Anna is a sad, sad story that can only go one way. Having established ages ago that Marion is going to have six miscarriages and stillbirths before her son is finally born, this baby has to die. It’s a cruel thing, but having written myself into a corner with that storyline there are going to be these tragedies every so often in her life. The readership is steeled for them to happen. Anna is a story that carried a mandatory tissue box warning for those readers who have followed Marion and Kristoph faithfully.

And make no mistake, there are a LOT of people who do so. I get letters frequently from people who want to know where their story will go next, and how long I intend to keep writing them. the answer to question one is, I don’t know. Except that, sooner or later, Lady Marion is going to give birth to a healthy baby son, I can’t really say what else will happen, except that the stories come every week and I do manage to get new ideas regularly.

Anna is quite detailed about the course of the sudden, tragic labour and the stillbirth of the baby. I don’t know yet how I will cover the same storyline in future. Marion does have to have another four such tragedies, yet, as set out in the Theta Sigma story, An Cailleach Beara in which Kristoph explains it all to his son.

“The first time she conceived she miscarried before either of really had chance to get used to the idea. The next time, we planned it together and we were so happy. But the girl child was born too soon and never breathed. Her hearts stopped as your mother and I held her. I buried her in the family memorial plot and we grieved for our loss together. We waited a while after that. I was afraid to put her through the grief again. When we did… our son was hardly formed when the pregnancy went wrong and it was all over. But she desperately wanted to give me an heir and she begged me to try again. And again. She gave birth to two more stillborn boys. Then the last time, the sixth, it was another little girl. She actually DID breathe for a little while. We both had time to hold her, to love her. And then she faded away. Marion was so distraught. I had made up my mind I wouldn’t put her through it again.”

So it’s going to be rough on poor Marion, and the readers, too.

http://www.pearsecom.co.uk/thetasigma/32cailleachbeara.htm