Hold onto my wings

Chapter 1

It was after 10 o'clock and the capital of the kingdom was shrouded in darkness. Although most of the city's inhabitants were already in their beds, a few servants were still bustling about in the palace that rose behind the city, hurrying to bring everything needed to the queen's chamber, from where a woman's pained cries could be heard.

It had been like that for a good few hours, but now the screaming had abruptly ceased, and the only sound that could barely be heard from outside the room was the whimpering of the newborn prince. After washing the blood from his body and wrapping him in a blanket, the maid brought him to the queen, who, though exhauted to the last drop of energy, took the baby in her arms and smiled. "He's so beautiful." She said it almost in a whisper, and a tear of happiness rolled down her cheek.

She needed rest and quiet to recover, but that was the one thing she wasn't going to get that night. Suddenly, the wooden door to the room opened, making room for a tall, virile man and four other soldiers to enter. At that moment, the queen looked up from the baby she was holding and looked her husband in the eye. It has been almost an entire month since she has seen him last time but now that he was here, his presence made Annabelle's body fill with fear for she knew her husband didn't came to see his newborn son, neither was he full of joy like a father should be. She could see the glower on his face that he always had when someone disobeyed him.

"Henry! Henry, please! He's so beautiful! Please, just look at him!" The queen begged, trying to put a little smile on her lips in hope that he'll change his mind. Yet, to her disappointment, he completely ignored her words "Be quiet, woman! I warned you!" He spoke angrily, having a commanding tone in his voice as he pointed his finger at her. "Out, all of you!" He ordered the servants then glanced at one of the soldiers "Get rid of the baby." He said firmly.

The feeling of having her baby pulled out of her arms made the woman to burst in tears and as the soldier started walking towards the exit of the room, she got out the bed and rushed after him, only to be stopped by the king who stepped in front of her. "Stop it, Annabelle!" He said firmly as he gripped her by the arms so she wouldn't be able to leave. She tried pushing him to the side as she desperately kept begging for her baby back but she was still too weakened and exhausted to fight him. "You can't do this! He's your son!" She cried, hitting him in the chest with her hands. Yet, he didn't gave any signs that her hits would've hurt him and instead of trying to defend himself, he let her get her anger out on him.

"I hate you!" She continued, eventually pushing him away from her. "You can hate me how much you want but I will not let a deformed child taint the name and reputation of the royal family!" He reprimanded her, feeling the blood boiling in his veins. He hated that he had to do this and he hated to see his wife like this but he didn't had any other choice, no matter if she liked it or not, he had to do his duty. It's been her own choice not to kill the baby while she was pregnant even though they've been warned by the priestess about the child's deformity.