The Royal Diaries [Set of 4 hardcover novels in slip-case] (Marie Antoinette, Princess of Versailles; Elizabeth I, Red rose of the house of Tudor; Cleopatra VII, Daughter of the Nile; Isabel, Jewel of Castilla)

The Royal Diaries: Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C. (Kristiana Gregory)

3 JANUARIUS, MORNING
I could feel my insides shaking. Would this sister try to poison me? Yes, I believe so. As for my other older sister, Berenice -never! She and I adore each other even thought I am eight years younger.
I keep the coup and raised it toward Tryphanea as if toasting for her, but really I was watching the liquid, looking for oil floating in its surface, or powder sticking to the sides of the cup. If I suspected poison and tossed it into the pool, she would have her guards behead me on the spot. If it was indeed poison, one sip and I could die…
My eyes closed as I took the first sip, as if savoring such an excellent taste, but really my thought was, O Isis, I’m afraid… My stomach turned with nervousness, or was it for the fearsome death beginning in me?

When the King of Spain decides to use the marriage of his fourteen-year-old sister for political gain, young Isabel finds creative and clever ways to avoid becoming a bride until she meets the man whom she wants to wed.

The Royal Diaries: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, Austria-France, 1769 (Kathryn Lasky)

To forge an incredibly powerful political alliance, thirteen-year-old Marie Antoinette of Austria is betrothed to Dauphin Louis Auguste, who will one day be the king of France. To prepare her for this awesome responsibility, she must be trained to write, read, speak French, dress, act . . . even breathe. Things become more difficult for her when she is separated from her family and sent to the court of Versailles to meet her future husband. Opinionated and headstrong Marie Antoinette must find a way to fit in at the royal court, and get along with her fiancé. The future of Austria and France falls upon her shoulders. But as she lives a luxurious life inside the palace gates, out on the streets the people of France face hunger and poverty. Through the pages of her diary, Marie captures the isolation, the lavish parties and gowns, her struggle to find her place, and the years leading up her ascendance of the throne . . . and a revolution.

The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I Red Rose of the House of Tudor (Kathryn Lasky)

Newbery Honor author Kathryn Lasky introduces readers to young Elizabeth I and the intrigue of her father’s court from 1544-1546.