ONYX

Chapter Ten

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                       T E N
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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

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“Mother! Mother!” Alessandra immediately rose from her seat just as the guards were closing in. She didn’t know what was going on, but she wanted to protect her mother just as she’d protected Alessandra all of her life.

“Get the Princess, take her to her room.” Duke Trescot ordered.

Someone wrapped their arms around her waist and began to pull her away from Elizabeth, but Alessandra did not relent. She frantically clawed at the arms holding her and desperately reached for her mother. “No, I want to stay with my mother!”

No one listened as she was dragged away from the throne. Elizabeth didn’t try to resist when a band of guards surrounded her. She would cooperate so long as Alessandra was all right. She watched her daughter being taken away and when she was finally out of the throne room, she turned scornful eyes to Nick who hadn’t moved or said a word to defend her.

“Winston, what is going on?”

Nick had been informed about Elizabeth on his way to retrieve the gardener. He thought that the killer for the mistress was the same as the one who killed the King, but he’d been wrong. It wasn’t Priscilla after all. “You didn’t tell me what you did, Your Majesty. He was my King too, and he deserves justice.”

 “How could you trust the word of a servant over your Queen?” Elizabeth argued while trying to best to hold on to what little innocence she had left. She knew she couldn’t keep the charade up much longer, and yet she couldn’t stop. She held on to the hope that all of this would turn around soon or at least long enough for them to let her go and she could go back to Alessandra to get her out of the palace.

"Because he isn’t lying. I had no knowledge of what you were going to use the poison for when you came to me for it.” Morton said. She’d forgotten that he was there.

 “I beg your pardon. See reason, all of you! What reason would I have to kill your King—myhusband?”

 Everyone considered it for a second; a little doubt took root in their minds. The boy could’ve been lying, but what reason would the servant have to point fingers at the Queen?

 Duke Trescot exchanged unsure glances at his fellow councilmen. They all agreed that this would be dealt with logically and by the law. “We don’t know, either. But we will find out soon.”

 “What does that mean?”

 No one answered her.

 “Please, follow us, Your Majesty.” Thomas said gently. He had the same amount of love that he had for the King and Queen and therefore, he would be loyal. He wouldn’t jump too quickly at the thought that the Queen was guilty.

 “What does he mean?” She asked him.

 “You will be put on trial, Your Majesty, on the charge of murdering His Majesty, the King.” Thomas replied.

 Elizabeth said nothing else as she was escorted into a special holdings cell. Morton would be questioned as well and he calmly walked with the next set of guards that escorted him to a cell.

The next morning came too quick.

With little to no sleep, Alessandra paced back and forth in her chambers. She was still dressed in the clothes from the funeral, but she didn’t care. She only thought about her mother. She tried to see her throughout the night, but there were two guards posted at her door that forbid her to leave. Breakfast was delivered to her, but she refused to eat. Food was the last thing on her mind whenever she thought of her mother.