SLEEPING BUFFY

The Beginning

Once upon a time in the Kingdom of California, there lived a King and Queen who desperately wanted children for different reasons. The King wanted an heir. The Queen wanted a healthy baby. As the years passed both despaired of ever having a child.

During her daily constitutional one bright summer day, the Queen fainted. She was carried to her chambers and the Royal Physician sent for. The Ladies-in-Waiting who had been waiting in the Queen's ante-chamber returned to the room when the Physician departed. Her Majesty immediately dispatched Lady Drusilla with a message requesting her husband's attendance.

"Well? Where is his Majesty?" she demanded of her Lady-in-Waiting, "Does he arrive shortly?"

"No, Your Majesty," Lady Drusilla curtsied as she answered. "His Majesty is in negotiations and cannot be disturbed,"

Her Majesty's joy faded. The smile remained fixed on her face, "Very well. Leave us."

She waited until the last attendant had left then sobbed quietly into her pillows. When the storm passed, she sensed that she was no longer alone.

"Hank?" she breathed, her hope in her husband restored.

"No," a cultured male voice replied, "not Hank."

Her Majesty gasped in horror and sat up clutching the bedclothes to her chest. She blinked once, twice, but he was still there. Standing in the doorway that connected her husband's chambers to hers was her husband's brother Prince Rupert Giles, Duke of San Francisco and Marquis of Sunnydale.

"Your Highness! What do you here?"

He moved further into the chamber. His eyes examined the room before coming to rest on her, "We heard you were indisposed and came to see how you were faring, Your Majesty."

The queen blinked back tears. If his brother could make the time to visit her, why couldn't her husband? "We are fine as you can see. You could easily have sent a servant to ascertain the state of our health. There was no cause to place our reputation and our life on the line by entering our bedchamber,"

"I apologize, Ma'am," Prince Rupert executed a short and precise bow, "I was concerned and did not think."

"Did my lord husband send you?" she asked, refusing to give up hope.

Prince Rupert regarded the beautiful woman in front of him fondly. He hated to hurt her, but she would see through any lie and she would not appreciate it. He shook his head in response.

"I see," she inhaled deeply again, "What negotiations keep him away?"

"I cannot say. It is a matter of the utmost delicacy,"

Angered the Queen swept aside the covers and stood up, "Am I not the QUEEN?"

"You are," he acknowledged trying to control his racing heart at the vision before him.

"Well?"

"I still cannot tell you,"

"Cannot or will not?" she yelled in anger and frustration, years of training flying out the window. She started pacing.

He took a step back.

"I am sick to death of being kept in the dark about what happens to my subjects!"

"Your Majesty..." his voice trailed off. His mouth was dry and his eyes were fixed on the lithe, curvaceous body of his brother's wife as she marched up and down the room in a gown that showed her figure to perfection. It was evident she had forgotten that he could see her ankles in her current mode of dress.

"I refuse to be kept in the dark any longer! I demand that you tell me...Oh!" the young Queen stopped as her world tilted and the ground came up to meet her.

She never met it.

His Highness felt a peace he had not felt for a long time steal over him as he held the warm body of the woman who held his heart. He didn't know the exact moment he had fallen, but he had been sent off to war secure in the knowledge that he would be a married man by the end of the year.

He was inebriated for a month when he returned and found that his lady love had married his older brother. He blamed himself. In a rare moment of brotherly bonding, he had shared his feelings with his brother. If given the chance to do it again he would make sure he informed her of his feelings first before sharing it with anyone else.

The lady's stirring brought him back to the present, "How are you feeling?"

Her Majesty gasped and struggled to right herself, but her brother-in-law only tightened his hold on her.

"Release me, Your Highness!"

"No Joyce," his slip went unnoticed, "Not until you inform me of what ails you,"

Joyce sighed, "It does not concern you,"

"It does too concern me," he chuckled, "I don't want to become King so you have to remain healthy to bear the future King."

She ceased struggling, "You don't want to become King?"

"No,"

"Why not?"

"I just don't want to. And stop trying to distract me, Joyce,"

"Fine!" she huffed then said quietly, "I'm expecting."

"Expecting what?" the Prince asked genuinely confused.

"A baby you moron! I'm pregnant!"

Giles' heart stopped. He had lost her forever. A part of him was happy for her knowing how much she wanted this, but the rest wanted to lock himself away while he drank until he could forget.

"Are you unwell, You Highness? You look quite pale,"

"I'm fine, Ma'am," he said with difficulty, "Congratulations."

The smile was forced as he helped her back to bed.

"Thank you," she smiled, "You must promise not to tell anyone for I have yet to inform my lord husband."

He merely nodded. She looked so fetching lying there. The vast chamber suddenly became too cramped. He needed air, "Take care of yourself, Your Majesty."

She looked down to rearrange her covers, "Thank you. I will."

She was talking to air.