The King's Children The room, furnished with all the luxury the times allowed, was full of women running around, carrying bowls of water and clean towels, while the queen sweated on the bed, feeling the pains of childbirth that would bring the longed-for heir into the world. Her face transfigured a mixture of pain and pride. She knew that her husband, after being thrown out of the room by the slave girls, was waiting outside. A louder groan and a deep cry that would trouble the soul of any human being, was followed by laughter and applause. They brought the little baby so that the queen could see him, already wrapped in a blue blanket. He was a beautiful boy. The new mother only had time to smile and look with great affection at the prince, who was crying disconsolately in the arms of Martha, the queen's trusted slave, before he began to feel dreadful pain again, much stronger than that of the first child. And to the amazement of everyone, even the queen herself, another child ca

On hearing the king's cry, his sons and the doctors rushed into the room. Ale, realizing what had happened, could not hold back his tears and threw himself on his mother's bed, kissing her between sobs. The body was inert, but still with a little warmth, and he absorbed that warmth like someone clinging to a last thread of hope. Luc didn't shed any tears. He just watched his brother's sobbing with hatred. He thought his mother was an idiot and her death was a choice. The treatment was within her reach and she refused to receive it, out of an unacceptable feeling of loyalty. She approached her father and, helping him to get up, left, taking him to his quarters. There, she called her personal servant and ordered him to bring one of the doctors, because they had all been called to give an opinion, but they arrived too late. The doctor who was accompanying her left to advise her at the last minute that she had little time. Luc imagined that he was told to act this way. "Give my f

Pamela arrived red-faced before her mother, who was waiting for her in her room. Martha stared at her worriedly. She knew she stayed behind with the prince and knowing her own daughter's beauty, she could imagine the issue that made her linger in the kitchen with him. "What did he want with you?" Martha asked as she sat her in the chair in front of the dressing table and began to brush her hair. "He said he wants to marry me..." "He knows he doesn't have to use that ruse to get you in his bed.... He must be wanting your cooperation when he goes to rape you, because he will use you. That was predictable since you started going in the kitchen and your eyes not abandoning your movements." "It's not that. He said he's in love..." "And you believed him? Nothing I told you about these people entered your head?" Martha asked thoughtfully. "There is still a way to save you from that fate.... I'm going to send you to live with a cousin, far away from here. He is three tim

The news that Prince Luc would marry a slave girl spread throughout the kingdom. This caused the envy and spite of the well-born noble class and the admiration of the commoners and slaves. The people, at once, came to love their future king. They now saw in him, a man without prejudices, who would treat his people with kindness and justice, since he chose one among their own for his companion. It is true that they were suspicious of the young prince's character, because of the pampering he had received. They thought him to be an uncompromising and selfish man. They rejoiced at the discovery of their mistake. On the other hand, Ale was also known throughout the farthest reaches of the kingdom, but not as Luc, they didn't think he was just spoiled and selfish. He was feared for his villainous nature that was passed on by word of mouth and even to the nobles, who thought that the king should have sent him to be raised far away from the palace, feared and despised his attitudes. No

The months passed and the time came for Pamela to give birth. Ale was called from the tavern where he was getting drunk, and because of his drunkenness, he did not notice that it was still too early for the child to be born. The kingdom was living in chaos as he could not find the means to support all the luxury he had grown accustomed to in his father's palace. He began to collect higher taxes and prevent people from fleeing to the other kingdom, and he began to feel that his financial situation improved with this decision, while the poorest suffered and began to ration their food, but so that the outcry would not be too great, he hired doctors to treat everyone in his kingdom for free, and this had the effect that Ale intended, and they stopped tormenting him with their problems. While he waited outside his room he thought about making his son into someone like him. He wanted him to be the most beautiful, the best in everything, and to accompany him on his visits to the tavern so