Necessity

They had made love quite gently since they were so newly married and she had been a virgin. It could be that, even now, this first attempt might create life.

And it was needed to replace the one he’d violently, deliberately destroyed, however much a necessary evil. He had not wanted death to solve the problem but accepted in the end that nothing lesser would suffice.

He watched his young bride’s peaceful slumber afterwards and smoothed the dampened hair back from her face. King Henry so much hoped he wouldn’t need to murder any further wives to get a son. 

 by Susan Cornford

 

Susan Cornford is a retired public servant, living in Perth, Western Australia. She/her has pieces published or forthcoming in Across the Margin, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Antipodean Science Fiction, borrowed solace, Cafe Lit, Crow’s Feet Journal, Ethel Zine, Flash Frontier, Flora Fiction Website, Frost Zone Zine, Granfalloon Magazine, Meet Cute Press, Mono, Mystery Tribune, The Mythic Circle, Quail Bell Magazine, The Short Humour Site, Thriller Magazine, Worthing Flash and others.