The child in her womb would be her saving grace or the final straw that brought the executioner’s sword down upon her neck. If she bore a third daughter, she would be stripped of her finery and removed from this Earthly plain. A queen stripped of her nation. A mother torn from her children.

  The king, in all of his folly, had chosen weak conspirators. They whispered in halls that Queen Solana could traverse with her eyes closed. Typically, their mutterings were useless platitudes meant to stroke each other’s egos. All of them would puff up in a mockery of true apex predators. However, every now and again, they would let things slip. Corruption. Violence. Destruction. Their illusions of invulnerability had allowed her glimpses into a world she was not permitted entry into. She would take that information to her dearest companion, and together they would work out how to use it to the greatest advantage; masking their intentions with womanly activities that were deemed too trivial to pay attention to. This time, though, her greatest weapon was turned against her. For the king demanded a male heir and was willing to go through her in order to get it.

  That day, she left the halls with a racing heart and shaking limbs. The words that had spelled out her doom raced through her mind, burning like fire through her neurons, until even the ground she walked upon felt unreal. The halls that she knew so well, with their elaborate architecture and plush red carpeting, suddenly felt as foreign as a dungeon cell.

  She tried to keep all she had learned to herself for the rest of the day. Her children were brought to her rooms after lunch. She smiled brightly for their sake. Yet, she felt like a cornered animal while she played with her little ones. Vera, the younger of the two, was a great help in ensuring her anxiety remained unrecognized. Her constant energy ensured that her older sister, Winifred, would be too distracted to focus her perceptive eyes on Solana for too long.

  Thus, they spent their time together playing with the toys that were always stashed away in Solana’s rooms. The queen would get down on the floor with her daughters and play whatever role they deemed necessary in their stories. Every now and again they would fight, at which point she would normally intervene by calling their attention back to the game. However, on that day her overrun mind, already focused on the child in her womb, distracted them by discussing their unborn sibling.

  “Do you two think the baby will be a boy or a girl?” Her voice shook for just a moment as the question slipped past her lips.

  Vera turned from where she had latched on to a toy in her elder sister’s lap. At that moment, Solana thanked whatever being was listening for the easily switched attention of the young. The little girl beamed and scooted closer to her mother. “A boy! A boy!”

  “What about you, Winifred?”

  The auburn-haired girl thought about it for a moment. Her fingers stroked through her pin-straight hair as her eyes roamed across her mother’s form. Although her expression never changed throughout the few moments it took her to come to a conclusion, Solana could see her mind at work. The evidence was seen in the way her fingers stroked through her hair a little slower, the small fingers pausing minutely as a new thought came to mind, or the way her head tilted from side to side. “It’ll be a girl.” Her voice was soft, and her eyes fell back to their toys quickly.

  The mother gently smiled at her daughter and asked in a quiet voice. “Really, now? What do you think we should name-”, her mouth dried out, “it?” Her fingers wanted to curl into fists in her lap as terror encased her once more, but she refused to allow them to slip from their dainty position.

  Vera popped up on her knees. Her hands waved wildly above her head, and those green eyes of hers glinted in delight. “Sparkles! It should be named Sparkles!”

  Solana smiled and tucked a wispy wave away from her youngest’s face. “Really, now? Princess Sparkles. That is quite a name.” She poked the little girl’s nose, smiling as Vera’s green eyes crossed in an attempt to follow her finger. Then her eyes fell on Winifred. “What about you? Any name suggestions?”

  Winifred fiddled with the horse figurine in her hands. “Marigold.” A small smile flitted across her face as the name slipped past her lips.

  “Marigold,” Solana hummed, “that is a beautiful name.” She smiled warmly at her daughter as she gently adjusted the collar of her violet dress and kissed her forehead. “Marigold, it is.”

  When the nanny came to take the girls away, Solana desperately wanted to demand that they stay. She wanted to hold them close and whisper loving words in their ears. She wanted to laugh with them. She wanted to cry with them. Yet, to do so would be to pull them into a world of danger that she wanted nothing more than to protect them from. So, she stood there, shoulders back and dainty smile across her lips, and watched their small forms slip behind the grand doors. The quiet of the all-too-empty room only made the wild beating of her heart seem all the louder in her ears; a warning bell demanding her constant attention.

  Still, no matter how much she wanted to scream and cry to fill the silence, she had work to do. After taking a moment to push down the tears behind her eyes, she rang for a maid and asked for tea to be brought and Lady Rose to be summoned to her rooms. Even as soon as the words were out of her lips, she felt her beating heart calm just a fraction. The maid nodded her understanding and left. The heavy doors closed behind her, the sound echoing throughout the room.

  Alone once more, Solana trailed a hand over her bump and whispered, “We’re going to protect your sisters, you, Rose, and I.” She took a steadying breath and moved to one of the couches to wait for her friend, praying desperately that she would have the strength to keep herself together.

  ~~~

  The sun glinted off the gold accents on the door as it opened. A maid scurried in with a tray, a youthful woman trailing behind her. Solana slowly put down the book she had been trying to occupy herself with as she waited. It hadn’t been much of a help, but it had been better than having only her mind for company. Immediately, her eyes fell on her friend, and she gave the briefest of smiles. The room felt so much warmer with the addition of Rose’s presence. It wasn’t enough to banish her fear, but it was enough to steady her mind. She had a goal, and she was going to see it fulfilled. She nodded to dismiss the maid, placing the book on the side table as she moved to greet the cheery woman.

  Lady Rose curtsied and then rushed forward to kiss her friend on the cheek. Her long fingers curled gently around the heavy fabric around Solana’s arms as she drew the queen as close as she could with the baby in the way. “It is good to see you today, My Queen. Has the little one been keeping you up at night?”

  Solana laughed and rubbed her protruding torso. “Yes, but the older two are the true causes of my exhaustion.” A warmth filled her as she thought of her daughters, her mind filled with light, laughter, and love. “I am sure I could obtain the energy of my youth if they would sit still for but a moment.”

  Rose laughed as she guided the queen toward the hand-carved table they always used when she came. In the center of the round tabletop sat an ornate teapot with steam floating from its spout. She slowly lowered her friend into a seat. A smile flitted across Solana’s face in thanks. Rose beamed back. Her nimble hands quickly gathered fine sweets from the beautiful arrangements surrounding the teapot - piling them onto a plate and handing them to Solana with another small curtsy. Then she turned and sat in her seat across from the queen, arranging her red skirts so that she could sit comfortably.

  With that done, she set her dark brown eyes on the queen and said in a steady voice, “Now, tell me the real reason that I am here. This is clearly bigger than the usual day-to-day corruption of the king’s courtiers.” The queen’s green eyes widened minutely as they settled on her oldest companion, before she quickly schooled her features once more. Rose laughed as she watched Solana’s expression, abandoning some manners of the court as she leaned toward her friend. “You are picking at the seam of your dress again,” she indicated to a point on the queen’s sleeve. “A habit you gave up long before we were presented as ladies of the court, too scared of our governess’ wrath to continue the habit.”

  Queen Solana looked down at her sleeve - completely unaware of the subconscious action. She wiped her thumb along the loose threads. Briefly, her mind floated back to their youth, remembering the grey-haired woman whose sharp eyes could terrify even the fiercest of knights. A watery smiled crept across her face as she remembered sitting with Rose in their childhood apartments and giggling away as they mockingly mimicked the poor woman. Those days had been so much simpler. It had been easier to laugh; easier to smile. A time before even the slightest of expressions could mean diplomatic catastrophe. Oh, how desperately she wished she could go back to those days when the weight of a crown didn’t threaten to overtake her. The desire was so strong she could practically taste it.

  The red ribbon that kept some of Rose’s brown hair away from her face slipped across her shoulder as she moved closer. “Solana, please,” she pleaded, “tell me what’s wrong. All this stress can not be good for the baby.”

  “The baby,” Solana murmured, bringing her long fingers up to her lips as she turned her eyes towards the grand window they were sitting in front of. A shaky breath rattled her lungs. She stared out at the brilliant blue sky as she wrangled her rapidly beating heart into submission. Her chin tilted up as if she could look down her nose at her own terror and demand it be slayed by order of the queen.

  Rose’s anxiety worsened. All the members of the court were trained from young to keep their emotions in check. This was especially true for Solana, who had been betrothed to the crown prince since their youth. So, seeing tears cling to the long eyelashes of her friend sent a chill down her spine.

  Solana took another moment to collect herself before turning back to the brunette sitting across from her. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, drawing her shoulders back and placing her hands demurely on the table in front of her. “I need you to take my daughters.”

  “Of course. Where to?”

  “I mean for good.”

  Rose blinked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  The queen stared into Rose’s eyes, a weight entering her gaze. “Promise me.”

  “Solana, what is goi-”

  Solana leaned forward. Her expression was more befitting a warrior than a queen. It was stubborn and uncompromising, like the roots of a great tree refusing to be torn from the ground. “Promise me.”

  “I promise.” All the tension left Solana’s form, like a wave drawing back out to sea. Her shoulders were hunched as she nodded to herself. Rose reached across the table to grasp Solana’s hand. “Please, Solana, tell me what has you so worried.”

  Her best friend didn’t speak immediately. She simply stared at their entwined hands. “The king,” she licked her lips, “has put into motion a plan to see me dead.”

  Rose drew her hand away in shock. A teacup was knocked off the table in her wake. It crashed to the floor. Sharp pieces of fine porcelain scattered across the ground. Solana tensed and glanced at the door. Rose quickly turned to follow her gaze. The air seemed to still in the room.

  After a minute, Solana sighed and turned back to her companion. “I have yet to produce an heir,” she rubbed her large torso as she spoke, “and my husband has grown impatient.”

  Rose gestured to Solana’s torso. “He does not know whether this babe shall be a little prince or not.”

  “My husband has many faults, but a lack of foresight is not one of them.” Solana smiled as the baby within her wiggled about. “I’m sure he will not go through with the plan before the child is born. If it is a son, there is a chance I shall be spared.” Her smile slipped off her lips as the ring on her finger glinted in the light from the window. “However, he is impatient. If the child is a girl, I have no doubt he will kill me within the hour. The quicker he can be out of mourning for me, the faster he can acquire a new wife.” She wrinkled her nose as a bitter tone entered her voice. “After all, my death could easily be explained by complications from the birth. He could play the role of a saddened widower hours after ordering my demise.”

  “And you can’t find some means of escape?”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “The gods would be showing me favor if I even made it to the front gates. The eyes the king has placed upon me have only increased now that there is a possible heir within my womb.”

  “But how do the young princesses play into this? Surely he will not go after them as well.”

  “I doubt Vera and Winifred would be targeted.” Her fingers traced the curve of her belly. “I can only hope the same for this babe. With any luck, his pride will prevent him from overtly harming his own progeny, regardless of sex.”

  “Then how can I be of aid to them?”

  The question was expected, but the response still tore at her soul as it slipped past her lips. “They will require someone in their corner at court. Their father can hardly spare a thought to their care,” her voice shook as she continued, “and I will not be there to advise them.” She took a moment to collect herself, pulling her shoulders back and stretching her lips into a thin line. “As women, the court will see them as easy targets for manipulation. Their status makes them powerful pawns.” Their eyes met across the table. “I need you to protect them. To love them. To mother them in my stead.”

  Rose’s smile grew watery. “Sola-.”

  “Rose,” Solana’s voice was heavy, “please.”

  The two of them stared at each other; one demanding life and the other submitting to the possibility of death. For just a moment they were transported back in time, intertwined by thousands of shared memories. A flurry of thoughts and emotions passed between them, expressed only in their shared knowledge of the other.

  Rose sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Alright, Solana. I promise.”

  Solana nodded, her own smile grim. “I have one more favor to ask of you.”

  “Anything.”

  “If the babe turns out to be another princess, please do your best to ensure she is named Marigold.” Rose nodded and grasped Solana’s hand tightly. A watery smile crossed her face, and Solana found herself envious of her companion’s strength.

  “I shall do my best.”

  The two spoke for hours after that; continuing until the queen was called to dinner. Neither one of them brought up the time extension in comparison to their usual visits, simply doing their best to speak of happier things. They allowed themselves to slip into the familiarity of their youth; giggling and speaking in a manner that had been abandoned at the gates of adulthood. They were caught in a haze of energy, gorging themselves on life while they still could. The tea was long cold by the time they parted.

  ~~~

  That night, Solana made her way to the nursery. All the zeal she had felt with Rose had been drained as the sun dipped below the horizon. Her walk was slow, encumbered both by the extra weight of her womb and mind alike. It felt like even the walls were watching her. Each giggle and whisper from passing maids felt like a threat. The palace, which had been her home for more than a decade, felt like a prison. One that was lavished with the greatest of comfort to through her off the scent. Each family portrait that she passed seemed to taunt her. Every paint stroke was a lie.

  As she neared the nursery, she told her guard to wait outside. She might as well use her dwindling influence while she still had it. The grand door was opened for her, and she stepped into the darkened room. There were a number of toys scattered about. She noted with a flicker of warmth the figurine her daughters had been arguing over, posed with a small doll on its back. Slips of light stretched out across the room from the curtained windows. The tendrils of light just barely caught the edges of the two four-poster beds tucked up against the right wall of the spacious room. Her daughters were curled into little balls, fast asleep.

  The night governess jumped up from her seat. Her sewing dropped to the floor as she curtsied. “My Queen, the princesses were put to bed about an hour ago.”

  Solana nodded. “That’s good. Could you please leave us for a bit, I wish to say goodnight.” The governess nodded. “Thank you.”

  She waited until the door had closed behind the middle-aged woman before she drew closer to her daughters. Her fingers trailed over the edge of their blankets as she smiled down at their slumbering forms. They looked even younger laying amongst the masses of blankets. Yet, even in sleep, they displayed their individuality. Vera was sprawled out across the bed, having completely abandoned her pillow, and Winifred was curled up in a tight ball, clutching her stuffed animal to her chest. As Solana moved closer, she could see the gentle rise and fall of their chests. The tiny sounds they made did much to smooth her weary heart.

  Gently, her thumb rubbed across Winifred’s cheek. “Honey, it’s Momma, can you wake up for me?” The girl’s brow furrowed for a moment before her eyes fluttered open. “There are those pretty brown eyes,” Solana whispered.

  The girl rubbed at her face as she sat up. “Momma, what are you doing here?’

  The mother smiled down at her daughter and leaned forward to give her a kiss. “I just wanted to say goodnight.” She turned to the other bed and kneeled down as best as she could in her heavy dress. Her fingers trailed through her daughter’s pale locks. “Vera, darling, please wake up.” The little girl grumbled in her sleep and buried her head further into the blankets; little blonde curls peeked out from beneath the thick fabric. Solana gently shook her shoulder. “Darling, Momma wants to give you a kiss.”

  The little girl slowly blinked into consciousness. Her green eyes hazily fell on her mother. “Is it morning already?” She made a move toward the edge of the bed, but Solana gently guided her back down.

  “No, no, baby, I just wanted to see my little girls one last time tonight.” She settled herself as comfortably as she could between the two beds. Her long fingers wrapped around Winifred’s hand as she continued to pet her fingers through her younger daughter’s tangled hair. The young girl hummed in appreciation.

  “Is the baby kicking, Momma?” Winifred leaned forward, stretching like a cat. Her auburn hair fell over her face as she moved.

  Solana smiled, reaching to tuck the hair behind her daughter’s ear. “Always, do you want to feel?”

  “Yeah! Yeah!” Vera said loudly from her other side as she popped back up. She quickly scrambled to the edge of the bed, her small body swinging precariously over the edge.

  “Alright. Sh. Sh.” She guided both of the girl’s hands over to where the baby was moving about. “See, your little brother or sister likes to make their presence known.”

  A flicker of a smile crossed Winifred’s face as she felt the baby wiggle beneath the palm of her hand. “How much longer until they come?”

  “A couple of weeks left.”

  “Weeks?” Vera exclaimed as she flopped back on the bed. “Ugh!”

  Solana chuckled as she ushered her daughters to get under their blankets once more. “Don’t worry, the time will fly by.” She leaned down and gave Vera a kiss on her nose, the young girl crossed her eyes in an attempt to follow the movement. With one final adjustment of the blanket, she turned to Winifred. The young girl was peeking at her over the top of her stuffed animal. “You will be good big sisters, won’t you?”

  Winifred nodded, a determination flooding her brown eyes. “Yes, Mama.”

  Solana tucked her hair behind her ear once more before cupping her cheek and giving her a kiss on the forehead. The young girl’s eyes fluttered as she relaxed into the mound of blankets. “That’s good,” Solana murmured.

  The girls were asleep almost instantly. Their tiny bodies not accustomed to being awake so late in the first place. Solana spent a couple more minutes in the room, unwilling to leave them just yet. She made sure to analyze her little girls as much as possible. The way Winifred wrinkled her nose whenever Vera was too loud. How Vera never stopped smiling, even in her sleep; her little ray of sunshine. They were her dearest little princesses, and she deeply hoped to be around to see them grow up. However, if that was not to be, at the very least she could leave this world while thinking of this serene moment.

  ~~~

  They say that giving birth is one of the most painful things a person can go through. Solana would have to agree. Giving birth to her two daughters had been extraordinarily painful. There had been points where she had thought she was dying. Anguish wracked her body as she brought another child into the world. The baby would cry, and she would stretch up on her exhausted limbs to look at the little one. There would be a quiet hush in the room as the midwife would check if it was a little heir. However, both times her beloved children ended up being little princesses instead. The midwife would look at her sadly, reassuring her that there was always next time, as the babe would be placed in her arms. Yet, she would smile down at her daughter and reassure her that she was exactly what she wanted with gentle kisses. They were her little miracles, no matter what the court said. She would lay in bed, holding her daughter for a couple of minutes before they would clean her up and hand her something to drink to soothe her throat. Then she would nurse the babe before falling asleep with it in her arms.

  This time, however, she didn’t know whether she would be able to kiss the babe. Love it. Tell it someone cared through gentle caresses. Somehow, despite the contractions overtaking her body, that was the thought that scared her the most. As she paced up and down her chambers, breathing through the pain, she knew that there was a chance she would never get to hold this child at all. Would they let her see the babe if it was a girl? Or would they poison her right then and there? Caring little for the innocent life who would lay witness to the act.

  A groan slipped past her lips as a sharp pain overtook her. Her belly hardened for a number of seconds. A harsh exhale slipped past her clenched teeth. Her fingers gripped the wall as she breathed through the pain. Once the contraction passed, she kept walking, doing her best to ignore the fine sheen of sweat already coating her body. She had wanted to take everything in one last time. Just in case. The bright sky outside her balcony. The many colorful tapestries on her walls. The trinkets given to her by her daughters. These were the final few moments where she could simply be Solana. A woman with a rapidly beating heart and crumbling from fear, instead of a queen bound to weather any storm in the name of her duty.

  Even still, she could feel herself slowing. Her body was telling her to find somewhere to rest and deliver. Somewhere safe. An instinct that was clouding her brain and demanding acknowledgement. If only it knew that despite the luxurious bed lying at the center of the room, this castle was not a safe place.

  She hissed in pain. Her body curled as best it could, with her protruding torso blocking the way. She would need to call the midwives. She knew that soon she would be too delirious with pain to truly be aware of the world around her. In the brief interlude between pains, she pulled her shoulders back and raised her chin; shedding her skin in favor of the queen. The next contraction hit her as she called her maid into the room. Her voice was as steady as ever as she instructed the woman to get her chambers ready for the birth.

  Within minutes, the room was filled with midwives, and she was laid in the sheets. It was odd to think that that bed would either be her final resting place or where she accomplished her greatest duty as queen. That as she lay there, trying to not cry out in pain, she could be living out her final minutes. Yet, she allowed herself to imagine, in those few blissful minutes between pains, that the child in her womb was a boy. She would be heralded as an accomplished woman. The kingdom would be secure for another generation. She would get to see her beautiful daughters again. Hug them. Kiss them. She screamed.

  It took about an hour longer, but with one final push, her little one came into the world. Solana’s head flopped to the velvet pillow as she worked to catch her breath. The scent of blood filled her nose as she gulped air down. Her heart was racing due to the exertion. “Give me my baby. Give it now.” She could not rest yet. She felt absolutely exhausted, and her eyes could hardly stay open, but she needed to know. A primal urge was running through her head. It demanded to see. To love. To cherish. Anything, so long as she could hold her baby safely in her arms for but a moment.

  One of the midwives moved to the side of her bed and smiled down at her. “The babe just needs to be looked over first, My Queen.” At that moment, she thanked the gods for the echoes of pain still coursing through her body, it allowed her to stay grounded.

  “Would you like some water, My Queen.”

  Solana turned her head to see a young woman holding a bowl of water out to her. She tried to glance into the woman’s eyes, but her own vision was too blurry from exhaustion. Still, her throat felt so dry. She smiled and nodded minutely. The servant brought the bowl to her mouth, it shook slightly as the water tipped over her split lips. Her throat cooled as the liquid trickled down her throat. She sighed. “Thank you.” Her head fell back to the pillow. “My baby, where is it?”

  “The king’s child is being presented to him as we speak.”

  Solana jerked up, her hands clutching at the rough fabric of the maid’s sleeve. “No, no. Please, let me see my baby.” Her voice was quiet and hoarse from screaming. She needed to see her baby. Where was her baby? She needed her baby.

  Her heart was racing in her chest as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Within moments, Solana felt a tingling sensation in her limbs. Her nails dug into the woman’s skin. With every desperate movement, her limbs felt more and more swollen, and her head grew heavy. She turned frightened eyes on the servant, who looked down at her with the slightest dip in her lips. Horror filled every inch of Solana’s being.

  “Please,” she begged, “let me see my daughter.”

  The woman shook her head minutely, a small smirk flitting across her lips, before turning and calling out to the midwives, “She’s growing delirious. Someone hold her down.” Her voice increased in pitch, sounding frightened and unsure.

  Suddenly, a swarm of midwives was surrounding the top of the bed.

  “Her heartbeat is erratic.”

  “Her skin is losing color quickly.”

  All the while, Solana kept her eyes on the maid, reaching out for her in desperation as the midwives shoved the woman out of their way. “Please,” her voice was but a whisper, “please.”

  Her teeth gritted as she tried to move off her bed. None of her limbs cooperated. They were as heavy as boulders and starting to throb with pain. A hiss passed through her lips. The pain spread further and further until her whole body was consumed by anguish.

  “My Queen,” one of the midwives said in horror, “you must stay in bed.”

  “My baby.” The words were barely more than a breath of air.

  Solana’s eyes grew heavy. She knew that she didn’t have much time left. Her brain was becoming foggy as the agony overtook her. She was struggling to even blink. It felt like there was a fire behind her eyes. There was so much she wanted to say. So much she wanted to do. She wanted to laugh with Rose one more time. She wanted to tell her beautiful daughters that she loved them; tell them that everything was going to be ok. However, the last of her strength was used to mutter one last word: “Marigold.” Then, the queen fell.