A voice came from the door called us from our glorious dazed state of awe at our son “King Sam you must bring me the child so I may make not of any mark so the child will never be confused and alway have their rights as heir.” 

Linda spoke “He has a death mark on his heal he must have walked a long way in his past life to get here to us.”

she reluctantly handed over the babe and I showed him off the religious man took notes over everything of note of the child. then I asked that the slat be closed so we could have rest as a family. I herd him bowed and closed the slat. 

Lynda started feeding the baby as I cleaned everything up. when dinner came through the try slot there was so much extra fruit, broth, meat everything!  I had trouble combining it all on to one try so I could send the placenta out on the other tray. It felt wrong to flush it. The door guard assured me that they would plant a tree over it as a sign of the life made in this place of forgetting. him talking to me really caught me off guard but it seemed the men of the fortress were making plans. None of witch concerned me, I only wanted Lynda and our child safe. We curled up in bed together eating dinner as I quietly praised both of them for every beautiful part of each of them. from her doing such a great job, to him feeding so well. I thanked her for giving him her hair and so on till we slept sitting up leaning against each other with knees up a little the babe in  the cardle made by our laps. 

I woke with Lynda saying “he needs a name what do we call him?” she seemed worried that he didn’t have a name like he wasn’t real without one. I knit ice little freak hitter harder the longer she spent time in this cell. she had such a concerned look that was quickly tuning to panic.

 I remembered back “one of the names on your lists, your grandfather on your mothers side I think, Adel? I think it will suit him as it means noble and he shall be noble in title and actions and manner we will raise him above all of this!”

Her relief was physical so with determination she went to the door that had a guard at all times now “Please summon the religious man and whoever ease is in power here. we have a name!” 

Lynda took a turn about the room rocking and cooing Adel. I stood watch as a handful of older men in nightgowns soon gathered at the door first the commander then the religious man and then another man I didn’t know but looked oddly familiar.

“This is us we are gathered.” the religious man crocked not used to being woken in the night.

I called Lynda over and stepped aside so whoever needed to whiteness could peek though and see as Lynda holding our boy  proclaimed “we present you Adel son of King Sam, may his life be one of blessings shared so they are more numerous.”

though the door we herd the men chorus “Long live prince Adel!” then some one started weeping in the hall I peeked though to seethe commander patting the sobbing man on the   back gently. Lynda nearly trust Adel into my arm reaching on tip toes to pear thought the slat only to scream in joy “Papa!!” “Papa what are you dong here?” she sobbed with out care or control putting as much of he finger though the slat as she could to reach out to him. there was a thump on the door as he threw himself to her kissing her finger holding it and saying just as exuberant “my daughter! I am so sorry, so sorry we had no way of knowing this could be your fait! King Miles was a good man and I felt sure with his son you would have a good life. not you give birth alone in a cell like an animal, my doughtier will you ever forgive me!!!” he repeated some form of that over and over as Lynda at the same time replied “no no, how could you have known. you made the wedding contacts so long ago the world was so deferent then!.” this lasted so long that she had to keep switching fingers.

 I pulled the chest over so she could see out the door better and after a time she colacter herself enough to say “Father, I am not alone Sam is good and kind to me and the best match I could have asked for.”

he was un sawed “I have asked demand and begged for them to free you but each of your husbands keep you imprisoned! The first for insanity and now for your safety…. Lynda had you come out of there you may have been thrice slain. This fortress is now not your prison but your protection in truth.” I made a mental note to ask about that later.

Lynda wasn’t bothered “I want to hug you and for you to hold your grandson, he is perfect father he is perfect. I will sty in here all my days to keep him safe, do not morn for me we are content here till, out their is a would worthy of us.”

real concern crept in to his voice “My dear, Lynda that may be a long time in coming your secret is out and we have had to barricade ourselves in. Thankfully I came with a battalion, all of that that could not be housed is now camped surrounding the fortress. Assassin have come but this place is set up well for your protection, so fear not.”

“I have no fear now that I can see you here with me. Please trust Sam they love me and are sacrificing themselves for me and our child. I beg of you to guid Sam, help them be the King I know they are capable of being. Be kind they have ever been held back from being themselves so need real bolstering.”

King Fredric  perched up a bit and dressed me “I am happy for you to count me, your adviser!” he was genuinely happy to be ask “Lynda your brother has all things back home well in hand and is more then ready to take over. while I stay here and wright the wrongs that we old Kings set in motion so long ago.” he was nearly crying now so I interrupted so Adel could feed and I could introduce my self to my father in law properly.

he was so much alike Lynda in manor and accent I felt a kinship with him immediately. his true apologies for my fathers passing and the state of things was match only by his kindness and acceptance of me and my care for his daughter.”

“I admit to cursing you for keeping my Lynda away in this cell at such a turbulent time. That is till the chef was poisoned and half the outer solders took death ill from food that hadn’t made it in to us yet. Then they found a few assassins trying to make their way into us, so you have made the right decision by keeping your little family safe.”

“I can not tell you how thankful I am to have another man on the outside, with our wellbeing at heart. I do hope your man that tried for Lyndas life has been handled?”

“no such story has reached me though I assure you It will be taken care of. do you know who did such a thing?”

 “I know not his name only that he was her attended that was aloud to attend her all the way here.” it felt good that King Fredrick trusted me. I leaned on the wall looking at my wife and new child sleeping sound and safe “I will take your advice. your daughter is right I was spirited away and not raised to be a king this all should never have happened. However I will reform this whole nation to give them the life they deserve. so spare me any plight notions and make good for your daughter and grandsons fait tell me what I must know and do?”

There was a long uncomfortable stillness. It was very late and all but the one guard down the hall had left us in peace. when King Fredrick  finally responded his voice had changed from the loving father to the king who knew how to run a country “first you need to have every man under your banner in this fortress swear to you and make oaths to you as the right and proper king.”

“Yes that is a good idea but can I do such a thing I have not ben coronated yet?”

“we have been discussing that and to keep the country from civil war… we believe that if we clearly proclaim the gratitude for your bother keeping your seat warm as your medical situation was resolved … with success I might add. Then with his brilliance, he sent your wife to you to complete the need of an heir. now that that has taken place and been witnessed. his roll as  stand in is over. All his acts to this point will be seen as legal  and if if we can pull it off he may be reworded with all the land he has conceded in Jumb and will live out the rest of his days hopefully married to a younger princess of Jumb he will never be aloud on this soil again… It will not go smoothly but many embossment may be avoided… All that with your approval of corse?”

“I yield to your advice but that all seems well thought out. I now see how her relief was so complete on seeing you. She is wise and beautiful and I can barely provide furnishings for her.”

“oh well then here is your fist lesion as a King ask the impossible.” he made the word impossible sound like a conspiracy  “Have them make or deliver you anything you or she desire passed through your try slot. Being a king means above it all but that give you a view of things that those beneath you could never imagine. nearly asking sets the mind working and man needs a challenge. you people want to know you believe they are capable of big dreams. The more you rely on your people to build an impossible dream, or future, the more they take pride in that dream made true. As you grow into it you will learn what assists may be put to work but for now demanding furnishing is a fine start. ”

“would that not make me resented?” being demanding was the opposite from how I was raised.

“you have a better heart then most and some wisdom of your own, the trick is to demand the life they would want for themselves in your position. No one would begrudge a queen basic furnishings and any man with a newborn son would want the best for them. So demand the dreams of the hearts of men. they know to be impossible for themselves but still yet wish to see.”

my head nodded “I will think on that but I need rest it has been such a long day forgive me.”

“please take your leave, you are the only one to give her care and and this first bit can be troubling so go gather what rest you can they feed every few hours at this age, and thank you for loving her it is a great salve to my heart.” he closed the slat and walked away. he was correct about many things form the baby being up odd hours, to all the king things. On top of that the solders were so thrilled to swear their allegiance as it let them in on what had been happening, there was quit a lot of confusion about them thinking I was a lady but that was explained away as a ruse to keep me safe. some beloved it more then others but it was never an issue as I had produced a child so there was nothing to question.