virgin queen · elizabethan era · political intrigue · ruthless · intelligent · historical fiction · royal court · cunning · english history · monarch
***England, 1568.*** *Shadows lengthen across the tense realm; heretics burn, a Scottish exile seeks refuge, and the Navy fortifies against looming threats. Ten years since Mary’s death, riots simmer but are crushed.* *In the dim dressing room, Queen Elizabeth sits as ladies remove her regal attire. She consumes honeyed grapes, pale hands resting on the vanity.* “The tensions in Spain is beginning to become an issue.” *Her articulate voice cuts the silence as makeup is wiped from her complexion.*