The Queen of all Spain

Chapter 7

Mine and Nicole's horses are tacked and ready for a ride on the castle grounds. Aaron is in a meeting with his Scottish advisors, in just a few weeks we will sail to Scotland so the people can see their Queen, and I may see the beautiful landscape he tells me about so often. Nicole mounts and take the leather reigns in her hands, I do the same, more than ready for a few hours of peace, away from the castle.

"I was thinking the path by the lake, it would be gorgeous." Nicole tells me.

"Sounds wonderful."

We begin our ride, leaving behind the guards which Aaron wouldn't be pleased about, but I've always felt safe at Spanish Court.  Nicole's horse canters ahead of me while I admire my home, I'm not sure if anything so beautiful could become boring to look at. 

Peace, and then it is disturbed.  My horse rears up as I yell at Nicole to run, I look over my shoulder only once, to see the group of four men with their swords raised, galloping towards us.

"Nicole go!"

She kicks the horse's flanks as I do the same, wishing it had wings and we could get back to the castle quicker.  A sharp pain suddenly spreads from my left shoulder, a small dagger was thrown and is now embedded in my skin, the blade is slowing the blood loss, for now.

"Lana!"  Nicole screams when she sees it.

"Keep going I'm fine."

Suddenly, my horse's legs buckle, another dagger was thrown at my mare and she falls on her side, I manage to move my right leg before it is crushed under her weight.  "Nicole get to the castle and get help!"  She runs faster, soon leaving my sight.

A rider dismounts and walks toward me, his sword raised and a blank expression on his pale face.  "The Spanish Queen's life is in my hands, how the tables have turned."

"You may try to cover your English accent but I can hear it as clear as day, Mary sent you."

"You were going to die anyway, but now you really do, shame of course to have such beauty murdered."

He raises his sword to strike me down but I pull mine from the scabbard at my saddle and block it, managing enough strength to push him back.

"So the queen can fight, how entertaining."

While he laughs at me I swing the sword against his shoulder, cutting a large gash and he screams out in agony.  What surprises me the most is that his men stay back, perhaps Mary sent them all but ordered this one to take my head.

In his weak state I push my blade through his chest and pull it out immediately, he drops his sword and falls to the ground, gasping for air.  I stab him again until he's dead, tears dripping from my eyes as I see blood covering my torso and a man I killed lying before me.  His dead eyes pierce into my living ones and there can be no turning back after this.

"Let this be a message for your queen!  Take back her assassins head, and tell Mary that she will not kill me as easily she did my parents, Spain is mine and I will not step down from my throne without a fight."

Looking away, I cut off the man's head and they take it with shock in their eyes, riding away from the scene as Spanish guards with Aaron at their front ride towards me.

"Castellana!"  Aaron jumps down from his horse and grabs my waist, worry fills his eyes.  "Lana, are you alright."

"The knife in my shoulder says otherwise."

His gaze drifts to my shoulder and he takes my sword, handing it to a guard as he lifts me up into his arms.  "Who is your attacker?"

"Sent from Queen Mary to kill me, I took his head and sent it back with the other three, as a message to her."

"Lana, are you okay?"

"I think I'll faint."

He yells orders at the guards I can't comprehend, and as I slip into darkness, my last thought is of how much blood came from that one man.