Queen Raeanne

My chamber guards open the doors to allow my mother inside. "My child, what is it? The guards say you wish to speak to me?"

"Mother. Hello. I just had a few questions about today's attack on Phillip." I begin, hoping my worst fear is not about to come true. There has to be a good explanation for all of this, right?

"Ah yes. So tragic. Though I am terribly glad his killer has been brought to justice. Now we can all put this behind us. It is in the past now."

"His killer?" I glance at Michael while I play dumb with my mother. "What do you know of his killer being caught?"

"They found the woman. Didn't you hear? I saw the guards carrying her body from the chambers. They say it was a suicide. She must have felt so guilty about what she had done."

I nod. "Her name was Dianne. She was Phillip's mistress for most of our marriage." I fill her in.

She leaps to her feet, the chair shaking from the force she used to stand. "I knew it. I knew he was a cheater. Men are good for nothing. I'm glad Phillip was taken out just like your good-for-nothing father." She speaks quicker than her brain can process.

"My father? What has this to do with him?"

"Yes child. I wanted to shield you from the truth as long as I could. Your father cheated on me. Shortly after I leaned of his mistress, he was dead." More pieces begin to fall in the puzzle of my life.

I nod slowly, beginning to understand what happened. "If I recall correctly, didn't that woman have red hair?"

My mother nods with such excitement that her tightly wound bun unravels itself much like her lie is unraveling itself as she speaks. "Oh yes. It was strikingly red. Her curls were all over the place."

"How interesting that both men were cheaters and both men were stabbed by servants sworn loyal to them who also had strikingly red hair. You described the two women the exact same way this time as you did last. And you found both of the bodies as well. Just as they took their dying breaths." I speak the stories out loud, finally realizing after all these years that my father's death does not make sense.

"I- I guess it is quite the coincidence, dear. It is getting quite late. I should retire to my own chambers now. You should get some sleep as well. You can't have a healthy baby if you aren't taking care of yourself as well."

"Michael." I motion for him to block the door. "I have just one last question, Mother." I walk closer as she tries to her past Michael. "And let me quickly remind you, you are being asked a question by your Queen. Lying could result in your head rolling across the floor."

"That is no way to speak to your mother!" She argues.

"It is if she is also a traitor to her country and daughter." My mother is offended by my accusation. "Answer me this. Did you kill Phillip to protect me? Or was it for another reason completely?"

She refuses to answer. I had to expect that. She has kept her guard up all this time and has escaped suspicion for so many years. Now everything is falling apart around her with every word she speaks.

"Mother! This will be so much easier if you just admit to it!" I shout, tired of her lies.

"Yes. I killed him. But it was all for you, my love. I heard his threats on your life. I heard him beating you. I needed to protect my baby and grand baby. The future king needed someone to fight for him."

I nod. "So the woman with the red hair was made up?" I ask, just to be sure.

"Yes. I didn't even know about his mistress. She just so happened to fit my description."

"Was the story made up for father too?"

"He had gone mad. I knew I could rule better if it was just me. This kingdom was not going to survive with him as king any longer. There would be no Estonia left by the time you came of age." She admits, quickly revealing everything to me.

I scoff. "You killed my husband and my father. Who else have you killed here at court?" I laugh angrily. "Poor Henry probably lost his life at your hands too. I wouldn't be surprised at this point." I turn away from her, unable to look at her face any longer.

"It was an accident." She weeps.

"What?!" I snap my head back around to see her.

"He wasn't supposed to touch that letter. It was never intended for him."

"Stop talking. I can't take any more of this."

Michael stands in front of the door, listening and watching as the story of my life crumples around me, falling to the floor and shattering into millions of more pieces. Nothing I thought I knew is true.

"The letter was meant for Phillip. I thought if he died after the wedding after the english arrived then Spain would go to war with England and they wouldn't be able defend themself from our attack. You could rule Estonia, Spain, and England in just a few months." She tries to rationalize her actions.

"Stop talking now!" I scream. "You killed my twelve year old brother! If father and Phillip were not innocent, surely Henry was! He didn't deserve death! I shouldn't have had to bury his tiny little body! That coffin was much too small! Coffins should not be made that size!" Hot tears stream down my cheeks, surely ruining the makeup I used earlier after cleaning myself up.

"It truly was an accident. I don't know how he ended up with the letter in the first place. It all went so terribly wrong."

"Guards." I call. They enter the room. "Arrest the Queen Mother at once."

*
How do you guys feel about what happened in this chapter?

Don't forget to vote & comment!!