Ever After (The Prince and the Pretender)

As a Mother

Chapter 16: As a Mother

Royal Throne Room, Castle of Gilead

Everything was sparkling red and shining black but even when her dazzling gown shared the same shades of color to her surroundings, Queen Love had effortlessly stood out.

She rested her pale bejeweled hand on the window sill, poised and smothered with ethereal elegance as she looked outside the glass. Despite the window being shut close, she could still hear the laughter and cheer emanating from the inner courtyard.

A smile crept on her face as she watched her son's back fall defeated on the ground. She had thought it a miracle when reports of her son's recovery had started spreading in the caste like wildfire. But she knew better, she knew that it was no miracle, but magic.

For three long years, Queen Love had thought of gulping her pride like bitter wine and ask the White Witches for help. She knew they could heal him but she had never found the courage, hidden in heaps of pride to ask for their help. She would never ask her old, ugly and withering sister for help.

Her soaring pride had held her unable to do anything but trust the physicians; Leukemia they say. On the first year of Kyron's slow demise the physicians that had handled him were Gileadites alone, having the king's paranoia of the other kingdoms having knowledge of his weakness. Surely, when they would become aware of the deteriorating health of King Garrick's heir they would exploit that weakness in attempts present only in the King's imagination.

After a year of watching her beloved golden boy turn weaker and weaker, the Queen had decided to do things herself. No, she did not go to the White Witches and ask for help- or else this story would have ended sooner- but she personally travelled around the neighboring Kingdoms and asked for their court physicians. With permission from the Kings and few barons she met along the way, she had garnered more physicians than her husband, the king, could ever provide their son.

She disguised them as Gileadites- which was easy enough for she just had them provided with red tunics and coats- and told the king that they came from the rural villages of Gilead to see if they can help. Believing his Queen's story like he always did, he allowed the physicians to see Kyron.

The physicians from Kora was no use. Viking Valley was no use. Druada was no use. Surallah, Otto, Syrtis, Corinth and even Azura who she had hoped to have the cure had disappointed her. The year ended with the Queen's efforts falling in vain.

The year had passed and she was at the brink of giving up. Even the King was already considering to ask the other kingdoms for help, knowing naught of his wife's unsuccessful scheme. The king had allowed Princess Everet to take a the court physicians of Azura to check on her brother's condition- even if they already checked on him a year ago they still kept silent and pretended it was the first time they ever saw Kyron- all for the gold Everet had to offer.

That had done it. Her son, her beloved son was already being exploited for a few gold pieces and she would not let that happen again. The moment she regained her beauty that day, when she had eaten her most recent non-virgin wench, she was most determined to swallow the heaps of pride she had all along. She would tell her twin sister how sorry she is for constructing the demise of an entire kingdom and all its citizens. She would fall on her knees and tell her how sorry she is for dividing their tribe into light and dark so she could have people to rule over as well. Her sister is a White Witch, surely she would forgive her even if she's already gone pitch black. Aye! She surely would. Queen Love had rushed outside, ready to call for her stable boy and have him arrange their coach when she was greeted with a gossip.