Eadgyth's decision

It was unsettling to Eadgyth when she realized two months ago she would have fired Gytha if she was her maid two months ago but then again two months ago Eadgyth had had proper ladies-in waiting not some lazy commoner off the street serving her. Yet Gytha was not so common Eadgyth was finding the girl was witty,charismatic and - the trait Eadgyth had come to cherished the most- fiercely loyal. All of the high borned blue blood noble women had quickly deserted their mistress when the weeks started to past and it became evident she would never enjoy influence or power ever again. So they left pleading illness, family crisises all eager to leave their Mistress they had once sworn eternal friendship with. So she loved Gytha's loyalty yet she was perplex by it for she had no idea what she had done to inspire such loyalty from her.

Sighing, she turned her thoughts and gaze from Gytha and sat down at the desk. Immediately, her eyes were riveted on the paper laying on the desk. A paper with a few sentences on it and at the bottom a place for her signature. This paper was cruel. It taunted her with its few sentences for it mocked her saying: twenty years of your life and everything that you hold precious I destroy with only a few words not even enough to fill a whole page! Barely a paragraph! Oh, so cruel.

Signing it would mean her marriage to the King of Emberlin was in fact no marriage and their legitimate children were in fact nothing more then bastards. Fate must have been laughing at her for the irony was great. Eadgyth had married four times first a wealthy merchant then a minor noble after that a Duke and finally the greatest match of all marriage to a King. It was also the only marriage that gave Eadgyth one thing she desired above all else: children a son and a daughter. Now here she was being asked - ordered- to sign this dispicable document to say all of that was a lie. And she would do it. For only a week ago the new King of Emberlin Harold, her husband's son from his first marriage, had beheaded Richard his half brother. Richard charming and handsome had foolishly tried to steal the throne from his brother and now all the enemies of Eadgyth of the Clover had raised their voices thundering that she and her children were too big of a threat to King Harold's hold on the crown. These were the same nobles, who remembered Eadgyth of Clover had once been Juana of Clove, a foreigner from Spain with not an once of royal blood but because of her wealth the bankrupted King had married her. So they remembered and lusted after her blood to be spilled.

But most of all they wanted her son, the very image of his father, to be beheaded and her daughter, who had just turned eight, and was proving to have a will of her own already. When they gave her this document to sign they acted as if she had a choice to sign it or not that was a lie. There had never been a decision to make; not really. There were no cons and pros to weigh and consider for all that mattered was that her children live.

Quickly, she picked up the quil and started to sign the paper when she realized she had wrote Queen, her title for twenty years no longer hers because of this document. So she wrote, Queen of Emberlin no longer and which God has shown King Harold II I never was Queen for my marriage was false in His eyes this I now know to be true -Lady Eadgyth of Clover.

Solemnly, Gytha took the document from Eadgyth and gently patted her shoulder then she left to give it to the Duke of Nonsuch, who was also the King's Chancellor. When she returned she tried to distract Eadgyth from depressing thoughts for signing that document meant her children would live but would Eadgyth herself live? If her children live would they be in prison for the rest of their lives never really living? Gytha used all her wit to try and distract such gloomy thoughts but it was no use. All she could do was delay them for they were always at the edge of Eadgyth's mind ready to overwhelm her and drive reason, logic and sanity away in a moment of weakness. Finally, the duke arrived late in the evening. Eadgyth looked at the Duke with faint dislike. He was a cold calculating man his eyes were always alert watching for some slip of the tongue to bring down his enemies. His warm smiles were false his real smile was cold and usually only apparent when one of his schemes went according to plan. He worn that smile as his looked Eadgyth and her heart started to beat heavily with fear. "My Lady Eadgyth of the Clover you and your children are banished from this country only to return under the expressive order of King Harold II. Do you understand?"

She managed to say, "I understand and I will obey the King's orders." Before she faint from sheer relief.