The Dark Queen of White. 1.1.2

"How dare you threaten my ..." Lin Denham stepped forth with his right hand on the hilt of his sword to defend his King, but the later stopped him. King Egan motioned to the guards to release the wizard.

"Corellian, you might one day exhaust my patience. Till then, your head would remain intact on your head." King Egan whispered to the wizard. "Now tell me, what ails the Queen?"

"Dark ones, which had attached to her when she was in the town. She ignored my advice and went in there without my attendance." Corellian told the King. "They lurked there and hit onto her. She had the blessing of the babies, which protected her but they are weak. I had to save either them or her, and I had chosen."

Corellian looked to the King for his response. He knew that the King had wanted a family, more so a son, but he does not care not for the mother. More so when the Queen was not a favorite of the wizard who resented her for being too stubborn to accept his ministrations of the way of life. Queen Evie was too entrenched in her own beliefs, and had ignored the teaching of the wizards which she had publicly denounced as deviated from the true teachings of the Gods. He looked to the dying Queen, and smiled. She was a beauty, but she was not his. For that, he had poisoned her and soon she would die.

"Yes, my babies. I had forgotten of them." King Egan turned to the servants. "Where are the young ones?"

"They are here, my King." The personal maid servant of the Queen told him. She pointed to the cribs nearby where the two toddlers were asleep after their feeding by the nannies. King Egan walked over to the cribs. He saw two of them sleeping there side by side.

"They are two." King Egan smiled. Then he paused. "Which is the boy?"

"This one." The Head of the personal maids; named Helene indicated to the one on the left. King Egan reached down and carried the child up.

"My heir." He held the child up. "He would be King one day."

The others in the chamber all bowed to the King, and his prince. Then the maid asked of the King.

"Would you like to hold the girl, my King?"

King Egan ignored her and looked at his son, and then to the Queen. He then walked to the Queen by the bedding.

"He would be named Bannion. He would rule one day after me. He would be a mighty King, clad all in black. A fine black knight he would be." King Egan told the dying Queen. She smiled weakly at him and then asked the King.

"Of what would you name the girl? She is still your Princess." Queen Evie looked hopefully to her King. She knew in her heart, he favored the son and not the daughter. King Egan looked not at her but to his son. He then told her his wish.

"She would be with you. Name her as you please. I would be with my son." King Egan took leave of the chamber with the young prince. All that had followed the King left the chamber except for the healers and the maids.

"Bring me the child." Queen Evie asked the maid. They fetched the baby girl and placed the child by her side. She looked at the sleeping child and told the maids, her wish.

"The girl would be named Clarity, as had the fairest look on her. She would grow up to a beauty that none may rival her." Queen Evie told them, while looking at the clear skin beauty that nestled by her side. Then one of the maids stepped up and asked.

"My Queen, what would happen if there was one other that was more beautiful than her?" The maid asked; one who had just joined her group of personal maids. The question raised by the maid was heard by the others who hushed in response.

"Hold your tongue, Sully." Helene reprimanded the young maid,”Be off to the kitchen."

But Queen Evie stopped the order. She then glared at the maid who asked the silly question.

"Come here, girl." Queen Evie motioned to the maid to step closer.

"Then she would die like you." Queen Evie whispered to the maid. Upon her reply, Helene stepped up and took hold of the insolent maid.

"Disposed of her immediately." The Queen ordered, while the maid pleaded for mercy. The maid was led away to the hidden doorway that leads to the dungeons by Helene. Queen Evie then looked to her daughter and smiled.

"That my dear, is the only way to handle rivals to your beauty." Queen Evie told her Princess.

Queen Evie died during nightfall, and her Princess was given to the care of Helene. Princess Clarity had not seen her father, King Egan, nor her brother, Prince Bannion during her early age. She was sent off to the country home of the King and raised there until she was fourteen.