The Appalling Strangeness of the Mercy of God [M - Hannelorian x DuchessLivilla]

[Hannelorian]

Arabella stayed for a moment at her door, her attention turning to Graves, her faithful shadow. "How long are you on duty tonight, Graves?" The Queen's head cocked to the side for a moment. The young man thought for a moment before he answered. "Only until you are asleep. Or presumed asleep." He responded, his voice was cool and gentle. Over the months the two had come to understand one another, and he would not ask questions, his loyalty was only to his mistress.

"Good." Arabella vanished into her rooms and exhaled deeply, a deep sigh of relief. Emily and Charlotte, two maids rushed in to assist. The Queen had momentarily forgotten that Mercy was on her sister's service until the couple departed. "Quick as you can ladies, please." The two women set to work stripping the Queen of her clothing, something which provided her a great relief. "Should either of you become pregnant, I pray you take to it like Alexandra and not like me." There was a small chuckle that escaped the maid's lips as they continued, now moving on to the Queen's hair.

For a few moments, she contemplated penning a note to the King, perhaps a continued reinforcement of her little charade. Obviously Christian understood bits and pieces, but he could never truly see the whole picture. But she ultimately decided against it, moving to the bed, as she covers were pulled back, allowing her to slide in. It had been warmed for her and she almost melted into it. "I'll find that chair for Bridget tomorrow..."

--

"You must remember that so long as my father sits on the throne, a woman shall inherit nothing. Though at least your sister will be cared for if she managed to predecease him. You on the other hand, well, it's all Little Alec's until something changes." Arthur did not mean to belittle the situation, and it was something he would like to change, but for the moment that issue was non-started. Women were less than nothing in their world. Ridiculous.

Arthur stood up and held a hand out to his wife to help her up. "So, you believe in it all then." Arthur said rather softly, the look of concern on his face to did not disappear as she spoke. "I suppose it's only a few days more, but if it is significant you should tell me now." He didn't want to wait, if it concerned his wife, or their children and the truth was that Alex truly believed, she should not delay, but he would respect his wife's decision. The walls did have ears after all. Most of them anyway.

"Yes, the children most definitely will be hungry and we could use as much rest as they will let us get." Arthur took his wife by the arm once she had stood up and they left the drawing room to retire to their rooms for the night.

[DuchessLivilla]

Alex knew he had ever right to know, and to know now. The children were as much his as hers and what was coming was, in terms of crowns, was his battle not hers in terms of legality; she had no claim and never would. She caught his arm just before he opened the door from the drawing room and said softly, "I will tell you...She would answer but one question so I asked one that would give us the most information. I...I asked would Alexander be King...It would tell me our fates, as much as his I hoped, what will happen when war breaks out..."

She swallowed and held back her emotions once more before saying, "I stopped her before she was finished so I saw only three cards..." She managed a small smile, "He will be a happy little boy, curious and gentle-hearted, like his father," she added, cupping his cheek and smoothing her thumb over his neat beard briefly. "But he will be...sickly and prone to weakness...I...I could not bear to see the rest in case she told me what I feared so I stopped her. To let me still have hope."

The Princess looked down and swallowed again, her tears threatening to spill. Once again she mastered them but the line was getting thinner. "When she came to me here, she told me...A son of mine, ours, shall be King, God help him...But...but that does not mean Alec is lost to us," she added, almost desperately. "He...he might take the cloth or..."

She closed her eyes and bit her lip, "When we are home, we must ask Dr Thomas to look at him," she sought comfort in practicality. What else could she do? She could fall to prayer, but that would come later.

[Hannelorian]

Arthur paused as he wife grabbed a hold of him and then began to tell him of what the gypsy woman had said. He listened with intent and all the while he held on to Alex's hand, and by the end had pulled her into a warm embrace. Alex was talking herself into logic, of what it all might meant for their son, their only son as of this moment. It was rather sweet, the love of a mother was unequalled in this world, and Alexandra loved harder than anyone he had ever known. The thought that she held this secret even for a moment pained him. "You must have been tearing yourself apart after that." Above all, Arthur was proud of his wife, and how well she kept herself together even with such devastating news.

"And so what if Alec is never King?" Arthur smiled, his hands rested on his wife's shoulders, squeezing them most reassuringly. "Alec is loved, by you and me, and all those who will meet him throughout his life. As long as my son is happy, cared for and well loved, that is a good life." The thought of losing one of his firstborn children, any of his future children was heartbreaking, but as only Arthur could, he wanted to focus on the good parts, the parts that would bring them joy, no matter what sorrow would come. "And if he is sickly we will take care of him. We will support him and get him the best care we can find."

Arthur hugged his wife closely before taking a step apart, if only to look deeply into her eyes and smile. "Even in this day and age, it is a sad reality that children die. And no amount of preparation will ever make us ready for that kind of a loss. But if we do everything in our power to make sure Alec is happy, all of our children are happy, then we have done all we can as parents. We will be grateful for the memories, and to have known Alec and his love for his, as well as our love for him. We cannot spend every day wondering if this is the day something horrid will befall him. That distracts from the precious things he will do."

Perhaps now Arthur was speaking for himself, to convince himself this would be less painful than he knew it would. The boy was only days old. Arthur was determined to enjoy every moment of his life, but even now he wondered how short it would be, how much pain might his son endure, he didn't want the boy to suffer at all, ever. "We will have Doctor Thomas meet us at home. Fear not, I shall send for him under some other cover that has nothing to do with the children. And perhaps he can give us answers, but even if he can't... it changes nothing. Alec is our son and we love him, no matter what. We will always be there to support him." Arthur felt a tear falling down his cheek, he sniffled and wiped it away. Even he was not immune to such thoughts or devastation.