~1~
"Sir!", one of Uther's knights said, running into his chambers.
"Yes", Uther said sternly looking up from his table which had pieces of parchments on it. The knight nodded his head and Uther knew straight away that his wife was giving birth.
"Ahhhh…", the queen yelled going through a contraction. Suddenly the curtain flew opened and in ran Arthur.
"Mother", Arthur yelled running up to the side of his mother.
"Baby", Ygraine tried to say as calmly as possible but suddenly another contraction came and she tried not to scream but she couldn't help it.
The door flew open and in walked the midwife.
"Sorry, your highness but you will have to leave", the midwife said to Arthur. Arthur dropped his head and left the room with the midwife.
Uther was waiting on the other side of the curtain when he saw Arthur walk through.
"Arthur", Uther said very steady to his son. Arthur looked at his father and smiled. Uther smiled back at him.
"One more push, Your Majesty", the midwife said.
"I can't, I…", Ygraine said and she closed her eyes. The midwife looked at the queen. One of the servants started to shake the queen to see if she's awake. Another servant checked to see if there was a pulse.
The servant shook her head.
"We will have to cut her open up to release the baby", the midwife said.
Gaius the court physician walked over to the queen and looked at her.
"What about the queen?", Gaius asked.
"The baby can only survive in the woman's womb for four minutes", the midwife said. "We can look at the queen after we release the baby".
Without another word Gaius asked for a scalpel and cut into the queen's abdomen within seconds the baby was out of the queen's womb.
The midwife took the child off Gaius and wrapped it in a blanket.
"The child isn't breathing", the midwife said to herself. She starts to work on the baby to get it breathing again.
A minute went by and the baby showed no signs of life. But in that second the colour came back into the child's body and one single cry changed the life of mankind.
"Yes!", the midwife said. A sigh of relief came over Gaius who was watching in patiently.
"A full autopsy with give me the cause of her death", Gaius sighed pulling the blanket over her head.
Uther was waiting with his son wondering why he couldn't hear anything.
Suddenly, the midwife walked from behind the curtain with a child in her arms. Uther's face glowed up with joy and a big smile was on his face.
"Girl", the midwife said handing the child to the king.
He looked at the child but the look in his eyes when the midwife said it was a girl, of disappointment.
"Where's my wife?", Uther asked looking up from the child.
"I'm sorry", the midwife said with sadness in her face. Uther looked at the midwife in shock for a few minutes, then back at the child. The girl looked at up at her father.
She looked like she was smiling at him. Her precious face was so delicate that he couldn't help but smile at her.
Arthur walked up to his father looking confused.
"Where's Mama?", Arthur asked tugging on the King's shirt. Uther looked down at his son and smiled. He thought that he was old enough to understand what is happening.
Arthur was 10 years of age. He had golden blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Uther bent on to his knees still holding the child in his arms. He didn't know how to tell him that his mother is dead.
"Arthur?", Uther said. "Your mother is sleeping".
"When is she going to wake up?', Arthur said looking entirely innocent.
"She is never going to wake up", Uther explained feeling sad at the moment. Arthur looked at his Father and backed away. "Arthur!".
He suddenly ran out the door not looking back to see what was happening and what people were saying.
Uther didn't run after to him, he stayed where he was. The King stood up straight again to face to midwife who was still standing where she was before.
"Anna", Uther said. "We are going to name her Anna".