Scarlett's Secret

Chapter 10 - The Birth of our Saviour

As auburn autumn leaves dropped down below their branches, three months had passed feeling as though it had been an eternity. Swollen with the small, beating life within me... I endured thirteen hours of exhausting labour.

I snivelled in pain as another contraction overwhelmed my exhausted form. My face looked though it were dipped in white, my arms desperately reaching for something to grasp. As the physical pain subsided, I found a small child wailing in my arms, bright jade eyes bore straight into my own.

Maria acted as a midwife and cleaned the newborn in a wash basin of salty water before wrapping the child in light blue. "A son, my lady." Maria beamed, placing the feeble child in my shaking arms.

"A son," I whispered, leaning down and kissing my soft, flawless child.

Minutes of peace had passed as I caressed this being that had been a part of me for nine months until of course, the King arrived. "What is it the child?" he asked, his prominent hazel eyes cautiously looking around the drawn room, his red and green robe billowing behind him effortlessly.

"A human my lord." I protested, proudly snuggling my new son.

"A son," Maria responded.

"A son," Henry whispered in astonishment, emotions running over his beaming face. "May I?" he questioned, as I passed him the child.

"He has your nose, your grace," Maria spoke, emptying the basin water.

"He is only a baby, don't be foolish his characteristics aren't noticeable of yet." He paused, "although he does have rather prominent emerald eyes." his eyes shot towards me.

"And?" I probed.

"My eyes are brown. Your eyes are blue. The boy's eyes are green, do you understand?" Silence lingered between us, as Maria handed me back the child.

I stared down into this predestined child's eyes, they looked familiar, warm, safe then I realised; he partook the eyes of Tyson. This child had not a drop of the Kings blood within him, for he was mine and Tyson's son. He was ours, our beautiful miracle. I couldn't let the King discover this unbearable truth as Henry was a hunter, and it's his nature to kill. "My mother's eyes were green my lord," I lied,  "it is possible that green eyes were a protuberant trait."

Henry's posture seemed to release form, "I guess it is possible." Henry continued towards the door, "Will these green eyes be a problem?" He questioned, and by his tone, I realised he did not fall for my fib. He had a creeping suspicion the child was not ours, but who the father was I hope he never discovers. 

"Of course not my lord, I think they are rather beautiful."