Drake shakes his head. "May I kiss you?"
He doesn't wait for an answer. He bends down and kisses me, hard, passionate, desperate. It's the best kiss I've ever had, yet it's also the most painful one. This is our last shared moment. The next will be when he joins me in Heaven.
A knock on the door makes us break apart.
"I love you," he whispers. "I love you so much."
Before I can reply, he hurries to the large wardrobe in the corner and climbs into it, closing the wooden doors behind him.
I take a deep breath and call for my servants to enter.
And so it has begun.
They cry. They beg. They ask for my blessing.
I tend to them, my servants and friends, the people who believe in me. Who love me. Their compassion gives me strength as I follow the two noblemen down the stairs and into the great hall.
I clutch the ivory crucifix, the same I held when Drake came to take me into his world. That was both yesterday and over a year ago. In my other hand is a prayer book, unremarkable except that Drake wrote a message into it last night. It's the only way he can be with me in this moment.
At the bottom of the stairs, a wave of nausea overcomes me and I reach out for support. Two soldiers take my arms, holding me until the faintness passes.
"Be strong," one of them whispers almost inaudibly. "God bless you."
My steward waits for me in the ante-chamber. He kneels at my feet, barely holding back tears, just like myself. He's been one of my most trusted supporters.
"Tell them that I die like a true Scotswoman," I tell him before moving on.
He takes the train of my dress, carrying it as I stride into the great hall. A scaffold has been built in its centre, but I choose to focus on the blazing hearth behind it. At least I shall not die in freezing cold.
They lead me up the two steps leading to the top of the stage. A stool is waiting for me and I sink onto it gratefully. My legs wouldn't have carried me for much further. I feel another seizure coming on soon. They better hurry up with executing me.
Words are spoken, my sentence is read, yet I barely listen. There, at the back of the room, stands Drake, his eyes fixed on me. I meet his gaze, pulling strength from knowing he's here with me. I imagine him by my side, his hand in mine, his arms around my waist.
That thought gives me the strength to sit upright for what feels like forever.
Finally, they motion me to get up and approach the wooden block at the other end of the stage. There, the executioners wait. Two men dressed in black, wearing white aprons atop their robes. They kneel as I approach, and the larger of the two begs for my forgiveness.
It's not his choice to be here. He's just doing his job and I don't blame him for it.
"I forgive you with all my heart, for now, I hope, you shall make an end of all my troubles."
I barely manage to speak the words, yet it's made worth it when his eyes flash with gratitude.
Together with my maids, they help me undress.
Shocked cries echo through the hall when they remove the outer layers of my black attire, exposing the scarlet dress I'm wearing underneath. It's the colour of blood and it has the intended effect. One of my gentlewomen hands me velvet sleeves and I slip them on quickly to hide the bruises on my skin, brought on by the drugs they gave me in the future.
I stand like that for a while, enjoying the astonished looks my audience is giving me. I'm showing them that this is wrong, that I shouldn't be on this scaffold, that I'm a Queen.
When my legs begin to shake once more, I say goodbye to my servants. Their tears make my own eyes itch.
"Ne criez vous," I beg in French, asking them to stop crying. If they don't, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep my composure. I bless them, say my goodbyes, until all but one descend the stage, leaving me alone with the headsmen. I kneel down on the soft cushion and Jane, my favourite gentlewoman, ties a white band around my eyes. Just before it hides the world from view forever, I catch one last glimpse of Drake. He holds up a hand in farewell.
As soon as the cloth touches my eyes, I let the tears flow while starting to recite the psalm I chose for this occasion.
"In te domino confide..." In the Lord I put my trust.
I cling to the words as I lower myself onto the block. One of the executioners adjusts my position, his touch surprisingly gentle.
I continue praying, repeating the same sentence over and over again, until my world goes dark and I step into the welcoming embrace of Death.
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THE END
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Wipe your tears… this is not the end. Not for Petra, anyway, who will appear in a future TTA book.
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Want more time travel romance? Take a look at the other books set in the Time Travel Academy and you might meet Seamus, Lainie, Petra and other characters mentioned in this book again.
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And be sure to subscribe to Skye’s newsletter for the latest updates, offers and looks behind the scenes.
Author’s Note
I never had a choice. Mary had to die. It wasn’t just Drake who’s bound by the laws of time. It’s the same for me. Mary Queen of Scots has to be beheaded, and that’s it.
That’s why I’ve always been hesitant about writing a romance involving Mary. There can never be a happy ever after for her. But I couldn’t resist any longer. I’ve always been fascinated by her and that fascination grew when I was working for Historic Scotland, the organisation looking after many of Scotland’s castles and historic sites, including Mary’s birthplace, Linlithgow Palace, and Stirling Castle, where she was crowned. During my two years at Historic Scotland, I learned some fascinating facts about Mary. For example, while she spoke fluent French, Latin and Scots, she only started speaking English during her captivity. Or did you know that Elizabeth was the godmother of Mary’s son? She didn’t come to the christening herself though, sending a proxy in her stead (and she never actually met James, just like she never met Mary).
Many of the glimpses of Mary’s life I gave you in this book really happened. The scene on the boat to England, for example, is based on reports that Mary really did have an apparition or at least an intuition that made her want to turn back.
I have shortened all that was said at her execution, but everything she says in those last moments is taken from historical accounts, as are details like her headmen bowing before her and her steward carrying her train.
In her last letter to her half-brother, Mary describes in quite some detail how she was given her death sentence, and how she was refused the company of a Catholic priest. You can read a translation of this letter here: https://digital.nls.uk/mqs/trans1.html
If you want to read more about Mary’s life, I can recommend ‘My Heart is my own’ by John Guy, a very compassionate account of her tragic life.
If you want more of the Time Travel Academy, take a look at these books:
Pandora’s Academy – ancient Egyptian/Greek history featuring Seamus, Drake’s best friend
Norsemen Academy – Vikings! This one is a reverse harem with two Vikings and a mysterious Archivist.
Highlander Academy – wondered what little Petra might be up to once she grows up? Here’s what happens…
Bonus: ‘Elizabeth’ by Laura Greenwood
For two months the warrant had sat on my desk. My father would have signed it without thinking, then gone off to kill a boar or something to celebrate.
But that isn't me. How could I kill the cousin who'd had everything I wanted myself? Husbands, a child, a childhood. It might not have been ideal for her to grow up in France, but as least she hadn't been considered a bastard in her own country.
The quill snapped in my hand from pressure I hadn't even realised I'd been exerting on it.
I'd ask my advisors what they thought, but I already knew. Every single one of them wanted her dead, even the secret Catholics among them. She was too much trouble. There was too much risk.
&n
bsp; A tear dropped onto the warrant.
Why did I have to do this? How was I cursed with this role in the world? I didn't want to be a monster. All of Europe would be in uproar over this, France in particular even if Mary's French husband was long dead.
I selected a new quill, this one feeling leaden in my hand despite the lightness of it. I dipped it in the ink and took a deep breath.
I could do this. I had to.
Without waiting another moment longer, I signed my name across the bottom of the warrant, sprinkling it with sand so it didn't smudge.
There was one more thing I had to do. I pulled a blank sheet of parchment towards me and blackened the quill once more. I had no idea how to start the letter I didn't want to send. But Mary was the pragmatic kind, she'd appreciate the truth. I began to write.
You shall be executed tomorrow.
Academy of Time
A series of standalones set in the same world, full of action, intrigue and steamy romance, set in both past and present. Some are reverse harem, some are m/f.
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Norsemen Academy
A full-length steamy reverse harem full of action, intrigue and hot Vikings, set in both past and present. Includes resources to learn basic runes and Old Norse!
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Pandora’s Academy
An m/f novella full of mystery and riddles set in Ancient Egypt.
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Highlander Academy
A full-length reverse harem set in medieval Scotland.
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Queen’s Academy
An m/f romance novella about the tragic life of Mary, Queen of Scots.
About the Author
Skye MacKinnon is a USA Today & International Bestselling Author whose books are filled with strong heroines who don't have to choose.
She embraces her Scottishness with fantastical Scottish settings and a dash of mythology, no matter if she's writing about Celtic gods, cat shifters, or the streets of Edinburgh.
When she's not typing away at her favourite cafe, Skye loves dried mango, as much exotic tea as she can squeeze into her cupboards, and being covered in pet hair by her two bunnies, Emma and Darwin.
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Support her on Patreon and get exclusive benefits:
patreon.com/skyemackinnon
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Subscribe to her newsletter: skyemackinnon.com/newsletter
Also By
Find all of Skye’s books on her website, skyemackinnon.com, where you can also order signed paperbacks. Many of her books are also available as audiobooks.
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Academy of Time (time travel academy standalones)
Norsemen Academy
Pandora’s Academy
Highlander Academy
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Catnip Assassins (urban fantasy reverse harem)
Meow
Scratch
Purrr
Hisss
Lick
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Daughter of Winter Series (Paranormal reverse harem)
Winter Princess
Winter Heiress
Winter Queen
Winter Goddess
>> Box set
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Mother of Gods (prequel)
Demon’s Revenge (spin-off)
Samhain Goddess (spin-off in an anthology)
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Seven Wardens (Paranormal RH co-written with Laura Greenwood)
From the Deeps
Into the Mists
Beneath the Earth
Within the Flames
Above the Waves
Under the Ice
Rule the Dark
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Prequel: Beyond the Loch
Spin-off: Through the Storms
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Claiming Her Bears (Post-apocalyptic bear shifter RH)
Rescued by Bears
Protected by Bears
Craved by Bears
>> Box set
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The Mars Diaries (Sci-fi RH linked to the Drowning series)
Alone
Hidden
Found
>> Box Set
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Between Rebels (sci-fi RH set in the Planet Athion shared world)
Stolen By Them
Guarded By Them
Seduced By Them
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Defiance (contemporary dark RH)
Abandoned Heart
Broken Princess
Stolen Soul
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Infernal Descent (paranormal RH based on Dante’s Inferno, co-written with Bea Paige)
Hell’s Calling
Hell’s Weeping
Hell’s Burning
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Standalones
Song of Souls – fairy tale retelling
Their Hybrid – steampunk RH
Highland Butterflies – lesbian romance
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Anthologies and Box Sets
Hungry for More – charity cookbook
Kilts and Kisses – a Skye MacKinnon starter library
Queen's Academy Page 6