as for the root of this evil , it was equally unthinkable and humiliating for a king : because , as soon as the first wave of stillbirths had been acknowledged and since the queen was long past her childbearing years king fazen had begun hectically planting his ageing seed in the wombs of a horde of maids , ladies-in-waiting , palace concubines and alley whores , not one of whom had managed to produce a living bastard .