The Crown

Four.

The Crown

Four months ago.

King Marcus arose early in the morning and went down to the stable. He made his choice and no one was going to stop him. "Stop! Mi Amor, stop!" Isabella ran after him, still in her robe and house slippers. "Please Marcus, do not do this! There is another way." Isabella begged. "Isabella, go back inside, I am doing what is right, I promise you mi amor, that I will be back." He hopped on his horse. But Isabella knew her husband all too well. "No! You lair, if you are going I am going with you, we will die together." Isabella yelled as she climbed up unto the horse."No Isabella! What about our son? Are you just going to leave Manuel to be orphaned?" Marcus hopped off of his horse and helped Isabella down as well."He is safe with my mother and Aaron, they will protect him. I am going with you!" Isabella kept on insisting, Marcus held her close and pulled her in for a strong kiss, a promising kiss and Isabella soon became weak allowing her guard to be put down."Promise me you will come back. Promise me, Marcus!" She begged him. "I promise, with all my heart I promise I will make my way back to you," Marcus promised her for one last time before climbing on his white Arabian horse and riding away. Isabella never knew that he would never come back, only his ashes would.

Present

A maid rushed into the main parlour and bowed before speaking. "Your Grace, the soldiers have returned and they want to speak with you immediately!"

"They must have important news, tell them to come in." Queen Isabella said, quickly placing her yarn and crochet that she was knitting with on the table next to her. Three soldiers came in and bowed before the one in the middle spoke. "Your Grace, we have found the killer of your late husband. But only three of us have returned. Queen Isabella was suddenly taken adrift. They have been searching for the man who was responsible for the King's death for months and Isabella never knew this day would come so soon.

"May I ask why only three of you have returned? You left with twenty men." The Queen asked them. "Because your Grace, we were the only three remainings that weren't slaughtered. Or at least we have come to believe so. It was unexpected your Grace." The middle one spoke.

"Slaughtered? How dangerous is this man?" She asked them.

"It is not a man, but a woman using a man. She can manipulate anyone and anything in her path. We believe she is a witch. She also said we should deliver you this message that she is coming to kill, steal, and destroy."

"A witch? In Spain? Unbelievable! We have hundreds of people who are guarding the realms of Spain. How can she possibly destroy it? Unless it is someone who will disguise herself as one of us." The shocked Queen thought of a reason why this could have happened.

"We travelled out of Spain to find her, she lives just in front of the borders your Grace. And have you forgotten that she is a witch? What will we do, we-

"Get out of my sight!" Queen Isabella yelled in anger and fear. How could this be? She sent twenty soldiers and only three returned.

"Cara! Get me my aid." Isabella commanded, trying to calm down as she thought of the next thing to do, to tell her son perhaps. But she knew Manuel would not sit down if he heard this, he would go out there and demand the witch to die not knowing he would be calling upon his own death. So she decided to keep her mouth shut, she also told the servants and the soldiers, even her advisors that if Manuel heard a word of this from any of them she would throw them all in jail to rot.

Isabella was cruel when she wanted to be and kind whenever she was happy. But happiness barely came around.

~*~

"I just want him to marry me. Why must I have a talent and all his expectations?" Denissa asked Charcoal who washed her hair.

"But, what about love, my lady?" Charcoal asked her.

"Love can come after. He needs to see that we can rule together, we can be one. I am fit to rule... correct?" Denissa asked her. Charcoal was reminded of the very question Carrot asked her in the kitchen. She did not know if giving Denissa the same answer would be right.

"I am sorry lady Denissa, but you are not prepared. You are the most beautiful woman I have seen and I know the prince believes the same but that is not all to wear the crown. Your heart must be the same as your looks, beautiful, kind, patient, good, gentle all these things. And most importantly... you must have love, not only for the prince but the people of Spain so the question is my lady. Do you love the prince and all that will come with him or his riches and glory?" Charcoal asked her, although she was shaking on the inside she spoke the truth and could never lie to Denissa.

Denissa knew that Charcoal was right, she did not know if she loved the prince herself. She was simply confused and needed time to think, she wanted to be left alone.

"Get out." She said simply after she heard the door close, she shed tears of confusion, drowning herself in her thoughts, everything was frustrating for her. Manuel was angry with her and she hoped that did not ruin the chances of him proposing to her.

Charcoal went back to her room and prayed, hoping she had not done anything wrong to offend Denissa. She glanced out her window and sang hymns of psalms, she loved thinking about her mother and where she might be. She could not believe it was over four years since she had seen her, she cherished their memories together that she could remember. Her mother always sang beautiful hymns to Charcoal and read the righteous King's Word. But now, everything had changed.

The Crown