Kingly – Chapter 1: The marriage of Uther and Igraine.
Silently a woman stared at her reflection in the mirror, in her chamber as she got ready for one of the biggest moments of her life. She had long, light blonde hair, pale blue eyes and soft white skin. She wore a dress made of the finest white silk with gold embroidery over it. Around her neck she wore a modest gold necklace with an opal in it, a gift from her future husband.
"Madam it's time," her maid informed her disdainfully, walking in to the room as she stared at the mirror. The maid had just been assigned to her, however she had difficulty removing her personal feelings because she judged her as she would her lady's late husband.
"Of course," she smiled. Acting like she was happy and not at all nervous was something she was very good at. A lot was hanging on this wedding so she couldn't afford for something to go wrong. "I would hate to keep him waiting."
"Of course my lady."
The maid walked behind her to lift up the train of her dress as she took a deep breath. Quietly they walked to the great throne room so she could get married to a King.
She knelt in front of the King, hardly daring to breathe. She knew that the people's faith in this marriage hung by a thread. They despised her late husband Cornwall de Bois, one of the King's many enemies, as he had killed many of their own in the war that would end because of this marriage, if everything ran smoothly today. If she had been in their place she would hate her too. This marriage had to go right she thought desperately as the crowd watch silently.
"As King of Camelot I crown you Igraine Pendragon, Queen of Camelot." She rose, and stood beside the man who killed late husband, now her king and her husband, Uther Pendragon.
"Long live the King! Long live the Queen!" One of the servants yelled out. After a moment's pause, everyone else in the throne room joined in the chant. Igraine sighed to herself silently.
Both of them knew that the people's support meant everything and where uncertain as to whether they would get it but their love for their King won over. For dispute his ruthlessness he did care for his people and they knew that and they knew that he would do anything to protect them.
She looked over to the side of the room where two children were in the arms of their wet nurses. One was her one was her six month old son, Mordred, the other Uther's five month old daughter Morgana.
She feared for Mordred as he was hers and Cornwall's son and it didn't help matters that he looked like his father. He had his father's golden skin, his black eyes and his black hair, the complete opposite of his mother. She knew that Uther would protect her, but she wasn't sure if he would protect her son.
Unconsciously her hand slipped to her stomach. No if he wanted his unborn children to be raised in Camelot he would make sure that Mordred was protected, as he made sure Morgana was protected.
Morgana's mother was a serving girl that he had an affair with during his marriage to his previous wife who died 11 months previously. The serving girl killed her in hopes that Uther would marry her because she was having his child. She didn't count on his feelings to his previous wife who was unable to carry a child to full term, so instead he tossed her in a dungeon to the birth of the child and then had her executed. Nobody but a trusted few knew that Morgana was his daughter and he planned to keep it like that, for he loved Morgana with all his heart. As much as he was capable of loving anyone. Everyone believed that he took mercy on the poor girl and now she was his ward as far as the people of Camelot where concerned. Luckily she had her mother's golden brown skin, her black hair and her green eyes, and not Uther's blonde hair, blue eyes and golden skin.
She hoped through that this wasn't a mistake, this marriage, because she feared what would happen to her unborn children if Morgana and Mordred ever discovered the truth about how their dead parent died. She knew in her heart that if she was them and found out Uther was the cause of their deaths she would take it out on the unborn children. Their unborn brother and sister they were told by a magician in the court. The twins were already Uther's pride and joy.
Uther glanced over at her, smiling and she smiled back. No everything would turn out right. She had to believe that because she had faith that Mordred would be his mother's son, not his father's and the Morgana would be her father's daughter, not her mother's.
How wrong, and right, she turned out to be.