I heard the trumpeters announce my father's arrival in the courtyard, and then my mother's a few moments later. I knew I had prolonged making my appearance for long enough. With a reluctant sigh, I exited the castle, and started across the lush lawn to where I knew Mary would be waiting with her ladies.
When I cleared the corner of the castle and saw Mary for the first time in nine years, my heart stuttered. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, was beautiful. Stunningly, so. After a moment had passed, my heart resumed its normal beating, and I continued toward where she awaited me.
The sun shone down on her radiant beauty, casting threads of shimmering light through the strands of her raven hair. Her heart shaped face was flawless. Large eyes the color of aged whiskey, gazed around her with a look of childlike wonder.
As I drew nearer to her, I knew the moment Mary caught sight of me. A brilliant smile curved her lovely lips, lightening her face with an inner joy, that made my heart skip a beat at seeing it.
When I reached her at last, my eyes skimmed admiringly over her lovely form from head to toe. Though properly cloaked in her traveling costume, my prying eyes could see that Mary had curves in all the right places. Gone was the awkward girl with the short legs and big opinions I remembered, and in her place was beautiful young Queen.
I smiled. Suddenly marriage to Mary didn't seem like such an awful idea after all.