Reginald gnashed his teeth, but that was worse than screaming to Edna. She raised a brow.
"And isn't that gutsy of you?" She asked
"I'm sorry" Reginald he apologized immediately
She strained her ear almost like she did not hear him. Reginald understood the task right away; she wanted him to repeat himself.
"I'm sorry, your highness...it is all my fault. I am a stain to the Hanover dynasty, and I do not deserve to exist..." Lady Edna flicked her fingers
"Correct, now I hope Helen can agree to that?" She asked Reginald stared into thin air; would his mother choose to see her children starve rather than refer to him as what he actually is?
"Yes"
"That took too long" she gestured for the soldier who had whipped Reginald to sprinkle some more of the salt water he held.
Reginald was born out of wedlock. His mother was the third princess of Norway and was highly desired by a lot of nobilities. 'Princess Helen Oskar'
How could it have happened that she got pregnant before being married? It was a shame to their noble heritage. Her father and king disowned her, even though the supposed father of her child married her; The newly crowned king of England; king Jonathan Hanover the second. Helen's pregnancy brought a lot of complications, that almost started a war between England and Norway. The queen dowager was firm on her claims that the child in princess Helen's womb was not king Jonathan's. She went ahead to proclaim that princess Helen was a witch who had bewitched her son.
Helen got married into the Hanover clan, but her dreams became a nightmare. Jonathan's politically married wives made sure to make life hell for her under influence of the queen dowager and a real devil amongst men; queen Edna. Queen Edna was the sister of the newly inaugurated prime minister. Queen Edna practiced pure wickedness, starving and punishing Helen even in her pregnant state. Unlike what Helen thought she knew; Jonathan was no king. He was a puppet for his mother who pulled every string. Even when the woman he claimed to love the most went through hell, he could do nothing to help as he was scared himself.
Eventually, Helen gave birth to her son; Reginald. It was no better, even worse perhaps. Jonathan was pitiful, and soon enough Helen forgave him. She gave birth to a girl, and almost immediately gave birth to a boy. Immediately that happened, Edna was thrown into a fury. Herself and the other wives maltreated Reginald. Edna often seized him, starved him and made her men whip him. She locked him up and made him beg her for water. She made sure Reginald had to work among servants from as little as six years old. Everyday felt like hell for Reginald.
The queen dowager did not care for Reginald, all that mattered were the children she forced herself to believe were Jonathan's: Jennifer and Mason. Anyone could kill Reginald for all she cared.