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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Find your peace.
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Catalina
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I WATCH AS servants hurry around trying to make everything perfect. Making sure every little banner and hanged correctly and all the furniture is dusted to perfection.
Few days have passed and just as the plan was about to take its last step the king surprisingly gained his wits back and the plan was to be pushed back until he realizes that he is the king of France and not Hungary.
The downfall to Henry getting his mind back together is that he thought he was the King of Hungary and he wanted to "attack" France for some silly reason.
Yet no one stopped him or his battle plans. Everyone just fed off of this terrible state of mind to benefit themselves.
It is truly disturbing.
The King even tried to parade the twins around the castle instead of his own children who are still little babes and it was rather bothering.
The King had insisted on taking Thomas on long rides around the forest all day long under the sun.
Francis had tried to protest but the King went crazy every time and threatened to kill everyone near him.
The children would cry because of the heat but the king didn't care, he would still take them out and just leave them there in pain.
Everyone was too afraid to approach the king on the matter because he seemed to be enjoying it all but I personally had enough of it children suffering.
So I did what a mother and queen should do when her children are in danger.
I did something so foolish and cruel that even I couldn't and would never forgive myself for.
It was midnight and I had called my ladies and Victoria into my chambers and I made sure that no one, not even the men I am supposed to keep posted at my door.
Susana had done as told and got what I needed from Nostradamus for the plan to work.
It was dark out and the moon was shining bright that night as almost everyone in the palace was sleeping peacefully.
Francis had moved back into my chambers after we reconnected with one another but I had known that if I wanted my plan to succeed that he would have to have no involvement with the whole thing.
I pace the secret hall that was made many moons ago as a passage for a quick escape. I had been waiting for the rest of my ladies to arrive so we could get this done and over with.
I heard the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer that first scared me a bit in fear that I had been caught but it had only been my ladies hurrying to get here.
"Your grace, " my ladies said while doing a curtsy.
Flashing a weak smile Catalina clasps her hands behind her back. "Do you have it, Susanna?" She had asked sounding a bit nervous.
Susanna nodded her head and reach under her gown and pulled out a long vial that was filled with a light blue liquid.
Catalina let out a sigh of relief before snatching the vial from Susanna's grasp. "Whatever is in this vial must be strong enough to kill, I don't want him rising from the dead during my husband's coronation, " said Lina in a serious tone.
"Nostradamus had told me to tell you not to give the one your trying to kill too much of the poison because if you do so then it could possibly be traced and we don't want that to happen, " Susanna explained.
Catalina nodded her head, "I fear I might mess up so one of you must do it, " she admitted pushing the vial towards her ladies plus Victoria.
None of Catalina's ladies dared to speak up. It was smart of them not to because what they were doing was disastrous and could possibly get them all executed.
It was an uncomfortable moment of silence before Victoria cleared her throat and snatched the vial from Catalina much to everyone's surprise.
At that moment all the ladies were staring at the maid who was usually quiet and shy, it was shocking because Victoria had always been the one to warn the girls of the dangers of these types of things but at this moment Victoria was being the bravest of them all.
"Your grace you are kind and very generous, you've never gotten angry with me for no reason, and you do deserve happiness, and I love Isabel, Thomas, and Nicholas as if they were my own so if you think this is what you truly think is best to keep them safe then I will do this for you, " said Victoria in her usual kind and gentle voice.
Without thinking Catalina had found herself hugging Victoria tightly, it was something that both Catalina and Victoria needed at the moment. So the big lasted longer than it should have but it was worth it because it managed to calm the two ladies down.
Catalina was first to pull away still hold Victoria by the arms, "you will never want for anything Victoria, you shall have all the riches that I can provide, " Catalina said with the tiniest bit of hope in her voice.
"I would do anything for you, your majesty, " Victoria said with a kind and loving smile plastered on her face.
Catalina smiled before taking her hands off of Victoria and clasping her hands behind her back.
"Ladies this plan must work, there can not be any mistakes because just once a ruin all of our lives, " Catalina spoke coldly.
It was not an easy task but in the end, me and my ladies did what we had to do. Even if what we did could have gotten us all beheaded we still followed through with the outrageous plan and we did it because we knew that if what was going on went on any longer then the Valois dynasty would come to an end.
There were guards posted at the doors so it was hard for Victoria to even get through but I had sent Susana to go distract them by creating noises on the other side of the hall.
As soon as the guards left we crept our way to his chambers. My head was spinning and my head couldn't exactly catch up with what had happened that night. I felt empty inside and the only thing that truly helped me was just thinking about his free I would be after everything is done— I hoped that my children would no longer have to worry about anything and my husband would be safe as well. I hoped that I too would be safe– I just wanted– no, I needed to feel safe again, I needed to be happy again and I knew that if I wanted to keep my family alive and with me that this was the only thing that needed to happen for that to happen.
Victoria looked pale and her joyful smile had faded. Clara and Inés were both on the verge of crying, I could feel the nervousness radiating off of them both— I was frightened too even if I did not show it. I felt all the bad energy of my past falling out of me. My mind was everywhere— I kept thinking of my parents and their deaths, my siblings and their lives, I even thought about María, I wondered if she was okay and safe. I knew it was strange of me to have these thoughts when about to do something so cruel but as much as I wanted to focus on the things that were about to happen I just couldn't.
Once given the signal Clara and Inés slowly pushed open the big brown door open with all their might. The door let a slightly loud creek when being opened which made us all freeze in fear.
My heart started beating rapidly and my breaths go heavier and heavier.
I couldn't move nor speak because of how frightened I was, I felt as if my life flashed before my eyes...
At that moment I finally realized what a big mistake I was making my body just wouldn't let me speak. It was as if I were a stone statue.
I didn't say anything or stop Victoria from continuing into the room but in my mind, I knew it was wrong, I knew what I was doing would get me punished in the eyes of God.
Yet like I said before, I couldn't move, it was as if a force was blocking me from doing so...
So I foolishly decided to listen to my body and I gave the other signal and Clara and Inés continued to open the door...
As my body walked into the dark room with only one lit candle my thought of regret stayed behind in the hall. All my thought of my childhood sadness and my parent's death were left in that hall, everything I ever believed in stayed in that hall.
On that night when the moon shined bright, I became a different person. The girl who held anger for her mother for marrying her off to a man she hadn't even met was gone, the little girl who would play the hiding game with her father was gone as well. Because on that night when the moon shined bright I became someone else, I became a true queen, I left my fears and worries in that hall, and I accepted my life because I would no longer be the naive girl who held hope for the future.
King Henry Valois the II of France. The father to my husband and grandfather to my children. The man who was known for his many bastard children and his many affairs. The man who ruled over France for twelve years.
This man who many adored wouldn't get to accept his peace in life and die with the ones he loved around him. Instead, he got five women who could care less about the man.
No one deserved to face death in such a tragic and sad way. It was cruel and unfortunate. Death was something not easy to face but it made things much better when you have family around you to help you accept your peace and meet death.
Yet this man didn't get that. He didn't get to accept his peace in life, he didn't get to say goodbye to his family or apologize to his wife for how sorry he was for all the pain and betrayal that he had put on her.
Victoria held the vial filled with light blue liquid tightly in her hand. Her face was drained of the color it usually had and instead held a pale color that would scare someone out of their mind.
The servant had always followed the rules and avoided trouble but when she met Lina her days of avoiding trouble came to an abrupt end.
All four ladies held looks of fear on their faces as they looked around the dark chambers that were lit up by only one candle.
The moon that shined so brightly that night was shining through the glass as bright as it could as if it was shining a direct light onto the four ladies who held looks of fear on their faces.
It was not an easy task at all to complete. We all held thoughts of fear and regret within us but we knew it was too late to leave now.
Inés and Clara made sure that there were no other guards in the room. Once they cleared that we were the only ones in there Victoria and I went into the other part of the chambers while Clara and Inés stayed behind to watch and make sure that no one entered the room.
Me and Victoria held onto one another's hands as tight as our bodies would let us. We both would occasionally glance over at each other as we walked through the short hall that led to the king's bedroom.
My heart sped up a pace with every step we took which led us closer and closer towards the big wooden door that connected to the king's room.
It was a silent walk there and the only thing a person could hear was the clicking of heels against the floors and the breaths that were taken to keep myself and Victoria from fainting.
We walked for what seemed to take forever until we finally reached the wooden door that was the only thing that was stopping us from fully completing this task—
Me and Victoria both took a moment to stare at the door. We took deep breaths before turning and facing each other.
Victoria still held onto my hands tightly as she looked at me with a weak smile on her face.
"You s-shall b-be the Queen of France, and I will f-forever be your loyal s-subject, " Victoria had said trying to sound as cheerful as possible but it was hard to even think of happiness during any of what was going on that night.
I didn't respond with words but gave a weak smile and lightly squeezed Victoria's hand three times.
Victoria oddly understand what I was doing and why I felt as if I needed to do so. She didn't judge me or disagree with it all, she only took a deep breath in and let go of my hand, and turned to face the wooden door once again.
I turn as well and took a deep breath in and placed a hand on Victoria's shoulder. I could feel her body shaking and slightly hear her heartbeat.
I closed my eyes for a moment and took one more deep breath in. I imagined being in a much brighter place where the wind blew over my face and where my children could be free of any worries that they might hold.
I had stayed that way with my eyes tightly shut closed for a quick moment, and for that quick moment, I almost believed I was actually there.
But alas all happy moments must come to an end. My quick moment of happiness came to an end when I felt my hand slip from Victoria's shoulder which made me instantly open my eyes.
As soon as my eyes opened I was Victoria slowly stepping into the king's rooms. I could even see the king sleeping peacefully with dreams holding him in his slumber.
It took me a moment to follow Victoria but I did follow her into the room. I slowly entered the room with a mind full of regret. Yet even with all the regret in the world being held in my head I still couldn't speak up and tell Victoria that what we were doing was no okay and that we needed to go back.
Instead, I watched as Victoria, my most loyal servant forced the vial of light-blue poison down the king of France's throat.
I took there frozen in my place as my father-in-law choked up in pain. He laid there holding onto Victoria tightly. He was in pain for a while before his hands slowly dropped from Victoria's arms.
At this point, I was just standing there frozen, I couldn't speak nor move and it was becoming hard to breathe.
I had stood there and watched as the king of France took his last breath, it felt slow but in reality, it passed over quickly.
As soon as the job was finished Victoria rushed out of the king's rooms and shut the big wooden door as fast as she could. Tears were falling from her eyes as she dashed over to me.
Without even thinking Victoria fell into my arms holding me tightly as she sobbed into my shoulder. I didn't shed one single tear though, I just told there with my arms holding onto a weeping Victoria as I stared at the big wooden door that would forever haunt me in my dreams...
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THAT NIGHT when the moon shined brightly was also the night when the King of France died without being able to fully accept his peace in life.
That was also the night where I, Catalina Rosa Trastámara, Queen of Spain realized that not all of God's people will be able to accept their peace in life.
I took a deep breath in and lifted my dress slightly as I took a step up to my throne.
My throne. I watched over all the scrambling servants as they rushed about. They were preparing for my coronation.
And while France's usual color of mourning was white I made sure that me and my ladies plus Victoria wore black. It was our own way of honoring the king because after all, we are the reason he isn't alive anymore.
I sat on my throne with my head held high, I didn't feel much happiness in me anymore, I didn't even think I deserved to be crowned queen but I pushed it all back like always and I acted like the Queen of stone I am.
As my mind wandered elsewhere I did not even notice that my husband, the king of France, had arrived in the throne room, and I wouldn't have noticed for a while if he didn't bow in front of me.
"My queen, " he said as he took a low bow. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked down at my husband.
"My king, " I say with a tiny smile on my face. I wasn't completely able to trust Francis but I also knew was in no place to hold anger with him when I had my loyal servant pour a vial of poison down his father's throat.
Francis stepped up to my throne and took my hand and placed a gentle kiss on it.
My heart seemed to light up when he did that because even if I felt like I was the worst person to ever exist I still had my husband and children that loved me more than I was able to love myself.
"Are you ready to become the Queen of France my love?" He asked as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
I shrugged my shoulders, "I am nervous yet ready, I feel joy knowing that your mother no longer holds the title of Queen of France, " I said with a soft laugh.
Francis chuckled lightly and squeezed my shoulder before walking over to his throne. Once seated he grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes with love for me held in his heart.
"My forever queen, I shall love you even if you do not love me and I shall love you more than I ever loved, " he smiled.
I didn't respond with words but instead, I smiled at him with joy in the way I looked into his eyes.
My life as a prince's wife ended that night when the moon shined bright and my life as the Queen of France and wife to the King of France and mother to the future king of France and Spain started...
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AUTHOR'S NOTE <3
Finally, I published a new chapter!!! This chapter was the only main event that needed to happen before part two of this book and finally, it has happened and the next few chapters will be short filler chapters before part two of the book where the real trauma and sadness comes <33
I am more than happy to say that it's a queen's job is reaching part two and that from now on all of the chapters of part one will only be short chapters filled with joy!
Thank you so much for 13k read because I didn't think I would have actually gotten this many reads for this book because let's be honest, my writing sucks <3
But thank you to everyone who has read my book and took the time out of their day to vote and comment 💗 I love you all.