Chapter 18 - Leave me be (Generation 3)

A year had passed, the queen had given birth and it was soon time for Young princess Lysa to marry..

The snow was still thick and winter was not leaving any time soon. Praaven's capital was covered in white covers.

The King was deeply in love with his Evelyn. But he knew, she wanted to be more than just a lover.
"My sweet King.. I will leave you, if I am not to be queen." She looked straight at his eyes, and he collapsed. How could she be queen? There was already a queen.

He held her tight. He did not want her to go back to Westerling nor wanted he to divorce his queen. If there was anything he cared about, it was honor as the outside world would see it. And no honorable man would divorce his wife of 18 years.

Everyone gathered together for dinner knowing that soon enough the day for little Lysa would come, where she would marry the Lord of Eglade. She had not met him yet, but it was common that a couple did not meet until their wedding day.

"I will try and talk to the Queen." Evelyn told her King. She already knew the answer, but foolish as the King was, he thought it made sense. A good dialogue, if you will, could clear most things up.

Ann sat by the table in the middle of the night. She had been cleaning the entire first floor in the castle, and was dead tired. She took a cup of gingerbeer before she went to bed.

The queen had given birth to a young princess, Beatrice, and still had some fat left from the childbirth. "What are you doing here?" Elmegaard asked the unwelcomed betraying affair her housebound was having.

"Listen, you old witch. I will not let anything get in the way of me wearing the god damn crown. Watch out." Evelyn told her rival and looked at her with hatred. "You might have my housebound's heart, but you cannot change the fact that I am the Queen!" Yelled Elmegaard just as furiously.

"Ann.. We have to change plans. She is not giving up. This is her own fault. Do you understand?" Evelyn asked her betrothed servant. Even though old Ann had been taking care of the royal castle for so long, she would not stand in the way of her own kin.

"It will happen tonight, My Lady." Ann said and shortly after that, she left the room.

Queen Elmegaard was filled with bad confidence, and her King had not visited her chambers for many months. She felt bad on the inside and was now having trouble faking a smile to the world.

The only thing that made her happy now, was the love of a child. Her newest child, Princess Beatrice.

Queen Elmegaard was not well due to her recent discussion with Evelyn and her sorrow of being a betrayed wife. She lied in her bed and was feeling ill. "Mother, I am right here. Are you awake?" Her loving daughter asked. Elmegaard was barely awake, but listened to her daughters voice.

"I heard her, mother. I heard what she said to you." Lysa held her mothers hand and softly stroke it. She loved her mother to no end, but they both knew how dangerous Evelyn was.

"Don't mind that, My Child. You should be looking forward to your upcoming wedding with Lord Harris of Eglade. I heard many good things about him." Today was also Lysa's weddingday, and she would not have her daughter feeling bad on an already tense day.

"Will you be there tonight? I need you." Said Lysa and the queen nodded. "I just need some rest, dear."

Lord Harris of Eglade finally arrived and the wedding could start. Due to war affairs, the King had not much money to spend on having a big celebration part for his oldest daughter. They would marry with the King as witness and even Elmegaard was at the event.

"I here by sentence you man and wife." The King applaused knowing he now had a strong ally to march with him into war. "I thank you, My King. She is beautiful, just like you promised." Lord Harris said and held his bride.

The new lord did not seem like a monster, so at least that was positive. Lysa did not like the thought having to move to Eglade and leave her mother behind with that monster who called himself King.

"I will miss you, mother!" She cried as they went for a garden walk. Soon they would both leave, as Lord Harris had war documents to sign and advisers to meet. After the wedding the Praaven Kingdom and Eglade would gather together south and defend Praaven.

"And I will miss you too, dear child." Elmegaard held her only friend on the castle and wished the best for her to happen.

"There is just one more thing, I need to do before I leave." She said and went out to the forest with a discret guard to watch over her.

"Thank you for this proposal. I will arrange the soldiers to march south tomorrow already." The Lord said and the King would shake his son-in law's hand.

The sun was going down, and Lysa had to hurry. Soon she would leave as newly wed with her housebound, but she had to help Pickle before leaving.

The land was covered in pink from the light above. She had arrived at her destination. A quiet gathering of trees in a quiet land.

"You will rest well here, Pickle." She giggled and missed her dear friend very much. She took out his remains and placed them at the forest ground.

"Pickle! How did you appear?" She opened her eyes, and there he was. "Lysa.. Thank you. I can already see the light." He said with a distant voice. He was passing over. She cried and hugged him. "I will say hi to your mother from you." He said and vanished into the air. Say hi to her mother? What did he mean by that?

Ann had captured the Queen in her own chambers. Ann would have a key for every room and had locked the doors. "I have to do this." Ann said and the Queen yelled in despair! What was going on? What about her children?!

"Scream all you want! I told the guards to go take a break, and when they will be back, I will be long gone My Queen. Now sleep in eternity." She whispered as the Queen gasped for air.

Ann left quickly when the Queen stopped breathing. She knew, that the guards would tell on her and she would not be safe. Westerling was much better.

Later that night, The King arrived at his Queens chambers. Not to spend the night, but to listen and see how the talk with Evelyn went. Evelyn had not said much, and the King wanted to see how his wife was doing. But it was already too late.

She lied on the floor lifeless and cold. It must have been hours since she passed away. "Elmegaard!!" He yelled in despair, desperately wanting his wife back to life. She did not deserve this!

He checked her pulse again, but nothing. She was not going to wake up. He cried and held her for hours, before another maid arrived and made him leave. The next day he was to say his goodbyes to the Queen. She lied in an open coffin for some time.

"Elmegaard.. I never wanted this. What have I become?" He said and was fed up with guilt. They never got to talk about the events before she passed away. There was so much to say, and nothing to be done.