All characters are owned by George Macdonald except whatever OC's that I manage to come up with, purely fan made and inspired after reading all the great PatG fanfics
"There" smiled the white lady as she tied the bandage around the queen's hand that had been injured by the royal guard. "That should feel better, unfortunately there is nothing much more I can do with these kinds of wounds."
"No, that's just fine, I am very grateful that you helped me when I had barged on your home so rudely."
"I am glad you did," laughed the white lade, her soft hair flowing around her and reaching well beyond her feet, "I haven't had a visitor in so long, I believe it has been about one hundred years now."
"So that is how long you have been here? It must have been horribly long to be hidden here for so long, I can't even imagine it."
"It wasn't really all that bad darling. I have had good company." she held out a single finger and out of dark of the rafters above the queen's head a dove, or possibly a pigeon, flocked to the white lady and rested on the finger she held out.
"Oh, that is amazing." The queen stared at the beautiful white bird and leaned in to get a better look. "May I pet them?" Angelica knew it was a silly question but once she had first seen the bird she had been charmed.
"Of course" smiled the white lady as she held out her finger for the queen to pet the silky feathers with one finger.
The bird cooed softly at the gentle touch of the queen and she giggled softly, now turning her attention back to its keeper.
"I have never heard of you before, though you may know who I am."
"Yes, I know you are Angelica; I am Queen Irene and I am going to be the great, great grandmother of your child."
Angelica was about to ask more questions but she thought she had heard Queen Irene incorrectly.
"You say my child," the queen spoke softly, stunned by the words of the mysterious Irene, "but I have no child, the physicians say that I can never-"
"Yes but I have seen her" smiled the queen, "She will be a healthy, beautiful baby girl," Angelica put a hand to her chest and gasped.
"A baby girl? Really, oh please do not jest with me, I don't think I could handle it." Angelica stuttered an excited laugh.
"Yes" the queen laughed softly. Angelica reached out for Irene to hug her, but stopped, pulling her hands back quickly. "What is it my child?" asked the beautiful Irene before her.
"May I hug you, if it's not too impolite," Angelica asked sweetly, her cheeks burning bright pink.
"Not at all my dear, come," she held both her arms out and Angelica gratefully held onto her tightly.
"I'm so happy, I-I thought I was to be childless, oh thank you so much, thank you so much." Angelica came back from the hug to look at the white woman with eyes, bright and glossy with tears of happiness. An idea came to her then, "Then I shall name her after you, for every hope you have given me I must be so thankful. If I have your permission, of course," Angelica stopped as her mind half ran away with her.
"I would be honoured," the queen curtsied slightly, a deep sign of respect for royalty.
"Oh thank you so much, I just can't breathe, I can't believe any of this." But her eyes clouded with worry and she felt her heart become weighed down by fear.
"There is something I fear," the Angelica spoke softly to the woman with the flowing silver hair.
"I can tell" Irene raised an eyebrow, "pray tell child, what is it you fear?"
"I worry for my child's safety," the queen whispered slightly, "It is not a 'what' so much as 'whom,' I fear other people- I fear someone will harm her, though I think you know of whom I speak."
"I do" the great white lady said softly and stroked the poor girl's head as she shivered. "Your child will always be safe here, I can guarantee it, however, my protection will only work so long as she is under my castle roof or on these grounds, unfortunately my powers cannot stretch much farther than that."
"There is no more that I could ask of you, already you have given me so much and I have hardly anything for you." But the queen's worries were soon quelled and she felt an uplifting feeling surge through her being, "I am to have a child, I am talking of things that haven't happened yet as if they have. I haven't even seen her, but I feel as if I know her already. We will teach her things, everything a little princess should know, we will go horseback riding and play games and talk of suitors."
The queen laughed with a burst of excitement at the last one but Queen Irene's eyes laid themselves upon the girls face, a soft twinge in her heart.
"I will talk with my husband, oh he will have thought I've gone insane from all this, but I haven't" Angelica laughed giddily but turned to Irene, "Have I?"
"No, my child you have not, only four years from now, you will be blessed with a child of your very own-" the queen leapt up and span in the room, not noticing the hesitation in Irene's voice. "But-" whispered the woman, as she came to stand by Angelica who was no longer overcome in her happiness, "but there will be a cost my dear."
Angelica looked at her as the soft white hand came to rest on her shoulder, "a cost- what kind of cost do you mean?"
The woman in white looked at her kindly but with a sort of sadness in her eyes.
I tried to go with what I imagined Queen Irene would act like, because I could see her being very calm and gentle just the way she is in the book and the movie.