Castles That Crumble

ten

"Close the gates! Close the bridges! And close the whole damn country if you have to!" My father screams.

"Father. Yelling wont get us anywhere." I say calmly. "I have to find him." My father says. I understand where he's coming from, because I too want to find the man who did this to my mother.

"We'll find him, father." I say, my voice steady, unlike yesterday.

I walk outside to see the English flags high in the air. I take in the scent of the air, I used to admire the outdoors, I still do. I haven't gotten that much time to admire it, though.

I hear footsteps behind me and I immediately become alert. I quickly spin around, my muscles relaxing when I see Nicolas.

Ever since yesterday, it seems as though he has a change of heart, although I don't fully trust him yet and would prefer if he kept his distance.

"Nicolas." I say, bowing my head. "Princess Mary." He says, kneeling. He laughs and gets up. "Are you going to yell at me for not paying my respects?"

My cheeks turn red. "You heard of my tantrum?" I look down. "I think the whole castle heard." He said, whispering into my ear.

"Come, we must make plans to find this man." I walk with Nicolas. "What if it wasn't just one man? What if it was a group?" Nicolas asks. "That could be a possibility." I say.

We walk back into the castle when a servant stops us. "Princess Mary?" I give her a puzzled look. "What's wrong?" She fiddles with her fingers. "Maybe I should let your father tell you." She says, trying to walk away.

"I am the princess of England and I command you to speak!" I say yelling at her. Nicolas pulls on my arm aggressively, bringing me to a different room. "If you do not like people being afraid of you, why do you lose your temper so much?"

His words hit me like knifes, they were true, though. "I guess it's just the stress of my mother." I look up at Nicolas.

Harry comes into the room and sees me close to crying and Nicolas holding onto me, keeping me in place.

"Nicolas? What are you doing? Get off of her!" Harry yells in an accusing voice. "Relax." Nicolas says.

Harry looks at me and when I nod to let him know I'm alright he apologizes to Nicolas.

My father enters the room and frightens me at first. Nicolas and Harry bow and walk out the room.

"Mary." He says, he looks like he hasn't slept and he looked as if he was crying. "What is it?" I ask, scared of the news.

"Elizabeth, she has passed away."

My heart sank. My knees gave out and I fell and hit the table behind me. The next thing I remember is waking up in my chambers.