Queen Raeanne

A blood curdling scream awakens me. I grab on to my stomach and leap from the bed. With this child continuing to grow inside of me, I feel larger and larger every day when I wake.

Three of my ladies rush to my chamber, breaking inside with urgency. "What ever is the matter now?!"

I look for Michael outside my chambers. Why is he not standing guard? He is nowhere to be seen.

That is a problem. He should always be at his post.

"We do not know. We heard the screams and came to be by your side. We hope the danger will eliminate itself shortly." Isabella bows politely.

I begin dressing myself with their help. "Where is my personal guard? Where is Michael?"

"I haven't a clue, Rae. We just need to get you safe." Jacqueline laces up my corset as tight as she can over my ridiculously large stomach.

"Oh screw that!" I groan, pulling the laces off.

"My apologies, was it too tight? Did I hurt you?" She squeals.

"It's not about the corset. I am sick of being sheltered and ushered to safety. Last time I sat here like a sitting duck and I was attacked. I am taking my safety into my own hands this time." I grab my husband's sword from the desk and arm myself with it. "This should do the trick. Where did the screaming come from?"

"The courtyard, ma'am. Wait! Don't go! We don't know what the threat is!" Isabelle shouts after me as I take off in a sprint down the long hallway.

"And I don't quite care what the threat is. I'm sick of this!"

I run down the hall in search of my mother and husband. Surely one of them has at least a tiny grasp on the situation at hand. They could be of assistance.

I have never been left unaccompanied like this before. All my life I have been surrounded by guards from the moment I wake to the moment my eyes close and my head hits the pillow.

The absence of guards is chilling.

Suddenly, a shriek echoes through the empty halls. The soul crushing shriek is all too familiar.

"Mother." I whisper. "I'm coming!" I shout, lifting the skirt of my dress so that I can run faster without fear of tripping over it.

I find her in the middle of the courtyard, standing over the body of a man. "Mother." I rush over to her side to see what the matter is.

"That woman. She-she stabbed him with a knife from the kitchen. I didn't get a good look at her face Rae. I'm so sorry."

The King, my husband, lays on the ground beneath her. A knife sticking out of his bloody chest. He is rapidly gasping for air.

This image reminds me of my father's bloody death. Stabbed by a servant sworn to be loyal to him. My mother's body draped over his as she wept.

I drop to my knees and place my hands on his already cold body. "Help!" I shout. "Help!"

"No one is around my dear." My mother rests her hands on my shoulders.

"No. There has to be someone." I look down and stroke Phillip's face. "It's going to be alright. We are going to get you help." I smile softly as a tear falls off my cheek on to his nose. "HELP!" I call out for someone- anyone.

"Rae, dear, stop. There is nothing we can do now." My mother tries to pull me off of him.

"Mother! I can not let him die! We have to get him to the physician!" I shout at her, salty tears flooding down my face. "If for nothing else, think of the alliance!"

I watch as she shakes her head and kneels beside me. "What we need to do now is leave him to rest and get you safe from whoever might have done this so we can keep the baby alive. We must raise a king."

Phillip grabs my fingers and gasps, his eyes filled with pain before his body releases all of his soul to be free. I shake my head, tears streaming from my face.

"What did this woman look like?" I ask my mother, grinding my teeth together.

"I did not see her face. Only her hair under her hood. It was the most striking red color I had ever seen." She responds.

"Dianne."

*
What is Raeanne going to do?

Today, we say goodbye to King Phillip of Spain and Estonia. Will you miss him?

Don't forget to vote & comment!!