Isabella watched the still body from the carriage. She was being held where she sat by two of the watchers. She felt all her burning guilt, love and hatred eating away at her soul.
“Alexander..” she whispered sadly. She was beginning to feel very sick now. The world seemed to be spinning. What had she done.

Across from her sat O’Hare and the King.

The King adjusted his gloves. The gloves that had touched Alexander in his last few moments.
She glanced at them in resentment.
“Now… girl. Do you realise what you have done?”
Isabella stayed quiet. She stared out of the window. She was looking at Alexander. She wished he would move. She wished he could still be alive.

“DO YOU DARE IGNORE YOUR KING WHEN HE SPEAKS TO YOU.” O’Hare bellowed.

“HE IS NO KING TO ME! ALEXANDER IS THE KING! THE RIGHTFUL KING!” Isabella shouted.

O’Hare slapped Isabella.
“Insolent girl.” he said gruffly.

The King raised his right hand as if to indicate “quiet”
“That’s quiet enough O’Hare.” He said slowly.

The King leaned in close to Isabella.
“You will find that even if Alexander was the rightful King. He has not lived to rule the day has he.”
The watchers around them laughed. A sadistic laugh seemed to fill the carriage. Scarring Isabella. Alexander was gone.

“Well… what are we going to do with this sour lemon then. She is hardly wife material O’Hare. How can good children be born from loins that call for a dead man’s love.”

Isabella wasn’t listening.
O’Hare looked incredibly embarrassed.

“I do not want these damaged goods.” O’Hare said looking Isabella up and down.
Isabella looked around suddenly.
“Well my dear,” The kings said in a patronising tone. “ If Mr O’Hare will not protect you or claim you as his own. Then I am afraid that your life falls to me.”

O’Hare looked away.

The King’s tone was no longer patronising. But took on a heartless evil tone.

“Do you know what the penalty is for disobeying your King. Death, by way of decapitation.”

The King paused to soak in the fear in Isabella’s eyes.

“Or… shall I keep you as a gift for my lovely watchers,” he said pointing to the men beside her, they gave an appreciative laugh. “They get so lonely.”

“I’d rather have the death.” She said with all the strength she could muster.

They all laughed.

“Ah.. She has chosen then. When we get back stick her in the prison. We will carry out her death tomorrow. Make it public. Bring all those little poor children to the front row” The king said cruelly.

Everyone laughed and with that the carriage drove away.

Isabella watched Alexander get further and further away from her. She wanted to cry but she wouldn’t.
All she could do was wait for tomorrow.