A daughter...

King Eadric's wizened old face lit up with relief and joy, when the Queen informed him she was with child. "My dear, truly?"

"Indeed, my King," Isolde replied with a pleased smirk, caressing his wrinkled cheek with her slender fingers. "We shall soon be blessed with a child, I am certain of it."

And so, the old King's heart swelled with hope, believing his wife's tale of divine conception. Isolde knew that once the pregnancy was evident, she could simply claim that their renewed passion had finally borne fruit.

As the weeks turned into months and Isolde's belly began to swell, the court buzzed with excitement at the news of the impending birth. No one suspected a thing, for the Queen's alibi was flawless.

In the privacy of her chambers, Isolde rubbed her hand over the growing mound, a mixture of pride and guilt washing over her. She had successfully deceived everyone, including her husband, but at what cost? Only time would tell if her actions would come back to haunt her or if they would secure the future of kingdom as she had planned. Twelve months later and a fine healthy baby girl is born, cherubic curly haired lass something never seen before in the royal line. Although the Queen claim to have it in her line, and in fact one of her brothers children had curly hair as well.

The court was abuzz with excitement as word spread that Queen Isolde had delivered a healthy baby girl. King Eadric was overjoyed, proudly showing off his newborn daughter to all who would gather. The royal court had been hoping for a son... or better yet two sons to carry one the royal line. However the kingdom have been ruled by strong Queens in the past, and all the noble families were hoping one of their sons would one day be prince consort.