When the King is Away, the Queens Come Out to Play

"You leave for Daynland today, my love." Camilla says. All preparations have been made, orders have been sent out, the Toscana fleet is on its way and the forces under General Gunter have already set out. Now it was time for your part. A ship will take you and your traveling party to the border of Schlestein and Daynland. Traveling by ship will be faster.

"I am." You answer.

"Then I shall bring you good news. Dorothye, come here." Camilla calls out. Dorothye approaches you both with a smile.

"Wonderful news, Sire." Dorothye rubs her stomach. "I am with child." Every fiber in your being is filled with overwhelming joy. But you have enough self-control not to jump for joy. Instead your lips make a face splitting grin. "You will have your heir, Sire."

You give Dorothye a quick kiss to express your thanks. You quickly turn to Camilla and envelope her in a close embrace. "Camilla," You say after breaking the hug, "I leave you with the Kingdom. Dietrich and Benjamin will help you."

Camilla breathed, "I won't disappoint."

"Look after yourself and the child," You tell Dorothye. "I will, Sire." The pretty brunette replies.

Dorothye's morning sickness was severe. She'd empty her stomach on the chamber pot meant for her vomit. She would hurl up several times every morning. It was that combined with her late period that signaled her she had gotten pregnant.

"Dorothye, are you all right?" asks Camilla with concern coating her voice. Dorothye's answer was to hurl up again on the chamber pot. Camilla had ordered the chamber pot for that very purpose. "I'm sorry," Camilla whisperw as she knelt beside the vomiting girl.

"Don't be," Dorothye said tired. She wants to smile to reassure her mistress but she knows there are still chunks of puke on her teeth.

"I knew the morning sickness came with the early months of pregnancy but I didn't think it would be this much." Camilla rubs Dorothye's back consolingly.

"It is of no cause for distress, my Mistress. I saw my mother in the same situation as-" She vomited again mid-sentence. "My mother had it just as bad as I am right now and she's had eight pregnancies." The worrying look on Camilla's face did not fade away. It did Dorothye's heart good to see her dear friend concerned for her.

"I just... I just didn't want it to inconvenience you." Camilla says aspirated.

"Mistress, please. I'm going to be giving birth in less than nine months time. If I didn't want to be inconvenienced, I would have never agreed to this." Dorothye touched her mistress's arm. "I'm fine, Mistress. Truly. I'm pleased to be carrying your husband's child and heir." She rests her hand on her still flat stomach. Camilla kisses Dorothye on her temple.

The gardens of the King's castle was not as elegant or as beautiful as the garden of Camilla's family's castle. It was still nonetheless a pleasant garden and offered some privacy. The two girls watched the sunset as they always did back at their old home. "It's as beautiful here as it was there." Dorothye comments.

"We used to do this all the time since we were children, Dorothye." The two hold hands.

"Except now we're both grown women and..." Dorothye pats her stomach. "You're husband child is with us inside me." The two giggle. When their laughter died down, Dorothye's face grows serious, "It's not fair, Mistress." she mutters a little wistfully.

Camilla whispers worried, "Dorothye."

"You're barren and I come from a family who can't stop having babies! My mother is pregnant again, Camilla. It won't be long until my sister is pregnant again too. Now I'm pregnant. It was so easy for me. I remember how your mother mentioned that she's had several miscarriages before and after you. You have it much worse than she did, Camilla. You can't have children so I have to be the one to bear your husband's heir! It's not fair for you!"

Camilla understands perfectly Dorothye's concern. "I remember my mother teaching us that a woman pregnant will often have her moods swinging." A little humor that does its work and gets Dorothye out of her sour mood. The two were giggling again.

"I'm sorry, Camilla." Dorothye sighs deeply. " It's another sign of my pregnancy, I guess. My mother told me about that as well. It used to drive my father crazy." Camilla took Dorothye into a hug. "It's fine. You're fine." The hug then breaks, "Thank you again for doing this for me."

Dorothye tilts her head, "You are my dearest friend and my sister. You've always been so kind to me and have helped my family." Over the years, Camilla has given Dorothye on several occasions an extra sum of money to help her family out. Even though Camilla has only met Dorothye's family a few times, they were extremely grateful to her. "I'd do anything for you."

A somewhat mocking voice then startles the two friends, "Interesting conversation you've been having."

Camilla and Dorothye focused on the new voice. "Queen Alana," Camilla mutters and Dorothye bows slightly.

Alana doesn't greet back and she walks closer to the two girls. She caresses Dorothye's cheek, "So you're pregnant with the King's heir." Alana shrugged, "Wouldn't be the first time a noble or a king planted a bastard in some servant girl's belly. But what is interesting is how you're going to be posing her child as the heir to Ostgrenze."

"Queen Alana, you are mistaken." Camilla tries to be casual.

But Alana rolls her eyes. She's heard better convincing lies as her time as Queen. "My dear fellow Queen," Alana cheekily said, "you have a brilliant mind for administration but you're still working on the politics. You have to lie sometimes and lie good." She speaks with insincere kindness, "But it is a little unfair considering I overheard everything you were talking about and know that any form of denial is an outright lie." With false pity, Alana adds, "You should be careful in where you speak such private matters, girl."

Alana turns around, "Quite the interesting secret this is. Can't imagine just how you're father will react. His grandchild is not actually his but a bastard."

"Queen Alana, please..." Dorothye pleads.

Alana smirks briefly and turns around to meet their sight again, "Oh spare me the begging and the grovelling, girl. That would be just pathetic. I can keep a secret. I can promise you that. I will never utter a word of this to anyone."

"But you want something, don't you?" Camilla frowns seriously. "You won't keep our secret out of the goodness of your heart."

"Oh you are indeed smart, my fellow Queen." Alana nudges a finger at the younger Queen. Alana cups Camilla's cheeks, "Most men would look at you and see a girl who was born with the short end of the stick when it comes to looks. But you are looking so much more appealing." Alana leans her face closer to Camilla's, "We can be friends, you know. Do what I want and I'll take your secret with me to the grave." Now Alana's red lips were a quarter of an inch away from Camilla's pale pink lips, "What do you say?"