Chapter 2: No Longer a Queen
Things were rather dull at the castle. The King and the Queen were reading documents regarding decisions the King had to make. It was a testament to Queen Miranda's adaptive abilities that she learned to help with that part as well as (if not better than) someone born and raised for royal life. After the last document for the day was stamped, King Roland II felt free to show relief. "I'm glad this is over."
"Your Majesty!" Baileywick said as he entered in a hurry. "A merchant ship reported an unscheduled stop at a desert island and the presence of people who were stranded there after a shipwreck that took place years ago."
With that alone being a reason for concern, the King took the parchment with the report and read it. Once he recognized the name of the ship the survivors escaped from, he started sweating arrows. "What's wrong, Rollie?" Queen Miranda asked out of worry because she never saw the King like that. "It seems you have seen a ghost."
"I might have, Miranda." The King sadly replied. "Do you remember the name of the ship you boarded to move to Encahncia?"
The Queen silently nodded and the King then handed her the parchment. "Move to?" Prince James asked in confusion.
"Mom was born in Galdiz, James." Princess Sofia reminded her stepbrother.
Upon reading the parchment, the Queen was even more shocked that the King. "Rollie, does that mean that Birk…" She was afraid to ask.
"The survivors' names have yet to be revealed, Miranda, but the possibility exists." The King answered. "You know what that means, right?"
"That means I should have more faith on Birk." The Queen sadly commented.
"It also means you'll be no longer a Queen." The King stated with the same sadness.
Princess Amber lost her royal composure and felt the need to ask. "Excuse me, Mom. Who's this Birk and how can his survival mean you're no longer the Queen?"
"Birk was, uh, is…" The Queen hesitated.
"He's my father." Sofia suddenly said, shocking her stepsiblings.
"No, Sof." James replied. "The King is our Dad."
"Birk is Sofia's original father, James." The King explained. "I'm just someone she accepted as a new father."
"Should Sofia and I hand over our tiaras and my crown, Rollie?" The Queen asked. She wasn't sure about how to feel.
"There's no need to do anything unless Birk Balthazar is confirmed to be a survivor, Miranda." The King explained. "Let's just wait and see who survived. Which reminds me. Baileywick, once this news becomes public, other people who, like Miranda, lost loved ones, will want to know if they have any family and friends among the survivors. I want a full list of people lost at that shipwreck and a list of already known survivors who have a connection to those in the first list. I am also aware the ship departed from Friezenburg. Contact the authorities from there."
"Dad, why does Birk's supposed survival mean Mom will no longer be a Queen?" Amber asked.
"His marriage to Miranda precedes mine and marriage law is quite clear about that." The King explained.
"You're the King." Amber pleaded. "Can't you just change the law?"
"Doing so for such a purpose would be an abuse of power, Amber." The King sternly stated. "Laws must only be changed if for the Kingdom's betterment. If you don't understand that, it's a reason to consider James a better choice than you as Enchancia's next monarch." He then talked to his wife. "Miranda, let's see if Birk is among the survivors."
"I'm going too." Sofia declared.
"Sofia?" The King and the Queen were surprised.
"No offense, Dad, but I'd like to meet my original father." She politely asked. Both Sofia and the King used the expression "original father" because of how they felt about calling Birk Sofia's "real father".
"Okay." The King reluctantly agreed. The three of them and a pair of guards went to the harbor. Once they arrived, the merchant ship's captain eagerly greeted them. "Do you have a list of the survivors' names, Captain?"
"Yes, Your Majesties." The captain replied and then handed it to the King. As he and the Queen started reading it, they knew that, regardless of the truth, someone would be hurt. Upon finding the dreaded name, the King ordered to be lead to Birk.
Birk Balthazar wondered why the King of Enchancia would want to see him in special. He was just an average commoner not unlike the other survivors. Upon seeing the Queen, the first thing she thought was that she looked like Miranda. 'I'd better not say anything about that or Their Majesties may take it the wrong way'. "Are you Birk Balthazar?" The King asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty." While not understanding the King's interest on him, Birk knew better than lying to the ruler of the land.
"Miranda?" The King asked the Queen as if wanting her confirmation. Hearing that name made Birk too shocked to be ready for what happened next: the Queen hugged him.
"Oh, Birk." She wept. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you survived. Believe me: had I kept my hopes you're still alive, I'd never remarry."
Birk was shocked. His wife got a new husband, which he's honest enough to admit to himself it shouldn't be a surprise by itself after those years of disappearance, and that new husband was a King? Birk even pinched himself to be sure it wasn't just a weird dream and he still wasn't stranded at a desert island with the other survivors. He then noticed the Princess next to the couple. "And how long did you keep your hopes?" Birk asked. He wasn't sure if he'd still be allowed to call her "Miranda" or if he'd have to call her "Your Majesty" or something like that.
"I've kept my hopes for longer than Sofia has a new father." Miranda explained.
'New father?' Birk was stunned by the implications. 'I have a daughter?'
End chapter. In case you readers are wondering, it wasn't long before the shipwreck that Birk did his part in Sofia's birth and it was afterwards that Miranda realized she was about to become a mother.