The Crown

One.

The Crown

Madrid, Spain 1897 (four years later)

Prince Manuel Marco Reyes stood at his window, glancing at the large sea and landscape that lied up ahead, he thought about everything displeasing in his life when his mother interrupted his thoughts.

"Emmanuel. What are you gazing at near the window? We have luncheon with the Duke and his wife." His rather tempting mother, Isabella the Queen of Spain, stood at the entrance of his room.

Isabella Gina Reyes was young and beautiful of course but she lacked the love that her late husband gave her. Now a widow she tried to do what is best for her kingdom and her son.

"How many times do I have to tell you, mama? Please do not interrupt me when I am in my thoughts." Manuel sighed, feeling annoyed as he walked past his mother.

She had been bothering him about finding a suitable bride for several months now, they even threw him a wonderful season, all gone to waist and he had just enough of it, she was at the tip of his hand.

Queen Isabella on the other hand saw herself as a mother trying to help her son. She didn't see a mistake in any of her doings.

~*~

"MAKE WAY FOR THE QUEEN AND PRINCE!"

The royal guards yelled for the cheering people on the streets of the Madrid Kingdom to clear as their horses and carriage passed through.

"My goodness! We will never make it to the pond in this crowd. It's such a pity." Isabella complained.

"Good grief. Do these people have nothing better to do? Blocking our way with their noise is uncomfortable." Manuel groaned with a hand supporting his chin he looked the other way.

After the death of his father, Marcus V Marco Reyes, late King of Spain. It placed Manuel in a horrible state of depression. The scene often played in his head and put him deeply into thoughts. The killer of his father was still out there, and yet to be found.

Isabella noticed something strange about Manuel, she knew that something was bothering her son. The way he would react to certain situations. His frowns and tainted eyes. His sighs and knitted eyebrows. All she wanted to do was help in the best way she could. And so she thought she was.

"Your Grace, thank you for coming, we are having such a lovely afternoon." Helene, the Duchess of Ilbrando said to Isabella.

"And thank you, for inviting us... Is that not right Emmanuel? Isabella turned to ask her son who was sitting beside her. He simply nodded.

He did not want to be present at the moment, he simply wished he could disappear.

"Mama, Papa? I would love it if I and my fiancé-to-be, would have some privacy, near the pond please?" Denissa interrupted her parents. Denissa Ilbrando was the only daughter of Duke Philip and Dutchess Helene. They wanted what was best for their daughter and when the news was delivered to them that the prince of Spain was going to propose to their daughter, they leapt for joy.

Every one approved of this except for Manuel himself. His mother kept on pressuring him about proposing and wedding the perfect wife so he would become King.

They did not want him to rule alone but with a Queen by his side, and what other person would make a good Queen except Denissa? Her mama, Helene thought.

"You wore the red cravat today." Denissa seemed to notice the red material wrapped around his neck.

"It is very obvious," Manuel said.

The two were walking side by side near the clean duck pond, four meters away from where their parents sat eating and talking.

"My Lord. I... want to ask you something." Denissa turned to say, "Do you like me? Or is my beauty not enough for you?"

Manuel wondered what sort of question that was. He knew that Denissa was very beautiful. Her strawberry golden hair was appealing to the eye. Her blue sundress showed every curve in every corner of her body. Her silver eyes reminded people of the moon whenever it glimmered. She was a true beauty, but that was not enough to make him want her. He was unsure she knew how to rule and that's all that mattered to him.

"Denissa, everyone is aware of how attractive you are. But that is not enough for you to wear the crown." He answered honestly. Manuel had known Denissa for a longing eight years. Many people thought that the time for him to love her was overdue. Manuel was truly not ready for marriage. It was going to take him a lot of time to adjust to this new chapter in his life. But Denissa on the other hand was ready to take the next big step, marry the prince and become queen. That was all she had ever wanted. She was going to put effort into her relationship with Manuel and be patient.

She took both of his hands and held them tight. "I want to marry you more than anything my Lord. Let us spend more time together so you can know me well. Let us go somewhere tomorrow, in Barcelona.

"And where in Barcelona are we going?" He asked her.

"It is a surprise, my Lord, you may know when we get there." She smiled, watching his confused face expression.

"Using my favourite city in the whole of Spain is not going to do you any good," Manuel said.

"Oh, we shall see." She giggled, kissing his cheek as she always did when she would depart from him. Manuel knew that a single outing was not enough to make him love her but maybe it would help him make his decision for her to wear the crown and be his Queen.

On their way back to the palace, Isabella turned to ask her son a very important question. "Emmanuel, are you even considering marrying Lady Denissa? She is well fit to me." Emmanuel sighed a turned away but she continued to speak. "I think she is fit because she is beautiful, diligent and very patient as you can see, the coronation is less than a year away and a year is very small. You must be prepared to be King, and by showing the Kingdom that you are prepared is a wedding a future queen. Do you-

"Mama, I think I have had just enough. How was papa able to keep up with your tongue? At least he rests from your annoyance." Manuel shook his head. When they arrived home, he went to the stables and hopped on his horse, he rode to the crypt where they buried his father's ashes and some other loved family member's of the royal family such as his Abuelo and his Abuela and Abuelo from his father's side. He often visited this place every week since his tragic death. Walking down the stone chamber, he glanced at the dusted paintings that were kept there that Spanish Roy

It had been two whole months since Kingdom's loss and the death of his father. Manuel was struggling to carry on and day by day, new responsibilities would be crowned on his head. To honour his father, he would wear the crown and serve the people's request. But he was not doing it out of love.

The Crown