Who does she think she is?

I just couldn't believe that after a short while of my mother dying, my father went ahead to marry someone else.

My dear mother, she had suffered for a long time. No love from the king, neglected like she had begged him to marry her. Now, this hideous woman that looks at me like I am contending with her for my father's heart. Who cares?

"My Princess, the new queen decreed that there should be no horse riding today", my maid had told me.

"Why?", I was already dressed for the event, with my trousers beneath the dress I was wearing. She knew that I liked to ride horses. It was the only thing that had kept me sane after the death of my mother. Now, she wants to take that away from me. I will not stand for that.

"I do not know, Princess"

"Where is she, Aneta?"

Aneta thought for some seconds then answered me, "I saw her strolling in the orangery. She was talking to one of the kni-"

I left. I was not interested in who she was talking to. What I was interested in was to let that woman know that she can not bully me the way she does to people in the palace. When had she even arrived that she is stopping events that had gone on before her arrival?

As I got to the orangery with the hem of my dress gathered in my hands to aid my gigantic strides, I saw her eyes fixed on me before I reached where she was sitting.

"Good afternoon", I said.

"So you can not add 'My Queen' or 'Mother'? , Queen Marlena asked.

Ewww... What was she talking about? 'Mother?'. I was lost with the question she just asked. She got me.

I held back a laugh that had almost burst out of my mouth and I was sure spittle would have come out and landed on her face.

"Queen Marlena. Good afternoon. I have come with regards to the order you gave about horse riding today. I had this planned since last week, can you allow me to ride?"

She acted like she was thinking, only if she knew that the hypocrisy was too obvious.

"No. Now, go back into your room and hide that face of yours"

'ARGH!'. Thoughts ran through my head and I saw myself lunging at her. This woman was wicked for nothing.

"Thank you" was the next thing I said. Even I didn't know why I was thanking her.

"Thank you? You are just as weird as I heard your late mother was"

"Queen Marlena, I would like you not to talk about my mother", a sarcastic smile on my lips with my eyes strong, shooting darts at her head.

I turned and left. Where was my father? He needed to hear about this his new wife encroaching on my plans in this palace.

* * *

"That girl is testing me. She is so insolent", Queen Marlena said to herself.

"She behaves like a mad person. Or is it because I do not have a child of my own?"

That was a sore spot for Malena. She had tried taking in for the king the week they were married, but it hadn't happened. The King had even asked her if everything was okay and that wasn't a good thing.

"I will show her who is boss here. No one can treat me like a second-class citizen. I am the queen for goodness sake", Queen Marlena said.

"I have to go see someone who will help me. Yes, I have to"

* * *

"Father, your new wife will not let me ride horses".

I saw the king sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. "Father? Are you okay?"

"Karina darling", he had quickly arranged the worry off his face and looked at me with a very plastic smile.

"Dad, that smile doesn't suit you. Tell me what is wrong", I told him.

Our relationship wasn't that great because he hadn't treated my mother well. The love for his kingdom had taken up the better part of his attention. My father didn't even know when my mother had fallen sick and by the time he noticed she was emaciating, it was too late.

He had even forgotten my 15th birthday. When he was apologizing, I told him to just give me fifteen rubies and I would forgive him. The precious stones arrived in my room the next day, and things went back to normal.

"I am growing old my child, and you know we need a male heir"

"Meaning I can not rule after you?", I knew our customs already but I just wanted to tease him, to liven the mood... at least, he was still my father, the only parent I had left.

"Karina, do not start with that. You know how it goes. Anyway, what did you come for? Do you need something?"

"Yes, Father. Queen Marlena gave an order that no horse should be ridden today, and I had a horse race planned between me and my friends"

"Hmmm..."

It was as if he didn't know what to say, or what to do. I feared his response but waited patiently. My father suddenly looked very old. What was this woman doing to the king?

"For peace to reign, my darling-"

Who was his darling? Apparently, it wasn't me, otherwise, I would be on a horse right now galloping away.

He continued, "Just listen to her today. But I will talk to her to allow you ride another day"

"Thank you", I walked out of his room, disappointed.

Reaching my own room, I slammed the door behind me. Aneta was there with my favorite dishes on the center table. I looked from the tray to her face. She was such a dear. Aneta had always been there for me since my childhood, and I trusted her completely.

"That looks nice", I said as I sat down on the chair in front of the table. I picked one blackberry and threw it into my mouth. "I miss my mother, Aneta"

"I know, Princess. But you know she is in a better place. This palace must have been unbearable for her, remember all her lamenting?"

Oh! I remember alright. All her wailings still played in my ears every night.

"Thanks for the food, Aneta"

"Always, Princess", she bowed a little and stepped back giving me space to eat... and think.

* * *

"I need a child. Everyone is looking to me to provide an heir for the Pridal Kingdom", Queen Marlena said.

"But there is a princess, right?", the one-eyed witch she always visited asked her.

Marlena didn't appreciate the smell of the covenstead... even a mortuary smelled better. She was always with a silk handkerchief to cover her nose anytime she came here, and the witch didn't seem to care because she had never asked why her nose was always in a handkerchief.

Marlena had the habit of looking down on other people. Everyone except herself was ordinary. She had that superiority look on her face at the moment as she spoke to the witch who was bent over, holding a staff for support. She looked hideous to Marlena.

"Yes, there is a stupid princess who is just as useless as her mother was. I didn't come here to talk about them. I came here to know what to do to conceive a child for my husband"

The witch wasn't oblivious to the air of false supremacy Queen Marlena carried about. It was irritating to the witch and her coven but they gained a whole lot from Marlena and she didn't plan on saying anything to stop her gains.

"WHAT DO I DO?", Marlena was getting impatient, the smell was getting to her and it wasn't like the witch was a pleasant sight for her eyes to behold.

The 4 feet witch stared her in the face, shook her head, and kept stirring the contents of her cauldron. "Take that cup over there and urinate inside it"

"What?"

"Do it, now!"

Marlena got up and did as she was told. She handed the cup of yellow liquid to the witch who poured the content into the cauldron. "You can not bear a child by ordinary means, my queen"

"What does th-"

"It means your fertility rate is zero. So, you have to do something for the spirits to grant you a child"

"I will do anything"... Marlena knew she had to secure her position. If she didn't bear a child soon, another woman might take her place on the king's bed.

"Bring me the virgin womb of the young princess"

"What?!"

"Yes. Can you not do it? If you can't, then that would be all. I have a meeting to fly to"

"Wait... wait. It is not that I like the foolish girl, but how do I go about getting the idiot's womb out?"

"It is part of the process. Get somebody to do it for you"

Queen Marlena left the covenstead, deep in thoughts, and also full of hope.

[My own child is in view!!]. She was elated.