first Gift
Diona had spent the longest two days alone in the castle, surrounded only by her maidens and guards for protection. She tried to occupy herself with anything or whatever activity came to mind to pass the time. Despite the rush and bustle of preparing for a new member of Josen's family tree, the castle appeared peaceful. She was well aware that given her state, the king couldn't risk taking her along with him; the baby may arrive at any time, and the king only wanted what was best for them both and the realm. However, the queen's only desire at this time was to remain by the king and attend the royal wedding. At that precise moment, Queen Diona was sitting quietly and jotting something down on a piece of paper while smiling.
Is this for the little one? Your Majesty The head maid, who was also like her mother, asked with a soft voice.
"Indeed, it is for her."
"Her? Even though it is not yet born."
"I know, but something in my heart tells me it will be a girl." Queen Diona gently stroked her stomach. "I believe you're a girl." Leaning on the chair and shutting her eyes, she recalled the moment they learned the good news. The day she fought with the king to enter the market unguarded while wearing a disguise.
"I want to go with you." As the monarch continued to reject her request, Queen Diona whined for the tenth time. To learn more about what was happening in the kingdom, the king had to pose as a commoner and travel to the village. When Diona learned about his new endeavor, she requested if she may join him, but the king immediately said no. Diona's curiosity grew as a result, and she persisted in persuading the king to take her along.
It's too dangerous, my queen. The king spoke as he changed into his disguise. " There could be our enemies waiting for a moment like this." he chuckled as he saw the queen's pouting expression.
"And what about you?"
"Me? Since I'm the mighty king, I'll be OK."
The queen rolled her eyes at his remark. She adored the king with all of her heart and soul, but she was often irritated by the smug grin he wore while praising himself. In addition, the king continued babbling about his accomplishments and how magnificent he was, just as he loved to tease the queen. If love can happen twice, the king was certain that he had fallen in love with his wife once more as the queen scrunched her face in irritation. Everyone in the kingdom and from outside always admired the monarch and remarked about how strong he was at such a young age. With the exception of the queen Diona, the women and young princesses would fling themselves upon him if asked. She was unique and had never once had any admiration for the king; perhaps this is why she caught his attention. The queen remained unchanged even after getting married. She continued to be the kingdom's naughtiest and most endearing queen, who had the king at the tip of her finger.
The queen didn't speak, which was unusual for her, but the king was chatting constantly about himself and so focused with dressing that he didn't notice. The king turned around to get the shoes as the queen gripped her nose bridge and her knees started to quiver. The anxious eyes of the king went forward to save the queen from falling. Her leg became slack from the same sensation, and she collapsed into the king's arms. The kings carried the queen, placed her in bed, and called for the maids and the royal doctor.
and requested the servants and the royal physician.
"Your Majesty, please wait outside," The royal doctor suggested
Ezekiel stood by the king's side as he anxiously waited outside the entrance. The advisor approached a moment later and requested a tour of the village; however, the king firmly refused because the queen need him at that very moment. The king attempted to cancel the brief excursion, but Ezekiel insisted that he could go instead and give him all the information. The king hesitated at first, not because he didn't trust his brother; he did. But, as king, it was his obligation to look after the people of his country, and he felt helpless. As the monarch was ready to say anything, the door opened and the royal physician emerged, smiling.
"How is the queen doing?" As soon as the doctor left the room, the king began firing questions. The doctor smiled and patted his shoulders, perplexing everyone who was standing there patiently waiting for an answer concerning what had caused the queen to faint.
"The queen is expecting."
Everyone congratulated the king and shrieked in joy as soon as the doctor spoke those words. The king, on the other hand, was left speechless and beaming broadly. He screamed, hugged Ezekiel hard, and then turned to face the physician. I'm going to have a child. He abruptly withdrew from the embrace and barged inside. The queen was pleasantly situated, but she flinched as the king hurried into the chamber. As he sat down next to the queen, he gave her a kind smile. They remained silent for a brief period of time as they simply enjoyed each other's presence. Then, all of a sudden, the monarch took the queen into his arms and whispered. "We're going to have a child." The queen nodded timidly to his chest.
Can I accompany you now?" she asked with a pout.
The queen shrieked with joy as the king nodded. Every single individual who was outdoors fled inside in fear due to the scream's deafening volume. The king and queen started giggling as they observed all of the anxious looks. "Get the queen a carriage." the king demanded
"No, I want to go in disguise."
When the queen asked him once more, the king's glare at her quickly turned to a smile. "Okay, but we'll go with the security." The king informed his guards and Ezekiel of a modest modification to the plan after receiving the queen's nod. The king and queen dressed in civilian attire after making the necessary preparations, and they and the guardsmen moved toward the town. The monarch never once left the queen's side during the short tour, which was peaceful. The queen assisted the king and discussed various women's issues and the events going on in the town. The queen was always admired by the king for her generosity and for treating everyone as though they were members of her family. The king spotted an accessory store as they were returning to the kingdom and stopped there. He was drawn to a finely carved hairpin, which he secretly purchased. They went back to the castle as the twilight clouds lit up the sky with orange and pink light. The monarch decided to end the meeting because everyone was so worn out and postponed the discussions until the next day as everyone went off to their rooms.
"My queen." The king spoke while softly smiling and covering his back as if he was hiding something. With a perplexed expression, Diona glanced around. The hair pin that the king had purchased from the market was in his outstretched hands. The queen gave him a surprised glance.
"For me?"
"Yes and no." The king said. Diona took the pin and gave it a tender glance. It seemed effortless yet lovely. "Can I rely on you to protect it until you give it to our daughter?" The king's statement made the queen laugh.
"What makes you so certain that it will be a girl?"
"I don't know." The king responded. But something tells me she'll be a beautiful young lady like her mother. As the queen tucked the pin in her hair, he continued with complete admiration in his gaze. It looked lovely, and her hair was elegantly wrapped around a pin. The queen smiled at him, and the king shed a tear of delight, reflecting on how fortunate he was to have her alongside him. He thanked the Lord above for blessing him with the most beautiful girl on the inside and out.
"This is our very first present to our daughter." said the queen.
The queen was jerked awake from her dream by a kick, and she smiled and massaged her belly to soothe the agony. The baby was so active these days that the queen found it difficult to perform her basic duties, but she didn't think much of it. But then the unease intensified and the agony became unbearable. The queen's countenance started to shift, and the head maiden noticed.
"Do you feel any discomfort, Your Majesty?" The maiden approached the queen and gripped her shoulders firmly, attempting to drag her to the bed. In an instant, the pain became unbearable, and the queen began to scream. The maiden summoned additional servants and the royal physician.
"The king." The moment had arrived, and the queen desired the presence of the king.
"Someone should inform the king." The damsel shrieked at one of the guardsmen, who dashed off to find the king, who was presumably engaged with the rites, miles away to the north.
"Please, can't you wait a little longer?" The queen murmured this in agony.