Switched

Twenty-one years prior.

He had been pacing outside of the door that led into the queen’s chambers for hours, listening to her screams carry through the palace and battling with his heart that had been overflowing with fear.

“Please, God, let it be a girl.” He begged on his knees, pressing the jeweled cross that hung around his neck to his lips, “I beg of you, do not let it be a boy.”

King Alwyn already had a son, that was the age of two, from the previous queen. Of course, two sons would have been ideal in case the first were to die, but he knew nothing good would come from having two sons with different mothers.

He already had a little girl, who was quite the blessing as she was the last gift his previous, and first, wife had given him. She was only one year old and already had captured his heart, so where was the harm in another?

The screams had suddenly come to a stop, sending a wave of dread over him as he slowly got to his feet. The sound of a baby crying bled underneath the door that stood between him and his laboring wife, making him pray even harder than he had before.

In a moment’s time, the door creaked as it was slowly opened halfway by a very small maid who had a large smile on her face.

“Your Majesty, both the queen and the baby are healthy.” She looked down at the ground not daring to look him in the eye, “The queen would like you to come meet the new prince.”

The ill news nearly killed him where he stood, as his worst fears had come true. He tried so hard to conceal his disappointment behind a fake smile.

“Of course, I would love to.” He replied as he hesitantly started towards the door.

"Perhaps I am deserving of my prayers not being heard,” he thought to himself, ”I, after all, condemned the old Gods that I had worshiped all my life, for that of my new wife’s without any hesitation."

Inside were several maids, as well as the royal physician, who had done everything in their power to deliver the baby as safely as possible. No one wanted to be responsible for another queen’s death, not when the previous one had been lost nearly a year prior. Nor did they want to lose another baby, especially a son.

All their bodies were relaxed until King Alwyn stepped into view, then they all went ridged.

He looked at them with a fake approving smile. “Thank you all for your hard, diligent work. I am grateful to you all for safely delivering my new son into this world and helping the queen make it through the birth without any complications.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” They called out in unison while bowing. Relief washed across all of their faces, easing the tension that had built in the room.

“Leave us.” The exhausted queen snapped. “All of you, get out at once.”

“But, Your Highness, we cannot leave you. You have just given birth, we need to-”

“I said get out!” She did her best to yell but she was too weak, and her throat was too sore for it to come out as anything more than a dry moan.

“Do as she said,” King Alwyn sighed, “You may come back once I leave.”

Everyone left the room promptly, leaving the newly born son in the arms of his mother and giving the king and queen time alone.

“My sweet little Thomas,” She softly cooed at the bloody infant as she gently played with the thin blonde hair on his head.

“So, you have decided on a name without me.” He interrupted, though she ignored him. “May I see little Thomas?”

She looked up at him slowly with disdain filled eyes, and in that moment, he realized that the kind, loving woman he had married was long gone. But this came as no surprise. He had suspected as much after they had wed, for it did not take long for her real personality to slip through the cracks. He expected her to fully emerge once she’d borne him a son, in turn, solidifying her place as his queen.

In truth, he missed his first wife Prudence. She had been the light of his life and, a long time ago, he thought she would have been the only woman he would have married. Never once did he think she would have died before him, let alone at all. Yet she had left him in an instant, with a two-year-old little boy and a newly born little girl.

"Gregory,” she said curtly.

“Yes, Idra my love?” He braced himself, for he knew what was to come.

“You must do it. No, you will do it.” Her tone was demanding, and she almost sounded desperate as tears welled up in her eyes. “I will not allow my little Thomas to have what is his kept from him.” His stomach twisted in on itself, while his body filled with more terror than he had ever felt in any of the many wars he had previously fought in. “You must bastardize your other son and give Thomas the title of Crown Prince immediately.”

“Why?” He wondered. Why had she taken that route? Of all the things in the world he did not want, that was the first. Henry was the first born, he deserved that title, but despite that, the queen would not rest until her son held it. There was no need for such a drastic change, because Gregory would have loved both sons the same no matter who was the heir.

“Why so suddenly? Why would you strip the title of one son and give it to another?” He knew questioning her was the wrong choice after it was far too late, and he had already gone said it.

“Thomas is our son.” Her voice started to raise, “I love Henry, truly, but he is the son of the late queen and Thomas is the son of the standing one. It would make sense to give our son the title, would it not?” She started to weep, though it was hard to discern what she had actually been crying about, “I am not saying strip Henry of everything, he will still have a title of his own and an inheritance upon your death. Do you think me a cruel mother? Do you think I hate my other two children just because they came from another woman?”

“No, my love, that was not what I had meant. I was just-”

“You were just assuming I wanted to get rid of Henry. Of Corinna.” Tears streamed down her face as she started to sob, while cradling Thomas as if she were being threatened. “Leave us. Leave us since you would keep from Thomas what is rightfully his and risk Henry killing him once he is old enough to understand how much of a threat Thomas poses to him.”

Gregory stood there looking at the woman in front of him. The seductress, the actress, the cruel woman who had weaseled her way into his heart. He was a fool. He fell for her tricks and now he had to suffer the consequences.

“I will do it.” He sighed.

Her face perked up and her tears had stopped instantly at his agreeance. “You will?”

“Yes, my love. But I will not make it public until it is time for Thomas to ascend to the throne.” He paused, watching to see her reaction. She went to yell at him, but he threw up his hand and continued. “I would rather not get the church involved as of yet. They would suspect our reasons for disinheriting Henry so suddenly and I, nor you, have the energy right now to go through an investigation, to answer endless questions about Thomas possibly being illegitimate. I will have the papers drawn up this instant and will keep them safe until it is time, I promise.”

She studied him for a moment, considering his preposition. He knew she could not refuse such an offer, for he could have just refused her outright instead. Even had her killed if he so much as wanted. However, he was aware of how weak she thought he was, just by how she had been talking to him. And if it had not been for his large heart and not wanting to leave his children motherless, he might have gotten rid of her.

“Okay.” She smiled and looked back down at Thomas, “Did you hear that, Thomas? You are the Crown Prince of Myrce, and one day you’ll be king.”