“Come now my dear Azulle, why are you being so distant?” Asks the severely beaten-up King. “Did I do something wrong?”

Azulle walks up and lightly slaps the King. “You idiot, you know what she did to mom and yet you still go and see mom! Why … don’t you know you will just get punished for …for…”

“For caring for you both.” A warm smile appears among the bruises and welts on the King's face. “I have told you before. I married Jelizza due to my duty to this Kingdom. But my heart had already belonged to Eris. Then when you and your brother were born, I gained a new duty… that as your father. But it appears I failed that one with the pain I let the queen causes to you and Eris. I am dearly sorry my sweet Azu!”

“Forgive him!” Shouts a weepy-eyed Grell.

“He only cared for you and your mother!” Echoed a Weepy-eyed Brookins.

“Shut up the both of you! You know nothing about this mess. And you dad, I won’t forgive you! I can’t when you act so foolishly getting your body trashed by seeing mom! Seriously that damn hag queen could have at least let mom heal you after she did this!”

“Well, I have been a fool for a while, I guess. Did I ever tell you about when Jelizza found out about you being born...? The day we found out your brother would be the hero of this world.” Azulle looks puzzled and Vindall groans.

“I guess training will wait till after the king finishes this snore-fest. Wake me when you three find your balls.”

“Vindall! That isn’t very ladylike. You should be quiet and act more polite. Don’t cha know?” Jenni scolds the Merc.

“Ahem.” The King coughs. “Yes, I remember that day clearly…”

The story fades into the King's memories of seven years earlier in the castle's throne room. The king is shrinking down in his throne to make himself look smaller as the queen is giving orders about.

“How dare any of you useless, peasant swine fail in your duties. I am with child and the future ruler of this land and I demand you get me what I request or I will lock you in the dungeon and have you flogged nonstop for a week! Tell them, Handal! You are king so act like it!”

“Yes, dear. Please lady Marril can you go fetch the queen her pickles and cream.”

“I will my lord but it will take time. Then there is the matter of the Miss Darkholt.”

“Eris! Is she okay!” The king says in a panic but quickly shirks when he sees the dark glare of the queen.

“Yes, my lord, it is just she is having a difficult time moving about in her condition.”

“Yes, Yes, the stupid doctor got herself knocked up by some roaming drunkard. It was bound to happen to the reckless hussy like her. But that does not mean she can shirk her duties in tending to my needs.” The queen demands. “Send her here at once!”

“Yes, My Lady.” Marril says with a small grimace. She makes her steady exit and a guard moves up to appear before the king and queen.

“Excuse me my lords, but there is a strange woman at the gate that demands to be let in.”

“And did you let the lowly scum in!”

“Well, no my lady… But she stated it was of the utmost importance to this world. It pertains to the Demon Lord.”

“The Demon Lord! Could it be that he is set to finally attack us after all these years!” The king asks straightening up.

“Please, the demon lord had no reason to attack before he has no reason to attack now.” The Queen scoffs. But a sudden burst of light gets the queen's face to turn to shock when a young mage appears before them.

“I believe I made no mention of an attack from the Demon Lord no. But I was sent here on a mission to

help guide one to face the demon lord.” The young girl proclaims as the King begins to panic and curl up in his throne.

“I will not go on another such reckless quest.”

“Of course, you aren’t Handal! I won’t allow it! Not with our future child about to be born! And just who are you to state such things of importance Mage!”

“Well, I didn’t say it… well I did but it’s a prediction of my master. Lady Keel!”

“Lady Keel? The crazy old woman that predicted the dark day of Hestfall! The lady to predict the earth monster attack of Cradlejam! The…”

“Enough dear. The dark day of Hestfall was a simple rainy day it wasn’t even heavy rain. The woman just shouted about town that it would come and she just got lucky!”

“What of the Monsters?”

“They were a group of children that fell in mud puddles that attacked a candy cart! After they heard about the crazy old loon’s prediction. Not once has that crazy woman ever predicted anything of worth, she just preys on the weak-willed and gullible minds of the public. So why is it you barge in here on the words of a madwoman Mage!”

“I don’t dispute master's predictions tend to be minor, this prediction has no way of not being wrong. After all your highness it pertains to a child to be born to this kingdom. They will be blessed with the destiny to defeat the Demon Lord. To quote my master. A child will be born of the king’s blood and with that, the blessing of a grand hero will be born under the light of a moonless night. They will lead forth a group to take down the Demon Lord.”

“Well, you heard my dear Jelizza, we don’t…”

“Silence Handal! She said a child born of the king’s blood don’t you see. Our child will be a legendary Hero that will defeat the Demon Lord!”

“But dear you said yourself that…”

“I don’t care, clearly the old bat finally had a halfway decent prediction. Thank you, Mage, should your master’s prediction be true we shall reward you both!”

“Seriously! I mean I really could use the money and Master is not great with money ether but….”

“Yes, Yes, Guards send the girl away and get things prepared for the great hero to come, by finding the best magic teacher and weapons teachers across the land.”

“I could offer my services if you just help pay….”

“No, I said we need the best, you did well now take her away!” The queen bacons as the guards begin to drag the mage away.

“But I really could use the funds! If you need me just ask for Eve! “ As the Mage is taken away Marril returns with Eris at her side looking just as pregnant as the queen.

“The Doctor Eris Darkholt as you requested your majesty!”

“At last doctor! Where have you been.” Demands the Queen.

“Now dear Ms. Darkholt is …”

“Quiet Handal! She is to serve us not herself!” The Queen glares down the young red-haired doctor who doesn’t seem to shrink down from her gaze like the others. “Tell me doctor have you and your science or magic determined what sex my child will be! I would like the future hero of the world to get proper gifts.”

“I am afraid science nor magic that I have at my disposal can make such calls. But given my studies, you should know soon enough. The child will be born before the season turns again. As will this little one.” Eris rubs her own stomach.

“Like I would care when that bastard child of yours is born. We have a future hero within me and…”

“Now dear… the Mage didn’t say ….”

“She said the child of your blood. It's not like there is another….” The queen looks at Eris again and then at the king. “Tell me doctor how is it you came to be in our employ.”

“Well, I was born in the castle and raised along with the king. In time I was educated and learned the healing arts and sciences to better serve the lords of this land.”

“And what are your feelings for my husband!”

“Now dear….”

“Shut it, Handal! I asked the girl!”

“We are good friends.”

“Are you! So then tell me girl who is that child’s father!”

“Please dear let this…” The queen halts the king’s words by punching him in the face sending him flying from his throne.

“Tell me, girl! That is an order!” The Queen moves before the doctor grabbing her face and tugging at the cheek. “Is the father the King!”

“Yes, my lady!” The queen begins digging her fingers into Eris’s face drawing blood but Eris doesn’t even flinch in pain.

“Guards!” The guards move in close ready to grab Eris but the queen halts them. She instead moves to a large guard that has a pole ax on his back. She grabs the weapon and welds it with great skill that would be fitting of the guards themselves but in the hands of the high authority of the queen looked almost sinister as she points the blade at the belly of Eris, pushing it close enough that blood begins to stain Eris’s shirt. “You nor your child will deny me of what I deserve.”

“Enough!” Comes to a shout from the king staggering to get on his feet. “Eris is not a threat to you or anyone in this kingdom.”

“Her child threatens to take what is rightfully our child’s destiny! And even still this slut dare defies my power and seduce you to seize power from under us!” Suddenly the queen feels a jerk from her weapon as Eris grabs the blade of the poleax pushing it from her belly! The Queen in turn thrusts the weapon hard jabbing Eris’s arm causing blood to come seeping out. “You even try to defy my weapon.”

“My child is no threat to you at all! But I won’t let you threaten them before they even have a chance at life!” Instead of pulling the blade from her arm Eris pushes forward and pushes the handle outward tearing at the flesh of her own arm but still moves in to confront the queen face to face. “No one is threatening your power or your child’s destiny! But I will not deny my child life nor the knowledge of the person that is her father. Because I love Handal, he isn’t some convent means of grabbing power to me he is my beloved friend that I grew up with and shared so many times of pain and joy with. Can you say the same for your feelings for him? Or is your heart so filled with envy and jealousy that you don’t even know what love is!” Eris glares back at the queen who flinches as she draws within inches of her face. But then she turns and walks away.

But her steps fall short in moving forward as the poleax is once again swiped at her cutting her right leg nearly off causing the strong-willed doctor to fall to the ground. Still conscious she begins to cast a spell of healing on herself but only halts when a second cut this time to her left leg is cut cleaner off this time from a sword the queen ripped from another guard’s belt.

“Guards Seize all weapons from the queen and take her from the room!” shouts the King.

Eris deep in tears is still casting magic and is quickly joined by Marril who casts a lighter all be it welcomed healing spell as well. As the king rushes to Eris’s side. The queen’s fury had made it mark but her words left a sting about in the ears of all in the court that day. “Let the bitch live, she likes to spread her legs so much for my husband, let her never again be able to deny any man by having legs to close ever again!”

The King comes out of his story of the past in tears. “I was so weak and your mother was so strong for the both of us. If only I was stronger, I could have stopped Jelizza. No, I am still weak. I let Jelizza make the rules locking your poor mother to the tower where she has no way of getting down safely. All I could do was plead for both of your lives. For years I was worried of the prophecy, that you would be the great hero over Gil. Though you both were born on the same day of my blood. I am sorry my daughter I prayed for you to never receive your tablet to keep you safe. And with luck you are safe. But now I fear your life will only be at greater risk, more so now that you have a tablet as I have been told. The queen fears you may still rise up against her. Perhaps its better you flee here.”

“I am not running. Mom wouldn’t run when the queen threatened her when I was still in her belly. I won’t run now!”