Queen Maude looked at her son with a sad expression. She understood his pain. Maxim was her only surviving son. He was the apple of her eyes. Of course, she wanted him to be happy.
Now, looking back, she realized that the agreement she made with Catalina was selfish. They were both kindred spirits who loved each other so much that they wished they were sisters.
One day, out of the blue, when they were picking up flowers on the field, Catalina expressed her desire for them to be family. She said if they were blessed with each a son and a daughter, they should take it as a sign that they should become family through marriage.
Maude agreed wholeheartedly. When she married King Stanis Ashborn and gave birth to a son, she and Catalina were so happy. They were looking forward to seeing if Catalina would have a baby girl so they could proceed with their promise in the past.
