me first.” Nea gently reprimanded.
“I can’t be a mother yet!” Anna wailed, clutching
her stomach.
“I’m so sorry, but I’ll be here. I’ll help you…You
can name me the baby’s Godmother!” Nea pretended like it was the
most exciting news ever. Anna stopped sniveling.
“You’ll help me, be the Godmother?”
“Of course, we can plan such a party announcing the
birth; you will be envied by all women with your rich handsome
husband and brand new son.” Nea gave the girl’s mind a gentle push
in the right direction and watch gladly as Anna lit up a
little.
“A son. Providing Gyorgy with a son would make me
the envy of many. Do you think he will let me hire a wet nurse, a
nanny and a governess, so I don’t have to do anything?”
“I am sure he will want to keep you happy,” Nea
agreed, melancholy in her words almost betraying the smile on her
face.
“I guess so, but I still would rather be able to
just get rid of it.” Anna said color filling her cheeks.
Poor Istavan was born five months later, he didn’t
learn to walk until he was almost two and didn’t say a work until
he was four years old. Over time Anna’s husband learned to despise
her over indulgence, spending and selfishness. By the time her
first daughter, Elizabeth was born in 1560 she had given birth to
another son; Gabor. Elizabeth was soon blessed with two sisters
Klara and Zsofia.
Nea was present at each child’s birth, hoping the
extra blessing from a Strega Godmother would be helpful. She
attended every birthday, sent presents and used magic to age
herself right along with Anna. She loved each child like she would
her own. So it was with a heavy heart she received a missive from
Anna that at 14 Elizabeth was pregnant and the family urgently
needed Nea’s special brand of help.
Chapter 5
1574
“Anna, what exactly is it you think I can do?” Nea
asked, standing in the shadows of the hallway of the large estate.
She had been notified a month before to come at once to Nyirbator
as there was a family emergency. When she arrived it was to
discover one of her goddaughters, Elizabeth, at 14, was pregnant
and due any day.
“I need you to take the baby away, kill it, sell
it…I don’t care. I am going to tell her that it died.” Anna had her
arms crossed over her chest, eyes cold. Over the years Nea had seen
that coldness infiltrate her old friend’s heart and mind. She cared
little for those around her, including her children. At 35 she
looked old, much older than Nea even with a bit of age magic. Jaded
and tainted by drink and that life hadn’t turned out quite as
happily ever after as she had wanted.
“Why didn’t you call for me sooner? We could have
handled this earlier.”
“Because my spoiled daughter wanted the baby,
refused to even think about getting rid of it and hid it until a
few weeks ago.” Anna’s mouth turned into a sneer.
“Why do you care about this at all? Just let her
keep her baby.” Nea said, leaning against the wall. Elizabeth was
in her fourth hour of labor, and her hips were almost too narrow at
such a young age to withstand the size of the babe within her. Nea
had brought Valora to help and hopefully they would not lose either
mother or child.
“Because she is betrothed to Count Ferencz Nadasdy
and will be leaving us within the year to marry him. It is a great
alliance for our family, especially since…” There was a moment of
silence when the ice around Anna seemed to melt, then she
straightened back up, “Since her father passed away.”
“Where is the babe’s father? Why not just send him
away with the child?” Nea had been there only a few days, but had
not seen the man who impregnated Elizabeth, nor heard a word about
him. Every time Elizabeth tried to mention him someone hushed her.
All Nea had gathered was it had happened very much like when Anna
had become pregnant. Except the boy was young and not good enough
for Anna to even consider letting them marry.
“I took
“I can’t be a mother yet!” Anna wailed, clutching
her stomach.
“I’m so sorry, but I’ll be here. I’ll help you…You
can name me the baby’s Godmother!” Nea pretended like it was the
most exciting news ever. Anna stopped sniveling.
“You’ll help me, be the Godmother?”
“Of course, we can plan such a party announcing the
birth; you will be envied by all women with your rich handsome
husband and brand new son.” Nea gave the girl’s mind a gentle push
in the right direction and watch gladly as Anna lit up a
little.
“A son. Providing Gyorgy with a son would make me
the envy of many. Do you think he will let me hire a wet nurse, a
nanny and a governess, so I don’t have to do anything?”
“I am sure he will want to keep you happy,” Nea
agreed, melancholy in her words almost betraying the smile on her
face.
“I guess so, but I still would rather be able to
just get rid of it.” Anna said color filling her cheeks.
Poor Istavan was born five months later, he didn’t
learn to walk until he was almost two and didn’t say a work until
he was four years old. Over time Anna’s husband learned to despise
her over indulgence, spending and selfishness. By the time her
first daughter, Elizabeth was born in 1560 she had given birth to
another son; Gabor. Elizabeth was soon blessed with two sisters
Klara and Zsofia.
Nea was present at each child’s birth, hoping the
extra blessing from a Strega Godmother would be helpful. She
attended every birthday, sent presents and used magic to age
herself right along with Anna. She loved each child like she would
her own. So it was with a heavy heart she received a missive from
Anna that at 14 Elizabeth was pregnant and the family urgently
needed Nea’s special brand of help.
Chapter 5
1574
“Anna, what exactly is it you think I can do?” Nea
asked, standing in the shadows of the hallway of the large estate.
She had been notified a month before to come at once to Nyirbator
as there was a family emergency. When she arrived it was to
discover one of her goddaughters, Elizabeth, at 14, was pregnant
and due any day.
“I need you to take the baby away, kill it, sell
it…I don’t care. I am going to tell her that it died.” Anna had her
arms crossed over her chest, eyes cold. Over the years Nea had seen
that coldness infiltrate her old friend’s heart and mind. She cared
little for those around her, including her children. At 35 she
looked old, much older than Nea even with a bit of age magic. Jaded
and tainted by drink and that life hadn’t turned out quite as
happily ever after as she had wanted.
“Why didn’t you call for me sooner? We could have
handled this earlier.”
“Because my spoiled daughter wanted the baby,
refused to even think about getting rid of it and hid it until a
few weeks ago.” Anna’s mouth turned into a sneer.
“Why do you care about this at all? Just let her
keep her baby.” Nea said, leaning against the wall. Elizabeth was
in her fourth hour of labor, and her hips were almost too narrow at
such a young age to withstand the size of the babe within her. Nea
had brought Valora to help and hopefully they would not lose either
mother or child.
“Because she is betrothed to Count Ferencz Nadasdy
and will be leaving us within the year to marry him. It is a great
alliance for our family, especially since…” There was a moment of
silence when the ice around Anna seemed to melt, then she
straightened back up, “Since her father passed away.”
“Where is the babe’s father? Why not just send him
away with the child?” Nea had been there only a few days, but had
not seen the man who impregnated Elizabeth, nor heard a word about
him. Every time Elizabeth tried to mention him someone hushed her.
All Nea had gathered was it had happened very much like when Anna
had become pregnant. Except the boy was young and not good enough
for Anna to even consider letting them marry.
“I took
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