Anabaa, midwife to Queen Latezia delivers the heralded new royal, a prince of the realm. Joy is cut short among the midwife and her attendants, Qiaona, Constance and Lizbett when a stillborn twin expels from the queen's womb. As Anabaa flees through secret passageways in panic with the tiny purplish-black corpse hidden in her apron events unfold and the infant miraculously revives.
The surprised midwife swells with relief but before she can make her way back into the birthing chamber of heirs and replace the king's infant with its twin and their slumbering queen-mother she realizes with overwhelming horror King Breretyn has returned to the chamber and taken up his firstborn son and heir from his queen's arms.
In this summer solstice hour the king holds forth the newborn prince above the balcony hand railing to the roaring cheers of his subjects. As the kingdom is launched into celebration Anabaa succumbs to darkness in the knowledge she secretly harbors its royal twin outside the palace walls.
J. L. Skirvin is the award-winning author of MAPLE SYRUP AUGUST-turning points: INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD- novella, finalist in Fiction; Bookvanna 2016 for her novels; FACE-Visionary and SNOW SIZZLING IN SOLEIL; young adult categories and a Chanticleer Review Somerset Award 2018 Shortlist winner for ROLLINS OF STONE HOUSE (Visit l-Aleph.com to view J. L. Skirvin's titles on the Wisehouse Publishing bookshelf) and EPITOME PLACE. J.L. Skirvin is also International Book Award and Book Excellence Award winner for 2020-Fiction.