The First Trials (The Second Queen Sequel)

Chapter 32

Isabella

My head throbs. My body aches. I feel a hand loosely clutching mine, my eyelids are heavy as I open them against the soft yet bright sunlight streaming through the window. A weight lies on the side of the bed, I look to the side and see a head of messy black hair. "Edward?"

He lifts his head, stirring for a moment, before resting his head back onto the edge of the bed. Then, as if a lightning bolt has struck him, he lifts his head again, spinning to face me. "Hey, hey," a relieved look fills his face, "You're alive. Oh, praise God! Praise God." He kisses my hand quickly, "Doctor! Archer!"

The patterning of running feet against the floor draws louder, 'What happened, Majesty?"

"She's awake."

"Oh, God is good." she bustles over to my bedside, looking over my face, "Hello, ma'am. You are in the hospital wing, recovering from your wounds received at the Summit of Angels." she grabs my wrist, checking the pulse as she speaks, "You are expected to make a full recovery. You were unconscious for nearly three days and in and out of consciousness for the last two. I will leave your husband to tell you the rest of the news."

She places my hand back down on the bed, bowing her head and returning to her office. I press the heels of my hands into the bed, moving to sit, he rearranges the pillows behind me, helping me to sit up better. I look up to him, half-masked dread fills his face. "What happened? Edward?" He says nothing. A hand wraps around my heart. Desperation filling my voice, "Edward, what happened?" his eyes flit downward, emptiness fills my belly. Tears fall from my eyes, lips quivering, "Where's my baby? Where's our baby, Edward? WHAT HAPPENED TO FRANCIS?"

My voice breaks, silent tears fall down his face. He clutches my hand tighter, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. "He didn't make it. He died in the fall. We couldn't do anything," he closes his eyes, bowing his head, "You weren't waking up. We were so scared. I thought I was going to lose you too."

"Where, where is he?"

"The mortician's, he's been prepared for burial. The stonemasons have already begun the headstone."

"I want to hold him."

"Mere dila, he's been dead for five days."

"I want to hold him!"

"You did, my love. A couple of days ago, you woke up for a few minutes and you held him. It was just until you fell asleep again, you never noticed that his heart was not beating. But you held him and you kissed his forehead. You cried when we took him away from you while you slept."

My voice feels small as it wavers, "He's gone?"

"Yes, we've been waiting for you to wake so that we could bury him."

"Can we, can we bury him in the garden?"

"Anything you want, love. Anything you want."

<><><>

I run my hands over the black silk of my skirt, my hair falls over my shoulders in loose waves. My reflection stares back at me silently, lifeless pale skin looks even whiter against the black bodice of my dress. A soft knock sounds in the room before the door is pushed open. "Are you ready?"

I nod, taking Edward's outstretched hand. He tucks it into his elbow, holding it with his other hand. The halls are near empty, except for the occasional servant. Guards open the doors of the palace, the sunset lighting the path of the garden. We walk, the quiet chirping of cricket adds to the comforting partial silence.

When we reach the middle of the garden, the bishop stands near an empty grave, a tiny coffin lain beside it. Father and John stand off to the side, their backs nearly touching the rose bushes. A smile of condolences falls upon the bishop's face as he begins to speak. "Dearest children, in the face of death, especially of a child, all human wisdom fails. But as we the people of this earth have lost a child, a future friend, and sovereign; our hearts go to our dearest Father as we know he will care for Francis Edward until we are able to."

A/N: 😇

How many of you still want to curse my name into the wind for the last cliffhanger? I would too if an author did that.

Can I just say though: when I wrote this chapter for the first time I almost cried, like I had tears in my eyes.

Thank you so much for reading. Last chapter and information chapters will come out sometime between the 4th and the 6th of September.
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School starts in 5 or 6 days (depends on how you look at it) for me. Hard to believe it's my senior year. And of course I rolled my ankle a week before it starts.
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Ally my love,
M
❤️⚔️