So five years had past since the royal wedding and things seemed to be coming along nicely. The young princes were busy growing and learning and the Kingdom was beginning to thrive.
But the mind and the heart are very tricky things. And deep in the heart and mind of both the King and the Queen was the want of a daughter. And this want began to consume them.
Each day, the Queen would long to put a little girl in dresses and brush her hair into ringlets. Each day the King would long to bounce a smiling girl on his knee. A girl who would be different. Who would have a gentle girl's temperament and would not vex him so.
Years past and still the longing grew. And unbeknownst to them, a girl was in their future. Just over the horizon.
Meanwhile, the Princes were coming along nicely. They were doing well at their studies - Dasich in particular. His royal tutors recommended he study along with his elder brother, Dases. Dases was a natural at games and sports. And Dasuberich was very clever and had lots of charm. They were each natural leaders and their many talents shone through among the others of their age.
Three long years passed and so her surprise and delight, the Queen found herself again with child. If only this one is a girl, it would be the fulfillment of her greatest and most powerful wish. The King and the Queen turned their thoughts to The Crutch and pleaded.
The Crutch makes many promises. A very terrible villain once asserted that falsehoods and fake promises would be accepted by people only if they were so colossal that no one would believe that someone could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. And so the King and Queen believed that their future and the future of their unborn child was in the hands of The Crutch. And so they thought. And they waited.
Finally, the day came for the new baby to be born. The young princes waited with anticipation. The 1st Prince was already halfway to manhood and as the eldest, planned to protect her as he had done with his brothers. The 2nd Prince waited with quiet calm and prepared to be his most helpful as he had been with his younger brother.
The 3rd Prince was not as prepared as his brothers. He had been the youngest for over five years and was quite used to his position in the family and the focused attention of the Queen whom he loved fervently and considerably more than she knew. This new baby would usurp his position. And the Queen seemed entirely too excited.
The baby was born. The Kingdom waited with great anticipation. Finally, the King emerged:
"It's a girl."
And there was much rejoicing.
Up in the royal bedchambers, the Queen stared at the new Princess. It had finally happened. She had been born to them and now they were complete. The King joined her. And they stared at the new Princess. And they searched their hearts for what they would call her. What do you name your heart's ultimate desire?
"Desiree."
And she was brought to The Wholly Crutch in fine garments and washed in lie. These were before the truly dark days. But they were about to begin.
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Desiree was a happy baby and was showered with presents and gifts. The King and Queen doted on the new Princess and the Princes loved their new sister, but very differently. One as her protector, one as her caretaker, and one with great caution.
As the Kingdom rejoiced at her birth, the 3rd Prince, who was very clever and observant, noticed the new and different sparkle in the eyes of his mother and the new and different twinkle in the smile of his father when they regarded her. His already tender and fragile heart broke and he began to change.
End of Chapter 2.
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