Peace Offering To The Cursed Prince

"Tell me how did you end up with my son?" king George asked. He could not think of a better way to put his question. He honestly felt like cutting off the thing between his leg but that will change nothing.

He could not explain why he stood so low to do it with his wife's maid."I am never drinking again, * he vowed in his head since he couldn't even remember a thing about how it happened.

The king was too engrossed in scolding himself to notice that the woman he spoke to has frozen at his question. 

Ann felt like a knife was hanging on her throat. Because of the way he put the question she thought he figured out that she was not his mother.

"How?" she asked herself. There were currently only three people who knew this. And neither of them would tell the king. Princess Ellen was no longer in the kingdom and Richard would not dare knowing she would die if he did.

Ann took in a rapid breath, she could feel her end coming near. 

"I am sorry your highness but I did not know. At that time I was unable to give birth. I have visited the house of fatality and drank all the herbs that could help but still nothing. One day, a midwife handed over a baby boy to me. She lied. She told me she had found him close to the brothel.

I was blinded by my happiness and immediately took the child in. After all, it was a common practice by those women to abandon their children after giving birth. 

I thought it was a way for the gods to answer my prayer and blessed me with a child. It was only two years later that the midwife informed me of the truth about his birth. She told me that the boy she handed over to me was the son of my king. I was too scared.

She said that the second prince of Bozoa at that time had threatened to kill her husband if she did not kill the crown prince's child at birth if he happened to be a son. 

The midwife could not bring herself to hurt the innocent baby but she could also not lose her husband so she lied about his death and hand over the baby to me.

I pray your majesty to have mercy on me, I would have returned him if I knew at the beginning but it was too late. I fear you would have my head, " Ann spoke as fast as her tongue could move.

She knew that the king cared nothing about her life. She had committed a great crime by hiding the crown prince. 

Meanwhile, the king was unable to understand her words for a short while. It sounded too good to be true. What did she mean?" he asked himself.

"So what you are saying is that you are not the mother of Richard?" king George asked. He did not want to jump to any conclusions.

Ann stopped crying because she was surprised by the king's question. Does this mean he did not know? Even Ann could see the resemblance between Richard and the late Queen. 

"Yes, your majesty, " she answered.

"Yes he is your son?" king George asked honestly confused by her answer.

"no, I  mean no he is not my son. Queen Agatha is his birth mother," Ann replied as tears dripped down her eyes. She is both relieved and scared of what she just told the king.

Relived that she finally let out the secret she has been carrying for years. She sometimes felt that she had taken away everything from him. But at the same time, she feared that the king would put her to death. 

The king blink his latches in confusion for a bit. "Did I hear right?" he asked himself. "what did you just say?" his voice came out in a whisper

"I said Queen Agatha is the birth mother of Richard. He is the son believe to have died at birth," Ann said. Her head was bowed to the ground. She was too scared to look at the king's rang.

So she missed the bright smile that was now playing on his face. The news about Richard been the son of Agatha made him happy. 

He could not explain how relieved he was that he did not betray the promise he had made to her on their wedding night. 

He was consumed by his happiness that he did not even notice that the woman on her knees was crying and scared to death. 

"Yes," King George lets the words out of his mouth. He did not care who heard him. He has been eating up himself for some time and learning that he assumed Wrongly really warmed his heart.

Ann, raise her head a little to peep at the king when she heard  his voice. She was not sure of what to expect. But her Jaw dropped open when she saw that the king had a beautiful smile on his lip.

"What? " she was shocked to see him that way. In her, over twenty years of working in the Palace, she has never seen the king looking so happy. Although he smiled more when his first Queen was alive even then she doubt it was this wild and beautiful.

Ann, could not understand why the king was so happy about Richard been his son. After all, he already had a son. Richard would only bring war into the family. 

King George had a hard time controlling his emotions. No, he did not feel like having his expressionless face. Since he found out about Richard he had felt too guilty to visit his wife's memorial. He usually talked to her printing but he felt too unworthy. 

He took another deep breath of relief before Turing his head to look at the maid on her knees. 

"Name? " He asked.

" your majesty the midwife is already dead, "Ann answered. She thought the king wanted to put them both to death.

King George frowns his brows. "Your name?" he clarified. He was not thinking of killing her or anything like that. If anything George was grateful to her for taking care of him. She may not have much but she indeed took him as her son.

He could still remember how she begged on behalf of Richard. She betrayed prince Ellen to save his life. He is sure that the woman before him would give her life for Richard even if she was not his birth mother. 

"Love" this was what he wanted his family to be built on. But that Queen of his made him a fool.

"Ann," your majesty, " she answered when she finally understood his question.

Who else knows about Richard?" He knew the Queen will be all out searching for the rumored son.

"Me, Richard and princess Ellen, your majesty, " Ann answered with full confidence.

Are you sure? " the king asked.

" yes, your ma... She was about to affirm when she remembered that Richard told her about his meeting with lord Zorander.