We raced down flight after flight of stairs, through hallway after hallway, until we finally reached the laundry. Ash was in the room before me, none of the fires were lit! Everyone frantically searched the pots! “Here Majesty!” one of the guards yelled. “Do not touch him!” replied Ash. I made my way slowly to the huge pot that everyone stood and stared down into. He was wrapped in one of the nursery blankets, cream with a thin trim of fluffy brown fur. The black dragon embroidered on it standing out against the paleness of the blanket and his skin. I was afraid, I stood there holding my breath until I saw his tiny toes pop out from the blanket and wiggle. A collective breath echoed the room, apparently I wasn’t the only one holding it in. Everyone cheered as Ash reached down into the pot to retrieve my son. His tiny arms flew up, startled by the movement and the loud cheering.

Ash handed him to me just as he began to wail. I ushered everyone from the room and just took a second to hold him close to my heart. Then only then did I let my anger rise! Ash and I made our way to the hall where Raven sat with Neil. Raven looked up as we entered. Neil did not!

“Neil and Isabella placed him in a laundry pot to be boiled, Explain yourself!” I screamed at Neil. He just sat there with his head down. I handed Hawk to Mora and stalked toward my other son, anger radiating heat off me. “No, you go speak with Isabella, I will handle our son.” Raven said calmly. He stood and looked down at Neil. “Up” Raven spat and Neil obeyed. I followed Mora out of the hall.

I left strict orders to the nursery staff that there must always be two maids in the nursery at every moment. I also gave strict orders that Neil and Isabella were not to leave their beds besides trips to the necessary for two days! After that they were to be brought to Raven and I for a formal audience. Iz laid in bed and cried as I sat in the nursery feeding Hawk. Once he was settled and I felt assured the maids were in control again, I left the nursery placing two guards at the door and headed to bed.

A maid named Kelly came and helped me prepare for bed. I’m not sure when she left, I had dozed off in my chair by the fire. The sound of Raven moving around woke me. “Neil?” I asked. “Punished for now, I will tell you all about it later wife, for now I’m drained, let us to bed” he said.

The next day Raven explained to me that he whipped Neil soundly with a willow twig, which was obvious when I went to the nursery later that day to find Neil laying on his stomach with a poultice on his red rump.