King Dev got the word last.
These things happen.
He stormed into the Queen's room and demanded proof.
Mother never would say what he actually said but Terrence the stable boy once told me that the King had the Midwife put in the stocks for swapping babies. Terrence also claimed King Dev had ranted for a hour and accused the Queen of deceiving him with this imposter child and that she must produce his son or he would...apparently the King ran out of breath and had to sit down and breath into a sack (for some reason that no one will tell me why).
At this point, I did remember to ask Terrence how he knew all this and he blushed a lot (although it could have just been the grog) and said that he wasn't always a stable boy. Then he passed out.
At first, I doubted that there was anyway he could have known but then one day the King's Secretary let slip something about Terrence being the King's steward in front of me and spent the afternoon in the stocks reminding himself that he had to watch his tongue... (no really, he had to verbally recite "I must remember to watch my tongue" out loud).
Anyway, whatever had, everyone was sworn to secrecy about what had actually happened and then the King sulked in the West Tower for the rest of the day.
Mother says that she almost thought it would be alright and they could just have a daughter and forget the whole son/prince thing. But then King Dev came down to the supper table and decreed that he had a son, and her..his name would be Charles Davidicus Ravina the third and there would be no discussing it!
Then before Mother could protest, King Dev took his child from Queen Sam and held her...him up to the court and announced that anyone who made the mistake would spend a week in the stocks.
All I know is that over the next month most of the palace staff and even several members of the court and their wives spent considerable time in the stocks.
Two things I would like to point out (other than the sword that I have against your ribcage right now)
1. Yes, my name is in fact Charles Davidicus Ravina the third although most people including King Dev refer to me as Prince Charlie or just Prince Char (when they think the king is not listening)
2. I have mentioned and will continue to mention the stocks a bit. The stocks were the formal punishment in the kingdom and even once (or so I am told) people flung insults and rotten fruit at the people locked in the stocks. But since, one night about 12 years before I was born, when King Dev was very eager to please his subjects and also the fact of him being drunk- he decreed that he would no longer imprison, whip, flog, or even poke any citizen of the kingdom. The next day, King Dev summoned all his staff and set about finding out just how far reaching this decree of his would go. Let me put it this way. The Dungeon is now a day spa and inn. If you screw up in Stonehaven, the worst you have to fear is a certain amount of time in the stocks, which were moved where the shade would be better, since the Stock guards need to protect their skins from the sun. King Dev did keep executions as a matter of form but he has never executed anyone in his entire reign to most people just ignore its existence.
These things happen.
He stormed into the Queen's room and demanded proof.
Mother never would say what he actually said but Terrence the stable boy once told me that the King had the Midwife put in the stocks for swapping babies. Terrence also claimed King Dev had ranted for a hour and accused the Queen of deceiving him with this imposter child and that she must produce his son or he would...apparently the King ran out of breath and had to sit down and breath into a sack (for some reason that no one will tell me why).
At this point, I did remember to ask Terrence how he knew all this and he blushed a lot (although it could have just been the grog) and said that he wasn't always a stable boy. Then he passed out.
At first, I doubted that there was anyway he could have known but then one day the King's Secretary let slip something about Terrence being the King's steward in front of me and spent the afternoon in the stocks reminding himself that he had to watch his tongue... (no really, he had to verbally recite "I must remember to watch my tongue" out loud).
Anyway, whatever had, everyone was sworn to secrecy about what had actually happened and then the King sulked in the West Tower for the rest of the day.
Mother says that she almost thought it would be alright and they could just have a daughter and forget the whole son/prince thing. But then King Dev came down to the supper table and decreed that he had a son, and her..his name would be Charles Davidicus Ravina the third and there would be no discussing it!
Then before Mother could protest, King Dev took his child from Queen Sam and held her...him up to the court and announced that anyone who made the mistake would spend a week in the stocks.
All I know is that over the next month most of the palace staff and even several members of the court and their wives spent considerable time in the stocks.
Two things I would like to point out (other than the sword that I have against your ribcage right now)
1. Yes, my name is in fact Charles Davidicus Ravina the third although most people including King Dev refer to me as Prince Charlie or just Prince Char (when they think the king is not listening)
2. I have mentioned and will continue to mention the stocks a bit. The stocks were the formal punishment in the kingdom and even once (or so I am told) people flung insults and rotten fruit at the people locked in the stocks. But since, one night about 12 years before I was born, when King Dev was very eager to please his subjects and also the fact of him being drunk- he decreed that he would no longer imprison, whip, flog, or even poke any citizen of the kingdom. The next day, King Dev summoned all his staff and set about finding out just how far reaching this decree of his would go. Let me put it this way. The Dungeon is now a day spa and inn. If you screw up in Stonehaven, the worst you have to fear is a certain amount of time in the stocks, which were moved where the shade would be better, since the Stock guards need to protect their skins from the sun. King Dev did keep executions as a matter of form but he has never executed anyone in his entire reign to most people just ignore its existence.
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