The Line Returns

[Voodoo Nova]

The line was considered extinguished after the death of his ancestors, the Cardinal Duke of York, Henry Benedict Stuart, and the Young Pretender, Prince Charles Edward Stuart. The Cardinal was a man of the cloth and one of the longest serving Cardinals. Charles Stuart fought to bring the Stuarts back to the throne. All his efforts failed, causing the deaths of hundreds of men and laying waste to the House's name. By 1776, Charles had given up on achieving the throne and his wife, Louise, was pregnant.

Louise was in her chambers about to give birth, while her husband Charles was out on a hunting party. He would not be back for another day. She was screaming in pain from the contractions while a midwife went to get cloth and water. A woman walked in to the chamber. Louise moaned in pain again. Thinking it was the midwife, Louise did not say a word. The woman walked to her bedside. She covered the Louise's mouth with her cloth-covered hand and spoke.

"Listen to me carefully. Should this child be male, do not allow him to live."

The woman walked out. Louise was in a state of shock and started to yell. Her midwife ran in with cloths in hand. Some fell on the floor as she ran. She stopped at the bedside, breathing a little heavier than usual.

"What's wrong?"

"I just need something to drink."

Mary went to pick up the cloths that she dropped and went to get water. Louise's painful screams could still be heard as she walked to the well. Mary brought the water back to Louise and began placing damp cloths on her forehead and stomach. Louise's contractions got worse. Mary tried to keep her calm and gave her some of the water she requested.

Within the hour, she gave birth to a girl and a boy, fraternal twins. After the birth, Louise told Mary to take the newborn boy and go to the British countryside. He would be safe there, she thought. The child would never know who his family is. Her husband would never know of his son, the heir to the line. Charles walked in after the birth and saw his newborn daughter. He smiled. Charles walked over to Louise, who was holding their new child. Charles would care for his daughter, despite her inability to carry the line further, until her death 2 years later.

The death brought Charles to a state of depression. He started to abuse Louise, before she left him to return to Italy. Charles mourned for months over the loss of everything he had in this world. The only person he had left was his brother Henry, the Cardinal. After six years, Charles died at home. Henry went to gather his brother's remains and belongings. Charles was buried next to his parents in Rome. When his brother died, their remains were moved to St. Peters Basilica.

[b]November 8[sup]th[/sup], 20XX[/b]

After years of researching his family history, Ian Stewart finally found the connection he thought he was looking for the last six months. He had traced his family history to the 18[sup]th[/sup] century in the southern half of England. While in London, he came upon records, which were photocopied for preservation in the mid-20[sup]th[/sup] century. Land purchase records showed a French woman, with a child, who bought a farm outside of town. Church records indicated the woman was a benefactor to the church renovations at the time.

Ian began his research when he had to make a family tree for an anthropology class at the University of Strathclade. He did not know where his family originated, the man who was his great-grandfather, or even why he has the last name Stewart. He became consumed over his family lineage. His studies were affected by this new obsession. He could not focus on what was going on today, but with what had already happened in the past. He had to know whom his family was, to know what his destiny is today.