Queen of Us All

She was born with a handicap, which did not bode well for her in this day and age, but she was somehow able to come into this world and stay when others could not. The king’s grandfather had declared that any baby born with a handicap should be put to death, no exceptions, because he wanted his kingdom to be pure and strong. He felt that having people with handicaps living in his world would create a weak spot, giving others who may want to invade and take over his kingdom a place to aim. The king’s son followed him as did the current king, his grandson, King Fargal. This rule had been in effect for the past one hundred years, and no baby with a handicap of any sort had survived—until her birth. People were required to bring their children to the nearest sheriff’s office if they suspected any sort of handicap. Many families had carried out the ritual over the years. Not complying with the law could potentially bring death to the whole family, depending on the severity of the handicap. Although the queen had discussed the rule many times with the king, he would not change his mind. He was sure that this was the right thing to do to preserve his kingdom. Lily was a sweet little girl; she had all her fingers and toes, but a trained eye could see the markings of her handicap. Her eyes were as wide as could be, but the oval shape gave them away. Her limbs were slightly smaller than usual, and she had an extra-large space between her first and second toes. The nursemaid, Shannon, a woman in her late thirties, knew right off that something was different. She had helped bring many babies into the world, and she had always done her duty when something like this happened. But this was different; something told her not to report what she knew to be true. Shannon looked at the mom with confusion in her eyes, not knowing what to say or what to do. Should she take the baby and hand her over to the authorities? Should she tell the mom and dad and let them do what they thought was right? Or should she take the baby and figure something out later? The family’s last name was Harrison. The mother’s name was Isabel; she was petite and thin, with red hair that fell below her shoulders. As Shannon examined her, she looked to be a bit weak from giving birth. She had lost a lot of blood and was starting to panic more and more as time went by. The nursemaid said, “You have a new little girl, and she’s so beautiful. Let me clean her up a little, and I’ll give her right to you.” Just then, while the nursemaid was talking, Isabel could hear the first words out of her little baby’s mouth. They were screams, of course, but they were welcome screams. Just after the screams, the door opened, and in came the little girl’s father, Evan. He was taller than most, built sturdily, and one could tell he was a farmer by his appearance. With all the problems they have had during the past few weeks, with Isabel falling and being confined to her bed and the lack of rain for their crops, they didn’t know what would happen next. As he approached his wife, her pale complexion met his. “How do you feel?” he asked his wife. “Are you all right?” Isabel responded, “I’m tired but starting to feel better. We have a new little girl. I can’t wait to see her. And she’s healthy … she’s healthy Evan. She’s healthy.” “That’s great, honey, just great,” Evan said. “You always wanted a little girl.”