2. Royal Blood.

2.

His body hair prickled as his eyes met the child she was holding out. It was the first of its kind since his reign as a King. So, he couldn't believe his eyes. "My child?".

"No man has touched me except you, Your Highness" Her eyes fill up with water. King Godric was reaching his hand out to the infant to carry. "Yes, Godric, she is your child." Belena held her breath.

"It's a female child?" Belena was disappointed to see that the hand waiting to carry her withdrew back to his pocket.

"Please hold her, Godric" her teeth jittered.

Godric walked past her to his shelf and went to take his ornate pipe where he smoked tobacco, he then took further steps back to her and puffed the smoke toward her. "Why are you here, Belena?" He asked. "Where is my male child?"

"You said you didn't mind what type of child." While trying her best not to make her voice shake, it only worsened. "You said you loved me either way."

"I did." He smiled. "But you left."

"Because…because the Queen found out I was pregnant and I… could…not explain how that came about."

"And so I ask you, why are you here, now?"

"I have no place to stay, no food to eat, no clothes to wear. You promised to fulfill all my desires if I bear a child for you. You promised to protect me Godric" Belena couldn't help not recall flashbacks of her intimate moments with the king in his room, where he had confessed his undying love for her, where he had told her he didn't care if she was a maid, but he would always be there for her.

Belena continued. "I do not want a position as a Queen. I only want my child to be taken care of."

Godric chuckled. "Well that's easy," he said and Belena held the breath she had been holding. "But not at this time." He sat down on his well-furnished bed, puffing his smoke. "You've come at the wrong time. I am too occupied with trivial matters to bother about what you will eat or where you will stay…"

"Just one word from you, Godric and it is done. You do not have to do anything. Your servants will do it"

His chest heaved. "You do not understand. Not at this delicate hour. There is a war that is…"

"There is war?"

His eyes darted over her face as he wondered if it was right to tell her about it.

"Yes. And the news of your child would only bring more chaos to the palace. We do not need that at the moment. If it were a male child, perhaps it would have been overlooked."

"What war?" Her face got red. "You are making me more scared. Is my child safe? What war?"

He walked toward her and held her shoulders tightly. "I'll do you a favor, Belena. I'll keep to my promise. Come back here tomorrow when the war begins and I shall protect you and your child."

"Where? Where can I stay?"

"You know the palace like the back of your hand. You will figure things out."

"Godric…"

"It's Your Highness to you" he snapped. "The chances of calling me by name are gone. The only relation we have Belena-" he moved his lips close to her ear. "It is to protect you from the gut-wrenching war that is about to happen." He laughed, almost manically. "Once that is done…you stay far away from the palace like you did before."

Belena staggered when he let go of her shoulders. His eyes…they weren't like how she remembered them. And what war could he possibly be speaking about?

"You'll protect me?" Her voice cracked again. "If I am back here tomorrow, would you protect me as promised?"

Godric walked back to his desk where he was writing. "A promise is a debt, Belena, and I do not like to owe."

She swallowed, finally feeling confident after a long time. This was good. She could tell her mother who owned the child after the war Godric spoke about. She could resume working in the palace and not be a shame to the town.

"Thank…you." She cuddled her baby back to her body and tied the child tightly with the shawl. "I'll rest now" she muttered and carefully left the King's room.

Belena walked back, just the way she came, but instead of going home, she headed to the storage room behind all of the palace rooms, far from the Queen's room.

She entered and cleared a spot for her child, taking the basket, and fabrics she found in the room, and set a padded surface for her baby to lie on.

"What do I name you?" Her words went into the air like wind as she stared at the beautiful girl she had made. After a long stare, she decided to wait until Godric named her. Belena found a cushion where she could rest her head and in no time, she was fast asleep.

She woke up at the mere sound of her child's sob and fed her consistently. Even at midnight when it was as silent as a graveyard, she ensured she did all she could so the child's cry didn't wake anyone up.

By now, Belena had started to get good sleep after being drained from breastfeeding without food, but the noises woke her up. The noise was distant at first but then it started getting closer.

"GET EVERYONE OF THEM!" The loud growl of a man made her clutch her baby and climb a shelf so she could peep from the window to see what was happening.

"The wolves?" She mumbled as her eyes caught sight of the wolf King ordering his men into the palace. "The war" she muttered again, remembering what Godric had told her earlier. "The war" she bit her nails.

"DO NOT LEAVE ANYONE UNHARMED!" The voice of the wolf King came again and an arrow followed, piercing into the window where Belena was peeking from, slightly brushing past her eye.

Belena quickly rushed down from where she was climbing.

She needed to run. To run to Godric. He was the only one who could help her and her child now.