The Lost Queen

Prologue

The room was clean and nicely furnished. There were pictures of children gracing the walls as well as Diplomas and Certificates. It seemed like the perfect place to get a check up. There was a chair in front of a vast desk and a girl, no older than seventeen sat on it, fidgeting nervously.

If you had seen her at any other time, you would have been struck by how beautiful she was; long dark hair and striking, bright blue eyes graced a face with high cheekbones and full lips. She was a stunner, no doubt about it. However the current expression on her gentle features would sooner remind someone of one waiting for her their death sentence. It was probably what was awaiting her on the other side of the door, the one she did not dare to turn to look upon. She had been through hell and back in the last month and if her suspicions were correct, that ride was far from over.

At first, she associated the vomiting and constant headaches with the magnitude of her loss, because no matter how strong you are, losing one’s almost entire family will affect you in ways that you can’t even imagine. So the girl waited, occasionally playing with the hem of her black skirt. She had been carefree once, she had liked to play and be silly... those times were over now.

The door opened and the girl still not dared to look behind her. She knew the doctor had entered the room, but she did not acknowledge his presence. She would be strong. She would not cry.

The doctor walked past her and sat on his chair, a folder in his hands and a grim expression on his face.

The girl’s expression turned from fear to despair.

“Miss?” the doctor asked with concern, “Are you feeling alright?” He asked, a warmer but much less appealing expression covering his feautres.

It was pity.

“I feel fine,” she answered curtly trying to mask her emotions, despite the obvious sadness on her face. “Do you...?” She couldn’t bring herself to ask the question, so she just looked down, her plaid skirt appearing much more interesting than the news she was about to receive.

“Yes,” the doctor announced grimly. “We have the results,” he said, nodding  towards the folder he’d been carrying.

“And?”

“It was what we expected,” he said and she felt her world come crashing down around her. “You are pregnant...” She didn’t hear the rest of the words following that sentence for she burst into tears.

“Oh, Miss!” the doctor said, clearly accustomed to this situation. “It is no worry, you are very young...”

“You don’t understand...” she managed to choke out.

“We know you are unmarried but if you told the boy and his family, I’m sure something could be arranged...”

“No!” she yelled and the doctor jumped back. “The father is dead,” she stated simply.

That declaration was followed by a very uncomfortable silence.

The doctor eventually nodded in understanding.  As the girl wiped her tears away with a handkerchief, he smiled to her again and she decided she didn’t like him smiling any more than she liked him pitying her.

“You have an option then,” the doctor said casually. “There’s a house in the outskirts of town, where they help young mothers such as yourself and then they can find a nice family for the baby...”

“What?” snapped the girl. “You... you want me to give up my baby?” she asked weakly.

“I believe you have no other choice, you are a minor and you have no family left and...”

“That’s not true,” she interrupted, choking back a sob.

“I know it was a great shock what happened to your family but...”

“I have an Aunt! Aunt Rose! She lives in Oxford!” contradicted the girl, ignoring the look she was getting from the doctor, who was clearly fed up with being interrupted.

“Ah, alright then, we can contact your aunt and see if she’ll take care of you until you become of age... still I strongly recommend—”

“Thank you doctor.” The girl replied to his unspoken “recommendations” with a defiant face. “I can wait outside until you try to get in touch with her,” she said simply.

“Miss Pevensie?” called the doctor as she was reaching for the doorknob.

“Yes?” She answered with her back to him.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” he said, she could hear the false sympathy in his voice even without looking at him.

“No,” she turned to face him with a grim expression. “There’s no hope for me anymore, but my child... he will live a happy life... I’ll make sure of that.”

 I swear I will love this child for the both of us, my love, Susan thought to herself as she left the doctor’s office.