Queens

Anastasia

Thoughts began to race around Ana's head as she sat in the corner of the room. The fire had gone out long ago and light was shining through the curtains. She had stayed awake all night, unable to allow sleep to take her. At first she had been shaky, but frankly there was no more shakiness and her hands were steady. She didn't dare to stand up once more, not yet.

Her hands rested on her lower stomach and her heart began beating faster once she began thinking about what was happening.

A child. She was with child. A child who will be born from a prince no less. She had thought about the possibility of a future with Arthur but now she wasn't sure of anything, especially not with him. He was to marry a high lord's daughter or a princess from another kingdom, there was no way in hell that the king would allow him to marry a commoner, much less a commoner who was pregnant with his bastard child. That's what the child growing in her stomach was, a bastard. They would grow up likely never knowing their father. If they did know him it would be from afar. Arthur would never be able to father this child publicly.

Is that even what you want? The voice in her head asked. She wasn't sure. Of course she loved Arthur there was no doubt that she loved him with all her heart, but she knew that above all Arthur needed to be the prince and eventually the king of Camelot.

There was a quick knock at the door which brought her out of her thoughts. Only a second later Lancelot walked in through the door. She watched his eyes scan over the room before landing on Ana in her wrecked state as she cowered in the corner of the room with her knees brought up to her chest and her hands cradling her stomach as her knees leaned against the wall. She watched as his brows pulled together in worry.

"My lady why are you hidden? Has something happened?" He shut the door behind his figure and then walked across the room towards her in long strides. Her was at her side in a few seconds. She felt herself nodding. Should she tell him? Perhaps he would know what to do. Lancelot was a knight, he would know.

"I'm with child," she said. There was no use in sugar coating it, she didn't see the need to do so. He was silent for a few moments before opening his mouth, only to shut it again and be silent for a little longer. She said nothing as she watched him struggle to work things out in his head.

"Is it Arthur's?"

"Yes."

"You must not tell anyone. No one must know of this, not even Arthur."

"Not even Arthur?" This didn't surprise her but she knew he was right. Arthur likely wouldn't want to leave the child be, but the child that was now growing inside of her would have no place in court. This she knew.