'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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16th September 1566
They held off the attack. It was not the news that Tulia wanted to hear. She knew that an armada of that size would not destroy England and everything that it stood for but it did not mean that she didn't think about the possibility of it happening. Tulia had prayed that God would be on her side and England would be delivered to her as early as this, but of course, good things come to those who wait.
Elizabeth was sure to have received the letter that Tulia had so hastily wrote. She knew it was stupid to reveal what she had done so early on in her Welsh reign but her prowess and pride did not allow her to stay quiet. It was a win in a sea of losses.
Luckily for Tulia, Elizabeth's warships had been significantly damaged in the attack and many men had been lost. With the reinforcements coming secretly from Scotland she did not have to leave her home unprotected. The welsh had come to her aid just like Lord Herbert had told her that they would. She was at sovereign command of two different nations yet she felt so powerless. England was a great force and it would take a greater one to overpower it. Tulia was not yet greater.
France and Scotland were there to help her, that much was true, but she did not possess the right to command them. Tulia prayed that Mary and Charles would always be on her side.
Now she was sat, on a foreign throne, on foreign soil. The Welsh had been kind enough to lend her the largest room of Conwy castle as her throne room, her throne of course was not as extravagant or as beautiful as her Irish of French one, but it would do.
"Your grace," A voice spoke from the opposite side of the room.
Tulia looked up from her daze and smiled at the man briefly as he made her way towards her.
"Lord Herbert, it's good to see you again." Tulia nodded. "I trust you bring news, I would say good but I can tell by your face that it is not."
"Elizabeth has gotten wind of your triumph." Lord Herbert explained. "She has declared war on you. Her army is heading our way as we speak."
"Spectacular." Tulia groaned. She wasn't stupid, she knew this would happen, but the constant anger from Elizabeth was getting tedious. "Reinforce the weaker areas, the Scots don't get here until tomorrow. I will hold my men back and send them to Ireland later rather than now."
"Your grace, defences are not the reason I am worried." Herbert brought up. "You have declared yourself as Queen, but our men know no Queen other than Elizabeth."
"I am now your Queen, that has now been decided." Tulia stated in a perplexed tone. "They have recognised me, they've all spoken to me directly. What more do you want me to do?"
"A coronation would suffice." Herbert suggested. "The nobles and the servants know that you are our Queen, but the people of Wales are none the wiser. You need to show them who you are."
