'Sometimes we have to sacrifice our youths in order to let people live.'
Tulia Byrne has been a Queen for longer than she could remember. Her story begins so carefree and so full of love and yet by the end of it you'll be wondering if you even know...
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30th August 1565
Two weeks had passed since the arrival of Charles' flirtatious younger brother Henri. The Irish Queen had been avoiding the blonde haired Valois for the entire time he had been at the castle. When Tulia first saw him, she could have bet on him being exactly like Francis, but she could not have been more wrong.
The younger man was cocky and self obsessed, everything he did was for his own gain and if it wasn't for that, he did things specifically to annoy his older brother. The two hated each other, that much was obvious.
Tulia wasn't sure what was worse, child birth, or having to endure through two weeks of relentless harassment from the blonde prince. His favourite pass times and hobbies seemed to be annoying, flirting of harassing Tulia in any way possible.
He had personally invited her to a party that he was hosting in the festivities hall of the castle, making sure his words were as suggestive and as drawn out as possible. Tulia had done little more than roll her eyes at the prince, she would not give him the pleasure of having her attention, not when he always seemed to approach her when she was with her husband.
Thanks to Henri's incessant stalking of the Irish Queen, her husband had withdrawn himself from her, choosing to spend his time with Lorraine instead.
Tulia was currently finishing off a letter to James Stewart, he had been banished from Scotland and had requested asylum in Ireland. Tulia had been dubious to accept at first, but upon hearing confirmation from Mary that James had not really done anything wrong she had accepted. Her letter entailed confirmation that he would have a room at Kilkenny castle until he no longer needed it.
Once she signed off the letter and sealed it, she handed it to her royal messenger. He left with the letter and now Tulia was ready to make her way to the party that she had been so excited to go to.
Tulia walked in to the room and was stunned by the range of people, smells and sights that she saw. There were people trying different spices, belly dancers putting on a show in the middle of the room, and an assortment of food being shared amongst the guests.
She had to give it to him, Henri knew how to throw a party.
Tulia spied the royal family fairly quickly. Claude, Luc and Henri were sat on various different sofas that were angled to face each other. Perhaps the word 'sat' was not the correct way to describe how Henri was positioned on the sofa's. Of course, the younger prince was sprawled on it, lounging with his feet up looking like he owned the place.
Tulia rolled her eyes as hers caught with Henri's. The prince sat up in excitement as he realised she had arrived, he was practically invigorated whenever he saw the chance to anger his elder brother.
"Tulia!" Henri called, causing most, if not everyone in the room to look at her. They bowed at her presence and Tulia awkwardly nodded back to be polite.
