'Sometimes we have to sacrifice our youths in order to let people live.'
Tulia Byrne has been a Queen for longer than she could remember. Her story begins so carefree and so full of love and yet by the end of it you'll be wondering if you even know...
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4th December 1560
The sunlight shone in through the partially covered window. Its rays reaching out across the bed like dainty hands, touching every object it could find and bathing them in a warm yellow glow. The heat was unusual for the beginning of December. Perhaps it was a blessing from god, allowing the Queen and her consort happiness for the rest of their lives, or perhaps it was the quiet before the storm, one last chance for the pair to have happiness at all.
Charles and Tulia had only been married less than a week and they were very much in the honeymoon period, neither of them had been able to spend more than a second apart, and most of their time together was spend in the Dauphin's chambers.
The slow movement of a hand running through her hair woke Tulia from her slumber, turning her head slightly she squinted her eyes at the man that lay beside her. Upon realising that she was awake the prince smiled at her softly, Charles had never been one to be sentimental but each day that he spent with his Queen only aided in the growth of his affection for her.
"What are you staring at?" Tulia mumbled, rolling over slightly in order to bury her head into her husbands shoulder.
"Nothing." Charles grinned, resting his head upon hers. "Just admiring what is mine."
Tulia abruptly pulled away at this statement.
"What is yours." Tulia repeated, sitting up on her elbows and looking at him incredulously. "You best pray to God that you don't mean me."
"Why should I be the one praying?" Charles mocked, he knew that Tulia did not like to be referred to as an object. It seemed to be running theme in all the women he admired, they never wanted to be anything less than their own person. Tulia, Catherine and Mary. They were all examples of what a Queen should truly be.
"Because I will hit you." Tulia responded in a matter of fact tone. She may have said it in joking context but Charles did not doubt that the older girl would indeed hit him, she had already hit his brother before.
"You would hit a Prince?" Charles mocked. Pushing the Queen down onto the bed, he moved to hover over her.
"I've hit a King before, a Prince would not be a challenge." Tulia smirked, trying to wriggle out of her consorts grasp.
"You're very violent." Charles chuckled, leaning down closer to his wife's face.
"You love it." Tulia whispered, raising her head up to meet his.
Their lips met in a soft kiss, moving against each other quickly and then passionately.
Before any event from the previous night could be repeated, the loud noise of the door being flung open alerted them to the presence of an unwanted guest. Tulia pushed Charles off of her quickly and pulled the sheets us to her chest.
In walked Catherine Medici with a devious smile on her face. The Queen mother loved nothing more than to barge into her children's love life as if they were some sort of reality drama that she could not get enough of. Catherine loved her children getting married as it always came with the prospect of Grandchildren, and there was nothing that Catherine wanted more.
