Legacy: a Short Story in Progress

This is my homemade book cover for a new short story I am working on about a real life girl: Isabella of Castile. The story follows from age three until her secret marriage to Ferdinand, heir to Aragon. I researched her extensively, and whats really neat about writing fiction based on a true story is that the characters are already named, the story is written, and all I need to do is write about it and flesh out some details. Here is the prologue to Legacy; hopefully as I write more, I will post more of the story. But for now, here is the beginning:

Prologue:
Shy. Sweet. Innocent. Those were the words Isabella would have used to describe the reflection she saw staring back at her. She was only three years old, but wise beyond her years, her mother often times said. Her father had bought her first pony, and she spent much of the day riding it. She was just getting ready to have supper when her mother rushed up to her room, with a frightened expression on her face. “Isabel! Date prisa, no tenemos mucho tiempo! Tenemos que apurarnos y dejar! Ahora!” Isabella knew enough to know not to question her mother when she spoke so hurried. Isa quickly grabbed her cloak and a bag of possessions and ran with her mother. They went into the nursery, where Isa’s little brother, Alfonso, slept soundly. The queen wakened the sleeping infant, wrapped him in a blanket, and rushed out. Where are we going? I am so confundido! Isa thought as they ran to the stables, where they both collapsed into the hay.

“Madre, what is going on? Why are we running?” Isabella asked, gasping for breath while her mother patted her head. “My dear little Niña, your father has passed on. He died quietly in his sleep and is now gone.” The queen saw two silent tears run down the small child’s face as Isabella hugged her knees to her chest. “I am afraid that is not all. Not one hour after your father’s death, your half hermano has been crowned king.” Isabella’s eyes widened. Her half brother, Henry IV, was a cruel man interested only in himself. “What will he do to us? Aren’t you still queen?” Isabella’s thoughts ran at the speed of light while her mother rose. Isa stood and lifted the hood of her cloak. “He is splitting us up so we can no longer be together. My hand maiden, Maria, will watch over you and be your mother until we can be together on day. Learn to call her Madre and love her like you do me. You must have the strength of a lioness and the sharpness of a serpent. Now go and be a strong warrior angel.” The queen’s words rang in Isabella’s mind as she and her new ‘mother’ rode towards the road out of Portugal.

At a stop in a small village outside of Portugal, Isa asked her Madre to dictate a letter to a very important person:
Jesús, nos ayudan a estar cerca de nosotros oh señor su humilde servidor, ~Isabella~
This translated means:
Help us Jesus Be near us oh lord Your humble servant, Isabella

This was the beginning of some new adventure, and the end of everything Isa ever knew. She knew that if she wanted to survive, she needed strength. This simple child’s prayer would become a hero’s legacy.
This is Isabella’s story.