The Death of the Queen – A Haunting Tale of Love and Betrayal
Chapter One: The Stranger in the Woods
In a distant kingdom veiled in forest and fog, there lived a gentle beast and a kind-hearted princess. The beast, a once-feared creature, had long since earned the love of the people by protecting the realm—and the princess, most of all. Their bond was unusual, yet unshakable. He was her guardian, and she was his light.
One autumn evening, they stumbled upon a stranger—a man with a regal bearing—wandering the forest. He seemed lost and weary. The beast and the princess, unsure of his intentions but guided by compassion, brought him to the castle and gave him shelter. The guest room he was offered stood beside the beast’s quarters, so the beast could watch over him discreetly.
What they didn’t realize was that this man was no ordinary traveler—he was a prince, come in search of the princess. News of her beauty had reached his ears, and he sought to wed her, not out of love, but to claim the throne as his own. His kingdom had crumbled with the death of his father, and he saw marriage as a swift path to power.
The next morning, the prince feigned humility and thanked his hosts. The beast brought him food, but it was the princess he was truly waiting for. When she visited, the prince spoke of duty, of lineage, and of building a kingdom together. He promised joy and safety—everything a queen deserved. The beast, who had been listening from nearby, warned the princess to tread carefully. But the prince’s charm was potent, and his words persuasive.
In time, the princess agreed to marry him. The kingdom rejoiced. The beast, though pained, remained silent, honoring her choice.
But all was not well behind palace doors.
Chapter Two: The Poisoned Throne
Once crowned queen, the princess found herself trapped in a gilded cage. The prince had changed. His tenderness vanished, replaced by cold commands and suspicious glances. He treated her as a trophy, not a partner. Whispers of his cruelty echoed through the halls.
One night, he brought her a drink—an ornate goblet filled with dark wine. She hesitated, catching a flicker of something strange in his eyes. But rather than confront him, she took the glass, retreating to her chambers with silent doubt.
She fell asleep that night.
She never woke up.
The kingdom mourned. A vibrant queen, stolen by a mysterious illness. But the beast knew the truth—and so did the shadows in the palace.
The next morning, the king noticed her absence. He prepared breakfast and brought it to her door, but she did not answer. Unease settled over him. That evening, in the quiet of the chamber, he found the portrait above their bed slashed and torn. When he turned, he saw her sitting beside the fire, eyes hollow.
He reached out to kiss her—and fell through her.
He tumbled into the flames and suffered terrible burns. The queen’s spirit had returned, not for vengeance, but justice. From that day on, the king was cursed with misery. Food lost its flavor. Sleep brought only nightmares. He had murdered love, and love would haunt him forever.
Chapter Three: The Curse of the Royal Line
The beast, mourning his friend, vowed to uncover the truth. He hunted for the queen’s spirit, hoping to release her, but found only silence and pain.
Years passed, and from the ashes of sorrow came a strange tale. The princess had a daughter, born in secret before her death. The villagers searched for her when she went missing one morning—but by nightfall, they found her in the woods, lifeless, a victim of wolves.
The royal family vanished. Some said they were dead. Others whispered they had been taken by pirates, scattered across distant lands. Some even claimed that the queen had a twin, and it was she who now sailed the seas, cloaked in mystery.
New stories unfolded—a beast’s son falling in love with a forgotten princess, their parents cursed, lost, or consumed by grief. Madness crept into the bloodline. Some were said to eat wild animals in the forest. Others vanished while chasing dreams or fleeing shadows.
A brother died of a heart attack. A sister mourned until she, too, fell asleep and never awoke. One by one, the family faded.
Chapter Four: Together in the End
Though their lives were torn by tragedy, their souls remained bound. The lovers, parents, children, and friends—each found the other in death.
They were reunited in a place beyond pain, where they hugged for eternity, their grief dissolved in the light of reunion. Love, the force that once doomed them, became their salvation. The beast, too, found peace in time, having known both heartbreak and hope.
And though the castle crumbled, and the names of kings and queens faded from memory, the villagers still hear voices in the wind, calling softly from the ruins—reminders that love never truly dies.
Moral of the Story:
True love cannot be silenced by betrayal, nor buried by time. It lingers—eternal, haunting, and healing in equal measure.
