Dew covered leaves glistened and sparkled amongst the towering forests of Southsage Kingdom. Winter was coming to an end, snow and ice, ever so slowly began to melt and immerse back into the icy hardened earth, revealing the first sign’s that spring had finally arrived. The normally busy streets in the town of Hedgefield lay in a peaceful silence, as the town’s folk had all settled in their homes for the night.

Wildfire Passage, a long and winding road, still mostly covered in a soft white blanket of snow, only showing signs of the horses and carriages which used it earlier that day. The road sides were laden with magnificent giant tree’s, canopying over the winding passage that created shelter for it’s traveller’s. Almost nobody would dare travel Wildfire passage in the night, due to the complete darkness, and the folk tales of the spirit’s, giants and witches which haunted the woods from sundown. It was the only road in or out of the entire Kingdom. Even during the day, some still feared its path, other’s avoided it completely, and only used it if it were absolutely necessary. Merchants would travel to and from the kingdom on a weekly basis, selling their wares, only knowing too well to only travel during the day.

Southsage kingdom lay at the most southern tip of the land of Esterham and was the most populated out of all of the townships across the country.

The shimmering silhouette of Lockhart Castle, reflected its magnificent splendour upon Hedgefield lake. At almost nine hundred years in age, built by the ancient ancestor’s of the now residing royal family, the Imperial Lockhart’s. The castle walls were strong and grounded, giving the appearance of strength and authority. Intricate lace carvings spiralled up each of the silvered marble tower’s, which led skywards to their pearly capped domes. A multitude of crystal window panes glittered and glistened in the moon’s ambience, which shone golden hue’s by day and silver iridescence by night. The grand crystal doors at the northern entrance to the castle were laced with ribbon’s of gold and silver illustrations, depicting dragon’s, which seemed to be guarding the entrance from malevolence. The dragon had been the family crest of the Imperial Lockhart Family for many centuries.

Only two of the towns guards remained at the edge of wildfire passage, alongside their trusty hound Abakus. They were stationed at either side of the expansive silver stricken bridge, known as Marble Arch. It was a typical night, only slightly better than usual, due to the warmer nights that approached. Only a few thin whispers of clouds danced in the high winds throughout the night sky. Both guards wore their royal armour with pride, swords by their side’s and both men alert and ready to protect the kingdom of Southsage.

Abakus was still a young hound at only five years old, He was an average sized Rhodesian Ridgeback, and he was also albino. A strong and fearless hound, with a coat of brilliant white fur and his soft pink eyes. The guards had only had him for the last six months or so, after finding him abandoned at the edges of wildfire passage. He showed loyalty to the guard’s and also had a great sense of hearing, pre warning the guard’s of the occasional late night traveller.

Within the castle walls however was a different atmosphere altogether. Moans and screams were heard throughout, heard by all who resided in the citadel. Causing a mild upset amongst the castle staff. Some just peeped out of their doorway’s in the corridor’s, as they mumbled their curiosities, as some of the more senior staff began lighting the lanterns in the hall’s, flustering about in their night robes in a desperate bid to find out what has disturbed their slumber.

‘Come quickly!’ an anxious voice shouted from the King’s chambers. ‘The queen…she is…she is ready…ready to have the baby, bring me the midwife at once!’ he shouted down the corridors.

King Anders Lockhart of Southsage was an admired king by all. He ruled with his heart and gave his people a prosperous existence. He was of average height and heavy set with broad shoulders. He always stood as tall as he could with his back straight and chest plumped out in pride. His mousy brown beard, neatly braided down his golden silk bed robes. As he waited impatiently for the midwife to arrive, he leant in towards his wife Queen Arrabella and gently took her by her hand, trying to comfort her until the midwife had got there. He raised the palm of his hand to her forehead, where he wiped away the tiny sweat beads that had formed around her brow. Her usually well kept hair, lay damp and straggled around her exhausted face. Queen Arrabella was a pleasant lady, petite in size with a rather attractive oval face, she stayed out of all things political and remained a devoted and faithful wife to the king. This was the coming of their second child together and the king had been looking forward to this day for as many months, in the hopes that he one day would have a daughter, and a sister for their already twelve-year-old son, Prince Favian.

Queen Arrabella let out yet another scream in pain as she squeezed her grip tightly onto her husband’s hand, trying to keep her breathing under control between contractions. Anders was at a loss to how he could help. The corridors outside the king’s chambers were soon filled with echoes of the scuttling footsteps and the over excited babbling of the midwife and her helpers. Then the small group suddenly burst into the chambers without hesitation.

‘Thank god you are here Theodora; you took your time didn’t you?’ The king ranted as he rushed her in the room. ‘Now come on, there is not much time left’. he said as he sat back down, next to Arrabella’s side, once again taking his beloved by the hand.

Theodora was the midwife, amongst other duties she carried out at the castle. Whenever the occasion arose, Theodora was a Jill of all trades, she never knew what role she would play from one day to the next, she was a tall thin, middle-aged woman with a long stern face, long auburn hair which was always tied back from her freckle specked face. She never put up with nonsense, no matter who you were, almost mother like, even to the King and Queen. As a longstanding employee, the royal family entrusted her with their very own lives, allowing only her to look after their son Prince Favian if need be. She arrived in the kingdom in her early twenties, unaware of who she was and how she got there, the Head Court Alchemist, ‘Aldous Delacroix’ diagnosed her with amnesia at the time, due to a rather bumpy and scathed forehead, and to this day, the only thing she remembered about herself was her given name, and nothing more.

‘Now now, my king’, answered Theodora. ‘I got here as fast as I possibly could’, she said firmly as she flapped her hand’s, ushering him away from the queen’s bedside. ‘I need everyone to calm down and let me do my job’.

Then there was Theodora’s helpers, both girls were twins, and were orphan’s, abandoned at the city gates as helpless infant’s, raised by the nuns in the castle chapel. They rarely spoke, but when they did, they would almost speak in unison, each saying the same thing at the same time, something the castle staff had got used to. They both stood still, with vague expressions on their young faces, looking helpless and not knowing where to start, then suddenly.

‘Water! you morons’, yelled Theodora. ‘Bring it over here, and you!’ She shouted as she waved the second girl towards her direction, ‘bring the towels you nitwit’, she said as she rolled her eyes at her. Theodora dipped a clean towel in a basin of warmed water, then twisted the towel to drain out the excess moisture. She then placed the towel over Queen Arrabella’s forehead, patting and swabbing away the perspiration as Arrabella still lay there in labour, only with her contraction’s becoming even more closer as time quickly passed by. Theodora pulled back the heavy quilt from the bed, exposing Arrabella’s legs, raised knees and in the birthing position. Theodora carefully shifted the queen’s nightdress up and over, so she could see how far along the baby had come. The sheets were soaked and small areas of blood streaked through the water stains. This was something that Theodora had seen before, something that caused her to have an uneasy glance towards the queen.

King Anders paced the chamber floor in worry behind the transparent organza curtains which draped over the bed canopy, he could take no more. He rushed back in, to take a hold of his wife’s hand and to comfort her through her pain.

‘Oh, alright then, if you must’, uttered Theodora. ‘Just stay there and don’t get in my way’, she said as she softened Arrabella’s opening with a fresh moist towel, and wiping her own brow with the other.

Then a few strenuous moments later, the unborn child’s head started to appear, the Queen screamed and hollered in labour as she started to push out the baby under Theodora’s forceful direction’s. Then, after a long while of agonising pain, the baby had been birthed. As Arrabella cried in relief, that her painful ordeal had finally come to an end.

Anders looked over to his wife, with a warming and reassuring smile. As Theodora glanced down to the new born child, her face changed from relieved to concerned in a matter of seconds, she carefully wrapped the baby in a heavy cotton blanket and laid her in the bassinet next to the bed, not wanting to upset the king. She once again ushered him abruptly from the bedside.

‘Come on now my lord, you must let Arrabella rest’, she said as she swiftly directed him out of his chambers and into the cold corridor along with the two dim-witted servant girl’s. Knowing very well that the little child had died during the birth, Theodora took a seat on the queen’s bed, as she tidied up after the birth.

‘What is it Theodora?’ the queen asked, ‘come on, tell me!’ She begged as she was trying to make eye contact with her.

‘A little girl your lady’, replied a sheepish Theodora, ‘A little girl’. Theodora could not bring herself to look in the queen’s direction, trying her best to hold back her tears. ‘Oh my lady’, she whispered in sorrow. ‘I just don’t know how to tell you’. She snuffed as she turned to the queen, with a sorrow ridden expression on her face.

‘Oh, no Theodora, no…tell me my baby is okay, tell me now’, she demanded as she tried pulling herself towards the crib. ‘My baby is quiet, why is she so quiet?’ she wailed as it suddenly dawned on her that her baby had died during childbirth. She pulled her daughter from the crib, holding her tight to her chest as the tears poured down her cheeks and she nursed the child in her arms. At that moment, a little blue bird chirped ever so softly on the sill of the half opened window, this was an odd thing to happen, and especially at this time of night, the queen was too distracted to hear the blue bird. Theodora approached the window and shooed the little bird away then thought nothing more of it. Theodora wiped her eyes and brushed off her robes, she then leaned over to Arrabella and kissed her on her forehead before she quietly left the queen alone to morn for her stillborn child.

Knowing very well, that this news would be devastating to the king, Theodora had to think of a way to keep the king away from his chambers until morning, hoping that once he calmed down and got over the initial excitement, that the news may be a little more bearable. At the end of the corridor, the king had been gloating to the sleep deprived residents about the birth of his second child, he had not been seen to be happier since the birth of his first son Prince Favian, who coincidentally slept through the whole ordeal. Theodora tried attaining the king’s attention, however he would not let her get a word in.

‘My lord…my lord!’, she demanded, ‘Please will you come with me, it’s important and I must stress to you that Arrabella has had a very long and dubious night and it is imperative that she get’s the rest that she very much need’s’. The king, still very much in his excited state, finally gave into Theodora’s nagging request. She always had a way of making him do what he was told.

‘Alright, alright’, he sang as he took her by the arm and twirled her around in an awkward display of gratitude.

‘So? my dear?’, he asked, ‘do I have a little Prince or a little Princess on my hands?’

‘Well, your lord’, she stumbled to say, ‘a princess’. She said as she looked away, trying her best not to look worried.

‘Then come on, walk with me to Prince Favian’s chambers’, he said as he took her arm in his, ‘I shall sleep there tonight if that will shut you up. But first thing in the morning, I demand to see Arrabella and my new daughter’. The pair climbed the stairs together and King Anders quietly crept into Favian’s chambers so not to wake him, as Theodora frantically ran back down the stairwell, confused to what to do next. She knew that King Anders would not take the news of his newborn daughter’s death very well at all. This is something that would crush his spirit, something Theodora had not had the heart to witness. She snuffed out the lanterns in the halls as she passed, ordering the few remaining castle residents and staff back to their quarters for the night. She needed to think about the best way to break the news to the king, she wandered into her room and grabbed a long cloak made from feathers, a cloak she arrived with when she first came to the castle and the only winter cloak she owned, that with her long auburn hair, made for a sight to be seen. She crept down the hallways and exited through the old kitchen doors and into the castle gardens. The fresh cool air instantly settled her nerves as she went for a walk, as she usually did when she needed to clear her mind.

It was well past the witching hour, the castle was once again in silence and not a soul, apart from Queen Arrabella and Theodora were disturbed.

Abakus was awoken with the scent of something unusual, he jumped up from his post and tried to alert the guards at Marble Arch that someone, or something was approaching from Wildfire Passage. The guards calmed Abakus while they tried to make out what it was that was heading their way, then as if like magic, a tiny blue flicker of light was seen by both guards at the entrance to the passage, then as soon as it came, it was gone again. A few moments later, the confused guards took a few cautious steps further towards the path, then another little blue light flickered in the distance, then another. The guards, like any other citizen, knew of the old tales, of the Will O’ the Wisps, little spirits that lived in the woods, that would whisper invites to unsuspecting travellers and lead them to their untimely deaths. At least that was how the legends were told over the centuries. The scared, yet brave guards, still cautiously stood at their posts. The wisps suddenly stopped and vanished completely, when out from nowhere at the edge of the woods appeared a cloaked woman holding a large basket in front of her. She approached the nervous guards and introduced herself as Philomena.

‘What’s wrong, with you two?’ she asked with a grin on her face, ‘cat’s got your tongue eh’ she cackled through her bent dirty teeth. ‘I have come to give a gift to the King and Queen of Southsage’. She stated as she assumingly walked past the guards and made her way onto the Marble Arch Bridge. Abakus for the first time was unsure if this strange woman from the woods was a threat or not, he could not understand why he was compelled to let her past the guards.

The guard’s were still frightened from witnessing firsthand the Will O’ the wisps after all of the years that have passed since one was claimed to have been seen. As if they both were in a trance, they stood still on the spot, both unable to utter a single word, allowing this new stranger on to the castle grounds, as if they were somehow hypnotised and helpless to stop her from entering.

Philomena made her way up to the castle, her tattered rags for clothes were filthy as her long dark cloak dragged in the icy mud behind her. She finally reached the outside of the castle grounds and with a slight wave of her hand, the small silver gates at the garden entrance, flung open to make way for her arrival.

Theodora overheard the banging of the gates as she sat alone in the garden near the pond, she crept over and hid herself against the castle wall and peered around the corner. Philomena was only a few yards away and heading straight in her direction. A brave Theodora stepped out in front of the stranger and stopped her in her tracks.

‘Who are you?’ demanded Theodora, ‘You look somewhat familiar to me, do I know you?’

‘Oh dear Theodora’, answered Philomena in a calm and croaky voice. ‘Just the person I hoped to see’.

‘How…how do you know my name?’ a bewildered Theodora asked. ‘Who are you, tell, me now!’ she demanded.

‘My name is Philomena my dear and let’s just say I am your fairy godmother’, she answered as she let out an eerie chuckle, ‘and let’s just leave it at that my dear. Now you have a problem my dear and I have the solution’. She said as she pulled back the linen blanket in the basket. Looking down, there was a little baby girl, staring back at Theodora, smiling at her and looking very much at peace.

‘What…what is this, who’s child is this’. Theodora begged to know.

‘Take this child to your queen my dear, and tell her that she must have fallen asleep after giving birth and dreamed of the baby dying, let her believe that her baby dying was all a dream, you have nothing to lose, do you?’ asked Philomena.

‘But whose child is this? And why did you know to come here? How…how did you know about the Queens tragedy? I need to know what is going on’. She begged.

‘Oh my dear Theodora’, Philomena chuckled, ‘this kingdom needs this child, it is important that this child is brought up amongst ordinary people like yourselves, it is to the upmost importance to the kingdom’s future. Trust me, it is for the best for everyone. Trust me Theodora, this is the way it was meant to be and don’t worry, everything will be okay my dear child, simply return this infant to her mother, and you will fear no more’.

Theodora paused for a moment before she reached out and accepted the basket from Philomena, and no sooner did she get a good grip on the handle, when Philomena vanished before her very eyes as her cackling laughter echoed into the distance.

‘A witch’, Theodora whispered in fright, ‘Oh no, the King is not going to like this at all’.

Without a moment to spare, a crazed and desperate Theodora hurried back into the castle and down the corridor’s, muttering to herself that she had finally gone crazy, careful not to wake up any of the other residents. She was well aware that witches had been banished from the kingdom by the royal family many years ago, nobody had seen one in years, they were thought to have been obsolete after so many years. She knew that she could never mention this to anyone. She sneaked back into the King’s chambers to find the Queen was sound asleep, with only a small fire burning in the corner of the chamber lighting the room, just enough light to see that the poorly royal was out like a light, which confused Theodora a little. Also, the Queen’s daughter was nowhere to be seen, as promised by Philomena. She carefully took the baby from the basket and placed her in the crib next to the Queen’s bed, being careful not to make a sound and wake her. As she turned to leave the room, she tripped over a wet towel that was left on the floor by one of the sloppy servant girls and came crashing down to the floor, waking the queen with all the noise.

‘Theodora? is that you?’ asked the queen. ‘Have you seen my husband, I have to tell him the news, he is going to be so upset when he finds out’, She said as she wiped away her tears from her sleepy eyes.

‘Finds out what?’ Theodora nervously asked, as she pulled herself up from the floor and threw the towel against the wall. She didn’t know what else to say, there in the crib was a little girl, alive and well and now there would be no explanation for Theodora to have brought her there. ‘Err my lady, I am a bit unsure of what you mean, you must have had a bad dream, a nightmare in fact, that’s it you have just had a bad dream, everything is fine, you see’. She said as she pointed to the crib.

‘But, but I held her in my arms, she was dead’, said Arrabella in a confused state. ‘But, how, I don’t understand, I…I must have been dreaming’.

‘It is quite common my dear for mothers to have silly dreams, your hormones are all over the place at the moment, now I will leave you be my Lady, I must return to my quarters, it is getting very late you know’. Without letting the Queen get a word in, she headed straight for the chamber doors and left the unsuspecting queen alone with her new daughter.

Theodora had never had to lie before to anyone, she was always considered to be honest and never a dishonest word would leave her lips. This time was different, she could not bear to see the King and Queen go through such a terrible loss, and now it was far too late to tell the truth. Especially now that there was a witch involved, something that would anger the King. She hung her feathered cloak on an old brass hook next to her door as she always did and spent most of the night looking out her window, wondering who Philomena was and why she had come through the night, with a baby for the royal family.

The morning sun poured over the town of Hedgefield, then soon after illuminated Southsage Castle with its bright amber rays. The cattle grazed in the distant fields and the first day of spring brought hope of a new and prosperous farming season. Both guards at Marble Arch had fallen asleep at their post, something they have never done before, they awoke to Abakus barking as the new guards arrived to start their shift. They both could not remember anything that had happened the night before, they didn’t remember the wisps and they didn’t remember Philomena, almost like they simply had nodded off and there was nothing to report. Abakus remembered, yet he too was still confused to what happened the night before.

The king awoke to the maids entering the room, to wake up young Prince Favian as usual, and were startled to see the king sleeping on the chaise lounge across from the princes bed.

‘Father!’ shouted an excited Prince Favian, as he climbed out of his bed and jumped on top of the king. ‘Father, father, what are you doing sleeping in here?’ A puzzled Favian asked as he scratched his head.

‘Favian’, said Anders, ‘Come here you little scallywag’, he said as he grabbed his son and pulled him onto the lounge alongside him, ‘I have the greatest news my son, but I need you to be on your best behaviour today, because your mother has just given birth to your very own sister this past night, now remember Favian, your mother will be tired today, I want you to take it easy on her’, he said with a joyous grin. ‘Now let us go and meet our little princess’.

Young Prince Favian was regarded as a moderately wayward child, he had short curly brown hair and inherited his mother’s olive toned skin. He had large green eyes and an infectious laugh, he always got into trouble with the castle staff, especially Theodora, always hiding in cupboards and scaring the nuns. His father, King Anders, loved his son’s antics and often referred to him as a scallywag.

As father and son finally reached the king’s chambers, they were greeted by a besotted Queen, her smile brimmed from ear to ear, and in her arms, a healthy and happy little baby girl. Anders and Favian both clambered to her side to get a closer glimpse of the princess.

‘I had a terrible dream my dear, she said to Anders, but obviously, that is all that it was’, she said as she once again let out a sigh of relief.

‘My dear, she is as beautiful as you are’, he said as he leaned over to kiss his new daughter for the first time. ‘Have you thought of any names yet? It is important to get it right you know’.

Just as Arrabella was about to suggest some names, Favian shouted out ‘Fern!’, ‘that’s her name, I just think it suits her’.

‘Fern, huh’, replied Arrabella, I kind of like it, what do you think Anders? Is Princess Fern a worthy name for your daughter’. She asked as she giggled with Favian.

‘Princess Fern, I do like it’, replied the king, ‘In fact, I love it. So it shall be’. All three royals stayed in bed for most of morning, getting more acquainted with little Princess Fern. This truly was a happy day for all.

Theodora woke up later in the morning than usual, having had such a late night before. Normally she would be one of the first of the household to arise and organise the castle staff and their daily chores. Eventually changing into her day attire whilst yawning all the way, she staggered her way back to the king’s chambers to check in on the queen and the princess. She knocked on the chamber doors and was welcomed by Prince Favian. He grabbed her by the wrist, and dragged her into the room.

‘Look Theodora, come and see my little sister, she was born in the night, when I was sleeping’, said an over excited prince.

‘Oh my child’, she answered, I helped your mother last night and I already have met with the little one, and I see also that the little princess has met her father too’, She said with a nervous warble in her voice, followed by an uneasy chuckle.

‘Well come on in Theodora’, said the king as he gave her a proud and welcoming nod. ‘I would like to introduce you to Princess Fern’.

‘Oh Princess Fern, now that is a nice name, I have to say’, said a relieved Theodora. ‘Now come on you two, mother and child need to be bathed and there is no time like the present’.

Anders kissed Arrabella goodbye as he took Prince Favian with him, so as to give Theodora some time to bathe and clothe the new princess as the queen also was desperate to do the same for herself.

‘My lady, you truly have a beautiful daughter’, she said as she washed the little girls face, ‘her lovely brown eyes are just uncanny to that of your dear husbands’. She said out of astonishment.

‘But of course they are’, replied Arrabella as she shook her head behind the dressing curtain, ‘who else’s eyes would she inherit but that of her father’s honestly’.

‘Oh of course dear, I am being very silly, I have not had the best of sleeps this past night, and I am sure I do not have my wit’s about me today’, she said as she stared at the princess in wonderment, that she actually did resemble the king. This purely must be a coincidence, she thought to herself, one that of course was within favour of a mysterious child replacing the King and Queens natural child. She saw how happy they were with Princess Fern and there was no turning back now for Theodora, she would have to keep this secret with her for the rest of her days.

Waiting patiently in the great hall, the castle staff had organised a special surprise breakfast, in honour of the new royal princess, news of the birth travelled like wildfire throughout the kingdom, and singing and laughter echoed throughout the halls of the castle. This was indeed a joyous occasion for everyone. Theodora had no idea that her staff had organised such a feast and for the first time in a long time, she seemed to be slightly impressed with the staff that they organised such a wonderful feast. The large marble dining table, was laden with freshly baked breads, eggs and bacon, cheeses and fruits, which you could smell all the way down to the main gates. The kitchen staff had worked especially hard on the presentation of the food. A famished Arrabella was far too sore and tired to join everyone in the dining hall, however she was still treated to breakfast in bed, as everyone else enjoyed the celebration in the main dining hall.

After such a large breakfast, the king wiped his mouth with his monogrammed handkerchief, reclined back in his chair as the proud new father that he was. He then stated that soon, there will be a great naming ceremony for his daughter the Princess Fern, and that the entire kingdom of Southsage was to be invited. This was great news to the public. Most of the locals had never met the royal family, let alone been invited to a grand royal event. The streets of Hedgefield town were filled with cheer and laughter at the arrival of their new Princess.

Plans were to be made, and fast too. There was no time for anyone to spare, the bakers had to work over time, the dressmakers, the butchers, the florists too. Theodora knew that she would have her work cut out for her also, now she was beginning to think if it was all a good idea or not.

‘Well, surprise surprise’, she announced to the staff, ‘guess who has been given the honour of being in charge of the whole affair?’ She groaned in a sarcastic tone, ‘good old muggins here, that’s who’, Theodora said as she leered directly at each of them one by one. ‘Now that means, that if you stuff up, then it’s my head on the chopping board, so you all better give it your best foot forward on the evening of the ceremony, or I will not be happy!’ She snapped. ‘Now get on with your work, we have a lot of to do’.