The Queen of all Spain

Chapter 8

When I open my eyes, I almost expect to be dead. The faces of my mother and father I have only seen portraits of, their smiles, but instead my vision clears to see Aaron smiling softly at me.  "Lana, can you hear me?"

"Of course I can, the blade didn't render me deaf."

He laughs and closes his hand around mine, dark circles are under his eyes and it looks like he hasn't slept in days. "I'm just happy you're awake."

"How long was I asleep?"

"A little over two days, the physician said from the trauma you went through, killing that man."

"There was so much blood, Aaron." It all comes flooding back to me the moment he mentions it. "I know he would have killed me as well, but I took his head, as if I had done so a hundred times before."

"Mary probably ordered your head as well, don't let it weaken you."

I gather my composure, blinking my tears away and running my hands on my cheeks. "I will not let anything Mary does weaken me, I will push back stronger than she expects and she will never see it coming."

I'm not sure how I will defeat her, but I must in order to keep my own head, honor Louis's wish to protect his son, and keep my countries safe as well.

"We can wait a few more weeks until our voyage to Scotland."  Aaron says, breaking the silence.

"No, I want to see your land and home, we will set sail tomorrow as planned."

"And return to Spain in a few weeks," he finishes.

I hold his gaze, worried that this isn't what he truly wants.  "Do you want to rule Scotland from Spain, Aaron?  We never talked about it, it was almost as if you decided thinking that's what I wanted."

"You just returned to your home, Lana, do you really want to rule from Scotland?  I know all of the things you want to do for this country, your armies and navy grow stronger everyday, if you leave they may not ever again."

"You are doing all of this for the good of my country, but what about yours?"

He rests his hand on my face and his eyes turn to my bandaged shoulder.  "Scotland will thrive with the backing of Spanish ships, you protect my country while I protect you.  Very soon, Lana, you will take the English throne and the world will be ours, I will stand by you through all of it."

A tear slips from my eye that I have no control over.  "No man in his right mind would stand behind a powerful woman, I have been told that for a long time."  I think of Henry, wanting me only to take the Spanish crown.

"A good man will, I want to see my beautiful wife rise to the greatness she has been since her birth.  You are the Queen of Spain, Lana, that title alone should be enough to make every man shake in his boots."