"It didn't cry.
Oh God,
Osanobua! please help me!
oh no!
the prince is not breathing either!"
The queen said under her breath. Naturally, she was not a very strong woman, but when it came to her newborn baby boy — even as she was feeling the urge to pass out, she gave it her all to remain conscious.
"C–C–Cynthia it is not crying. Cynthia, my baby is not crying!
what did you do?
Cynthia what did you do!? Why is my baby not crying, Cynthia?"
The queen had become luny, at that moment. She questioned the chief nurse as she pointed her forefinger, at the poor-old-woman.
"your highness.
I'm sorry I didn't hit the prince to make him cry, it's just that I got carried away by the joy, and I started dancing, my queen.
I didn't do anything to the prince, my queen
please forgive me!"
Now that the queen had become crazy, and was accusing Cynthia, the poor-old-woman was trembling and started crying. She wished in her heart and prayed that the prince, wasn't actually dead.
If it happened to be that the baby prince was truly dead, the queen might really become crazy forever. Then, hers and her assistant's heads will be soliciting the hangman.
Thinking about this, she became desperate.
She grabbed the baby from the queen's arms and started stroking it, with her two fingers on the buttocks, so that it could cry.
She later started giving a powerful slap to the body of the newly born baby.
"Cynthia! What are you doing!?"
when the queen, saw the old woman acting desperately–in that manner, she regained her composure and realized that she might have frightened the good, old woman by accusing her.
She immediately felt sorry and regretted behaving the way she did. She might have been disoriented, when she said those words but she wasn't a bad woman.
"Cynthia, I'm sorry I accused you. I didn't mean to, I'm just too sad that my baby is not breathing, or crying. But you don't have to hit the baby so hard, you could kill it.
Even though it is not crying, it is still moving, so it is not dead yet.
We should inform the king that maybe he might know what to do." The queen had observed that although the baby didn't cry and wasn't breathing it was still moving and occasionally opened its small eyes.
However, after listening to the words from the queen, the poor–old–woman, Cynthia, calmed down a bit.
She was satisfied that the queen, hadn't gone crazy as she had earlier feared,
She knew the queen was good-natured and noble, but it still didn't stop her from being apprehensive, for hers, and her companion's lives.
Her old age had taught her not to trust royalty–Afterall this was a land where people like her were not even allowed to think about the death of royalty, talk less of saying it out loud.
"My queen, you're been too naive, have you forgotten that until a newborn prince cries he is not allowed to see the king?"
The chief maiden reminded the queen of the tradition,
Although she was just a nurse, she had been working in the palace for a long time and had practically cared for the queen since she was a teen. Therefore, she could use words such as naive. when speaking to the queen.
"Hmm.
That's true, I almost forgot.
okay then, so what do we do Cynthia?"
The queen had been stressed so much that she could barely speak, under breath.
The four women thought, for a while. They were all confused as they tried to come up with a solution to the situation.
"My queen I think I have an idea." Suddenly,
a fair skin nurse replied.
She was much younger than Cynthia—the chief nurse. Although slightly older, than the queen she was in her late twenties.
"Even though the tradition forbids us, from seeing the king until the baby prince cries, it doesn't stop us from seeing or inviting others who can help us."
The lady added, then stopped–As if waiting for permission to continue speaking.
"Really!?
Are you going to do this now!?
I truly don't know why you nurses have become too adept at keeping people in suspense.
I seriously don't know what to say anymore."
The queen—frustrated, sneered. She resigned her head as she rolled her eyes at the nurse who had spoken.
"I'm very sorry my queen, I didn't mean to upset you.
What I'm trying to say, is that we could invite the chief priest over. To check on the baby prince, if that's all right by you."
The fair skin woman quickly explained and apologized—bowing her head respectfully.
"Hmm.
That sounds like a good idea my queen. We can invite the chief priest over to the palace, and have him check the baby prince to determine, what might have caused this strange behavior."
The chief nurse supported the idea from the fair nurse. While two other nurses nodded their heads to concur.
"Okay. I have heard what you all have to say, and I must say that even I, also think it is a good idea. However, there is just one problem with the idea."
The queen paused to look at the other women checking to make sure they were following, before continuing.
"The only problem with that idea is how we are going to get the chief priest here.
Cynthia, I'm sure you already know that no male, other than the king and the queen's children, are allowed into the queen's chamber right?" The queen spoke doubtfully
"Yes, my queen. I know. And I think I may already have a solution for that.
What I suggest, is that we should inform the king, about the need for the chief priest.
Think about it. The baby prince has not cried yet, so there is no way for anybody, other than us four, to know that you, my queen have already put to bed.
We can tell the king that the queen is going through some childbirth complication and that we believe, it will require the chief priest's assistance. I'm quite sure the king will not refuse. Since it involves the safety of the queen.
What do think my queen?"
The chief nurse finally explained, telling the others of her plan by asking the queen for her opinion; she was the most concerned and the most important party, among the four women in determining if the plan was going to be executed.
"Hmm…
That seems like a workable excuse. the king shouldn't ask much question if my health is concerned.
Ok." The queen paused for a moment before she continued
"So I guess one of you should go to the king personally. I don't think it will be advisable to send a servant to the king, since the servant may not be able to convince the king.
Alright, I will let you decide, who among yourselves who would go for that purpose." Concluding, the queen then withdrew to her herself caressing her newborn child to allow the women to decide among themselves.
In the next minute, a fair woman came forward and volunteered to go to the king.
Saluting the queen as she made up her mind, She insisted, that it was her honor to work for the queen before she left.
She was the same fair nurse that had initially brought up the idea of inviting the chief priest.
After a while, she came back breathing heavily
"My queen, it is done.
The king didn't object, our plan worked."
The fair nurse chimed in, cheekily; she was blushing.
"Thank you. Ose. You did nice" The queen applauded the fair woman.
"You did well Ose" The other nurse also saluted, obviously they were elated by the news.