Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 135

Chapter 135: A new cry
Trace wanted to leap at the sound. The king clapped a hand to his mouth, his eyes glistening with unshed tears as the entire room listened, enraptured, to the tiny voice.

Too soon, it fell quiet.

Anxiety rose in the room until the doctor emerged, holding a wrapped bundle that seemed impossibly small.

“Your Majesty,” He bowed slightly, carefully holding the blanket. “I must bear the news. Please listen before you react.”

“Spit it out, man,” The king seemed frozen. He stared at the blanket as if willing it to move.

“You have a son,” The doctor opened the coverlet to reveal a tiny, wrinkled, pink face. “He is very small, and very weak. I will do my very best to ensure his survival, but you should understand the chances are not in his favor. I brought him out to see you, but I must take him back to his mother to attempt suckling and to let her share her warmth with him.”

“The Queen?” King Harold’s eyes flickered towards the bedroom.

“She is also very weak. She will need to sleep most of the time over the coming weeks,” The Doctor reported. “I will not see her disturbed just now, but I knew you would want to see that, for now, your son lives.”

“Get back to work. Save him. Take care of them both,” The King commanded, looking with untold emotion down at the little face.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” The doctor bowed and exited the room to the accompaniment of the softly mewling infant.

“Congratulations on the birth of your son, Your Majesty,” Trace broke the silence. “May he thrive and grow strong.”

“Thank you, Trace,” The king did not look at the bodyguard, staring vacantly after the doctor, “But I must command that everyone in the room forget what they heard today. Any spread of this information is punishable by death.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” The few servants and guards left in the room all chorused along with Sapphira. None of them spoke, either with joy or sorrow, over what they had witnessed. It seemed too much to hope for the little prince’s survival, and yet, Trace couldn’t help it. The innocent child deserved a good, long life, and the queen deserved a healthy child.

Sapphira stood and squeezed her father’s hand gently, and he shook himself out of his stupor.

“We have duties to attend to,” He turned to her. “We have kept them waiting long enough.”

“But Father, surely…” She began, but he shook his head firmly.

“We will proceed as if nothing of note has happened this morning,” He said stoically. “Return to your chambers. I will be along shortly to speak with the families in the meeting room down the hall from there.”

Trace’s stomach clenched as he realized the queen would be unconscious for, as the doctor said, most of the time. The king would be vulnerable to the use of magic.

“Will you not delay things until Her Highness is better?” Anaisa asked, and Trace shot her a thankful look. He couldn’t reveal that meeting with Oakdown would be a terrible idea without the queen’s protection, but it seemed his wife was already thinking ahead.

“I cannot delay pressing matters of state,” The king said, determined. “I will continue as if nothing is wrong. No one will know she is indisposed, and I will have magical activity monitored for interference.”

Trace grimaced, wanting to tell the king everything, but he couldn’t reveal that Sanders wasn’t trustworthy in this regard due to Oakdown’s commands and blackmail, and that perhaps even if Sanders did report it, that would be far too late to change matters.

He tried to open his mouth, but the words would not come. The king waved his hand, dismissing them, and Trace frowned. Sapphira sighed heavily and turned to go, and Trace followed despondently behind her, along with Anaisa.

The couple exchanged a worried look, and she turned at the door to try one last time.

“Your Majesty, I truly fear that someone may try to manipulate–”

“Are you challenging my decision?” He glanced towards her. “Are you impudent enough to think you have considered more possibilities than I have?”

Sapphira stepped beside her companion and stared at the king.

“Father, I think she’s right. Even a member of your Advisory—”

“Daughter.” He held up a hand. “This day is enough without you bringing more trouble into it. Do not delay your duties any further or you will force my hand and make me choose on your behalf. Your tactics exhaust me, and now it seems you may have dragged your companion and bodyguard into the matter as well. I will not tolerate this on the day I may have to say farewell to my newborn son.”

He turned away, his shoulders shaking slightly with emotion, and held up a hand. Guards stationed in the corners stepped forward to force the trio out.

Reluctantly, they left. Sapphira walked stiffly, Anaisa slowly, and Trace stoically.

As they almost reached the princess’s chambers, they heard soft talking ahead in the hall.

“My instructions are to not allow admittance until Her Highness or His Majesty return,” Some poor servant was explaining. “I’m sure they will be along presently, and I thank you for your patience.”

“Oh. I’m not supposed to be seen by them,” Anaisa frowned. “I’ll go make myself scarce for a while, I suppose.”

“Where will you be?” Trace asked her in a low voice. He didn’t like the idea of her being off alone, especially if Oakdown was in the palace waiting for an audience with the king. “In case we need to get a message to you quickly.”

“I missed most of breakfast. I’ll probably head down by the kitchen and try to glean food from the servants’ lunch. You can send any messages there,” Anaisa smiled at him briefly, and his stomach clenched.

“I will,” Trace forced out, wanting to expand on that. Wanting to tell her a message was waiting for her there if she looked for it, but he couldn’t. He tried to catch her gaze, but she had already turned away, heading down the hallway and out of sight.

“I suppose it’s time for me to face the dragons,” The princess sighed.

“I thought the knight was supposed to slay them for the princess in the fairy tales,” Trace countered.

“Slim chance of that here,” She looked at him cynically. “Let’s go.”