The Heir (9 page)

She blushed, unable to look at the Queen.
“Of course, Your Grace, it is my duty to…”

“Luana,” the Queen interrupted. “Your
thoughts and feelings are safe with me. I, too, after all, am a
woman. I know what it is like to love a King of Grasmere.”

Luana looked up curiously at Valasca.

The Queen smiled. “Do you not think I
remember the little girl who comforted my son when he fell from
that tree so very long ago?”

Luana cocked her head to one side as she
raised an eyebrow.
She remembers me?

“Do not act so surprised, my dear,” the
Queen said with a smirk. “How do you think Baylin was able to sneak
out of the castle with it so heavily guarded?”

“You?” Luana shook her head. She furrowed
her brows. “But why? Why would you let your son do such
things?”

Valasca laughed warmly at Luana’s
bewilderment. “Because he deserved to know what real friendship
felt like. Within these walls, he is the future King of Grasmere
and has always been treated as such. However, playing in the fields
and forests with you gave him such joy. You loved him because he
was simply your friend. He needed that to become the man he is
today.”

Luana was in disbelief, she searched the
Queen’s face for the answers to the questions that flowed through
her mind. “Why? If you encouraged our friendship, why did you allow
us to be torn apart?”

Baylin’s mother looked down at her hands.
“Because, as I said, I am a woman who loves a King of Grasmere.
Once Lord Cadman had gotten involved, I knew my good husband would
not resist him. Though I have tried over the years to keep you in
Baylin’s thoughts.”

Luana looked up at the Queen. “I… I don’t
understand.”

“I have had certain confidants check in on
you from time to time for me. Making sure you were cared for,” the
Queen informed. “Even back then, I knew Baylin would be a man when
the anniversary of the Battle of Embers took place. When he found
you as a child, I held the hope he could know the joy of love
through the building of a relationship, instead of the arranging of
one.”

“So you… you encouraged his affections?”
Luana asked, taken aback.

Valasca took the young bed wife’s hand in
her own. “Baylin came to me the morning after the Harvest
Celebration. I knew then he still cared for you after all this
time. Love and happiness; that is all I have ever wanted for my
son.” She placed her hand on Luana’s round belly. “As a mother, you
will understand that all too well.”

“But I don’t understand why you could not
have convinced the King to allow Baylin and me to stay friends when
we were children. I have seen you stand up to Lord Cadman; the King
even allowed it.” Luana knew she was pushing. She was speaking in
an unguarded tone, which was not done in the castle.
I must
know.

“That’s the thing about family and
bloodlines,” Valasca said in a sad tone. “The Keld men are loyal to
their family, to the bitter end.”

Luana gazed at the empty hearth sadly.
Which means Baylin will do as his father instructs. He will
marry Princess Isla.

The Queen reached out and stroked Luana’s
long silver-blonde hair. “It is not an easy thing, to love the
future King of Grasmere. But I can tell you this, my dear. He loves
you.”

“Yet tradition dictates that he is not mine
to love,” Luana said as tears began to form in her eyes. She fought
to keep them from flowing. “He will marry the Princess, and she may
cast me out as she pleases.”

Luana realized she spoke out of turn. She
felt so comfortable in the presence of Baylin’s mother that she had
forgotten herself. “Your Grace, apologies, I should never…”

“It is all right, my dear.” Valasca patted
Luana on the cheek. “I understand, truly I do. As women we must
always make sacrifices for the men we love.”

Luana nodded softly, a tear running down the
side of her cheek. “And I must do my duty.”

The Queen cupped Luana’s chin and gave her a
warm, loving smile. “Baylin loves you, dearest, do not give up
hope. I believe he will fight for you, even against his father and
uncle.”

That little bit of hope grew in Luana’s
heart.
Is she saying Baylin may not marry Isla?

“Your Grace, why have been so kind to me?”
Luana asked. “It is in your nature, of course, but I’m merely a bed
wife. I am a commoner, not a princess, and not your future
daughter.”

She gave Luana a loving smile. “I know the
trials of those chosen to be a bed wife.”

“Apologies, Your Grace, but how?” Luana was
confused.
How could she possibly know anything about being a bed
wife?

“Many years ago,” the Queen began, “my
great-grandmother was Queen during an anniversary of the Battle of
Embers. She had to endure what she felt was the humiliation of her
husband taking a bed wife. If you can imagine, it was made worse
because the King, my great-grandfather, admitted to loving his bed
wife dearly.”

Luana could not contain a small gasp that
escaped her lips. Her eyes grew wide in disbelief.

Valasca continued, “It so happened that the
bed wife, once with child, grew very ill and almost lost the baby.
My great-grandmother could not help but feel pity for the woman. So
she stayed by her side and nursed her back to health.”

“Did she have the baby?” Luana asked.

“Yes,” the Queen replied. “A boy, a son for
the King and an heir for Keld line.”

“And? Did your great-grandmother cast her
out of the Kingdom?” Luana asked nervously.

“No.” Valasca smiled at her. “No, she did
not.”

Luana’s eyes grew large in astonishment.
“But you said she felt humiliated by the woman.”

“She did, at first,” Baylin’s mother
replied. “When my great-grandmother nursed the bed wife back to
health, they developed a mutual respect for one another. They
became friends.”

Luana looked down at her hands in her lap.
“I could never be friends with Princess Isla, Your Grace.”

“I would not ask you to, dearest.” Valasca
softly laughed. “We are not all so blind to her true nature.”

Luana looked back up at her and smiled. It
helped her to know that she was not alone in seeing the Princess
for what she was. Taking her attention back to the story, she
asked, “So what happened to them both?”

“Well, a few months after the bed wife had
her son, my great-grandmother became with child,” the Queen
explained. “When it was time to have the baby, she requested the
bed wife be by her side. This, of course, as you can imagine, was
unheard of. But she, like yourself, was strong willed and cared
little of the rules and laws that attempted to bind her. The
delivery was difficult. My great-grandmother had been in labor for
a day and a night. Handmaids came and went, physicians too, but the
bed wife stayed by her side.”

The Queen stared down at Luana’s stomach for
a few moments.

“Your Grace?” Luana murmured. “Are you
okay?”

The Queen lightly nodded her head, gathering
her composure. “Oh, yes, my dear.”

“May I ask what happened, Your Grace?” Luana
replied.

“Yes,” Valasca said. “After two days and two
nights, she finally delivered a baby girl. The child was healthy,
but the labor had taken its toll on my great-grandmother. She began
fading fast. She requested that my great-grandfather be brought to
her. When he arrived, with her final breaths, she made him promise
to do right by the bed wife and marry her. She asked the bed wife
to care for their child as her own.”

Tears welled in Luana’s eyes at the thought.
As one escaped and fell down her cheek, Baylin’s mother reached up
and wiped it away. “Do not cry, dearest. I am sure one day you will
no longer be only his bed wife. He loves you. To him, you are
already his Queen.”

“What of the bed wife and the two children,
Your Grace?” Luana asked, trying to hold back more tears that
threatened to fall. “How does something like that effect the line
of succession?”

“Well, as you can guess, the baby girl born
to my great-grandmother was my grandmother. The baby boy was
treated as though he were a trueborn heir, so he was a distant
uncle.” The Queen sighed. “It’s funny how these histories are so
often forgotten.”

Luana had to agree with the Queen’s
statement.
If only the King could see that now, I would no
longer be a prisoner and Isla would have no claim to
Baylin.

“I fear I have tarried too long. You need
your rest. I will go, my dear.” The Queen rose and began to leave
the room.

Luana, remembering the letter, called out to
the Queen. “Your Grace!”

Queen Valasca turned. “Yes, my dear.”

“Is there any way you can ensure my Prince
receives this?” Luana presented her with the sealed letter. “I fear
it will not be delivered if it is known to be from me.”

The Queen gave an amused smile. “Do not
worry. I will make sure it arrives in my son’s hands.”

After Baylin’s mother left, Luana could not
help but think on the words the Queen had placed in her heart.
He will fight for me; for us.

The battle to retake Mirstone continued. The
armies of Mirstone and Grasmere had joined forces and succeeded in
pushing the troll forces back up into the mountains, but Baylin
knew that would not last.

The first rays of morning’s light had begun
to creep over the horizon as the young Prince of Grasmere waited in
his tent for the company of Lord Cadman and his generals to discuss
battle plans.

Baylin paced the ground.
The trolls are
biding their time.
The creatures were nocturnal— darkness and
shadows their friends. The trolls had taken their army by surprise
during the last new moon and almost succeeded in overthrowing his
men.
Another new moon will be upon us in a month.
He was
certain they would strike again.

The morning air blew in as Lord Cadman
opened the flap of the tent and entered, causing the candlelight to
flicker against the walls of the tent.

“Cadman.” The Prince gritted his teeth at
the sight of him. His uncle was a vile creature who could not be
trusted. Baylin did not want to be in the field with him, but he
knew it was required.

“My dear nephew,” Cadman replied, sitting
down at the council table. “How are you faring? It must be such a
heavy burden to bear—battling a war, planning a wedding, having a
child. How on earth do you cope?” His voice thick with sarcasm. “I
was certain we could have had this resolved and had you back home
by now. That is, had you taken my advice.”

“These are my men, Cadman.” Baylin slammed
his fist down on the table in front of his uncle. “I would not have
you lead them if you were the last royal born left in all five
Kingdoms.”

“My Prince, of course I am only thinking of
you.” Cadman wore a sly grin. “It is no secret your bed wife has
begun to have a difficult time during her pregnancy. It is not
unheard of that a woman should perish when giving birth to a son
especially.”

“Mind your tongue,” Baylin growled through
gritted teeth.

“Well, I merely thought you would want to
spend her last months by her side instead of in the field,” Cadman
spat.

“Silence!” Baylin shouted, grabbing his
uncle by the cuff of his tunic and pulling him out of the seat. “I
forbid you to speak of Luana.”

From behind him, the Prince felt the breeze
as the tent flap opened. He turned his head and saw his generals,
including his best friend, Ferric, standing in the opening. Baylin
released his grip on Cadman and said darkly, “You’ve been
warned.”

Baylin motioned for the men to be seated.
“Come. Let us get on with this.”

“Your Grace,” Ferric said as he sat at
Baylin’s right hand. “Any news of the King?”

Baylin looked at his friend sadly. “At last
word, there has been no change. My father continues to recover,
though it is still at a slow pace. Master Keon works night and day
to speed the recovery.”

Baylin’s heart ached at the thought.
The
King could very well die, as could I.
The young Prince knew if
anything were to happen to Luana and the baby, the Kingdom would go
to Cadman.
I can’t let that happen.

“We need to dispense of the troll hordes
once and for all. It’s our only hope for peace so we can finally
free Mirstone and then we can return to Grasmere,” Baylin
instructed.

“Wait them out,” said Cadman. “They have
nowhere to go but down, and we have them surrounded. They will
starve or be cut down should they try to leave the mountain
pass.”

Many of the old generals muttered agreements
with Cadman’s statement, which infuriated Baylin.
These
short-sighted old men would rather sit around and do
nothing.

“No,” called out Ferric. “The new moon comes
again in a month. We will be covered in utter darkness and the
trolls will be able to see what we cannot.”

Baylin’s heart swelled at his friend’s
words.
At least there is one man I can trust.

“Ferric is right,” Baylin said. “We must
make our move before the next new moon. Each night we will lose
more and more light. Once we are blanketed in darkness we will be
blind and will have lost any advantage we may have had.”

“What do you suggest, Prince Baylin?” asked
one of the old men.

Baylin was nervous. His plan was rash, and
it could cost lives if it did not work in his favor. “Fire.”

“Fire?” another old general repeated.

“We burn them out,” Baylin explained. “We
set the forest of the mountain ablaze and force them to take the
mountain pass down.”

“Are you mad?” Lord Cadman spat.

“You dare speak to your Prince in such a
way?” Ferric spoke in an enraged tone.

“Enough!” Baylin boomed. “This will work if
we do it properly.”