100 Worder: The Queen’s Labour
Dawn Knox
Mead
‘The head is visible, your majesty.’
No one breathed as she paused to summon sufficient strength for the final push. Unspoken questions hung in the suffocating air of the lying-in chamber.
Was the baby alive?
Strong?
A boy?
Her destiny depended on this child. A healthy son would guarantee her status and, if not the king’s love, then at least his respect. But if not…
She prayed to the Virgin Mary as she pushed, and the infant slithered, screaming into eager hands.
It was done.
Eyes avoided her gaze and expressions froze.
‘Congratulations, your majesty, you have a fine daughter.’
About the Author
Dawn's first book Daffodil and the Thin Place was published in 2014. She enjoys a writing challenge and has had stories published in various anthologies, including horror and speculative fiction, as well as romances in several women's magazines. Dawn has written a script for a play to commemorate World War One, which has been performed in her home town in Essex, in Germany and will be performed this year in France. Married with one son, she lives in Essex.
Published April 20 2016
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