⚠️warning: potentially triggering scenes ahead (Suicide) ⚠️

Michael

I rush to Rae's side as I see her running down the corridor. She seems to be on a mission. She does not even blink an eye at me. She will stop for no one until she achieves her goal.

"You are covered in blood." I struggle to say something that matters.

"I am quite aware of that, Michael. This is one of my favorite dresses. Where were you?" She asks, turning a corner.

Where is she going?

"Are you hurt?" I avoid her question, focusing on her. Where did all of that blood come from. "Is- is the baby hurt?"

"The baby is fine, Michael. Me? Oh well that depends on your definition of hurt." She is being short with me. Is she angry with me or just focused on her task? "Where were you? I needed you."

"Uh-" I struggle to keep up with her speed. "Can you at least tell me where we are going? I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't know what was happening."

She stops, slamming her foot in to the tile floor. "Now you are interested in doing your job?" She laughs. "Where were you this morning? I ask not as your friend or lover but as your Queen. Where were you?"

"I was having company." I choke on my words, knowing she will assume the worst.

"Who." She demands. "Let me remind you that you are speaking to your Queen. Who was more important than your duties?"

"A young woman named Caroline. She works in the-"

She holds her hand up to silence me. "Funny. I thought you and I would be the fairytale ending someday. I guess I was mistaken." She continues on her path.

"Raeanne."

"Your majesty." She corrects me.

"Raeanne!" I grab her by the wrist and yank her backwards.

"Unhand me!" She shouts.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry . It's just- well- please let me explain." I beg.

She laughs with tears in her eyes.

"I would love to let you explain but I haven't got the time. I am too busy wondering how I could have wasted so much of my time on you only for you to throw it away for another girl." She wipes a tear as more stream down her rosy cheeks. "I am too busy thinking about how to tell you we are having a boy in just a few months and trying to figure out how you could be his father. I am too busy trying to keep this place from falling apart around me, Michael!"

I stand in front of her, stunned.

"I can't even believe I was going to come to your chambers this morning and tell you it is going to all work out because Phillip- oh Phillip." She breaks down in tears and drops to the ground, hugging her knees over her bloodstained dress.

"I-" shaking my head, I kneel beside her. "Caroline and I only spoke. I did not betray my love for you." I look for the correct words to fix this mess I have seemingly created.

She stands and grabs my sword from my belt as I kneel on the ground.. "Raeanne no! Please. I beg of you. Do not hurt me." I close my eyes.

"This blade is not for you, Michael. It is for her.
I have wasted too much time on tears already." A fire burns inside her. "I must kill her."

"Kill her? Kill who? We aren't killing anybody!" I leap to my feet to follow her.

"Not we. Me." She corrects me.

"Regardless, you can't go around threatening to kill people."

"I can. And I will. She killed my husband so now I will kill her." She continues.

"A- and who is it we are looking for?" I hope I can stop Rae from killing this poor woman. I would hate to see Rae take a life. She sees red. She needs to be brought back to reality before she makes any rash decisions.

"Dianne."

"Dianne? Who is Dianne?" I shake my head. I feel like I learn about a new person every day around here. Not once have I head the name Dianne sad here at the castle.

"Phillip's mistress. She stabbed him. My mother saw it with her own eyes." She makes another turn, pushing past a woman as she takes a cart of laundry to the wash room.

Oh my god. The King is dead. It is all coming together in my head now. All of it is suddenly making sense to me. She thinks this woman called Dianne killed Phillip. I can not believe the Queen Mother actually went through with her plan. Especially after I refused to have a hand in his murder.

I didn't think she was serious about her plan.

"Stop!" I shout as Rae bursts into what I would have to assume is Dianne's chambers.

Rae screams and I hear the metal of my sword clang on the stone beneath her feet.

"Rae!" I follow her in the room, terrified of what danger lies ahead.

"Ge-get her down! Quickly!" Rae snaps out of her daze and grabs Dianne's feet, lifting her up as far as she can.

I stand in the doorway, stunned at the sight ahead of me.

A fire burns behind Dianne, illuminating her body as it hangs from a rope in the center of the room.

"Michael, help me!" Rae struggles to help Dianne.

I grab my sword from the doorway and jump up on the table beside her, slashing the rope with my blade. Her body crashes to the floor, toppling Rae to the ground.

I check Dianne's neck for a pulse, noting that her body is only slightly warm from the fire lit behind her. "Her body is cold. She has been dead at least a few hours."

Rae sits back and leans on a piece of furniture, devastated at the way things have unfolded just now. "I didn't actually want her dead." She cries into her palms. "I didn't want anyone to die. So many people have died."

"I'm so sorry."

*
Everything is coming to a head! It is getting serious!

I know Dianne was not a major character but she helped drive some story lines. I am sad to see her go! She had potential as a character.

Don't forget to vote & comment!!