Her Crown

XXXVI

Miss Florence grabbed onto Victoria's arm pulling her backwards and away from the action. Thankfully the carriage could be pulled behind the stage. Without even looking behind her at the mess that had been left. Screams erupted and they weren't the good kind. They were the kind that will keep you up at night for the rest of your life. Clutching her chest Victoria seemed to have not taken breath for the last three minutes but of course she had. Throwing her head in her hands she burst into tears. Miss Florence drew the curtains quickly as they ordered the carriage to drive away and get back to the house. 

"Ma'am are you ok ?" Miss Florence asks touching her back softly as she continued to cry her eyes out. Her chest rising and falling rapidly 

"I almost died." Victoria sobs 

"You are not hurt are you ma'am. He did not touch you did he." Miss Florence questions checking her over to make sure there was o visible blood or cuts in her clothing that would show that she too got hurt. But thankfully there was not. The guards themselves saved her life and she would forever be grateful. 

Shaking her head profusely fly aways falling down against her cheeks out of her bun. With each close of her eyes she saw both Gulliver and Xavier. Their lifeless bodies her fault. Not just one kill to her name but two some would argue was inhuman but others would say her kill list was tame.  The way Xavier's eyes locked onto her's the whole time his face unfazed as he fell to the floor. Gulliver much the same a different sense of hatred radiate from both. Her hands shook as she continued to sob. She promised she wouldn't be a queen like this , she didn't want to kill unless absolutely paramount and today not one but two lives were taken. 

A knock sounded on the door of the carriage as Miss Florence pulled back the curtain to reveal Miss Williams with the crown box ready to put the crown back in for safe keeping. But of course that is with one of the guards right now. Frowning Miss Williams looked to Miss Florence for answers as to where it went.

"The guards have it. There was an ambush at the hanging. The Queen is fine a little shaken up." Miss Florence explains as Victoria tried to cover up how distraught she was , she hated people seeing her crying and today was no exception she was meant to be the hard faced ruler but today just didn't go as she had expected. She cared not just for one of them but both sometimes 

"I shall draw a bath." Miss Williams suggests snapping the box lid shut heading back into the house knowing for a fact Victoria would not want to be surrounded by all of the staff asking questions right now. Ordering them all back inside as she went. 

Victoria took one step outside of the carriage taking a deep breath. Staring up at the House she called home. A home she was raising her children and nurturing her reign at the same time. Maybe she should abdicate maybe that was what her children would respect more than a damaged Queen for a mother. Throughout her life she thought the best legacy she could create for herself and her family was to become Queen to be a forceful leader and show that a woman could be as good as if not better of a leader than a man. But right now she felt sick to her stomach thinking about what she had just ordered to happen outside. Her children targets much like herself for all forms of attack. Each night since Gulliver's arrest she sat in the children's nursery watching them or at least having some one watch them. Worried some one would break in a take them or worse. 

They deserved a normal mother that could give them her undivided attention. Live in a world where they don't have to look over their shoulder when they eat and sleep just in case. A world she was fortunate to be born into but had to try and change her fate. But now it all felt horrible she knew deep down they both deserved it but it still hurt. Their deaths were her fault not that of battle or out of retaliation. She now had to live with it which caused a different kind of pain to radiate through her body. One much worse than the death of Francis. One that questioned everything. 

Sliding into the Luke warm bath Miss Florence began to slowly un do the braid of her hair letting it flow down the back of the bath. The brown tendrils getting quite long and thick now. Raising her hand up out of the water she dropped it back in again watching as the water rippled around it. She thought the sentiment of a calming bath was nice but it left her with her thoughts. Her damaging thoughts that no one should be left alone with. 

Sitting up in the bath Miss Florence let go of her hair letting the ends tickle the top of the bath water. Her face tensed as she bit her lip. Victoria was going to scream about her hair getting wet was she. But of course she didn't , she hadn't even noticed the hair getting wet she just felt so numb. Like you could poke her skin with a sword and draw blood but she wouldn't even feel it. It would just happen unfazed. 

Turning round to face Miss Florence who's face softened slightly at the sight of the broken woman. Sat in front of her wasn't a hard faced killer it was a broken mother like any one else would be after what she had gone through. Sighing deeply Victoria touched the edge of the bath to the left of her. A tear trickling down her cheek , but she didn't bother to wipe it away there was no need. 

"I want the abdication papers drawn up." Victoria states her voice calm and levelled. 

Miss Florence just stared at her blankly as if it took a short moment for her brain to process what Victoria had just ordered. She knew she wasn't joking a large laugh wasn't about to follow this. She had been pondering this idea for a while on and off since Francis so it was only a matter of time before she ordered it Miss Florence knew that. Nodding her head slightly she still waited to see if Victoria changed her mind but she knew she wouldn't. This was it.