The Queen Read Free Page B

raced in his
chest knowing he was going against not only his father’s wishes,
but hundreds of years of tradition. “My bed wife, Luana, as well as
the other bed wives in the castle, will be given the freedom to
walk the castle.”
    The quiet that followed caused Baylin’s ears
to buzz. It was an eerie calm that suggested a storm was soon to
follow.
    “Your Grace, are you saying that the King
has overthrown the Bed Wife Law?” asked one of his captains.
    And here comes the storm. Baylin took
a deep breath. “No, he has not. Not yet at least. However, as your
Prince, and acting Regent, I am enforcing this new action.”
    The room erupted with noise. Some excited,
some angry, others confused.
    “My Lord, you cannot possibly mean that we
should defy the law?” called an old general.
    “Only the King can pass such a motion,”
called another.
    The Prince felt the stab of pain in his head
as the noise and stress, along with the extreme lack of sleep,
caught up with him. There will be no silencing this now.
    “My good men…” Ferric called out, trying to
assist his friend. But the commotion continued.
    Suddenly, all the men fell silent, their
eyes falling on something behind Baylin. He turned and saw his
mother standing next to her throne, holding his son in her arms.
His face flushed warm. She knows that Father is against turning
the law. Though he knew she supported Luana, he feared she
would not be proud that he was going against his father’s
command.
    “Mother, I—” the Prince breathed.
    “My Lords,” called the Queen. “Soldiers of
Grasmere. Your duty is to the Kingdom and the royal family. Your
Prince has asked that you respect and accept the mother of his
child; the mother of the future heir to the throne of
Grasmere.”
    Baylin released a breath he did not realize
he had been holding as relief flooded over him. He turned to see
the men bowing to him—their Prince—their future King.

Chapter Four

    During the next couple days, Baylin waited
for word from his uncle in Mirstone while he readied his men to
defend the Kingdom should there be a surprise attack. He spent a
large portion of his time in the war room studying maps, or out in
the Kingdom, strengthening numbers and trying to put the villagers
at ease.
    It was early when the Prince made his way
through the castle, planning to ride with some of his men to
Rivermouth to fortify the ports. Suddenly, he heard a crashing
commotion coming from the Great Hall.
    He took off at a run, rounding the corner to
find the room filled with flowers and banners. Several young maids
stood over a pile of metal trays on the floor, quickly picking them
up.
    “Never mind about those,” said the Queen to
the girls. “Have them sent back to the kitchen to be cleaned and
start bringing in the candles.
    “Mother?” Baylin asked, striding toward her.
“What is all this?”
    “Have you already forgotten?” she laughed.
“The celebration? To honor Luana and your son?”
    He studied the room. The large columns,
adorned with their own unique sculptures in the stone, were wrapped
in beautiful garlands of fir tree branches and berries. Tables were
lined up, being prepared to hold large quantities of food.
Understanding came over him. “The celebration, yes, of course.
Apologies, Mother, I have been… preoccupied.”
    “Of course you have. Your duty is to protect
the Kingdom,” the Queen replied, pulling a rose from an arrangement
as a steward carried it by. “My duty is to the morale of the
Kingdom. Hence why you’re riding off to the villages and I am
planning a celebration. It will take several more days to get
everything in order.”
    Baylin sighed. “Are you sure this is the
best plan?” He stepped closer to her, so the servants would not
overhear their conversation. “Mirstone could attack at any
moment.”
    “I refuse to hide like a frightened child,”
Valasca snapped. “This celebration is not only for Luana, the baby,
or even you. It is for all of