The Crown

Fourteen.

The Crown

"I am scared for my sons choice, but if he chooses to flee I will follow, if he chooses to stay I will stay for I do not have much of a choice," Isabella told her mother. "Nonsense Isabella. You are his mother! You are supposed to make the right choices for him, not follow along like a scared cat." Rita hissed before walking away. She was tired of her daughter's foolish actions it was leading her no where.

Isabella stared down at the balcony sadly, she was tired of watching her son walk past her day by day. Her mother was right but how could she help her son if he had not forgiven her?

"Mama," Manuel said, making Isabella turn around quickly. "I... am sorry for my actions. They were rather poor and childish. I hope that you can forgive me." He looked away, feeling embarrassed. But Isabella walked up to her son and embraced him, with tears falling from her eyes. She missed him so dearly. Finally, she could tell him everything she wanted to tell him before, "Together, we do this together." She said watching him nod. She never knew that her son would be asking her for forgiveness. She was considering the idea of getting on her knees and begging him to forgive her but life had its own way of doing things. Manuel agreed, knowing that his mother knew best. Together they were in this as a family.

~*~

"I see you wore the red cravat today. You are also getting along with Charcoal quite well." Denissa said. Manuel nodded simply. The two were walking down the royal garden, having one of their conversations. Denissa was happy to see the old Manuel coming back.

"She can be an advisor can she not?" She asked him.

"More than that, I can see that she has talent, a lot of it," Manuel answered truthfully.

"Let us go inside, I'm feeling for a little snack." But the truth was Denissa was feeling uncomfortable. She knew that Charcoal had many talents, she had seen it plenty of times. But what about her own? Not even singing she could master, it was quite a shame.

They walked inside the parlour to see Charcoal playing the pianoforte. Manuel looked quite surprised, for nobody had played in several months. This only made Denissa more jealous."I begged your mother to allow her to play, she has been an excellent tutor. I might be better than you sometimes." Denissa winked along with a smile. "I need lessons myself, I have not been playing too often, perhaps she can teach me too."

Denissa instantly hated the moment she begged the Queen to allow Charcoal to play. Jealousy was stirring in her heart, getting worse by the second. She could not even look at Charcoal.

~*~

"Jezebeth, the people are not giving their reply, should we not strike?" One of the dwarves asked the evil witch, who was practising her power. "Do not be anxious now. I have given the royal family three months to decide. If they do not, that is when we will strike." Jezebeth answered with an evil laugh. They lived just under the borders of Spain, but they had nothing to do this night, wanting to cause a few problems they thought of something crafty to do.

"But Jezebeth, can we not do something to warn them, or remind them of their deadline?" One of them suggested giving Jezebeth an excellent idea. "You are right. I will burn one of their villages and see the poor people's reactions tomorrow.

Stealing was boring, flooding their homes was too, but Jezebeth never burned their village, that was something she wanted to try. And though the realms of Spain were protected, the outside borders were not. Jezebeth and her dwarfs wanted to stir the anger in Prince Manuel's heart the more. She and her demons found a quiet village near the borders. Her dwarfs lit the torches as she blew and fire began to burn their roofs, soon she heard screaming, some managed to escape their homes but others did not. They mourned, they cried for they now had nothing.

"You see my power! No one can defeat me!" Jezebeth laughed along with her demons. "Run and tell your prince that this was just a warning, their days are numbered and soon I will destroy them all." Jezebeth laughed once more, enjoying the suffering and dying people.

For it was just the beginning.

~*~

Charcoal got on her knees, she bowed her head and prayed, "Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that tonight your angels should protect not only me nor this palace but the entire realms of Spain, I pray that everyone should be safe, sound and protected in your presence. Father, wherever my mother is, keep her safe too. In your name, Amen." Charcoal always mentioned her mother in her prayers from the day they departed from each other. Then she slept, peacefully like a baby. But someone in the castle could not sleep because she was too deep in her thoughts. Denissa did not want to have these horrible feelings of jealousy, she never thought she would. She had to keep telling herself that the prince was going to marry her and she would wear the crown.

The Crown