THE QUEEN OF SHEBA

The Birth

   It was a day like any other; the sun was up, the sky was blue, and the clouds were white as snow. The kingdom of Sheba was calm and peaceful. If they only knew the trouble that was brewing! If they only knew this day would bring about a great change to their kingdom, maybe they wouldn't be going about their daily business as usual.

The castle was high up on a hill, away from the village. The business of the castle was almost never a secret because of the loose tongues of most of the castle servants. Well, this particular secret was one that would haunt the kingdom for a long time because it was one that even the most loyal servants were not privy to.

Up in the castle of Sheba, screams of pain could be heard from two different rooms—one from the queen's, and the other from her most trusted and personal maid. The queen and her maid were in labor at the same time, on the same day. Two midwives were contacted: one, the royal family's most efficient and skilled midwife, and the other, the village midwife. As nature would have it, the two babies came into the world at the same time. Maybe there was a difference of seconds, but no one could tell because both babies were heard crying simultaneously.

To the horror of the queen, her baby was a girl. When she asked about the sex of her maid's baby, she was told it was a boy. Instead of this news deterring the queen's already foul mood, she looked quite happy and immediately consulted the maid's midwife. She conspired with both the royal midwife and the maid's midwife to switch the babies at once. The maid was too weak to even look at her baby, so the sex of her baby was not disclosed to her. She didn't have the strength to ask the midwife before she was summoned by the queen.

The babies were switched immediately and discreetly. Nobody was privy to this except the queen and the midwives, who were handsomely recompensed. The village midwife was asked to leave town immediately and never to return. The queen gave her enough to sustain her wherever she chose to go. The agreement was made, and everyone went their separate ways. The queen was happy, and so was her maid when she saw how beautiful her daughter was. She was proud, and so was the queen when the king's heir was presented to the king and then to the kingdom.

The maid was to care for the royal baby; the queen only breastfed her baby. Every other thing was done by the chambermaid, who was the real mother of the so-called prince. The queen also made sure the children were treated the same. The maid's baby, which was really hers, was treated well and given every privilege that was given to the royals.