Chapter 33

"The past cannot be cured."

~Queen Elizabeth I

EDWARD

October 12th, 1613

I could not bring myself to see his face. My privy counsel had advised me to wait and wait I had for four long days. A day longer then it took Christ, our Lord and Savior to return to from the dead, but no longer! The sun had not yet risen. My queen, my counsel, all of England still laid in bed, but not I. Peace would not find me, not until this was finally put to rest.

The tower smelt of piss; the air was stale and so cold I could see the breath set free from my lungs. My footsteps echoed upon the cobblestones as reached his cell. My brother - still dressed in the clothes he was taken in - rested beside a rat under the only window he had now. His brown hair disheveled with hair upon his face. But the greater affliction was the wound that had festered upon his leg.

"Sire, forgive me if I do not bow." He nodded to cloth around his leg with dried blood upon it. "When the guards threw me in here they did not check—"

"It is no concern of mine. And I shall not forgive; stand and bow to your King!" I hollered, for my rage was long and deep.

His hazel eyes focused on mine and with a stone face, he pushed himself up from the ground, and bowed before he had to rest.

"Your Majesty—"

"The truth." I sneered through my teeth. "Speak now brother, for I shall have it all once and for all."

"Brother?" He snickered sliding back on to the ground. "By thou own admissions you are my king first before my blood—"

"Is that the reason for which thee betrayed me? Me, who watched you grow beside me, me who hid thee behind my back when the Mad King was searching for us, me!" I paused, biting my lip to keep the sob at bay. "Me, who loved you, and from behind you stabbed…"

Rising to his feet he grabbed the bars in front of me. "What I did, I did for England and you."

"Enlighten me." I stepped forward.

"You almost destroyed this country for a woman! We went to war because of a woman!" He screamed spit flying from his lips. "Reason. Logic. None would reach you! I saw the way you looked upon her and knew thou would move heaven and hell for her to be thine own. Marry the princess of France; save England from war, from the blood that history would remember to be upon your hands! I would not have our family name be tainted by the Mad King and you. It may seem imprudent now but then…I chose country over blood—"

"YOU CHOSE THYSELF!" I interrupted him, but by God, it took all of my might to keep me from striking him. "It was not I who started a war! But I became its victor; France bows at my feet! I did that! The venom that falls from your lips is weak in light of your transgressions. For did you not hunt Isabella to the ends of the world to keep her from me. What was your reason then? There was no war on the horizons to blame—"

He slid back on to the ground; "You protect your wife, I protect mine and there is nothing left be said."

I chuckled bitterly he could not even bring himself to apologize; "Is it truly you, Emmett? For the man that sits before me, I no longer recognize. Or this whom you truly were and I was made fool too?"

He gaze shifted towards the window, not a word in reply.

"Did you ever think twice?"

Again silence and at that I turned from him, the guards already held the gates open for me.

"Think twice? I thought over more times than anyone man could bear to count…but it was far too late by then to chance course. Brother I beg of thee, I take the blame, spare my wife her life, and that of my daughters."

I stopped at his voice but I could not bring myself to face him once more. "For thy own admission of treason, there is no need for trial. You shall be met with the sword; may God have mercy upon your soul."

BELLA

October 12th, 1613

When I was a child my father read to me the work of Aristotle, of all the things he had said nothing rang more true then this, anybody can become angry — that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.

"Open the door." I said to the guards.

Upon my order they did and the little girl with golden curls and bright blue eyes, just like her mother ran with all her might.

"Mother!"

"Cecilia." Rosalie's eyes widen dropping the book in her hand dropping to her knees; she wrapped her arms around her.

"Mother, I missed you." Cecilia giggled.

"Oh my sweet girl I've missed you too." She replied pulling back from their hug and cupping her face. "Let me see you. Oh you've gotten so big, and beautiful."

"Lady Eleanor says I look just like you."

Biting on to her bottom lip, Rosalie's eyes glistened with tears she would not let fall; "Yes, I see it. But you look have your father's smile."

"Mother —"

"Cecilia," I finally stepped forward, "Kiss your mother and say goodbye, you can not stay long."

She frowned kissing her mother's check, before curtsied to me. Her governess stepped beside me hand raised, taking her away.

"Mother, let us play tomorrow."

"Of course." Rosalie stood to her feet, "And let us play the next day and the day after that as well."

It was only when the doors closed behind me, leaving her along with her maids and my two guards; Hal and Hart, within her chambers where she would stay.

"Will you not offer me a tea?" I question her.

Taking a deep she nodded, "Yes of course."

Moving to her drawing table, Hal pulled out the chair for me, as one of her maids held out a chair for her, the other putting a cup of tea before my face.

"It was wise of her to keep from court. You never speak of her either. Many have all but forgotten you and Emmett have a third daughter. Once more how old is she?"

"Eight Your Majesty, and Emmett and I thought it best to keep her private until she—"

"You and Emmett where securely upon the throne?" I smiled my eyes never straying from her as I sipped on my cup,

"Until she was proper lady." Her blue eyes hardened, the fake innocence she always conveyed now gone.

"Well she looks like a mighty fine one."

"Thank Your Majesty for your complement and allowing me to see her face that I can only presume is for the last time? What of my others? They say I am to be banished." She tried her best to keep her head up and she drank her tea as well.

"I was told you saw them merely a day go. Cecilia was my final gift after all It is I who should be thanking you." I put the cup down folding my hands in my lap. "Ever since I left Devonshire I have not been myself, you see. So terrified with the thought of court, I was paralyzed, fearful I would embarrass my family and worse of all, my king. So I thought it good to chance myself, speak less, be reserved, be beautiful, be you, Rosalie."

"And now you know all the tricks—"

"I am not done speaking." I snapped. Her eyes widened as she silenced her self and I smiled; "That is my favorite trick of all…only it is not a trick, it is power. You have thought me so many things. For the sake of my king and for my sons, I can no longer be ideal. I can no longer be anything less then Queen of England. As such you shall not be banished…Ladies you may leave us."

Her maids all left, one by one and no sooner hand the gone the cup in her hands slipped, with her hands shaking, she lifted her hand to her throat; "What…what…"

"Yes, poison. It is slow, but by noon you shall be cold and stiff." I replied taking another sip. "I thought long and hard of what would become of you. Had it only been me you came for, maybe, maybe you and your daughter could have been banished, spend the rest of your days in nunnery. But you came for my son!"

Whipping the tear from my eye quickly focused solely on her as she gripped on to her chair.

"I heard what happened to the women and children your men killed coming searching for us. Did you know some were raped? Children beaten? All of it for what? For you to wear the crown, that God himself did not see you fit to wear?"

"I…deserve…trial."

"You deserve what I have given! I am Queen! Edward is King! My son shall be King. Not you, not yours, not ever!" I screamed rising to my feet, "Your wickedness has shown me that I must harden myself. I must harden my sons, for greed knows no bounds. Who I once was shall be kept for my family and my family alone. But to you, and any other who will seek to come after us, I shall strike at the heel and watch them fall. For the past can not repeat itself."

The tears fell from her face, "Please…Cec—"

"Is the daughter had traitor's for parents her fate now lies upon what you know. With your dying breath you will tell me all the names of those who sought to ruin us. Do you understand?"

She nodded.

"Out with it."

"James…Michael…My father…I…I…"

Moving over to her I took her hand holding on to it. "I will stay with you. I will never forgive you but I will stay with you till it is done."

EDWARD

October 12th, 1613

When she returned to our chambers, her knees went weak. Rushing to catch her, her hands shook as she hugged herself.

"I killed her." She whispered. "I had to. She…I had to…for William and you and…"

"I know, breathe." I kissed her head.

"They have made monsters of us, Edward." She finally managed to look to me. "What will become of us now that we strike within our own house?"

"God shall forgive us, for there is no other way, we will do what we must for our kingdom and our sons. Never shall we be as foolish as we once were."

Hugging her, I held on to her. She was right, today we had become monsters, but that was the natural of the monarchy, to do what needed to be done in order secure our survival. When we had spoken of our plans, it was so far removed from who either of us had been. However, with their betrayal, our worldview had shifted and we could only trust ourselves.

There must be reckoning.

October 13th, 1613

"Emmett James Alfred Cullen, you have confessed to the charges of treason and murder against King Edward Trenton Anthony Cullen III, and his wife and queen, as such we the Parliament, the privy counsel of the king, and the people of England, Ireland and Scotland, sentence you to death, speak now or forever may your sins weigh on you." The proclamation was read, as Emmett stood before the block.

His eyes glanced to mine and Isabella clenched onto my hand…however I could not look away or close my eyes for this.

"Cruel is the strife of brothers. True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about ourselves, about life, and the world around us. From the deepest desires often comes the deadliest hate. The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be. Forgive me one day brother, if not for my sake but for thine own, long may you reign." With that he dropped to his knees resting his neck in the grove of the block. Sitting up I squeezed Bella's hand tighter, my throat on fire like I never felt before.

No.

No, I could not do this.

Please…

"Edward…" My gaze shifted to her and she stared at me with eyes as broken and sad as my own eyes. "You must."

Looking to the Emmett gaze me a short nod and with the swiftest motion of my hand the blade came down.

Dear God forgive us…for we all monsters among men.

Have you missed me? Because I have missed you all. Please understand I'm well on my to publishing my sixth novel so I've super busy. I know it doesn't mean much too you all who want me to update, but still...any way there maybe one more chapter or ep. left in Reign. I know many of you loved Emmett, but from the beginning I've tried to make him different from cannon. In history the history of kings the murder of ones family is super common.

I do not own Twilight. But I do own

Ruthless People,

The Untouchables,

American Savages,

Declan + Coraline,

Black Rainbow

and on augs 2st

Sugar Baby Beautiful