BIRTHRIGHT (complete #Wattys2016)

Chapter 18: Alone, but not lonely

"I will not let you harm my Andreas!" Marry yelled out at Alexander, as both him and Isabelle looked at her in stunned silence. Suddenly Isabelle's face contorted in fury, and before anyone else could realize, she snatched the hilt from Alexander's hand and took aim before launching the dagger in her mother's dierction.

Mary's eyes widened in shock, a pained expression reflected in her eyes.

She turned around and found the man, Andreas, standing rigid like a statue. The hilt of the dagger protruding from the stall wall behind him, mere centimeters away from his head.

"Guards! Get that bastard to the dungeons!" Isabelle bellowed, her face red with anger. Everyone watching silently. Even Alexander was beyond stunned, he did not know how to respond to this situation. He had brought Mary along with them so that her and Isabelle's relation could get better. But never- in a thousand years- had he thought that they would find Andreas here, in France, in front of them.

At Isabelle's command, the two guards stepped forward and grabbed hold of Andreas.

"No! What are you doing?" Mary yelled coming out of her stupor as she tried to pry them away from him. Isabelle stepped forward and roughly pulled her mother away from the guards.

"You disgust me." Isabelle growled before letting her go, allowing her to crumple to the floor, watching how the guards dragged away Andreas as Isabelle and Alexander trailed behind them, Mary being unaware of the tears that were streaming down Isabelle's face, fear, hurt, and anger all mixed into one.

***

Mary paced the foyer outside Alexander's study, where him and Isabelle along with a few others were deciding Andreas's fate for attempting to not only harm the queen, but trying to kill her as well. Fear and anxiety gripped at Mary's heart as the time ticked by. She could no hear what was being said inside, and she wasn't allowed to go inside until they were done with their discussions.

She could not believe that she found Andreas after so long, in France no less. She thought that he was dead after so many years, but she could recognize his voice anywhere. When he had spoken the first time, demanding everything from Alexander, Mary had instantly placed the voice and could not believe her ears, but when his hood had fallen off and he looked up at them, Mary had no doubt left in her mind that it was Andreas. He did not look so different after 20 years.

He still had the same dark brown hair, with a few streaks of grey in them. The same dark swirling eyes that seemed to peirce right through you. He did seem to have aged a day, he looked more handsome now, more mature, more grown up from the 19 year old boy she had last seen.

Mary was ripped out of her thoughts by the sound of the large double doors swinging open, allowing everyone out, however Isabelle and Alexander did not follow out. Once the men had left, Mary stood in front of the open doorway, tentatively she took a step through the doors, and they closed after her with a loud thud that caused her to jump in surprise. The study was dark and seemed gloomy. It was silent, so silent that Mary could hear her heart beating in her chest.

"I am sure that you would like to know the punishment." Alexander's voice called out from a dark corner of the room. Mary could only nod, she felt afraid. Afraid for Andreas and what would happen to her. "My men and I are abiding by the law here, I hope you realize that."

"Yes, I do." Mary said in a voice, she could not belive was her own. Trembling and volunerable, nothing like a queen should be.

"He is being hanged." Alexander stated firmly. Her eyes widened as she stumbled back in surprise. "And that is final."