Mary, Queen of Scots | Ongoing | Book ONE | French Court

Prologue

France, 1557

After her long exhausting game of ball with the other children, Mary made her way to the long table.

She was sixteen now. Soon she'd be married to Prince Francis, but for now she was in the French countryside, hiding in a convent.

She looked down distastefully, at her large bowl of porridge and then glanced up again.

Her large brown eyes stopped on a nun who was staring at her.

The nun had red dribble coming out her ear.

How strange, Mary wondered what it was and curiously stared back.

The nun's eyes started bulging and Mary gave an alarmed look around her.

Spurts of blood spluttered the nun's porridge.
Mary jerked back, shocked.

The nun was still unnervingly staring as everyone else continued talking, not noticing anything at all.

Foam sputtered from her lips and the nun's beside her began to notice and the chatter died down.

Soon blood was pouring from her mouth and ears.

Mary didn't know what to do, so she sat there, still.

People crowded around the nun trying to help her.

Mary stayed awfully still.

Something was about to go down.

Suddenly the nun's head flopped onto her plate with a loud thump. Dead.

A loud scream came from beside her and Mary tried to comfort the young girl.

Suddenly, nuns started rushing. Muttering, "Save Mary! Take the plate away!"

They all rushed to her but she just stared at the dead nun.

It was happening.

Her porridge was snatched away and the nuns pulled her to her feet.

Quickly, she turned.
An older nun grabbed her wrist.

"You must leave immediately! This was an assassination attempt, you were nearly poisoned."

The old lady dragged her behind her, away from the scene.

"By who?" Mary asked, dazed, and suddenly very scared. A chill went down her back.

"Poor sister Helen! I didn't know," she said, her eyes sad.

The nun stopped.

"That she was your taster? Every meal you've eaten has been tested for poison since your mother left you here. You are the Queen of Scotland," she looked gently at Mary.

***

Prologue completed.

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