Screams echoed down the castle corridors from the queen's chambers. She'd gone into labor and left the king to pace. His heir was going to be born today. Would it be a girl? He'd have to try again. He prayed for a boy, a strong one. One who'd lead this kingdom after him like he would. Children was his key to immortality, without it his name would die out.
Althea gripped her pillows and her mouth opened letting out an anguished cry. Sweat made her dark hair stick to her forehead and her nightgown was soaked. Althea had been overjoyed at the news of her pregnancy. She talked of nothing but her baby, talking to her maids about adorable baby clothes and activities for them. The day had come for Althea's joy to be brought forth and she was willing to bear the pain of child birth a thousand times to bring such a light into the dark castle.
"Please, my queen." Her nurse pleaded. "Just one more good push."
Althea with all her might let out a scream of pain and pushed and finally it was over. A smile spread across Althea's face waiting to hear the little cries of a newborn but she heard nothing. Her head looked up from the pillow, weak and dazed but saw her nurse holding a bundle but her hand over her mouth with glistened eyes.
"I'm sorry, you're majesty." She said. "It's stillborn."
Althea barely registered what she said but soon it came across. Her child, her little baby, the only hope that had kept her smiling about staying in this cold unfeeling home had died before Althea could even look upon its face.
"Take it away." Althea murmured not loud enough for the nurse to hear.
"My queen?" she asked.
"Take it away!" Althea screamed. "Take it away! My baby! My baby!" She howled and cried, twisting in her sheets. "Why?! I want my baby! Where's my child?! That isn't my child!"
The nurse fled only to be met with King Gaius's confused face. She explained the baby's fate and was ordered to have it buried in the royal cemetery. He entered his wife's chambers and saw his beautiful queen cry on her stomach with her hair a mess and muttering inaudible curses towards the goddess.
"Althea." Gaius said, firmly.
She looked up and let out a chocked sob. She was half way to insanity. Gaius knew Althea hated him, he felt nothing towards her other than admiration for her beauty. But in that room that day she became ugly to him. She threw vases and books at him, screaming to be left alone.
Gaius wouldn't tolerate such behavior from his wife even in mourning and he slapped her so hard blood poured from her nose. She fell to the ground and continued to sob, not acknowledging Gaius's act of violence. She just laid there and grieved for her lost light of hope.
She locked herself away in her chambers and from that day forth. Althea simply refused to come out and no matter how much Gaius slapped her, she wouldn't stand up correctly, comb her hair, nor would she bathe herself. At this point he was beyond upholding her dignity to herself. He had his soldiers force her into a tub and maids scrub her down while she struggled wishing nothing but to be left alone. Gaius forgot the company Althea once provided and went to Sabina more often until she was his primary source for pleasure.
The witch came to Gaius with news she was with child. Gaius thought this was a perfect way to perhaps make Althea appear in public again and function. He had Sabina prepared a comfortable room where she could spend her pregnancy in secret. Althea's hair began to be streaked with silver and her once youthful face began to fade though Sabina's beauty never once wavered. Gaius's passion for Sabina grew and he knew this baby would be better than anything Althea could have given. It was born of Sabina's strong will, it would be a descendant of a Watcher like its mother. Gaius much preferred this to be his heir, he was rather grateful his first child was stillborn.
The day came and Gaius entered Sabina's chambers to see the witch holding in her arms one of the most beautiful things Gaius had ever seen. Being the man he was he cared little for affections but he couldn't deny the baby in her arms grabbed a little piece of his unfeeling heart, though it was merely a little piece it was more than any other had ever done.
Gaius took the child into his arms, a little tuff of ebony hair and Gaius's same eyes looked up at him and cooed lovingly.
"What shall we name him?" Sabina asked.
"He'll need a strong name." Gaius said. "Magnus. We'll call him Magnus."
"Sounds wonderful." Sabina agreed whether or not she wished for his name to be so or not.
"He can never know he is your son." Gaius said to Sabina. She didn't look very disheartened. "He will believe himself to be born of Althea. I already had those present when she gave birth to the dead child killed."
"Of course.." Sabina said, she looked over the baby with a smile. Gaius saw no maternal instincts in her at all, she saw Magnus more as a key to something bigger than her son. "He'll be very handsome one. He'll look like you."
"Yes.." Gaius said, bouncing the child a bit in his arms. "My boy, my heir…"
"Such affectionate words, King Gaius…" Sabina's sly voice spoke. "Are you so pleased with which I have provided?" The king didn't speak to her but turned and left his mistress lying in her bed to find his queen and hopefully make her come out of her room.
Gaius entered Althea's room with the baby seeing her lying in her bed with a blank stare at a crib Althea refused to get rid of. The queen was so lost in her grief she had lost track of time and the time she had spent in that room was more than enough to convince anyone she'd been pregnant the entire time. Gaius placed the baby in her arms and she looked at him confused.
"He's our son." He told her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You gave birth to him a little while ago."
"I did…?" Althea asked, she looked down at the baby who smiled and giggled a little. He outreached his arms to her. A warmness flooded in her expression as the child took over her heart. "I did!" She exclaimed. "Look Gaius, it's our baby."
"His name is Magnus." Gaius told her. She smiled and stared at him in awe.
"My little Magnus…I promise to make your life so happy."