King Silva had problems. The first problem was the Queen had now been deceased for 15 years. His second problem involved his only child, Princess Katarina. She would be of age in three weeks and had not a single suitor to woo her. His final problem indirectly involved the Princess. Without an heir from her, his Kingdom would last only as long as the two remained alive. Upon their deaths, the land would turn to ruin under a series of inevitable civil wars. It was his duty to ensure an heir, but the Princess was of a frail state and no one believed she would live much longer, let alone find a Prince, marry him, and give him a son. If the Princess could, the King would only need to arrange a marriage to one of the second or third sons of a friendly king, thus insuring the State continuity.
King Silva consulted the royal physicians and kept close watch on his daughter’s health and the degenerative nature of her illness. By the time of the Harvest Dance, the King and the Princess hosted the royals of all nations to participate in the celebration. While not expecting a proposal of marriage, the Princess found sufficient strength to attend and mingle with the eligible bachelors. By the next morning, all agreed on the success of the celebration.
Two months later, the royal physicians announced the motherly nature of the Princess. Both doctor and lawyer began a race against time to bolster the health of the Princess and to identify the father of the child. And while a certain inheritance of a hearty Kingdom weighed in the balance, the unknown suitor failed to identify themselves as the rightful claimant to the title of Father of the Heir.
Scandal always follows intrigue and the King averted neither. The press wanted information. The adjacent Kings (and their Princes) demanded information. Even King Silva became stymied by the lack of additional topics of conversation throughout the Kingdom.
With each passing day, the birthdate drew closer. With each passing day, the health of the Princess fell. Exactly nine months after the Harvest Dance, the Princess’s health took a turn for the worse as she underwent labor and a heart attack simultaneously. Only an immediate C-section saved the male heir. No such treatment could save the Princess. At the cost of one heir, the Kingdom now had a new healthy heir. Such was the price for regal continuity.
But what of the new Prince? Who was his father? Was it a royal at the Harvest Dance or a commoner from a village? If the former, King Silva had his salvation. If the later, plowshares to swords.
On his deathbed, King Silva permitted a DNA test on the new heir. Scientists proved he was of true royal blood. The Prince received his mother’s DNA from his mother. He also received his father’s DNA from his mother’s father.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
Andy Betz has tutored and taught in excess of 30 years. He lives in 1974, has been married for 27 years, and collects occupations (the current tally is 100). His works are found everywhere a search engine operates.