I have decided to share the prologue of the ongoing story I'm writing instead of sharing a poem yesterday. I will try to get the first chapter up on Saturday, but as I am going home for the weekend I might not be able to post it until Sunday. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the first part of
The Daughter of the Sun!
Prologue
Lightning streaked through the night sky with thunder quickly following. However the sound of the thunder could not drown out the cries of the woman who was in the bed which was in a candlelit room. A man with curly, blond hair was staring out the window watching the storm. The screaming dark-haired woman in the bed was delivering a baby, his baby. He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked back at the woman with his dark eyes. His eyes then briefly flickered to the midwife and other village woman were in the room as they rushed to comfort her.
"Alexander!" The woman screamed causing him, Alexander, to walk over and grab her hand. The woman in the bed was his love, Lianne. Lianne, who was always so strong, seemed weak right now.
"I'm here, darling," he said rubbing her face with his free hand. "We have to get this baby out."
"It hurts, Alexander; it hurts so much," Lianne said.
"I know love; I know,” Alexander whispered to her, "but you must be strong. Be strong for me." She nodded as she tried to breathe.
"Excuse me Your Grace,” the midwife said touching Alexander on the arm, "but maybe it would be best if you go out in the hall and let us do our jobs."
Alexander continued to rub Lianne’s face. "Maybe you're right."
"No, please don't leave me,” Lianne pleaded as he prepared to go.
"I'll just be outside the door love," Alexander assured her. "I promise." It pained him to do so, but he let go of her hand and walked out the door. He stood outside as her screams went on. Truthfully, he couldn't bear to see her in that much pain. To see her long black hair unkempt and her blue-gray eyes crying, it broke his heart. Just then a servant came running towards him.
"Your Grace, the mistress asks for you to come," the young servant boy said. "She said to tell you that she thinks that the baby girl is sick."
"You tell Her Grace that I cannot come right now," Alexander snapped and then he sighed regretfully. "Also add that I will be there as soon as I can." The young servant boy nodded. Lianne screamed again.
"Is she all right Your Grace?" The young boy asked.
"I hope so, lad," Alexander whispered. "Now go and tell Her Grace what I said." The young boy scurried away as Lianne screamed again.
"Alexander!" He ran back in the room. He could tell that her condition was getting worse.
"What's the matter?" He asked. None of the women could look him in the eye. "What's the matter?" He asked again louder. One of the women walked up to him and pulled him to the side.
"She's fading Your Grace," she said quietly. "If the baby is to survive it has to get out now." Alexander closed his eyes. When he opened them he saw Lianne trying to push the baby out. He quickly walked to Lianne's side again and grabbed her hand.
"Alexander, if I don't make it, you have to promise me something," Lianne gasped between breaths.
"Don't say that darling," Alexander said. "Just breathe, and everything will be all right."
"I knew this day would come," Lianne muttered. "When I first met you and gazed into your eyes, I knew it would come."
"Darling what are you saying?" Alexander asked. "You're going to be fine; it's just that we have to get our baby out first."
"Our baby," Lianne whispered. Then she gave him a wispy smile. "Our baby." Then she grabbed his arm. "Alexander, listen to me. You must raise this baby like you would your other children. You must show her love. You have to promise me that this child will be a noble like you and that you will not deny her anything." She then started to shiver and gasped for air as if she could not breathe. "You must promise me! Please!"
"Of course I will!" Alexander promised. "And you will be here to help me raise our child."
"But you must treat the others the same," Lianne continued, "because one will try to stray." She closed her eyes. The next time she spoke it was in a voice that was so different and bone chilling, but somehow it was still Lianne's voice speaking to him. "There will come a time where the power of this kingdom will be tested. If the kingdom is not strong enough, the people will be lost in turmoil and fear. I see two young people, both different from the others around them, both strong in their own way. The fate of the kingdom shall depend upon them." Then Lianne grasped her stomach as she started to scream again.
"The baby's is coming!" The midwife exclaimed. "Lianne, push love. Push!" Lianne's screams were getting louder. Alexander couldn't stand to see her in so much pain so he walked away towards the window. The rain was now pouring down hard. Then as the lightning stroke against the sky, his eyes filled with tears. Suddenly Lianne’s screams were replaced with a sharp cry. He turned around as he saw the midwife cradle a little baby. He stood there as the woman cleaned the baby. She then wrapped the baby in a white blanket. She smiled at Alexander before she handed him the baby.
"Congratulations, Your Grace," The midwife said. "You have another beautiful girl."
Alexander looked down at his daughter. She looked exactly like her mother, but she had his nose. Her head was covered with thick black hair and her eyes were closed as she slept.
"Lianne you should see her. She is so beautiful, like you." Lianne didn't reply to him. "Lianne darling-” He looked up at her and she had her eyes closed and she also had a faint smile on her face. "Lianne, wake up, you have to see our baby girl." He walked over to her with their baby in his arms. "Lianne."
"Your Grace," the midwife started, "I think that she is-"
"No," he said firmly. "Lianne, wake up." Alexander sat on the bed that Lianne was laying in. He did not realize that he had tears streaming down his face. All he knew was that the woman he loved was not answering him. "Lianne, you have to look at our beautiful baby girl. You have to hold her and kiss her." His voice began to crack but he had to continue to speak so she could hear him and wake up. "You have to tell her that you will always be here for her. You have to be there to see her take her first steps and you have to hear her talk.” He closed his eyes in pain. “You have to be here to love her. Wake up, Lianne; wake up." But Lianne never opened those wide gray eyes that had drawn him to her.
"Oh Lianne," he whispered as he leaned over and kissed her softly on her lips one last time. He stood up and walked away with his daughter still in his arms.
After a few minutes the midwife approached him slowly. "Your Grace, do you want me to take her into the servant chambers?" She asked as the other women began to clean up and move Lianne's body. "I'm sure some of the other servants wouldn't mind looking after her and feeding her."
"No," Alexander said through his tears. "I made a promise to Lianne. Our baby shall live the life of a noble lady, and she shall never want for anything. Will you go get one of the older children's old cribs? She will sleep in Her Grace's and my room."
"She will?" The midwife asked shocked.
"Yes she will. Now, go find me a wet nurse. My daughter will need to be fed soon,” Alexander said. The midwife walked away to carry out her orders. Alexander rocked her in his arms as she sleep silently. She seemed so small, like he would almost break her. He kissed her on her forehead as he remembered her mother. Lianne would live on through their daughter, he knew this, but he would always miss Lianne, his one true love. Her long flowing hair, her perfect smile, the softness of her skin. No one would ever be able to replace her.
Just then one of the women who helped deliver his child came up to him.
"We all loved Lianne, Your Grace," she said. "She was like a sister to me and she helped me deliver my baby girl Mary. She will be missed."
"Yes she will," Alexander said looking at his daughter.
"May I ask her name Your Grace?" The servant asked.
Alexander thought about it for a few moments, but only one name came to his mind. He smiled down at his child who was sleeping soundly in his arms. "Lianna, daughter of my beloved Lianne."
