On the road home

[Willow]

Willow urged her horse along as fast as she dared, given the traffic on the road and her condition. If what she thought was true really WAS true, then Craig help us all! It seemed that everyone was on the way to Arconia, anxious to see the tournament. The future of the kingdom depended upon the outcome.

The baby within her protested over the rugged terrain and speed. Willow frowned, feeling her stomach tighten against the palm of her hand. "No, not yet, it's not time. We have too much to do before you can be born," she told the baby. The baby's response was to kick again, and another contraction began.

Willow forced her horse to quicken her pace. If something were going to happen, she needed to get to Arconia as soon as she could. She certainly didn't want to deliver her child on the side of the road. She wanted a doctor and perhaps be knocked out when the baby came. Yeah, that would be nice...to have a baby with no pain.

Forcing herself to leave her dreamworld, Willow concentrated on reaching the kingdom of Arconia.

[Willow]

It seemed that the trip to Arconia was taking forever. The contractions were coming much closer together. Willow knew that she didn't have too much time before the baby would arrive. If she could just get over the next ridge, she would literally be just around the corner from home. She had to get back to the castle, to the doctor and midwife. Willow, tears in her eyes as she urged her horse to hurry, knew that she had to see Nicholas before the baby arrived.

There! The castle was in her sights. There were thousands of people around. The tournament! Yes, it was about that time. Well, everyone would have to get out of her way. This baby wasn't going to stop for anyone! Willow, screaming at everyone to "MOVE! NOW! Before I turn you into a TOAD!", watched the people scramble to get out of her way. They were smart enough to tell that she meant business. She got to the castle, and instantly a garden boy came to help her off her horse. Willow was carefully helped upstairs and to her room, into her nice, soft bed. She was screaming for Nicholas. A messanger was sent to find him. The midwife was summoned, and came hurrying in to examine Willow.

"My Lady, this baby will be here very soon! You cut it very close!", the midwife exclaimed. Willow, panting with the pain, gave her a dark look. "I KNOW. I hurried home as fast as I could!" Lady Olivia and Queen Joslyn came hurrying into the room. Olivia began to cry at the sight of her daughter in pain.

Just then, a disheveled Nicholas came running into the room. "Oh, Willow, is it really time? Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you." Willow, screaming as another contraction hit her, yelled at him, "I hope you had fun! You are NEVER touching me again. I hope you ROT!" Nicholas took a step back, muttering, "Oh, my, it must be very close."

The contraction over, Willow reached out her hand for Nicholas. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. It just hurts more than anything I ever imagined. Before I have another contraction, there is something I must tell you. It's about Moon. I think she is....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Oh, Craig, this is AWFUL! I'm never having another baby as long as I live!" Nicholas stood by helplessly, as his beloved endured the pain. When the contraction ended, she looked up at him, saying, "Nicholas, I don't want to have this baby without us being married. Please, we MUST get married before the baby comes."

Lady Oliva heard this, and ran screaming out of the room for someone to fetch someone to marry her daughter.

[Willow]

Brother James was very nervous. He was from a neighboring country, but had been dispatched to Arconia to be a witness to the tournament, as well as be a spiritual guide for the 3 men competing in the tournament that were from the same country. When a servant ran out of the castle and into the crowd shouting for a friar, monk, or priest, he had been the first to respond. As he was hurried up the stairs and down a long hallway, he was greeted by the sight of a well-dressed woman shouting at him to hurry!

As he entered the room, he was shocked to see a young man standing nervously by the bed, and upon the bed, a young woman who was extremely close to giving birth. The young man looked extremly relieved to see Brother James. "Finally...she and I wish to be married before our baby is born. Can you perform the ceremony and be quick about it?" Brother James looked at the couple and began to stammer, "But...but...but...I've never performed a marriage before....ummmm, isn't there someone else who can do this?" The woman upon the bed screamed at him, "NO, just please, please, marry us before this baby is born....I don't want to give birth and not be married."

The midwife began to examine Willow again, with Willow screaming at the pain it caused. "Please, sir, marry this couple. The baby is right here, almost ready to be born." Seeing that there was nothing else he could do, Brother James began what he hoped would be the wedding ceremony. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..no, wait, that isn't right..."

In spite of her pain, Willow began to laugh. "Sir, you are burying us, not marrying us......" Brother James blushed a deep red and began again, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bear witness to the marriage of these two people...ummm, what are your names?" Nicholas spoke up, "Lady Willow and Prince Nicholas." "The marriage of Lady Willow and Prince Nicholas," Brother James continued, "If there is anyone who can show just cause why they should not be married, let him speak now or forever hold your peach, ummm, peace." Willow moaned, then screamed as another contraction hit. "Get on with it, I can feel the head!"

"Do you, Prince Nicholas, take Lady Willow...," he began, when Nicholas spoke up, "Yes, I do, I do!" "Do you, Lady Willow, take Prince Nicholas to be your husband?" Willow screamed then shouted, "YES, YES, YES!" "Does anyone have a ring?" Nicholas pulled one out of his pocket, a stunning band of gold with diamonds and emeralds around it. Willow, looking at the ring through her tears, smiled at Nicholas. "Oh, darling, you have had it ready all this time. OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Nicholas managed to grab Willow's left hand, which was easy enough, as she had his shirt collar in her hand.

Brother James, smiled, thinking this was by far the strangest wedding he had ever been to, let alone attended. "By the power invested in me by God, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Just then, the midwife held up a squalling infant, and proclaimed, "Congratulations! You have a Princess!"

[Moonitic]

Ken-Dall hurried to her, rather her sister's, chamber after her chat with the handsome competitor. "Lady Moon!" a servant called from behind.

She spun around, fighting to remain calm. She felt irritated to hear her sister's name, but knew she could not let that be shown. "Yes?" She attempted to smile.

The servant ran up to her. Beaming, the young girl said, "It is Lady Willow! She has had her child!"

Ken-Dall raised an eyebrow at the girl. "So?"

The servant looked crushed. "I...I thought you would want to know, since the two of you are so close..."

"Well, think again. I have better things to be concerned with." Ken-Dall turned on her heel & walked away.

[Zelda]

*****! (Sorry! First word that sprung into my mind after reading Moons post!)

[Moonitic]

Good!

That's what people are supposed to think when our little Ken-Dall is around.

And that's what makes her position with Darion soooo interesting!

[Willow]

<editor's note>

OHHHHHHH, I'm DYING!!! ROFL!!! Ohhhh, Zelda, that was SO funny!!!!

[D'Artagnan1673]

Okay, Kin-Dall is supposted to be really evil and uncaring, but isn't she trying to impersonate Lady Moon? I would think that where Zelda would type ***** at would be as "Lady Moon" rushes eagerly to her friend's side all the time thinking in her head what she actually said in the post.

Then again, Moonitic may feel that her character doesn't have the personality traits developed to impersonate Lady Moon adequately to attempt a semi public appearence as of yet.

[Darion McNair]

I couldn't agree more Moonitic. Innocent little Darion has a crush on satan incarnate..only he don't know that and won't accept....and might be able to change her....who knows! I love Arconia

[Moonitic]

OOOOOhhh...Darion, you're KILLING me! That was too hysterically funny. Ken-Dall...Satan incarnate!

D'Art, remember: Ken-Dall is out to make her sister look bad. Horrible. Sure, she's supposed to act like Lady Moon, but Lady Moon is a heck of a lot more likeable than Ken-Dall is.

Man, I'm becoming schizophrenic or something!

[Lord Tellurine]

Ken-Dall opened the door to Lady Moon’s suite to find Sven Lutefisk, a.k.a. Lord Tellurine, waiting for her. “I left the city before you did. How did you get here before me?” She closed the door behind her.

“I’m fast,” Tellurine answered simply, crossing over towards her bed.

“That’s funny, most of the people I’ve spoken to say you’re slow.”

“Har-dee-har-har,” Tellurine chimed back. “It’s always such a delight conversing with you.”

Ken-Dall crossed the room to the large mirror opposite the bed and admired herself in it. “Here’s another little bit of delight for you… That lame sorceress-in-training friend of Moon’s had her kid.”

He showed no emotion either way. “So? The little tart had a bastard kid. What was good for my mom is good for her.”

“Rumor has it,” Ken-Dall added smugly, “that she was wed moments before delivery.” She turned towards him to watch his reaction.

“Blast!” Tellurine bellowed. He hated when things went right for other people. He grudgingly made his way to the door to his adjoining room.

Just before he reached the door Ken-Dall said, “I guess that makes for a ‘happy ever after ending’ for them, doesn’t it?”

He turned back towards Ken-Dall so he could be sure that she could see his orange-skinned sneer. “Not if I have anything to do with it.” Before leaving he added, “Oh, and if you run into your new friend down at the banquet, don’t be surprised if he turns the other way… and runs for his life.” He laughed his way into his room and shut the door, muffling the sounds of his continued laughter.

Ken-Dall wondered what he had meant by that.

[Willow]

<Gasp!> <Wheeze!> <Choke!> Help me! Help me! I was eating some chips when I decided to read the latest offerings at Fantasy Land....you would think after all this time, I would know better....

Now back to our regularly scheduled adventures...

[Willow]

Nicholas and Willow were staring at awe at the miracle that they had been blessed with. For the moment, it was just the three of them. The new grandmother and her Queen had graciously stepped out to allow Nicholas and Willow time to decide what they would call their bundle of joy. The doctor had arrived, and with the midwife also in attendance, had examined both Willow and her little girl. They left, after assuring the happy parents that there had never been such a beautiful and healthy newborn born before. She was perfect...flawless except for the tiny birthmark on her left hip. It looked rather like a rose in bloom. It matched a similar birthmark that was on Willow's right hip.

Nicholas, holding his daughter, looked with pride and joy at his new bride. "Whatever shall we call her?" Willow smiled at her husband. "I think we should name her after a character in one of my favorite stories that Moon wrote back when we were children." "What name is that?" "I think we should name her Daphne." Nicholas looked into the small face of the baby. Yes, she looked just like a Daphne. "Princess Daphne. Yes, it suits her perfectly. I love it, Willow, and I love my family."

Willow laid back against the pillows in her bed. Today had been one of the most exhausting days of her life. She had something else that she needed to tell everyone. But, it could wait. Today was her day and her daughter's day. The rest could come at another time.

[Willow]

People bustled about in Willow's room, admiring the baby, making sure she and her mother were comfortable, congratulating everyone. The proud new grandmother was holding her grandchild in her arms, softly singing a lullaby. Willow lay back among her soft pillows, appearing to rest, but she was extremely busy in her thoughts.

Now that she knew the truth, the question was what was she going to do about it? Perhaps it was best that she do nothing for now. She needed to regain her strength from her delivery. Besides, she wasn't about to do anything that would jeopardize little Daphne, or Nicholas. For now, she would just sit back and let the false princess dig her own grave. After all, the truth was bound to come out sooner or later. Something this big couldn't remain hidden forever.