"It's a girl my lady!"
The Midwife cleaned up the little infant in her arms and gently handed her over to her mother. "She's strong and so beautiful my lady, just like you."
Emilia cradled the little baby in her arms and studied her skeptically, "why are are her eyes closed?" The woman questioned the midwife.
"She's still very small my lady, but in about a week she'll be able to open her eyes and gaze at her beautiful mother"
Emilia smiled down at her baby girl before planting a soft kiss on her head, it was love at first site. The wife of the lord of the land of Prav, located in the kingdom of Zariya had finally been blessed with girl after giving her husband four boys. She could already picture how much she was going to pamper her little girl, spoil her with beautiful dresses and jewelry, oh she couldn't wait.
"You should feed her now my lady," the midwife advised Emilia who seemed like she would spend all of eternity admiring her beautiful daughter, "after she's full I can look after her while you rest."
The woman nodded in agreement, she unbuttoned her blouse revealing her milk filled bosoms and placed one carefully into the baby's mouth, "she's so aggressive," the woman chuckled upon seeing how vigorously her little girl was suckling her tit.
"Do you have a name for her my lady?"
Emilia looked down at her daughter with eyes full of adoration, "her name will be Isabella," she spoke softly.
"Isabella is a beautiful name," the midwife responded, she couldn't help but smile at the heart warming site of mother and daughter in front of her, she knew how long Emilia had been praying for a daughter, and now finally her prayers had been answered.
"Send word to my husband, let him know that he has a healthy baby girl!"
The midwife curtsied and strode out of the chambers with long happy strides, this was a truly joyous day indeed.
Sadly, the joy that was felt the day of Isabella's birth was short lived, after two weeks Emilia noticed there was something wrong with her little girl. She pursed her lips as she moved her fingers over the baby's eyes, under normal circumstances, an infant would follow the finger with its eyes but Isabella didn't.
The woman also noticed that Isabella's eyes seemed to be covered by a foggy blue vail, it was almost impossible to see her little pupils. Emilia covered her hands over her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked at the beautiful little baby laying in her crib.
"I'm so sorry my lady," A maid named Sarah consoled the woman, she couldn't imagine the pain her lady was going through, after years of praying for a daughter it turned out that little Isabella was visually impaired, how awful.
"Take her away," Emilia ordered the maid who looked at her with shock. "Did you not hear me Sarah?! I said take Isabella away from my sight!"
The young woman rushed to the crib and picked up the tiny infant in her arms, "Where should I-"
"I don't care Sarah!" The woman screamed, "just take her away!"
When the maid hurried out of the room and closed the door behind her, Emilia dropped to the floor and cried despondently, her eyes gazed at the various toys, baby clothes and decorations that had been gifted and bought for Isabella, she clenched her chest and screamed.
"Why?!" The woman howled in pain, "why me?! Why Isabella?!"
Outside the door the maid cradled the baby tightly to her chest and sighed heavily, she looked down at the infant and her heart was filled with sorrow and pity, because of her blindness little Isabella had been cast aside by her own mother.
Sarah lowered her head and kissed Isabella in her chestnut hair, "don't worry little one, I will take care of you from now own, no child should be left to fend for herself in this terrible world."
The maid walked down the hallway, all the way to the lowest part of the castle where the live in workers were given quarters. She opened the door of her small room and placed Isabella, who was already fast asleep, on her bed.
*
When Sarah walked back up to what was once Isabella's chambers she found the room had been completely cleared out. The woman ran towards a guard and asked him where everything was taken to.
"The lady of the house instructed us to have the things burned," he responded.
"Oh my gods!" Sarah ran towards the back exit of the castle, she could already sense the chocking scent of smoke coming from the grounds.
"Wait! Stop!" Sarah screamed at the guards who were tossing Isabella's belongings into the fire, "please wait!"
She grabbed the arm of one of the guards and pleaded with him, "Cacious please wait! If you burn everything, Isabella will have nothing to wear!"
"The lady said everything must be burned!" The other guard responded coldly, "we're just following orders!"
"Shut up!" Cacious roared at his friend, he then turned to Sarah and cupped her cheek gently, "where is Isabella? Is it true that she was born blind?"
"Aye, but she's with me," Sarah responded, "I couldn't toss an innocent child away, I will raise her as my own, please Cacious salvage some of her belongings for me."
Cacious took a deep breath and walked towards the raging fire, stomping out as much of it as he could, he then gathered some items that seemed important and placed them in front of the maid. "Some of it is a little burnt, but I think most of it will still be useful."
Sara grabbed the baby basket and placed the things Cacious had managed to salvage in it, they weren't much, but they were enough for Isabella to get by. The maid stood up and gave Cacious a grateful smile, "thank you."
"You have a good heart Sarah, I admire that about you."
Sarah nodded and rushed back to the castle before the queen saw what she had done. The second guard, Samuel, walked to Cacious's side and watched the maid walk away.
"You reckon a bunch of burnt up baby clothes will get you in her pants?"
Cacious turned to Samuel and punched him in the nose, "aaah! Bloody hell Cacious you broke my fucking nose!"
"That was the point," Cacious responded nonchalantly as he walked away from the scene.
____________________
So I first wanted to call this book, 'your eyes' but surprise surprise the name was already taken, then I tried 'her eyes' same thing, 'impaired' same.. I thought hard for about an hour until it hit me 'white cane.'
So for those who don't know, like me before I googled it lol, a white cane is the name given to that stick people with impaired vision use, I wanted the title to be related to the plot and impairment of the lead character.
Anyway I won't spoil it, you'll just have to read and see.