When Elizabeth made her decision, she was on her bed, screaming at the top of her lungs from the pain of labor birth. “We have a new prince!” Gloria announced as she shook her head slightly, indicating that she was not telling the truth.
“No.” Elizabeth whispered. With one quick motion, Gloria put the newly born princess in a basket as she put the other baby in Elizabeth’s arms.
“What are you going to do with her?” Elizabeth whimpered as she hugged the strange baby boy tighter.
“I’ll take care of her, I promise.”
“Wait!” Elizabeth grabbed the baby from Gloria, trying not to hurt or harm her in any ways as she took out a silver ring. Silver ring with a blooming Lily on it.
“What are you doing?” Gloria gasped as Elizabeth placed the ring into the raging fire basket next to her bed in order to keep the room warm. She was holding it with a wooden stick. “To make a clarification, so I’ll know it’s my daughter when I see her.”
“If you see her.” Gloria restated.
With a knowing smile, Elizabeth took it out the fire and pushed it as hard as she could on the baby’s smooth shoulder skin. The shrieking cry of the baby was muffled in the cheers from the people outside, so’s Elizabeth’s cry of heartbreak, a part of her was gone, forever.
Soon, twenty years passed. The child Gloria brought in, whom Alexander named Nicholas, was almost twenty-one. He was smart and brave. He mastered the skill of sword fight at the age of fifteen. At the age of sixteen, he learned algebra, literature, poetry, geometry, and science.
Nicholas had blonde hair, unlike Alexander. He had eyes like the clear sky, which neither come from Alexander nor Elizabeth. But no one actually took notice; no one would dare stare into the future king’s eyes and point out the difference.
“Thank you for giving me such a wonderful son!” Alexander told Elizabeth excitedly after settling the engagement for their son and the Princess of Italy, Annabelle. Surprisingly, Nicholas didn’t seem thrill or excited about it. He just nodded and accept the whole deal.
Knowing that Nicholas’ true identity, Elizabeth felt fear when Nicholas just simply replied ‘as you wish’ to Alexander about the engagement and guilty for using a innocent child like Nicholas to keep herself alive, maybe that’s why she spoil him. Unlike other children, Nicholas didn’t become boastful or arrogant. He was humble and understanding, with a son like this, Elizabeth couldn’t complain, all she can do is pray for the safety of her daughter, if she’s alive.
Gloria had told Elizabeth on Nicholas’ birthday that she left the baby princess on the side of the road as soon as she left the castle. When Elizabeth asked why. Gloria explained that she couldn’t take any chances, she wasn’t dared to and Elizabeth understood. After all, what else can she do to help the baby? She had abandoned her at the moment of birth.