Elektra Regina
The lovely Lady Marian struggled her way up the steps of the tower of London. This was difficult considering she was eight months with child. She had set off from Sherwood the day before without the knowledge of her husband. She was supposed to be in confinement and he would not have allowed her to come as far as London. But she'd had to come. Those dreams were too disturbing to ignore. The guard ahead of her turned around worried. "My lady, can you continue? The King would be most displeased if anything happened to you."
"I will be fine," she responded in a cultured tone. "Lead on."
Finally, they reached a thick wooden door with a small barred window. The guard fumbled with his keys and cautiously opened the door.
"Lady Marian of Locksley," the guard announced, allowing her to pass into the room. "The witch, Mortiana."
"Well, this is a surprise," cackled the witch. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
"You must read the future of my baby," Marian gasped, still trying to catch her breath from the climb. "I have had such horrible dreams about it. All of evil and incest and death. Please, tell me. Show me its future."
The crone put one evil claw on Marian's swollen belly and the other covering Marian's eyes. The lady had to struggle not to shrink away from those repulsive hands. There was a moment of silence, then, suddenly, there was a horrible blood curdling scream. "Aaaaaaah! Such horrible things I have seen!" cried the crone grinning at Marian maliciously. "A daughter you shall have. Lovely and charming, wild like her father. She will murder you and marry her father."
Marian gasped in horror. "No! Such satanical thoughts. It cannot be!"
"Oh but it is!" cackled the hag delightedly.
"Quiet witch!" yelled Marian. "Guard! I am done here. May you rot here into eternity you willing slave of Lucifer!" With that she flung herself from the cell and ran down the steps of the tower sobbing.
What could she do? To return to Sherwood would be to condemn her child to the everlasting fires of hell. To kill one's mother was an unspeakable sin. But to marry one's father was horrifically worse. She wept even harder to think of leaving Robin, but she had to. It was her duty as a mother to get her child as far from that fate as possible. She couldn't leave her child. Her heart would break if she did. She would just have to take her chances. She would rather die at her daughter's hand than live never to have known her. She made up her mind and ran to meet her lady's maid, Gertrude, outside the ominous building.
"Gertrude!" she yelled. "We must go now." Marian climbed clumsily onto her horse and rode off to the south.
After a bit, Gertrude became nervous. "My lady," she said cautiously. "Sherwood forest is north of London. Why do we go south?"
"Because," answered Marian. "Normandy is to the south."
"Normandy?"
"Yes, to stay with my relatives, the du Bois family."
"My lady," Gertrude started guardedly. "Lord Robin expects you home for the birth. This might not be the best time for visiting relatives."
"We are not visiting," Marian snapped. "I won't be going back to Sherwood."
They rode on for the rest of the way in forced silence.
It was about midnight when Peïre George awoke to a banging on the chapel door. He rose and opened the door to find a powerfully built woman half carrying a convulsing pregnant lady. Peïre George was the priest of the influential du Bois family, but he was still a humble man of the cloth and so he allowed the obviously ill woman to take shelter in the chapel.
The journey had been hard. After a long ride to the coast, they had had to endure a tumultuous sea voyage to Normandy followed by another difficult ride to the du Bois estate. They had been about one mile from the chapel when Marian had started into a premature labor. The final mile had been absolute anguish and it was a miracle that she had reached the chapel alive.
Peïre George helped to carry her to the guest chamber and laid her on the bed. He left Gertrude to midwife her. All night, the priest sat outside the door, listening to the screams of the woman, writhing within.
At last, when morning was just beginning to creep over the horizon, Gertrude burst from the room. "Father, Marian is dying. The only way to save the baby is to cut it from her." There were tears in her shaky voice. "Will you come and conduct the last rights so that she might leave this world with a light soul?"
"Of course my child," he murmured placing a comforting hand on Gertrude's shoulder.
When he reached Marian's side, she reached out a hand to him which he grasped. "Father," she moaned. "This is my last confession. It has been prophesized that my daughter will kill me, as it is obvious that she is about to do, and that she will marry her father, Lord Robin of Locksley." With a great effort she removed a crested ring from her right hand which looked to be of a Norman design. "Therefore, Gertrude, you must not take my daughter back to Sherwood. You must instead, take this my ring and give it to my childless cousin, Lady Jacqueline du Bois. Ask her to raise the child as her own and tell no one of her true parentage. Tell her my husband is dead. Do not make anyone aware of the prophesy and I bid you never tell my daughter of it. We must protect her from her evil fate." At this she stopped, her breathe wracked with oncoming death.
"My lady," sobbed Gertrude. "Before I go forth with this my most odious task, have you a name for the child?"
"If it is indeed God's will that my daughter commit incest, I know not. And so I will leave it up to God. Her name shall be Elektra after the Greek story which resembles her prophesized one so much. Is that not fitting?"
"My lady," interjected Peïïïïre George. "Do not damn your daughter so, holding her to such a sinful fate!"
"I will damn my daughter as I please, for is it not true that fate has ruined her without mortal assistance? Have I not given up my life to release her from this damnation? But I shall name her what I see fitting, and her name shall be Elektra. She must overcome it, or fall victim to it as God sees fit. Now Gertrude, make haste with the knife, for my daughter's life is at stake!"
On that morbid tone was Elektra du Bois, daughter of Marian and Robin of Locksley brought into the world.
--Okay, well, I guess this is it. My first story on fanfiction! I'm so proud. It's not anything special, but I like it. I wrote this as an assignment for my Literature class. More chapters to come. Please review! Thanks for your time!