American Royalty

Chapter 15

Rose awoke the next morning with a numbness filling her body, shocking her considering it was the day she was to die. She sat up on the bed as she looked out of the barred window, taking in the sunlight that cascaded through at her. As she listened to the crowd growing outside at the execution stage her chest began to tighten with anxiety. Would it hurt? she wondered as she began to dress for the execution. She slipped on her black dress and tucked her hair into the black bonnet she was given before holding a rosery she had kept since the explosion. The door suddenly opened to reveal Elliot standing with a mournful gaze casting back at her.

"Are you ready my Lady?" Elliot questioned with sadness lacing his words. Rose nodded, unable to release any words during this moment. 

As she followed him to the execution stage through the crowd, she was touched by the villagers hands as prayers for her were whispered out among the mostly quiet crowd. She finally made it to the stairs to the stage, her heart thumping faster with each step she took to climb the wooden steps. Rose took a deep breath before walking to the front of the stage to look over the crowd. In the front stood her daughters, Sir Zack, Destiny, and Evan all watching her with curious eyes. Gentle cries from her daughter's caused her heart to swell, pain flashing across their face as they were forced to watch what was soon to happen to their mother. Rose gave them both a small yet warm smile before looking over towards the rest of the crowd to give her final speech.

"Thank you all for coming to what will be my last day on this planet. I would like to say a few words before I am delivered to my savior to rest eternally. I beg you all to pray for my daughters, that they may grow from this and forever be strong and kind to all. Pray for his Majesty as well, he is a fair and just ruler that cares for the safety of his people beyond any measure. I believe in justice, as I said during my trial. I maintain my innocence, and I beg that should anyone look into my case that they judge me by my character. I ask that of all of you here today would also judge me of my character and not of these false pretenses. Know that justice will ultimately be served, no matter how long or short it takes. Now as I take my leave of the world I ask that you would pray for God to lead my soul to a place of eternal rest, where I may reunite with my family in peace. Thank you."

Rose let a shaking sigh escape her lips as she turned to the hooded executioner, handing him the dowry for his services and forgiving him for the unfortunate task he had to carry out. She turned towards the crowd once more, scanning the familiar faces of the kingdom she grew to love and adore, before kneeling and laying her head on the cold wooden block. Tears fell down her face as fear became more apparent. The blade of the axe shown in the sunlight, creating a small glare off of her wedding ring, bringing the haunting memory of her life from the explosion until that moment in time.

As their mother rested her head on the block, Emily and Sarah knelt before the stage and began to whisper prayers of mercy for Rose. Soon the rest of the villagers followed suit, kneeling and praying along with the princesses. Destiny stood with Evan, refusing to kneel as they watched the executioner intently. Destiny's heart began to race as the executioner raised his axe, cries ringing amongst the crowd before the swordsman delivered the swift and final blow to the fallen queen. Sobs rang through the air as Rose's lifeless head was placed in a basket and her body was dragged off the stage. Sarah clung to her sister as she watched their mother's body being loaded on a cart and dragged away from the crowd. Destiny visibly relaxed as the reality of the situation became clear, she had finally succeeded at her plot to usurp the throne from Rose. With the previous queen dead, she would be able to take her place as the new Queen of America.

After the stage was taken down and the villagers began a walk of mourning to the castle,  the king announced there would be an immediate celebration thrown in honor of his wedding to Mistress Destiny in the next few days, to the dismay of his daughters. Sarah couldn't help but feel empty and confused as to why he would not allow time for mourning for their mother. The night before the death of Rose, the king set strict rules for the girls concerning their mourning. They were not allowed to publicly mourn the loss of their mother once the execution and walk of mourning had ended. They also had to accept Destiny as their new mother, the punishment for not accepting these rules, among the others he had ordered, was the same fate as their mother. 

Once they entered the castle, the girls stood in the throne room, quietly watching Destiny and their father publicly showing affection like two newly weds who had been in love for ages. Emily looked away, angered that her mother's body was not yet cold and her father acted as though nothing had happened. Sarah questioned how after the years Rose had been married to their father, how could he move on so quickly and marry someone else so soon. As Emily walked to the table where refreshments sat and her sister made her way to the royal garden, she was approached by a man in a dark blue suit with slicked back black hair. The princess turned to him, curtsying  instinctively before holding her hand out for him to kiss as she had been taught. Both of the twins had been trained in poise, though in her distressed state it was more difficult for her to perform.

"Your Highness, I am the French ambassador Monte Le Frie. I came to make a proposition from my masters to you. I shall be staying in the castle as we make arrangements for the Prince of France to come and meet you officially. In the time before that I do hope to get to know you better," Monte introduced as he kissed Emily's hand before walking towards the throne and bowing before Evan. As Evan stood and walked with Monte into the business chambers, Destiny's eyes were drawn to her future stepdaughters, some jealousy bubbling in her gut as she watched Emily walked towards the stairs to the bed chambers. Before she could stand to follow, Carter placed his hand on her shoulder, jolting her back into her throne.

"We are finally where we were meant to be sweet sister." Carter muttered in her ear as he sat beside her. Destiny shivered as he gave a knowing smirk before following her gaze to Sarah.

"Worry not sister, if we successfully rid ourselves of the beggar queen we can also rid ourselves of her brats just as easy." 

As Emily climbed the stairs holding the rosery her mother was holding before her death, she could no longer hold the tears back from flowing down her face. As tears poured from her eyes and the pain in her chest throbbed through, she managed to climb the stone steps to her room. She entered her chambers and shut the door before melting to the floor in a broken mess. 

After she finished crying, Emily sat on the floor collecting herself as best she could. She knew her mother would have wanted her to be strong and kind, yet all that was on her mind since the execution was revenge on the temptress who bewitched her father. Emily stood and walked to the window, looking out to the clouds that began to cover the sun, smothering the light that was casting onto the land.

"I swear to you this mother,"  Emily began as she gripped the rosery protectively in her hand and held it to her heart. She shook with emotion as more tears began to fall down her freckled porcelain face. Anguish filled her eyes as she blinked away the pain and began to be overcome with anger.

As she began to speak again her voice broke in both pain and furiousness, shuddering her words as she spoke the rest of her promise to her mother.

"I swear to you mother, I will avenge you. I will kill the queen."