'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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3rd April 1563
Tulia and James had been having meetings every time a letter arrived from Scotland. The two had been conducting a fool proof plan that would not implicate Tulia or Mary if the plot was uncovered. It took a while, but eventually they had come to a conclusion that would allow both Queens to keep their heads.
Grain had been shipped to Ireland, as the 'Castletroy's' had promised, but it did not come from France like expected, it came from Scotland, from Mary. The only people that knew about this were Mary, Tulia, James and Greer.
Harry was happy that he had got to make a new friend upon the arrival of Greer and her daughter Rose. The girl was a little bit younger than the dauphin, but ever since John had gone back to court and the O'Connor's had returned to their home, the young prince had been incredibly lonely.
It was a nice relief that Tulia did not have to spend every waking moment trying to entertain him, this meant that she had more free time to get down to business.
James and Tulia were currently in the throne room, finish their conversation before they were both to part their separate ways, Tulia would take her seat on the throne and James would leave for Scotland that day. Everything had gone well and he no longer needed to be in Ireland.
The sound of footsteps entering the throne room was not an uncommon thing to hear, people entered and left the room at all times, it was rarely ever quiet. Nobody even turned their head as a young man walked into the throne room with his eyes set on the Irish Queen. His face, that had been so blank of emotion, morphed into an expression of rage within seconds of seeing the red headed Queen.
"Tulia Byrne." The man shouted, anger laced into his words. The whole room was enveloped in a deathly silence, no one dared speak as the man spat out their Queen's name like it was a foul taste in his mouth. "You will die for your sins."
Tulia's head snapped to look at the man in confusion at his words, her eyes did not meet his as she looked his way, instead they met with the barrel of his gun. Tulia's heart nearly stopped in fear as a feeling of dread filled the bottom of her stomach and her mouth parted in shock, the feeling of looking death in the eye was a feeling like no other. It was terrifying.
James turned his head too at the sound of the mans accent, he recognised it well... Scottish. The brown eyes of the gunman flickered over to James briefly, his arm went slack upon seeing the face that ruled his country for so long. The man had not expected to see him here.
The price to pay for threatening a royal was the same as the one given to those who killed a royal, the threat in itself was treason. The man now had nothing to lose and so the next few seconds felt like hours, everything moved in slow motion as he raised the gun at the Queen again. Tulia could see Aidan and Leith sprinting to the man from the doorway but she knew that they would arrive too late.
The Queen felt hands all over her body, pushing and pulling her to the side, trying to get her out of the firing line.
The sound of the gunshot ripped through the large throne room, causing ladies to cover their ears in pain and their husbands to cover them from the fire. The sound of death, that's all she remembered as she tripped into James' arms. The ringing sound of death.
