kingdom".

There was enough to eat and drink and to take away. Gift was dished out to everyone according to their physical strength to propelled it to their abode. No matter how wealthy the kingdom was, there were less privileged. Tonight there were privileged.

Dance and lots of entertainment filled the great hall. Literal ballad and wandering minstrel showcase their talent until they had their filled.

***

The new Springs and Summers and Falls and Winters that came, each, was different from the past. When the king used to combed kingdoms and empires in searched of the greatest magicians to make him a father. Now the entire people of his kingdom goes in searched of what makes their king behaves like a child, since the time queen Lucy conceived.

Some pardoned him because he desired to be a father for too long a time. He was now a father and he must be it to the fullest.

In strange ways, others would say. The little princess Eleanor's beauty was not a good enough reason to called her 'lucky' for having such a father. Or was it the other way round. That the king was lucky to have her as a daughter.

What kind of a father... -a king to say- tends for his own child like he was a nanny. He would bathe, feed and cuddled her to sleep. He sings her a lullaby with such a raspy voice like flies towers over remains. Yet she sleeps so calm and peaceful.

The little princess grew in the unwavering care and attention of her father. The kind no man in the kingdom or abroad would boost to give to his child.

The state affairs didn't suffer a bit, they ruled together. But his romance with other queens choked in the throat. He was too busy raising a child than to derived wrinkled pleasures from sucking shrank tits.

Not all though. Queen Margaret was as young as the morning sun. Her body was her defense. The last quibble she had with queen Charlene. When they came before the king, their husband.

Queen Charlene demanded she didn't expressed herself before the king, because she was young and maybe naive she thought.

But when the king looked at her body. Her teat stood like the most skilled warrior of the kingdom. Huge and fearless. Her hips like walls of fine statue.

He tried to blink but it was too late, her eyes already gave him what to imagined. Her emerald innocent eyes threw desires into the king's heart.

He dismissed the case in her favour. He didn't allowed queen Charlene expressed her shocked just like she didn't allowed queen Margaret defend herself. Queen Margaret smiled in her heart. She called it one one.

***

Where ever the princess was there the king pitched his tent. He trained her without consideration of her gender. In the study room and on the field. She was groomed to fit in as a crown prince or more precisely a crown princess.

In the study she outwitted scholars. On the field she was seen clanging and jarring her sword. Launching an attack. She was not known to retreat.

With a wooden short sword she was given to practice. Most times with her father, the king. Sometimes with her guard and others times with the wind.

This little princess was already dinning with the king and his nobles. She started attending important political meetings concerning the kingdom and beyond at five. King Ephraim hid nothing and withheld nothing from her except the past. His past.

The king most pleasurable moment with her was always in the garden. The times he play with her on a golden sofa in front of the blooming daisies and under the watched of the sunflower.

'yellow ladies' was what queen Lucy used to called it.

He always remembered her mother, queen Lucy. When they newly got married. The Joy he felt by just listening to her sweet sonorous voice. They often sit there. She sings brighter than the humming birds. When she solo the song thrush and the bluebird backed up.

He watched as his little princess run round the garden. Her green gown matched with the greens of the daisy hovering above the seat he sat. Her purple stockings was the colour of the ear of the flower.

It was spring. The rainbow came to host her. It threw a contest with the flowers of the garden to see which has more colours. It or the flowers. Before king Ephraim could turned she was looking up at a maple tree frightened. She ran back to her father.

"My princess" the king called concerned trying to find out what just happened.

"Forgive me your majesty. I would like to say that I'm a no coward but this thing keeps tickling me".

King Ephraim drew his sword and spread out. Protecting her from any harm that may emerged.

"What could dare..." He said

"Calm down.. your majesty" her panting tiny voice told him when actually she was the one who needed to calm down. She was stirring her hands above her fathers chest for him to calm. He indeed calmed.

"It just a squirrel". She laughed out loud and spinned around throwing her hands in the air.

He smiled comfortably as she spins. Her joy made him overly excited. For small and big things and for the very things in between.

"Hey yellow ladies" she halted on hugging the sunflower.

"Yellow ladies. I told you that. Your mother used to called them that".

"tell me about her. Would you?". She held his last finger.

**

He remembered queen Lucy. When he first took her to the garden.

"Come with me my queen" He said to her on that day. She lifted her right hand like it was too heavy for her to bear. Carefully she dropped on his waiting hand. He kissed them. She froze in place. The boxwood hedge a walkway through the garden were they walked.

A pear tree stood pregnant admiring the colourful flowers that made it forgot it condition. She plucked the one near and make him have a bite.

She then withdrew from his comfort and sprint along. To the yellow ladies, she stumbled through them. The sunflower was what she addressed as the 'yellow ladies'.

Out there she went to the daisy. Her legs was faster than his eyes. The juniper welcomes her. She dashed to the bed of white Columbine and inhaled deeply. He couldn't just watch. He wanted to be a part of this her wonder. He ran to her, giggling.

" Oh I'm a king, and king's don't act silly. he behaved and weld his hands behind his back. " I must not be caught off guard".

She stepped on the shame bush. It shied away and opened again to apologized.

" 'I'm sorry my queen'. You see the shy plant apologize". It was the king who apologize for the shame bush. He was behind her.

She leaned over and they kissed. It was like the flowers applauded them. The breeze too stood still. She tickled him. He jerked and ran away.

"Sometimes kings do behaved silly" she said to him as he ran from her.

He wave off the past and held the princess hands into the palace. It was sunset and they would watched the moon from the window.