Chapter One
Lady Eleanor paced around the room, a large feat for a woman nearing the end of her pregnancy. With each round she could glimpse out of the corner of her eye her two handmaids, one waiting worriedly while the other was seemingly uninterested.
"Lady, you'll tire yourself out this way. It's not good for the baby! Maybe if you were to lie down…" the maid said with concern in her voice.
Eleanor grimaced. Concern was great…but these days it was hard to tell if the concern was for her or her baby. The distrust had grown in the people after their lord's death, and the pressure for a male child was getting increasingly suffocating. If the child was male, he would be instantly named the land's new lord. Because of his adolescence Eleanor would probably be allowed take control throughout his childhood, and as he grew older she would be able to help him become a good ruler. However if the child was not male, the land would be thrown into a struggle for power that could be the start of a civil war. Her daughter would probably be forced to marry whoever won the war, because although she was female she was still the child of their beloved lord. Eleanor expected she would be cast out of the village at that point. Though from the rumors that were now circulating, she wouldn't be surprised to be put on trial for witch craft instead. And from the signals Ilea was giving her, the rumors had gotten worse.
"Thank-you Mary, maybe I will lie down for a while. Would you go make the proper preparations?"
Nodding profusely Mary quickly scuttled out of the room, content that her advice had been followed.
"What are they saying now?" Eleanor asked tiredly as she walked over to close the door.
Ilea slid off her chair and went to stand beside her friend, the first sign of concern showing on her face.
"Nothing new, this one's much like the others. A magical enchantment to convince the lord to move to the tower, followed by the casting of a curse to bring the plague. Then the use of more "black magic" to create the snow storm." She paused to give Eleanor a worried glance. "You know the one… you move far from the village, the plague hits and because of a snow storm the doctors are unable to travel the distance to save him. They seem to believe it was some sort of "evil plan" that you concocted."
Eleanor carefully sat down on the edge of a chair shaking her head.
"I don't understand it. I know that after the plague we were a little unsteady. But that should be expected. It's only been a few months, and yet we're already almost back to where we were before my husband and I were wed…"
"Yes, but then they had a ruler they trusted. A ruler they admired and adored. And" Ilea added smiling slightly, "You have to admit that before you came, they weren't very well off. Their economic state could hardly be used as a template for anything The only difference between then and now is their state of mind."
"But they make it impossible for me to build that level of trust!" Eleanor said exasperated. "I keep trying to help them, but each time I reach out they push me away! I increase our land's economy, and suddenly they say I'm obsessed with power and money. My husband dies, and…poof! I'm an evil witch."
Ilea let out a small giggle.
"Don't make fun!" Eleanor said glaring. "I'm serious. If the people don't learn to trust me, everything could fall apart!"
Ilea looked back at her, a mischievous look in her eye. "Alright I'm sorry." she said moving towards the window. "It'll never happen again…please don't cast a spell on me oh, powerful enchantress." Still giggling she ran and hid behind the mirror, "cowering" with fear. Shocked into laughter, Eleanor walked in front of the mirror, resting her elbow on the windowsill beside her.
"Hmm…my handmaid Ilea has displeased me by doubting my powers." Eleanor paused to allow a burst of laughter that made the mirror frame start to shake. "But no matter. I shall find her with my…" she glanced around her for ideas. "umm…magic…mirror!"
Ilea poked her head out from behind the mirror with her hands on her face in mock horror. "Oh no!" she cried between fits of laughter. Getting no reply, she stood up and walked around the mirror putting a hand on her friend's arm. "Eleanor? Are you okay?" Ilea moved and peered into her face, then cried out "Mary! Get in here!" Mary scuttled back into the room looking upset at being disrupted, but paid sharp attention to the instructions given to her after taking in the pained expression on Eleanor's face.
"Of course! Right away!" Mary hurried out of the room to fetch the midwife.
Ilea walked Eleanor over to her bed, allowing her to lean on her arm as they walked through the halls.
"Alright, now you just lay here…Mary's gone to get Lydia..."
Eleanor nodded, still grimacing from the pain.
"Breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…" Ilea managed to say, as she silently ordered all the guards and maids out of the room.
Mary dashed down the tower steps to get to the carriage. She had already summoned the midwife, and now she had to rush to get back to the village.
"Jack hitch up the horses! I need to get to the village quickly!" She said stepping into the carriage.
Leaning back from his seat Jack asked casually, "More revealing truths about Evil Eleanor?"
Mary gave him a sly smile as the carriage slowly went down the dirt road to the village. "You know I would never say anything about Lady Eleanor. That would be disrespectful." She gave him a wink. "However, I will say that a certain someone in a tower somewhere is having a baby right now."
The carriage raced into the village only moments later.
Ilea knocked on the door quietly, unsure if Eleanor was still awake. The midwife answered the door, motioning for Ilea to stay in the hall. Fear consumed her.
"Is she…"
"No, she's fine…but knowing our Eleanor, she may later disagree." Lydia stopped to look around the hall, making certain there was no one there. Grabbing Ilea's arm she whispered into her ear. "It's a girl."
