Something amiss

Two month's have passed since the return of the king, and everything is as it should be. He was home, everyone was safe and things seemed to be getting back to normal. The King advances through his kingdom observing the musketeer's training, inspecting their abilities and critiquing their form.

In the garden just behind the training grounds, the Queen was accompanied by her usual assembly of attendants, waiting maids and aristocrats. He stared at her for a moment, taking in every ounce of her gracious presence. How beautiful, he thought. She had radiance about her that he hadn't noticed before, almost as if she were glowing.

Taking notice of the time, Mickey began expeditiously making his way to the garden as he knew all to well the consequences of keeping his lovely wife waiting long, solely entertaining the entourage of society's elite. She would most certainly lecture him in their chambers later and may forbid him entry after. As his father told him, "chambers are for beds and bedding not for inquisitions or criticisms"," leave that for court."

Moments before the King arrived upon the gathering however; an unexpected outcry of panic seemed to be coming from that very direction causing him to sprint to the scene at once. As he made his way through the crowd, the cause of the distress was soon realized. There on the ground lay his queen. A hard pang of fear shot through his body as he rushed to her side at once, nearly casting aside onlookers in the way.

Minnie! He cried as he gently scooped her up in his arms and carried her swiftly within the castle walls. Once inside, he laid her thoughtfully upon a nearby settee taking the utmost care with her person. "Call for the doctor." "And fetch Donald and Goofy at once" the king commanded as he tried with every effort to revive his dear wife.

Daisy, who had been only moments behind the king, tried to explain what had occurred to no avail as she too did not understand this unfortunate event herself. "Your majesty "She didn't appear to be feeling unwell, until moments before your arrival." "She just collapsed!" The panting duck had begun to feel uneasy as well, and promptly decided to seat herself on the ground next to the queen.

The magician and knight had just arrived in query .The King, who was holding his love's hand trying desperately to arouse her, was too consumed to answer their pleas for his acknowledgement. Daisy then proceeded to explain the situation to them when the king noticed Minnie's eyes had started to flutter.

"She's awake!" he shouted. "Minnie can you hear me?" "Minnie! Minnie…" he continued. The Queen's eyes danced for a moment before he came into focus and she began to speak. "What happened Mickey?" she asked with more concern for him than herself.

Mickey proceeded to help her to an upright position and began to account for the happenings of the moments leading up to her awaking, as well as advising her that he had called for the doctor and she WOULD be seeing him.

"I'm fine!" she pressed. ""I'm sure this was just a fluke! I was probably too hot and too tired to be outside in a ball gown entertaining a conglomeration of overzealous stuffed shirts." She pleaded with the King but he still insisted she see the doctor no matter how she protested.

The doctor soon arrived and gestured for the Queen to be examined, as he proceeded to close the door he gave a reassuring smile to the king. Donald, Daisy, Goofy waited quietly as the king paced back and forth before the door. It seemed like hours had past, in reality it had only been a short while. "What's taking so long?" Mickey announced breaking the uneasy silence.

Donald got up from his seat and walked over to his old friend and gave him a gentle pat on the back. "Everythingggs gonna be fine your magestehy, you'll see."Donald began with ha halfhearted smile. Daisy noticed that kind words, no matter how comforting they seemed were not going to help cease the impatience of the worried king so she decided to make a suggestion of her own. "Your majesty…" "Why don't you go and finish your rounds with the musketeers and I will come and get you when the doctor is finished with the Queen?" Daisy queried also with a halfhearted smile.

"I don't know…," Mickey said with uncertainty. "What if she needs…?" but before the king could finish his sentence he was cut off by the insistent female duck waving her feathery finger.

"Bup! Bup! Bup! You aren't doing anyone any good moping around here, neither are these two...take them with you as well, won't you!"

"Alright", the king said reluctantly. "But you WILL come and fetch me the moment she emerges wont you?" he half pleaded and half demanded. "Of course I will." The female duck said with a smile. "I am sure that had it been anything serious the doctor would have emerged with news by now, go on…Everything will be fine." The duck insisted.

The king knew that Daisy was his wife's closest friend and was assured she was just as worried as he was leading him to trust her with this. So he motioned for his two companions and hesitantly left the castle, and proceeded to the training grounds.

Not soon after the King departed, the doors of the infirmary flung open with great force. The queen darted past the lady in waiting and continued to run down the great hall wailing. Daisy didn't waste any time giving her chase or even speaking with the doctor. She recalled the promise she had made to the worried king and immediately started sprinting toward the training grounds at once.

The Queen raced down the corridors of her brilliant castle, tears streaking her worried face. She finally finds the sanctuary in which she was looking for and throws the doors open, shutting them swiftly and almost collapsing behind them. She bolts toward the bed, throwing herself upon it and weeps.

Meanwhile in the courtyard the King and his young apprentice where practicing combat drills when suddenly Daisy, ran anxiously into the mist of the false battle. "Your Majesty..." She said breathless "your Majesty come quick it's… it's the queen." She had barely finished the sentence before she fell to the ground clutching her chest in pain from the jaunt. Donald raced over kneeling to her as the king took off in the direction of the castle.

It was almost as if time had ceased, it took him no longer than the wind passing against ones face to reach their bedroom. And there, with her head buried into the bed, draped in sadness lay his queen. "Minnie! Oh, My love!" "What can I do to make you better?" "Name it and it is yours."

The king's heartfelt words echoed in the Queen's ear along with her own heartbeat. The room fell silent and the still echoes of her labored breathing could barely be heard from outside the door. That would be the only sound that came for minutes as a host of close friends awaited anxiously outside.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity she leaned her head upon his shoulder and said "Mickey, My love… I have failed you." She could say no more. In the kings thoughts her words did not connect as he pondered what could this beautiful creature have done to ever feel like she had let him down. Before he could say a word she took his hand and placed it firmly upon her belly.

The king knew then what this was she was trying to tell him, he also realized why this had upset her so. Mickey leaned in to his wife and took her gently by the chin, wiping away the remaining tears that were left slowly drifting down her face.

"My dear, this is not a circumstance that calls for fault" he said gently. "We knew one day this might happen and nothing we do now is going to change the fact that you are now holding within your womb the heir to Disney castle." The king stated in a firm but soothing manner.

"Mickey…" The Queen cried almost hysterical. "What about the prophecy?" "What about our child who must bear the burden of the key blade should you….ahh I can't even think it!"She carried on. "What…" She paused, as she was caught off guard by that same goofy grin he gets when life is going his way.

"Why are you smiling?"She questioned. "A prophecy that will imprison our child to an impending life of war and chaos and you are smiling?" she sighed.

"No, my dear, I smile at the revelation that the life that you now carry within you was made in love, will be raised in love and will be the greatest ruler that this world or any of the worlds has ever seen.

Chapter end.