Chapter Two: The child was born.
After meeting with Ghedes, the King returned home full of anticipation.
The evening meal was being served when the king entered the dining hall.
King Basil sat heavily in his chair next to his wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth smiled and asked, "Where have you been my darling?"
"Oh just out for a walk my dear, you know how it helps me to think." Basil responded blandly.
Elizabeth sighed "Well I wish you would stop taking these walks in the evening,
I always fear something horrible will happen to you. Perhaps you should start taking a guard so that..."
"NO!" Basil interjected, "I mean, no, it would only distract me from my thoughts." he smiled "Besides I am perfectly capeable of defending myself."
She smiled weakly in return,"I know,I only worry for you as a wife should."
They sat in silence for a moment, as the servants poured the wine. Basil contemplating how to get the potion into his wife's cup. Since trickery would only work for so long, he came up with a more ingenious solution, he would prey on her insecurities. Basil smiled lovingly at his wife, "Bess my love, why with all this talk I forgot to give you this," he held up the shining vial he had obtained from the demon earlier, " it's, an exotic medicine from a merchant I met on the road outside the castle."
Elizabeth eyed the bottle suspiciously, "Why would you bring me medicine?" she asked "I am not ill, nor out of sorts."
The king smiled devilishly and stood up "You know we have been married for over a year now", he said quietly, "and I still have no heir, not a single child to take my place when I am gone." He smiled inwardly saw her pained expression. "The merchant I obtained this from said that it came from the east, and it was well known to cure all forms of infertility."
With her eyes tearing up, she looked up at her husband, "Do you really think this will help me to concieve a child for you?" She asked, her voice hopeful despite her saddened expression.
"I do indeed my dear, the merchant swore it upon his life." He said setting the little bottle down on the table as he embraced his wife. "I would never mislead you my love, you know I want only what is best for us."
"How must this medicine be applied?" Elizabeth asked, smiling now with confidence in her husband's words.
Basil smiled sweetly, "Only three drops each night in your wine at dinner, and we will soon have our little bundle of joy."
"That sounds easy enough." She sighed happily as she popped the cork on the vial.
"Remember only three drops in your cup no more, no less." The king's smile growing as Elizabeth carefully measured the incidious liquid into her wine.
Drip, Drip, Drip, The sound was like music to Basil's ears. Soon, he would have his powerful heir. Basil took his Elizabeth's hand and pulled her to him as he kissed her.
Neither noticed the ruby eyed raven sitting on the open windowsill.
With time the new country began to prosper, and the queen was soon found to be with child. Many rejoiced in this, sure that the queen's pregnancy at such a prosperous time would mean a fine, strong son was to be born soon. Although it was her duty to produce an heir for the throne, Queen Bess secretly desired a daughter.
Late one night Bess cried out in labor, the king rushed to the door and sent for the midwives. Closing the door, the king went to a chest at the foot of the bed and produced the dagger he recieved from the demon Ghedes. He made a shallow cut on his wife's brow as she cried again in labor. The king put the dagger in his robes, as the midwives arrived. The king relinquished his wife to them, and went down the hall rousig servants from their beds.
"Wake the lords and ladies," he ordered "Tell the chef to prepare a feast, and bring the wine from the cellars." His voice thundered as he continued toward the great hall. "I am going to have a son!"
The celebration went on into the early hours of the morning, the sounds of celebrating could be heard throughout the castle. The only serious faces that could be seen were in the royal chambers. The head midwife was concerned that the queen was having a difficult labor, and had developed a fever that would not break. Elizabeth's screams echoed throughout the room as the child appeared, and a midwife wrapped the babe in the royal colors. "Let me see my child." Bess ordered weakly. The child was handed to the queen, her eyes lit up for a moment when she saw that she had a daughter, not a son. The babe's skin was nearly white as the snow of the capped mountains in the distance, her hair black as the night sky, with rosy cheeks and lips. "Oh, how beautiful she is." Bess sighed happily.
"Do you have a name for her?" asked the midwife, a tear forming in her eye.
"Snow White." Bess responded proudly "Call her Snow White, for her beautiful color."
The midwife smiled and looked down at her mentor who was tending the queen. The older woman looked up tears in her eyes, and shook her head. She could do no more for the queen, and knew that she would not be long for this world. "Call the king," the old woman told the younger "he should be with his wife and daughter now." she said as she smiled down at mother and child. The young girl rushed out the door to do as she was bade.
The king still celebrating in the hall, immediatly smiled at the sight of the young midwife entering the hall. "AH! Look here my lords and ladies, news of my wife and son has arrived!" He shouted, half drunk, as he picked up his cup to toast the occasion. "Let us have a drink together before we here the good news." He raised his cup as did the rest of the hall, as the young girl began to cross the hall to the king. "Now then, young woman, what news have you?" Basil inquired as he set down his cup.
"Please sire, perhaps you would like to hear this news in private?" The young girl spoke softly.
"No, no let us all hear the news." Basil demanded with a grin.
With tears in her eyes, the young woman spoke,"The queen is dying my lord, the birth was too much for her," the king's eyes began to grow large, his expression betraying anger "I was bade to bring you to the queen before she departs."
"And my son?" The king asked, his anger beginning to show on his face even more.
The young woman, timid now, spoke with a trembling voice "Forgive me highness, but the child it is not a son, but a daughter that the queen has given to you."
"WHAT?" Basil roared so loudly that even the sounds of even the breath in the room seemed quieted. "THIS CANNOT BE! THAT BASTARD PROMISED, HE PROMISED! I WILL NOT BELIVE THIS DECEPTION SAVE I SEE IT FOR MYSELF!" he howled as he grabbed the girl roughly pulling her up the stairs to the chambers, and burst through the door. "Where is my child?" He demanded of the head midwife.
"Here." Elizabeth spoke up weakly "Our daughter is here with me Basil." The king's anger sofftening as he beheld his beautiful wife pale as her sheets looking very near death. "Look Basil,"
Bess coaxed,"isn't she perfect?" Basil moved closer to his wife, and reached for the child,
"She is beautiful my love." he said softly.
"I knew you would love her." Bess sighed heavily,"I am so tired my love, would you call a wet nurse for her? The midwife tells me I will feel better after I have rested some." With emotion he had never know the King nodded as the queen smiled up at him one last time, then closed her eyes to sleep forever.
"Does she have a name?" Basil asked the head midwife.
"The queen gave her the name Snow White highness." She replied sadness in her voice.
"Snow White, it shall be then." he replied cooly looking down at the little child in his arms. "Princess Snow White." He mumbled as the child opened her eyes to reveal not the typical blue of a newborn, but a hauntingly beautiful golden color. What irony, thought the king, that a child born of demon magic should be so beautiful.