Queen Raeanne

I pace back and forth outside my chamber doors. As I see it, I only have two options.

One, tell my husband the truth and wait for him to shame me for losing my virtue before we met and deal with the shame that comes to follow.

Or two, seduce my husband and get him into my bed immediately in order to convince him that the child is his.

Either way, I know I need to go inside and speak with him. He will be wondering how I am feeling.

I burst through my chamber doors, ready to confront the king head on with my little problem. But immediately upon entering, I see that a new problem has risen.

There is another woman sleeping in my bed.

"And who might you be?" I ask the bare woman as she sits up, grasping the covers to her exposed chest.

"I- your majesty!" She struggles to find words.

"Her name is Diane. She is from my country." The king emerges from another part of my chambers, half dressed.

"And what exactly is she doing in my chambers? In my bed?" What is the meaning of all this?

The king sighs. "It was my mistake bringing her here. I was under the impression that you would be gone for most of the day." He touches my shoulder.

I shy away from his touch. "Phillip, what is she doing here?" I ask sternly, refusing to take his topic changes as an answer.

"Diane is my new mistress here at court." He explains simply as if his answer will not rock me to my core.

"A mistress? After only a few days of marriage?" I ask, shocked.

"Back in my home country-"

I stop him mid sentence. He does not get to utter another words. "This is not Spain. This is Estonia. We run things differently around here." I shake my head in disgust with the woman still sitting in my bed. I stomp over to her dirty dress thrown on the floor and toss it angrily in her direction. "Get out." She scrambles to her feet, clutching the clothes I threw.

"Raeanne," I hold my hand up to silence the king as I wait for the woman to leave.

"I came to give you news." I turn my head back to look at him once the woman has left my chambers. "But it seems as if you are not interested."

"Of course I am interested my love." The king grabs both of my arms and pulls me closer.

I shake my head. Hearing the words come out of his moth moments after I catch another woman in bed with him disgusts me to my very core.

"Very well then. I spoke with the physician and It seems that I am with child."

"What? That- that is impossible! You and I- we- we have never- this does not make any sense. Surely he is mistaken." My husband tries his best to process this information, though I know it makes no logical sense to him.

"That is what I thought as well, at first. But after further processing, I know that he is indeed correct in his findings." I begin to explain my side of all of this. Though I know he will be very angry, there is no way to back out of this and save myself now. I might as well run with the truth.

But now that I know of his affair, he will have to keep my secret if I dare to keep his. I now have leverage against him.

"What?! You- with someone other than your husband?! How- how dare you defy our marriage in such a way. I knew you were against our union but making a fool of me, like this - I - I just did not think you had such venom inside you." Phillip struggles to find words to express how he feels about what I did to him.

"I would never do anything to jeopardize our union or our countries alliance!" I shout. "I promise you that much." I have to try to save this marriage. If I were to ruin this before it has even truly begun, my mother would throw me in the dungeon for putting my country at risk. "And you should be one to speak! Another woman? In my bed? How do you not see that as jeopardizing our union? I am loyal to you but you seem any thing but!"

"Maybe you've forgotten my queen, but a woman must remain loyal to her husband. He does not share the same rules!"

My heart sinks into my stomach. He is absolutely right. A woman can only give herself to her husband. But a man? He can share himself with as many others as he pleases.

"You have no use to me now. How will I be sure if any of our children are legitimate? You- you little whore!" He lifts his hand and smacks it across my left cheek, driving me to the floor with his forceful hand.

I stand myself up, wishing to cry and run away from him and this situation all together. However, I need to stay and explain everything to my husband. I can't risk ruining our marriage or alliance.

"We were not married at the time this occurred. I did not even know we were set to be married when it happened." I try my best to save my marriage while holding back tears of pain.

"You said you were never married before. That means-"

I stop him before he can finish. "I got pregnant out of wedlock-, yes."

"Who is he? I must know." Phillip demands, his shock turning in to anger.

"I can not say, for fear you may use your anger against him. I was foolish. I understand."

"How disgraceful. I am ashamed to even call you my wife." He wipes his mouth, trying to hide his anger. "I suppose you now want me to lie and claim this child as mine?" He scoffs, turning away from me.

"I could never force you think do such a thing. But I do not see any other way to cover up my mistake. I would be ruined and overthrown if my people find out the truth."

"You could-" He begins.

"Phillip no! I would rather live with knowing I ruined us than do that to a child." I place my hands on my stomach as if to protect the child from harm.

The king nods. "I admire you for sticking to at least one of your morals." He paces the floor in front of me. "I will claim the child as mine and I will keep your secret." He pauses. "Though I really should let your people shame you."

The pit in my stomach loosens slightly. It appears that things are going in the right direction now.

"On one condition." He holds his hand up to stop me from celebrating to myself.

"Anything." I calm myself. "I will do anything to repay you for what I have done. What is it?"

"Tell me who the actual father is."

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