After the King departed the meeting room, Elara emerged from the shadows, beckoning the two guards to her side with a subtle gesture. "Now, tell me everything that was said," she commanded, her voice carrying an air of authority that brooked no disobedience. The guards, eager to please the influential woman, quickly divulged the secrets that had been shared within the confines of the room. In exchange for their loyalty and discretion, Elara generously rewarded them with pouches heavy with gold, ensuring their silence and allegiance to her cause.
Meanwhile, Mary gently cradled Juli in her arms as she meticulously dusted the ornate portraits adorning the palace walls. With each swipe of her cloth, memories of her past flooded her mind, transporting her back to a time of grandeur and splendor. Among the portraits hung a cherished image of her and her father, captured on the day of her coronation. As the daughter of King Ben the Seventh, the revered monarch of Scotland, Mary had been raised in the lap of luxury and privilege. Her status as a princess had afforded her every comfort and privilege, far surpassing the prestige she had experienced during her reign as queen.
During her tenure in Scotland, the kingdom had been embroiled in a bitter conflict with Britannia. However, the tides of war shifted dramatically when the King of Britannia fell victim to a nefarious poisoning plot, leaving his young son, King James, to ascend the throne. Despite his tender age, King James harbored a deep-seated aversion to warfare, opting instead for diplomacy and peace. It was during one such diplomatic overture that King James first laid eyes on Mary, and from that moment, his heart was irreversibly ensnared.
King James, captivated by Mary's grace and beauty, sought her hand in marriage as a symbol of unity between their kingdoms. The King of Scotland, recognizing the potential for alliance and prosperity, graciously consented to the match. Thus, Mary and King James's union heralded a new era of amity and cooperation between Scotland and Britannia. However, beneath the veneer of diplomacy lay a solemn oath: King James swore a sacred vow never to bring harm to Mary, sealing their compact with honor and trust.
Yet, fate had a cruel twist in store for Mary and her daughter, Juli. Despite the harmony that their marriage had promised, King James's betrayal shattered their lives irreparably. Not only had he inflicted physical harm upon Mary, but he had also wounded her soul, all because of Juli's unique trait—a lack of the royal purple eyes that marked Britannian nobility. This deviation from the norm had cast them into a maelstrom of turmoil and despair, their once-promising future now uncertain and fraught with danger.
Unbeknownst to Mary, Elara, a figure shrouded in mystery and malice, was plotting to exploit the turmoil within Britannia for her own nefarious purposes. With Mary unwittingly serving as the linchpin in her sinister scheme, Elara's dark designs threatened to plunge the kingdom into chaos and upheaval.