'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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5th September 1565
The throne room was quiet today, due to the departure of the King and Queen, court had not been in session. The only people in the room today were Tulia and her ladies. The girls had wanted to spend some time with their friend before she disappeared again. It seemed that whenever they arrived somewhere, she would leave.
The girls were sat together on an abundance of cushions and blankets. On Tulia's right sat Melody and on her left sat Sophia with Gwendolyn and Caoimhe opposite them.
"Do you have to go?" Caoimhe asks, fiddling with her dress as she spoke. "We've just got here and you're already leaving."
"I'm sorry Caoimhe, really." Tulia sighed, giving her friend an apologetic smile. "Charles needs some time away from court, and I think this could help him."
"Everything is so confusing here." Caoimhe explains.
"You'll still have Aidan," Melody's head snapped to look at her at these words. "Leith will be waiting in Ireland and so he will stay here."
"I can't believe you're stealing my husband from me." Gwendolyn grumbles, folding her arms across her chest.
"I'll bring him back," Tulia laughed, earning a faux glare from her Welsh friend.
"I'm going to ask you a question that may make you mad." Melody pipes up from next to the Queen. "But why are you so obsessed with trying to fix Charles?"
"I promised him that I would help him with ruling if things gout tough," Tulia explained. "How does that look for me, as a person, if I can't even keep promises to my husband?"
"King Charles does not deserve your help." Caoimhe spoke her mind, avoiding eye contact with her Queen.
"I know that." Tulia nodded solemnly, her position was confusing... as it always would be.
"I don't believe that you wanting to help Charles is the only reason that you want to leave." Gwendolyn narrows her eyes. "Go on, spill, what's the real reason you're fleeing the country?"
"I'm not fleeing the country." Tulia rolled her eyes, trying to dodge the question.
"I bet it's because of Henri." Gwendolyn answered her own question, smirking as Tulia's cheeks went slightly red.
"It's not." She said, too quickly. "Why would you think that?"
"We have all seen the way he looks at you, Tulia." Sophia grinned.
"Henri and I, can't, and will never, happen." Tulia dismissed, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat.
"But you want it to." Melody smirked. "He's the real reason that you are leaving, what has he done to you?"
"Has something happened between you two?" Gwen suggested, nudging her foot on Tulia's knee.
The silence of the Queen caused the other girls to giggle excitedly.
