The Legend of Queen Rowena

Chapter 1: A new god

Dying isn't as painless as you think. No, for me it was a long excruciating drawn-out end, in which I was left convulsing on the floor in a pool of my own blood.

The method that they used to kill me was poison. A tree called Beirut, which is only found in the swamplands, has a very special bark that once burned, omits a poisonous smoke. The smoke has no odour and the effects of the poison are not immediate. So for a month, my treacherous servants used the Beirut wood to light my fires and cook my dinners with. So I unknowingly sat in front of the fire every night reading a book, enjoying the warmth in the middle of winter. And when I ate grilled meat cooked over the fire, I felt so lucky that I was able to enjoy such luxury. Little did I know that each bite I took of the smoked meat and every minute I sat happily reading, I was slowly being murdered.

When the end of the month came and I had inhaled enough of the smoke, I felt the full effects of the poisoning. Out of nowhere an unbelievable pain coursed through my lungs and airways, cutting off my air supply. I tried to scream, run, call for help, only to realize that my entire castle had been emptied out the night before, and all my staff were gone. As I desperately ran through the hollow hallways looking for help, I saw that my servants had vultured their way through my entire castle and taken anything of value. Cutlery from the kitchen, golden candlesticks, all my jewellery left to me by my mother, they had taken everything and absconded with it while I was sleeping.

All that was left was a note from my head housekeeper. In it, she wrote how my stepmother had bribed all of my staff to use the poisonous wood, and anyone who didn't comply had their lives threatened. In the end, everyone decided to go along with my murder.

My head maid, Mrs Rooks had always been a weak person. Although she was meant to oversee everyone else, the younger maids always talked over her and seemed to run this castle without her. It seemed she must have let them overrule her this time as well. The letter she had left me was probably her way of trying to ease her guilt from betraying me.

Although I had read the letter in full, the poison in my body was starting to have an adverse effect on my mind. All the years of pent up resentment and hatred for my family fatally mingled with the poison in my body, and I ran around the castle in a delirious state cursing and screaming in pain, not wanting to believe the words of her letter.

My dear Lady Rowena,

I pray that one day your soul will find peace and forget about all the hardships of the cruel life that has been dealt to you. I also pray that you will find it in your heart to forgive me.

"Never!" My blood splattered across the floor as I screamed my reply to her.

"I'll never forgive you, your traitor!" Knocking into tables and repeatedly tripping over my uneven steps.

A month ago, her majesty's personal maid, Constance, arrived at the back door with a month's worth of chopped wood. If I had been the only one to hear her, I would have sent her away immediately, but the other maids overheard our conversation and expressed their enthusiasm once Constance mentioned the reward we would all be given for complying. Three gold pieces each for simply using the wood to light your fires and cook your food.

The words from the letter were ringing through my ears painfully as I stumbled through my castle. I was desperately and aimlessly forging forwards as blood began to lurch up from my chest and drip down my mouth and eyes.

"Is my life really only worth three pieces of gold? Is that it ?" I screeched.

Dizziness, nausea, fatigue, weakness. I couldn't walk anymore. I felt my legs give way, and I fell forward onto a hard wooden door. My weight was enough to push it open, and I fell through into the castle's private chapel.