The Queen

When Anne was named Queen of England, the first thing she did as the queen was show mercy. Mercy to those who her father had wrongfully sent to the dungeons and returned them to their families. Mercy to the father who had gone mad in his rule and nearly took her life. He seemed to be getting better and back to who he was before his ascension to the throne. But now, all her hopes of her father becoming healthier and as he had been before the crown was put on his head has been washed away. She now stared at a letter sent from her father to an infamous assassin who had only a single letter as his name on the letter they had intercepted that instructed this 'S' to pose as a Queen's Guard member and kill her by poison. She put the open letter down on her desk before looking up towards the man who intercepted the letter and the woman who brought it to her.

"Sir Magnus, send two of your most trusted men, preferably ones with much experience, to take my father from the dungeons to the tower. I also want you to order every man in the guard with the first and last initial 'S' to report to those two same men to have their rooms and persons stripped for poison and report back to me only on what you find. Do it now," Anne ordered the man. He bowed and did as he was told. Once he was out of the room, Anne turned to Lady Kira. One of her most trusted friends. "Lady Kira, I want you to go straight to the kitchen and warn the staff and my testers of this plot and that they should exercise caution." Lady Kira nodded, bowed, and went on her way.

Finally, Anne felt she could breathe. Anne closed her eyes and for a minute, she embraced the warm memories she had as a six-year-old child at her grandmother's home and playing in the large patch of grass. Her memory was interrupted when she felt a cruel, cold hand place itself on her shoulder. Anne opened her eyes to see her mother standing next to her with a worried look on her face.

"Are you alright, darling? Should I get the physician," Althea asked her child in a worried tone. Anne looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean, mother? I feel fine," Anne told her. Althea let out a sigh of relief. She knows that this shift of power had been difficult for her child. Her only child at that.

"You seemed to have fallen asleep in your chair for a good hour. Sir Magnus wishes an audience with you on your matter," Althea told her. Anne nodded and, knowing that Sir Magnus was waiting outside the doors, motioned the only servant in the room to open them. Althea turned to her daughter.

"Would you like me to stay, my daughter," Althea asked. Anne shook her head.

"No mother. I will handle this on my own," Anne instructed. Althea bowed and exited the room just as Sir Magnus came in and bowed. Anne motioned for the servant to close the door behind the man. "Ser Magnus. I here you have news of the matters of earlier." Magnus nodded.

"Yes, your majesty. While being taken to the tower, your father professed to a great extent his love for your majesty and England. However, while being questioned in the tower he refused to answer questions until he speaks with you. In fact, he demands it," Magnus informed the girl. Anne looked towards the window and walked over to it with Magnus following her.

"My father is in no position to make such demands. What of the assassin? Have you any news on him...or her," Anne asked as she continued to stare out the window.

"While strip searching two men's rooms, we found multiple letters from a Mr. S. Williams regarding the matter of assassinating your majesty," Magnus informed her. She sharply turned to face the man who was 25 years her senior.

"Go get them and meet me in the throne room as well as present me with these letters you found. You have 20 minutes," Anne told him. She then proceeded to walk past him and make her way towards their designated meeting spot. Within 20 minutes, the two men were before her in shackles and she had just finished these letters.

"Both of you have the last name 'Monteith'. Are you related in some way," she asked as her eyes drifted towards the lanky boy and the handsome man next to him. The lanky one nodded.

"Yes, your majesty," the lanky one said.

"Which brother are you Mr. Monteith? Sebastian or Samuel," Anne asked, knowing that if he spoke the name she wanted he would be executed and if he didn't speak the name she wanted to hear then it would be his brother meeting the headsman.

"Samuel, my queen," he answered. Anne looked towards the brother who kept his head down and was silent.

"It is said that the most silent is the boldest and the boldest has more to hide. Have you offended against your majesty, Sebastian?" Anne turned and gave a hard and cold look at Samuel. "Or was it your brother?"

"I do not even know why we are here, your grace. Therefore, I do not think I can give you a valid answer," Sebastian said as he lifted his blue eyes to meet her brown ones. With that one look, Anne thought she felt Sebastian staring into her very soul.

"Ser Magnus has informed me of letters found in each of your chambers. All of which are regarding my assassination. But only one of you helped plan it and the other profusely, on many accounts, refused to help this 'assassin'. I want to know if you know who did the exact opposite," Anne said in a simple tone. Both men looked towards each other before Samuel stepped up.

"It was Sebastian, your majesty!" he shouted loudly. Sebastian tried to protest but Anne held up her hand to silence him.

"I only have one question Sir Samuel," Anne said as she came down the set of steps in front of her throne and onto the lower level. Sebastian closed his mouth but his look, which was a mix of astonishment and hatred, stayed. "If the letters that showed a conspiracy to assassinate your queen were indeed your brother Sebastian's, as you say they are of course, then why were they in your room," Anne asked. Samuel had a look of realization on his face and saw Anne's devious smirk. Before he could say anything else, she turned around and as she walked back up the steps to her throne, she turned to the two guards standing next to it. "Seize him." They did as they were told and nearly had him on his knees. Anne sat in her throne.

"I've been racking my mind on what I should do to you for this treasonous act and reasons for what I thought to do. But now I've got it. In two mornings time, you will meet the headsman not only because of your treasonous act but also so I can make a spectacle out of you. However, I am merciful. If you confess your crimes before me-your queen-and God himself within those two days you will be freed...and put into exile," Anne said as her eyes met Samuel's fear-filled ones. She nodded towards the guards and they took him to his cell. Ones they were out of the room and earshot, Sir Magnus spoke up.

"Your majesty, what shall we do with this one," Magnus asked as he stood next to Sebastian. Anne thought for a moment before she answered.

"Free him from his shackles and give him a pleasant room in the East Wing befitting an officer of the court. Lady Kira will see to it that he has decent clothes to wear and that he is properly bathed before dinner. Sir Sebastian, you will attend dinner tonight as it is a sign of my apologies towards your honor and person," Anne instructed. Sebastian bowed before the best he could before his shackles were removed.

"Thank you, your majesty. Thank you," Sebastian rushed out. Anne smiled at him. Magnus and Lady Kira led him out of the room. When they were gone, Anne to another one of her six ladies. Lady Elizabeth.

"Lady Elizabeth," Anne called. The lady came over to the queen hurriedly.

"Yes, madame?"

"Go fetch the Duke of Norfolk and tell him I need to see him urgently. He'll know what it's about," Anne told her. Lady Elizabeth bowed and left.