Disclaimer: If I owned everything I would be Goddess Supreme and a multi billionaire producer.
A/N: I have received twice PMs from fellow authors who want to see AWA updated again and I will say it is my baby however I lost the files of the chapters I was going to update next when I re-edit them on my dad's laptop yesterday so I am very pissed, which last about a quarter of a year, and because the chapter would be 200 words why bother so here you go another chapter of QSH because you asked for it, thanks for everyone for supporting this story, its really amazing.
R/R, thanks to SSLE for helping write this months ago the first part you are an awesome writer too
~VXLP
"Eyes black, big paws
And it's poison, and it's blood
Big fire, big burn
Into the ashes of no return
Woooooooooooooooooooooo
Woooooooooooooooooooooo
Woooooooooooooooooooooo
Woooooooooooooooooooooo
We took you right from
Your mother's womb
Our temple, your tomb
Give me your hand
Not pawned
The poison is blood
Wooooooooooooo
Wooooooooooooo
Wooooooooooooo
Wooooooooooooo
We have
been calling
Black Paw who's soaring
We go out in the morning
Down the trail to somewhere
You are the sound that I hear
You are the sound that I hear
We are not standing
We are falling
Woooooooooooooooooooo
Woooooooooooooooooooo
Woooooooooooooooooooo
Woooooooooooooooooooo"
~ "The Wolf Hour" by Fever Ray
"Please papa ... please!" Annie repeated hanging tight on her real papa's neck.
"Annie you are confused, he is not your father, I am ... let us go Annie you are just tired" Philip said coming to the center of the parlor in his hands the little pup he was meant to give, only because his wife convinced him, to Annie.
He attempted to grab Annie, but she hid her head in her real father's neck.
"Anne please you are upsetting your mother" Philip –who'd just came into the parlor, said, frustration and giving the pup he brought for his "daughter" to one of his servants.
Mary was crying inside, and filled with anger. "Annie please, your place is with us your real parents"
"He is not my real parent!"
"He is Annie, please Annie Henry is your twin you were born on the same day, how else can you explain your uncle being your father? Think Annie, reason!"
"Kate said that doctors say that sometimes a man's seed can cause another baby when there is already a baby being made in a mommy's tummy! She taught me that! And besides –" she added –"I look like Eustace, I look like him, we have the same eyes, the same hair, the same face, the same laughter, I´ve seen it!
Mary sighed in frustration. "Annie your mind is making things up, it happens when you have been caused all this confusion, now come on, let us go back"
"No! Why do you force me to go? I don´t want to go!"
Eustace finally decided to speak and began to rock her like the child she was passing his hand through her hair. "Shhh. Don´t cry, don´t cry"
Annie's salty tears fell on his neck.
"Look at me, Anne"
"I don´t want to go papa"
"I know. I don´t want you to go too. But you remember that story I told you..." He felt tears in his eyes that were threatening to fall "when papa was a child and his mama and his uncle also fought because of him?" Anne nodded "It hurt papa very much until now, it hurts me"
"It hurts here?" Anne asked placing her little hand on his chest, above his heart
"Yes, it hurts there." He confirmed "That is why you have to go with your mother, because I don´t want...I don´t want you to be hurt like I was"
"No ... I would rather die!" She said crying harder.
"Annie please...Papa will always be with you always."
He had close eyes tight in order to avoid tears from falling and Susan and Elizabeth had to divert their eyes from the scene not able to look at it
"That is not true, you will forget me! You all will forget me, I should have never been born, is what mummy said ... you think the same thing! Why was I born?"
"No, no, no I will never forget you." He vowed "I will always love you. Always." He repeated "I will never regret you being born, never" He said before shooting a look at Mary a look of pure hatred that also made her look away. Eustace felt like he was being plunged a knife into his heart. God forgive him!
"Yes you will, don't worry I will never bother you again, if you want Annie to be invisible then I will be, isn't that what you said mummy that I should be invisible or quiet, or you Philip when I would not stop screaming at you! You said bad kids like me had their tongues cut off!"
"How could you Mary?" He whispered.
"Anne that is enough of your tantrums for now! Let us go before you cause us a headache!"
"No" Elizabeth said finally standing before Mary, a hand clenched on her swollen belly where the child kicked as fiercely as its mother's temper "it´s over. She is not going anywhere. Mary I am going to tell everything to father. You know perfectly well that father does not like Henry because let us say Phillip politics in Court are not bringing back to favor, If I have a son then I am sure father will preferred it to your precious little henry"
"So now, this is how it´s going to be" Elizabeth said with her blue eyes opened, cold, icily looking at her sister. This was when Elizabeth transformed herself, when in Eustace´s words she looked a real Queen "you and Phillip and the army of people your brought, are going to leave my house and you are never to come back." Then she added –"Furthermore, I have agreed with your cousin to educate my child within the catholic faith...unlike Henry and apparently, he likes me more now."
Mary looked pleadingly at Eustace and then to her sister again. "Elizabeth if I could do anything to avoid this ..."
"Let us keep Annie, and if you ever come again Mary I swear everyone will know" she said dangerously.
"Bessie, please, I only wanted my daughter back" Mary said crying now.
"You have no idea of what I am capable to defend my family" She whispered "You have made my niece suffer and you have made my husband suffer and I won´t tolerate it anymore" and when her sister grew silent she went to add -"I have had enough patience with you it´s over. I thought, actually Eustace thought because god knows why he still thinks there is some good in you, that when you come today here, you were trying to make peace, calmly, slowly, getting to know your daughter but no, you´re only mistreating her again"
"This is your ultimatum Bessie, I yield Annie over or you tell? No second options then?" Mary asked weakly, feeling herself sunk lower then she'd ever been.
"You had a choice don´t act like you didn't. You had a year, a whole year, and you come here with your husband and you are not even ready to tell your daughter the truth that she already about her own father. And you continue on treating her badly even after she begged you, I repeat begged you crying to stay and I wonder why? Is it only because you want to hurt Eustace? Is that your only propose on life? When are you going to stop acting like everything was his fault or my fault or even Anne´s fault and when ARE YOU GOING TO REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO BLAME FOR YOUR UNHAPPINESS BUT YOURSELF? You had everything, you could´ve had everything ,and now you regret it because you look at me and you see you could have had ,and you didn't because you were not brave. Life Mary is made of choices, Eustace taught me that and he taught you too but you didn´t want to learn, you made a choice, you chose Phillip and your made up happiness. Your choice. You chose to marry Phillip. You chose to give Eustace up. You chose to mistreat your daughter. It was all you and I won´t tolerate someone who comes to my house and blames me or my family for her own misery"
Mary sniffed. She turned to Annie, who remained in the arms of her father, her real father. The truth was finally out.
"Annie is this what you want? I can change ..." she trailed off looking at her crying daughter, realizing all the evil she'd done, but it now all depended on a choice, a very crucial one that Annie had to make.
"No mummy, you will always be the same, you said that you had me by mistake, you made Henry have everything, you made me cry, and Philip made Annie cry too when he said I was evil and unwanted"
"For Christ´s sake" Eustace whispered wanting to hit Phillip
"I am ... sorry Annie, forgive me"
"Let me stay here mummy, do this good thing for me. Please" she begged hiding her head in Eustace's shoulder, when she saw Philip throwing her a murderous glare, one he changed when Eustace looked his way, but too late he had caught it.
"Leave my house" Eustace said to Phillip "this is not about you, I won´t have someone who publicly humiliates my daughter in my house"
"I came here in peace terms Chapuys" he said clenching his fists and blaming Annie for everything.
"You didn't understand. This is not up for discussion"
Mary stopped Philip grabbing his hand before going.
"Annie you can stay wherever you want, you are right sister" she looked at Elizabeth "this is where she belongs, I love you Annie" and then she pulled away and left, with her army of maids trailing behind her. Philip however had to say his last line –"Goodbye Eustace, you are right Eustace this is not up for discussion, she would have made a bad Lady anyway, too much of a country girl, too poor in everything"
"Speaks the impoverished duke" Chapuys said his old self back as Alex behind laughed. In the moment they left, Anne began to cry again holding her father´s more tightly than ever "I am so sorry Annie, I am so sorry" He whispered "I promise I will never do this again. I will fight for you. I will always fight for you"
She came from her hiding place, his neck to stare at him in doubt, the same expression he had when he interrogated his sources. "You said that you had to let me go" she said patiently, but there was hint of accusation in her tone and by the way she looked at him.
He didn´t answer immediately and took her upstairs to his and Elizabeth´s bed chamber. With all this it had been night time already and he seriously doubt that Anne would not be able to sleep alone. Elizabeth and the others thought best to give father and daughter some time alone.
He placed her in bed, though she never let go of him. "Anne" he started softly "I thought it was the best, because I believed...I believed your mother had changed but she didn´t. A girl should not be separated from her mother and I didn´t want that to happen to you"
"I did not mean to cause anyone trouble ... why?" She said weakly.
"Anne it´s not your fault, nothing of this is your fault. Ever. Don´t ever think that. Don´t ever think that"
"Mummy said that I was a mistake, that God forced her to have me"
"Don´t believe her. It´s not true" he said swallowing hard "For me and for your aunt, and for everyone in this house, you are a blessing. A blessing. You make me and Elizabeth and Alex and Kate and everyone so happy"
He went to add-"You are for me, my daughter, an angel a little angel who brought me much happiness" as your aunt he thought but didn´t say it aloud.
"Papa"[1] she said holding his hands. "No me dejes papito porfavor"[2] she pleaded.
"Never, never, I will never, never let you go. I promise. I´ve learned my lesson. I would go, for you, to the end of the world"
"I love you papa -don't I love you" she said in broken English, mixing Hebrew and Spanish as it was her aunt and stepmother's favorite lady in waiting taught her. Her arms went around him, she could feel his fingers in her hair.
"Sleep, you need to rest" he said softly
"Will you stay?" she said hugging him tightly as if afraid he would leave.
"Yes of course. Sleep my daughter...I love you…very much"
In a few minutes Anne was asleep and he kept looking at her as he had done during those nights he spend with her. An hour later Elizabeth knocked softly at the door "May I?" she whispered
"She is resting," Eustace said looking at the empty space in the bed where Elizabeth sat her nineteen year old form at. This baby was going to be born soon next year or maybe by Christmas, to think that Annie shared the same birthday as Elizabeth, it was a miracle.
"She is a blessing" Elizabeth said reading her husband's thoughts. "She is so beautiful"
You are a wonderful father, she thought smiling approvingly.
"No I am not" he said guessing what she thought by her look of admiration. "if I were I would have fought for her today and it was you who did that. I am so ashamed... I am...how could have I been so idiot, so naive? I really thought she had changed" He said with a wince of disgust "and I was ready to give her one of the people I most love in this world for nothing...Oh god" He moaned remembering the scene.
She reached Eustace's shoulder, first passing her hands through Annie's soft hair, who immediately snuggled next to her Aunt as she neared them. "You take too serious the gospel of Mark, Luke, Mathew and all the rest"
"But I should … I should protect you and her and our child, inside you and I was weak I was …"
"You could have done nothing, you gave her a chance she did nothing. Now we know better"
"I swear I will not let her go, I will love my child and the children I am to have with you"
"I know you will Eustace, and I am blessed that you have let Annie learn from every knowledge there is known to man. She adores you, you see how she smiles when your fingers touch her cheek or you kiss her cheek? When you sleep next to her and I am with you two?"
"She loves you too" He said leaning into Elizabeth to kiss her.
"At least all this served for something" Elizabeth said with a smirk.
"What?" Eustace asked not seeing the point.
"At least I know now that I am the only one for you...that you love me and not Mary"
He chuckled making unconsciously Annie smile at well, and after she woke up the next day she woke up to find her Auntie, her true mummy embracing her and her papa.
She looked at Eustace. "Papa" she said and kissed his nose.
"Mmm" -He wrinkled his nose and his eyes, pulling her closer.
"Papa let me go! You are not sleeping" -he didn´t answer and pulled her closer
"Daddy do not be silly" She said giggling feeling his fingers tickle her.
He continued on tickling her his eyes still closed and he pulled her closer, tightening "Do you like me?" He asked
"You are being silly papa" she said laughing waking Elizabeth who smiled showing her perfect white teeth at the sight of father and daughter. Finally ... the truth had woke them up.
"Papa you being too silly!"
"Do you? You have to answer." he said tightening even more the hold on her while tickling her harder
"Yes, yes!" She said laughing madly.
He brought her on top of him and continued on tickling "Good then you´re going to continue to be here because you like me"
"They always fall for that" Elizabeth said laughing
"You did not tell me the rules of this game papa!"
"I will tickle you back! Once I get ... ahahah stop it!"
"Papa" he let her go, but he was still holding her on top of him, she laughed very hard despite not being tickled anymore, as he finally opened his eyes.
"You look just like Apollo papa" Annie said looking at his curls fall into his face, they were not long as other men at Court, and they were losing their beautiful brown, but she considered him the most handsome.
"Something you and I also agree on Annie" Elizabeth said snuggling next to Eustace.
"Oh god it´s a conspiracy"
Annie smacked her father, lightly, on the chest. "You say do not believe in conspiracies"
"You both have united against me to mock me"
"Yes that´s our favorite activity "Elizabeth said mocking seriously
Annie kissed her Aunt's cheek, whom she was pondering whether she should call her mama, and then went back to her daddy and kissed his flushed cheek, each one.
"She is Athena"
"Athena was not married to Apollo" Eustace said, seeing that Elizabeth was pressing both her lips trying hard not to laugh.
"But she should be because Athena was the greatest Goddess, she was smart, beautiful and everything, she had culture, she brought knowledge and she was Zeus' firstborn and the one he felt more proud of"
"Anne I was your grandfather's second born"
"In spirit you were first born, you are like Athena and like her Goddess Nike, the Goddess of victory you can soar and conquer whatever you like! And I am ... who am I?"
"Annie you are angel and no one is entirely convinced that your grandfather is Zeus"
"Grandpa is not Zeus?" Annie asked astounded. "Why daddy? Everyone says that he is because he is head of the church ... I think though he should not be called head of"
"Oh god I am not ready to explain … Because no man is God, Anne" he said "it´s a mistake to think so"
"But what if he has power to change men's destinies?" She pointed out.
"He doesn´t" Elizabeth said "no one does we make our own destiny"
"So I knew it then Plato, oh wait no! Greek mythology is wrong!" She said excitedly. "But so then there are no Gods or God?"
"There is a God and I am having a headache" Elizabeth said and Chapuys laughed "there is a god the bible god, Anne you´ve studied that"
"And he loves us?"
"He does of course"
"As much as you loves me papa?"
"Probably not" He whispered and kissed her forehead.
"Don't lie but don't tell whole truth"
~Baltasar Gracian, Maxim 181, The Art of Worldly Wisdom (1647)
1537, August 30th
Hatfield:
A month after no Mary, no Phillip no problems had come in their way and things had slowly returned to normalcy even though Anne still asked her father´s presence some nights. And in a cold day of August Elizabeth started feeling her cramps.
She was lying down in the couch with her head on her husband lap who was quietly reading a book and looking at a drawling Anne had made for them. It had something written in Latin which Elizabeth and Kate had recently taken up as their new task to teach her, when she clutched her stomach in pain. Only one month away she thought, not now.
"Elizabeth are you alright?"
"Ah" she said clutching her belly.
"Elizabeth" Eustace said more seriously.
"Eustace...my water just broke" she managed to say.
Eustace had the urged to bang his head in a wall, just the month that everything was going alright, not one month more they were supposed to wait for their child or children to be born, and now this, Elizabeth's water broke and he grew alarmed for his child would be born three weeks ahead of time.
"Kat! Kate!" He yelled going to fetch her best maids and friends, who all woke up at the sound of their mistress and friend's husband's worried voice and went to fetch the midwives.
"Ah Eustace ..." Elizabeth yelled feeling a great contraction hit her, this time making her clutch her stomach in deep pain.
"I am here" he said, grabbing her hand "I won´t leave you"
"It hurts!"
"Shhh I know, I know, it´s going to be fine" he said as she lay in bed having no idea if he was saying the truth
"Mama?" Annie thought without knowing she said this aloud as she came into the room, with the doll Kate and Bessie had made for her after Philip and Mary had agreed to let her live with her real father, and her Aunt whom she now called mama, and though at first Bess had been very apprehensive she came to like it for she had seen how she was a better parent to Anne.
"Are you going to be okay?" she asked clutching her doll and with the other hand she tugged on her father's sleeve. "Is mama going to be alright? Papa?"
He let go of Elizabeth for a second and knelled trying to smile "yes she is going to be fine, now you need to go with Kate, alright? I promise we will call you"
"Kate" he looked up telling former Lady Parr to take the child, he didn't want his daughter to see this in case something were to happen, it would be terrible for her to witness a miscarriage. God be willing it did not come to that!
"Come on ..." Kate said, taking Annie who was clutching her doll.
"But I want to see if mummy is okay"
"Anne she is going to be fine now please you must go. Please."
Kate led Anne who was nodding, constantly looking back as Kate led her to her chamber where Alex was already waiting for her to keep her company, to see if her mama was fine, but she seemed in pain.
Please God don't let her die.
"Kate is God going to protect mama and Auntie Bessie?" Annie asked referring to her Aunt and spiritual mother Bess.
"Yes" she didn´t hesitate "She is going to be fine"
In the other room Elizabeth was having the most terrible pains, while she gritted her teeth and clutched to her husband´s hand.
"Aahhh!"
"You have to push my lady!"
"I can´t!"
"Elizabeth you can, you are the strong one" Eustace whispered
"Ahhh!" she screamed again in frustration "Eustace I can´t!"
"Eustace" she panted "if-if ... Ahhh! something happ-"
"No, don't say that, Annie needs you, I need you, I love you do not leave me, Elizabeth please!"
"Please Elizabeth, please"
"My lady we are almost there, only a bit more!"
Elizabeth gave one last enormous scream that echoed through the whole of Hatfield and she let her head fall back in bed almost unconscious until she head a baby cry
"It´s a boy!" the midwife said convinced that was the information the parents most wanted.
"It´s a boy" Eustace whispered. I have a son … my son!
Elizabeth looked at her son, where her mother failed, there it was a healthy son, healthy and perfect just like Annie. "Let me see him" She said barely able to raise her head, very weak.
After it was cleaned, the newborn was brought to her by her friend Kat Ashley, who placed the infant in his mother's arms so both parents would see their newborn. Kat felt very happy for Elizabeth, and not only for her, but for Annie for she, unknown to Eustace and even to Elizabeth, had heard all the horror stories Annie told her about her brother throwing ships made of wood by his father at her.
Finally she had a sibling who would love her, one who would be hers to raise.
"Hello little one" Elizabeth said softly, keeping her eyes open gazing at the precious little boy she and Eustace made.
"Hello I am your mama" She said kissing his brow.
The baby boy smiled at Elizabeth, and for the first time she looked at his other features, like Annie, they could pass off if only they had the same age, as twins. The baby boy so beautiful he also reminded Bess of herself and her mother, with eyes the shape of her mothers and hers as well.
But they had the color of Eustace's, bright blue eyes that stared at her and kept smiling at her as Elizabeth smiled back feeling very happy with what she and Eustace made.
He had dark hair, not exactly red, but not exactly brown either, a combination of both she guessed that with time could turn darker, perhaps almost black.
His skin was olive, a true Boleyn, but lighter than she remembered her mother's, and he had the strong cheekbones of his father, and the same thin lips and even his smile mirrored his.
"He is beautiful" he heard his father´s voice say.
Elizabeth looked up to her husband and smiled. "Do you want to hold him?"
Eustace smiled and nodded and Elizabeth placed the baby on his arms, he was so small that Eustace could almost hold him with only one hand.
He looked at the baby who almost immediately smiled at him, too though before eyeing him strangely as if asking him who he was, but when his father smiled the baby smiled back at him too.
"Welcome little one" he whispered.
"You gave us quite a fright" he continued with same tone of voice "but now you are her, aren´t you? Yes, you are"
"Papa?" they heard a voice calling them. it was Annie, no longer holding the doll looking at them with unsure eyes and fear in her them too "Kate said I could come"
Annie had been told it was a boy and she was scared. She wanted a girl, what if this boy also treated her like henry had?
She passed a hand through her hair, as if that would take away all the bad memories of Henry's taunts and the flying boats he threw at her.
Elizabeth saw how Annie was very unsure as her eyes landed on the small bundle her father was holding. "Is that my brother?"
Eustace smiled at his daughter. "Yes he is" he said proudly, and he quickly dispersed all fears from Annie. "Look he wants to see you, he laughed when he heard your voice"
Annie seemed to be at ease with that, and Elizabeth tapped the bed telling her niece it was alright.
"Hello luv" She said to her newborn. "We are going to present to you someone very important"
"It´s your sister" Eustace finished his wife's sentence sitting on the bed, as Anne went with unsure steps, but with the curiosity in her eyes, until she finally looked at her brother, her youngest brother, who, almost knowingly, giggled at her, extending a finger as babies used to. Anne reached her hand too and the little baby, who didn´t have a name yet, grabbed hers gently, as gently as a baby could, with his chubby fingers and squeezed it. Something that made her gasp and her eyes widen. "He...he likes me!"
Eustace let out a merry laughter. How could he not like her? "See that is Annie, Annie this is your brother."
"He looks like you papa but with mummy Bess' dark blue eyes!"
"What is his name?" she asked and Eustace returned him to Elizabeth arms taking Annie instead.
"Good question"
"Apollo!" Annie said smiling at her father, poking him and later Elizabeth who looked at Eustace not believing Annie was still insisting on Greek names.
"He looks like the god Apollo"
"English name"
"Apollo"
"Annie that´s not an English name. Though I would give him such a name only to see the face of my father in law" Eustace mumbled which made Elizabeth laugh.
"Anthony but he looks like an Andrew too" Annie said.
"Andrew" Elizabeth said "Annie and Anthony Andrew Chapuys"
"He can be King Anthony I"
"Annie" both said to their daughter.
"What? He would be much nicer, wouldn't you Andrew?" She asked looking down at her baby brother, who giggled recognizing it was his name.
"He is intelligent Mummy Bessie, he know who we are"
He is, thought Eustace. It was a HE, his son. HIS son.
He had created this lovely boy, this beautiful baby boy, it was his son and like Annie he would protect them and be a watchdog over them. Nobody would ever hurt him or them, his children and his wife, his entire family again.
"What are you thinking Eustace?" Elizabeth asked.
"I am thinking...that you should rest"
"You look very tired and Andrew is almost asleep" He said leaning over to kiss her lips after the maids had been called again to finish cleaning the spots they missed. "Again you behaved like a hero today"
"I thought I was not going to make it -what kept me going was my belief all of you in me" Elizabeth said taking little Andrew from Eustace and rocking him.
"You are much stronger than me Elizabeth I only hope our children can have your strength and mine"
Finally the baby fell asleep and Annie and also fell asleep sprawled on the bed.
Elizabeth asked him to place the baby on the crib and after doing so, Eustace picked Annie up who was asleep in his arms profoundly and took her to her bed and bedroom.
After that he returned to his bedroom while Elizabeth was almost asleep
"You look tired" she said to Eustace, the bags under his eyes had become more noticeable.
"I should say that to you" he said back smirking as he snuggled inside the covers.
"No other man has been in his wife's birth chambers." she voiced. "You behaved like a hero Eustace, you always consider me an amazon, but you are the one who is the hero, the man behind all wheels that make this marriage work."
"That is because you are a bright lady, without you Elizabeth and do not try to deny it for your grin you know this is true, you are everything a person should be"
"And what is that?" she asked quirking an eyebrow.
"Strong, indomitable nature, you are like a strong bird who spreads her wings and fly, protects her young. You protect Annie as your own, and the way you see our son, it leaves me no doubt that I have seen no other woman like you, courageous and strong"
"You overreact"
"I do not, you are truly amazing and every day you surprise me more and more" Eustace's hand reached for her soft cheeks which were stained with tears. She was the happiest woman on Earth and she was proud of how far she'd come with Eustace. He made her feel loved and she had not felt like this since her mother. He had given her two beautiful children and although she had not given birth to their eldest, she felt very protective over her niece and stepdaughter. Annie was Eustace's treasure, Elizabeth could see that. No one could replace her, the minute she placed her in his arms that July night three years ago he was had given his heart entirely to that little girl.
Anthony had come as another blessing but he could not compare, nobody really could to Annie. That did not stop Eustace though from loving his son. Eustace admired every feature of the boy he'd held in his hands. He was stronger and heavier than Annie, but with similar features that made them pass off more like twins and the resemblances would become more apparent as they grew.
Indeed they did.
Another set of years that flew by and the proud parents found themselves celebrating their son's fourth birthday. Elizabeth had worked very hard to have Anthony but unlike her sister whom all she wished was to give her father more children, male children to be more specific, Elizabeth didn't care for such trivial things. As long as their children were healthy, the rest was of no consequence. But for someone like her father the gender did matter and so after they celebrated their son's birthday they were invited (more like demanded, Eustace thought) to come to the Christmas celebration that her father and the queen threw each year.
Another cliffy, next chapter will be a time jump just to warn you, like or hate the name of CHABESS first son? He will be very important later on so pay attention to him and how his sister bond!
Translation from Spanish to English:
[1]"Papa" -Father
[2]"No me dejes papito porfavor" -Do not leave me daddy please