Storytime (Part 1)

Anette brought up one of her hands to wipe the sweat of her face. The sun was merciless and during the day, they had to stop quite often to prevent them from overheating. Anette gripped the reins firmly and looked back at her travelling companions. They all had the same miserable expression in their faces.

“We are almost there, just a few more minutes.”

“That is what you have been telling us all day! It is not really fair to give us false hopes like that.”

Anette gave Emppu an angered stare, but she could not keep the laughter in.

“I am supposed to be your queen; it is one of my duties to tell you little white lies now and then.”

“Yes, but you also have to keep your men satisfied. And I can assure you that we certainly are not!”

Now Marco, Jukka, Tuomas and Tarja joined in and started to bring forth their complaints. Jokingly, Anette put her index fingers in her ears and pretended not to listen to them.

But she knew what they would say, they were not the only ones who were suffering. The curse had changed everything. And before that, her father had been murdered. Anette searched for the sword on her side, and then gripped the handle firmly. She would have her revenge, as much as her travelling companions. Their fathers had gone to war, fighting against their king’s murderer. Sadly, they never came back to their families.

Suddenly, all of their horses stopped and huffed nervously. Anette felt how her horse, Stjärnan, wanted to turn away, but she remained the one in control and pulled the reins hard.

Soon the animals relaxed. Anette got of Stjärnan and stroked her head gently.

The rest of her companions also dismounted their horses.

“What is going on?”

All of a sudden, a thick, purple smoke clouded the sun. Anette watched how it swept down in the nearby valley and finally stopped. The smoke formed a big ball before it suddenly vanished.

Anette covered her mouth with her hand when she saw the sight that presented itself in front of her. Out of the purple smoke, a large group of people appeared.

Anette heard how several gasps came from her travelling companions. They were just as surprised as herself.

After the curse had ravaged through the realms, a little bit of land was spared. There had been many battles over who was going to be the ruler. Cora, the Evil Queen’s mother, stood out as the winner after her daughter had unleashed the curse and gone to another land.

According to rumor, Cora had later joined her daughter, leaving Anette to take the chance to claim her birthright as queen.

The reason for her expedition here was to be sure that Cora actually left.

This kingdom they now were standing in once belonged to Regina, the Evil Queen. Anette and the others expected only to find burned forests and infertile soil. But to their surprise, most of it had been growing back. For days, they had been searching for places where people could settle down and return to a normal life, far away from any war. Unfortunately, this was very hard to find. Dark and evil creatures lured behind every corner, and the knowledge of that Cora could return in any moment, made everyone nervous.

Anette never expected to find people here. But down there they were. She could not make out were they came from where she stood. There had to be a few hundred meters down to the valley.

A hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. Anette turned around and met piercing green eyes, belonging to Tarja. Her black hair was flowing freely down her shoulders while her bow was firmly strapped on her back.

“What should we do, my queen?” she asked with concern in her voice.

“Let us spy on them, and then we will decide what to do.”

“If they are friendly?” Tuomas voice came from behind.

Anette bit her lower lip and let her thoughts wander.

“Then we will greet them and offer them our protection. We need people to rebuild the kingdoms.”

“But we do not have the resources!” Jukka’s protest reached the queen’s ears.

Anette realized that he was right. They had riches as in gold and jewelry, but the food would not last long unless they found fields that were suitable to grow crops on.

Anette eyed the strangers and came up with a plan.

“Grab your weapons and tie your horses, we are going to have a closer look at the newcomers.”

The men and woman did as they were told. Marco grabbed his axe, while Tuomas, Jukka and Emppu put their hand on the handle of their swords. Tarja checked that her bow and arrows were in place, as the unknown number of daggers that she kept on her body.

Anette felt the heat and eagerness of her sword. It had belonged to her father.

When he was young, he had pulled it out from an enchanted stone. He then used it to defeat many enemies until he became king. But not even this powerful sword could protect him against the person that murdered him. Almost every night, Anette had had the same nightmare.

“Are we going, your majesty?”

Anette snapped back from the memories and faced her loyal men.

“Let us go!”

“They cannot be from this world, look at how they are dressed. They must come from a place far, far away from here.”

Anette and the others had been spying on the strangers for quite some time. From what they could see, they had no weapons and no supplies. It was almost as if they were dragged out of bed and into this place. Anette could quickly point out the leaders of the group. A woman with short, black hair was shouting out orders while a blonde man stood by her side. Unfortunately, Anette was still too far away to hear what they were saying.

But one scene caught her attention more than everything else.

 A blonde woman sat on the ground and sobbed as she rocked what seemed to be a dead body in her arms. Next to her sat a brown haired boy, also in tears. Anette felt how her heart started to clench in her chest.

Marco cleared his throat before he spoke up.

“What do you want to do, your majesty?”

Anette felt a bit lost. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She knew what had to be done. She was not alone; her father was there with her. Anette had a goal in life, and the determination burned inside of her. She opened her eyes and faced her most loyal men and woman.

Anette smiled before she got up from her hiding place and started walking towards the strangers, with her companions following closely.

Anette saw their glances. They showed both fear and relief.

“Do not be afraid, we will not harm you!” Anette said with a calm and confident voice.

First there were no reactions from the strangers, but two of them seemed to snap out if and started to run towards the queen.

“Anette!” they shouted.

Anette felt slightly shocked when she heard someone from the group shouting her name. But when they came closer, she felt how tears started to form in her eyes.

“Snow! Charming!”

The queen hugged them both.

“I thought you were dead!”

“No, the curse took us away from this land. But now we are all back!” Snow exclaimed cheerfully.

Anette had known Snow a short while before the curse broke out. Charming and her father had been discussing an alliance between their two kingdoms. Anette would often spend time with Snow when they visited the castle. Anette was heartbroken when she found out that both Charming and Snow were missing. And now they were here, standing in front of her.

“Where have you been? You have to tell me everything!”

“Not now, we have to get all of these people to safety.”

Anette scanned the large group.

“Wow, there sure are a lot of you.”

“Yes, and now we are all home!”

Anette was confused and shook her head.

“Wait, do you mean that EVERYONE standing here was sent away by the Evil Queen?”

“Yes!”

Anette had a hard time believing in Snow’s words.

“Did you not hear about my arrival here a few weeks ago?” Snow asked.

The queen stared at her in disbelief.

“No, I was quite busy. We were fighting ogres, trying defeat Cora. The only news we have received is the one about Cora leaving this land.”

Snow sighed and looked down on the ground.

“She went to Storybrooke, trying to take control over us all.”

A soft whimper came from below. During the excitement, Anette had almost forgotten about the crying woman on the ground.

Anette was going to put a hand on the woman’s shoulder, when suddenly she heard an all too familiar voice.

“So the heir to King Arthur’s throne is here to greet me?”

Anette backed away quickly and drew her sword. The presumably dead body sat up and looked straight into Anette’s eyes. It was she Regina, the Evil Queen. The one who killed her father by ripping his heart out from his chest. Anette felt how anger welled up inside of her. Images of the smirk on Regina’s lips when she held her father’s heart in her hand assaulted Anette’s mind.

“You shall die for what you have done!” Anette shouted while she raised her sword and brought it down towards Regina’s body.

“NO!” the blonde woman screamed while she jerked up from the ground. A wave of energy emerged from her hands and knocked Anette down to the ground while her sword flew from her hands.

Tuomas and the rest of her companions raised their weapons.

“Excalibur!” Anette yelled and caused the sword to find its way back into her hand. She had always enjoyed that little trick. It had saved her life countless times before and now it would do it again. Anette got up from the ground before her eyes landed on the blonde woman. She was panting heavily while confusion was written all over her face.

“Stop it!” Snow said and intervened.

“You know what she did to me Snow! I will have my revenge!”

“Do not dare to touch her!” the blonde woman growled while she moved closer to Anette. But Snow stopped her by grabbing her shoulders.

“Emma, not now. We need Anette’s help if we are going to survive. Calm down.”

“If she lays a hand on Regina, I will kill her!”

Anette almost stepped back when she saw the intensity in Emma’s green eyes. In the corner of her eyes, Anette saw how her companions stood with their weapons, ready to strike. All they needed to hear was her order to move forward.

Anette diverted her eyes to the ground. Regina held the brown haired boy in her arms, and whispered softly to him. The scene touched Anette’s heart slightly.

“Lower your weapons!”

“But your majesty…”

“I said, put them down! I will not have any more blood on my hands!”

Immediately, they lowered their weapons. Tarja hesitated for a moment, but finally put the arrow and bow on her back. 

“Who are you?” Anette asked while her blue eyes scanned the woman named Emma.

Anette saw how the blonde woman shook all over and clenched her fists.

“She is my daughter” Snow said after a while.

“28 years?!”

Snow and Charming nodded.

“But…but…”

“We know it is a lot to take in.”

“Oh, you have no idea. I thought it was just a few months. Maybe a year at the most.”

Anette felt how tears started to form in the corner of her eye.

Snow and Charming had been telling her about the effects of the curse. That time had stopped for all those years, and started again almost a year ago. After the time had started to move again, they later regained their memories.

“But how did you get back? If your memories were restored, then why were you not able to get here sooner?”

“We tried and tried, but in the end, it was Emma who got us here. She is the Savior.”

At the mentioning of the word “Savior”, Anette felt how her stomach started to cramp up.

No, she cannot be…

Anette was familiar with the Savior legend. One day, the Savior would come and repair this world from what the curse had done. She would unite the kingdoms, bring peace and give everyone their happy endings.

Anette, Charming, and Snow had placed themselves far from the rest to talk in private. Anette turned around and when her eyes landed on Emma, she quickly got up from the ground. The woman had her back against a tree, with her head hanging low. The brown haired boy and Regina sat quite close to her, still not letting go of each other.

Anette suddenly stopped in front of the Savior. Without hesitation, she pulled out her sword and got down on her knees. Emma looked up in confusion.

“What the hell are you doing?!” the blonde woman said shockingly.

Anette placed her sword in front of the Savior before she spoke up.

“I pledge my allegiance to you, Savior. My sword is your sword!”

“Oh for the love of…get up!”

Anette did as she was told, and together they rose from the ground.

“Take back your sword…and allegiance.”

Anette eyes widened at her response.

“But you need fighters, and I would gladly die for you, Savior.”

“I do not want anyone to die for me!” Emma suddenly snapped.

“Just give me a moment to process all of this!”

And with that, the blonde woman walked away, with the brown haired boy following her.

Anette reached down and grabbed her sword before putting it back in her belt.

Her eyes locked with Regina. A sudden urge to pull out one of her daggers and shoving it into Regina’s chest emerged, but she quickly suppressed it and turned around, eager to discuss her newly formed plans with Snow. She would give Emma the time she needed. Anette was familiar with big changes. One day she dressed in extravagant dresses, ate with cutlery made of gold, and spent the night listening to music while she indulged herself in different kinds of sweets. And another day she slept outside, in the rain, with only her sword and a piece of moldy bread in her pocket.

Anette made a promise to herself that she would never return to that situation again.

She would have her kingdom back. 

Storytime (Prologue)

A soft humming went through the walls and reached Lily’s ears.  The girl turned in bed, with her eyes ending up facing the door to her room. It was the middle of the night. The moon shone through the window and cast a shadow around the furnitures and various toys lying on the floor.

The humming increased and Lily recognized the song. It was the song her grandmother always sang to her. The beautiful melody and the mesmerizing words always made Lily’s heart flutter in her chest.

Quickly forgetting about her need to sleep, Lily got up from the bed and headed down the hallway to her grandmothers room.

The door was slightly ajar and Lily opened it just enough for her body to slip through.

Her grandmother sat in the rocking chair. She had a needle between the fingers on her right hand and in the left she held a piece of clothing. The needle went down and then up again and repaired the quite large hole in the white blouse.

The elderly woman suddenly looked up and smiled.

“Lily, should you not be in bed?” the woman said while she put the needle and blouse away.

Lily walked up to her and sat down on the small carpet between the fireplace and the rocking chair.

“I could not sleep and I heard you humming my favorite song.”

The woman smiled and started to get up from the chair.     

“Come on now, a little girl like you need her sleep.”

“Can you tell me the story?”

The woman stopped in mid-air and sat down again.

“Which story, my dear? I have told you so many that I have not figured out which is THE story yet.”

The girl gave the woman an amused smile and giggled slightly.

“You know which one I am talking about. The story about good and evil. When The Evil Queen showed up in this land with the Savior and how they brought peace to all the kingdoms.”

When Lily saw the playful smile on her grandmother’s lips, she knew that she was just teasing with her.

“Of course I know THAT one. It has always been my personal favorite.” the elderly woman said.

The woman leaned towards the shelf, right beside the rocking chair, and pulled out a leather covered book with strange carvings and letters. Lily had always wanted to learn what they meant, but her grandmother refused to tell her. First it had hurt her a bit, but Lily was still only a child, and one day she hoped that her grandmother would trust her with the secrets she held on to.

The woman breathed in deeply and slowly opened the book. Lily heard the crackling sound from the old leather and moved closer to her grandmother. The old woman put a strand of her silver-gray colored hair behind her ear. Lily was always surprised of how concentrated her grandmother always seemed to be while she told her this story. But Lily imagined that the reason was because they both found the story so amazing.

The elderly woman cleared her throat before she spoke up, her voice loud and clear.

“Once upon a time…”

Lily closed her eyes and soon she was lost in Fairy Tale Land.

The queen and the maiden (Part 4)

Anette dipped a washcloth in a big bowl of water she had brought into her room, and then proceeded to wash her body up and down. It was Sunday and time for the weekly church visit. Anette felt how a big lump in her chest started to form.

Duty or love? Duty or love? Duty or love?

She put on a clean, white dress and brushed through her hair. Anette checked herself in the mirror one final time. The smile she usually wore on her lips was nowhere to be seen.

A loud banging noise pulled her out of her thoughts and made her hurry out of the room.

The queen sat there, with her eyes watching her reflection in the mirror. She was already dressed in the most extravagant dress she owned and had several gold jewelries on her wrists and around her neck.

Anette could see in her eyes how much she hated it. Her servants were running around and fixed the last part of her dress. One of them put a table back in its place, since it had been pushed over by someone.

Anette noticed the queen’s gaze and turned around. The queen looked at her with hollow and emotionless eyes.

“Leave us!”

The servants bowed down and left the two of them alone. Anette could feel how her heart started to beat painfully as the queen walked up to her.

They looked into each other’s eyes for a while. Anette saw how the queen’s eyes turned from hollow to lustful.

“I am…I am… so sorry Tarja. I had…”

Tarja brought up one of her fingers to Anette’s lips to silence her. Tarja then moved her hand along the maiden’s cheek and finally down her neck. Anette closed her eyes while Tarja moved closer.

Suddenly, the door opened.

“Your majesty, it is time to go.”

Quickly, Tarja pulled back and dropped her hand to her side.

“Yes, I am aware of that!”

The servant flinched, and curtsied before she disappeared.

Anette giggled and put her arms around Tarja. The queen sighed while the maiden started to caress the tiny hairs on the back of her neck. Without saying a word, they both closed their eyes and leaned forward.

Anette felt how Tarja started to shiver while their lips gently brushed against each other. The maiden started to moan slightly while the queen began caressing her stomach and back.

The kiss ended as gently as it had begun. Both Anette and Tarja were out of breath while sudden realization hit the queen.

“Oh no, we are late!”

Quickly, Tarja grabbed Anette’s hand and soon they were on their way. Not knowing that Death would be lurking around the corner.

First Tarja thought that it was some kind of celebration going on, but she then realized that they were screaming at her.

“We refuse to pay, we refuse to pay!”

Tarja and Anette were surrounded by guards, but the queen still felt uncomfortable. All she wanted to do right now was to cuddle up in Anette’s arms. Only there would she feel safe.

“You send our sons into war, and this is how you repay us? With higher taxes that most of us cannot afford to pay!”

Tarja could feel how the tension rose in the already irritated crowd. The guards pulled out their swords as the villagers moved closer.

“Step back!”

Tarja felt how a panic attack started to build up inside of her. She glanced over at Anette and saw that she felt the same. Anette took Tarja’s hand and squeezed it gently.

Suddenly, armed villagers broke out from the crowd and started attacking the guards.

The sound of sword against sword went through the air. Tarja screamed while Anette kept a close eye on the fight. Several guards fell, with blood coming out of their mouths and wounds they had been inflicted with.

Tarja looked up and saw how a teenage boy held a gun, pointed in her direction. His eyes were cold and calculating. Tarja stood frozen to the ground.

A shot went through the air.

Anette’s body fell into Tarja’s arms. In the background, the queen did not notice that the king’s guards had been running from the church due to the commotion. When they got there, they immediately executed the boy, and later surrounded the stunned queen.

Tarja saw the blood. It stained her beloved’s snow-white dress.

Anette had saved her.

Tarja sank down to her knees with Anette still in her arms. She was still breathing. Anette opened her eyes and smiled.

“I love you.” Anette said while she brought up her hand to caress Tarja’s cheek.

Tarja sobbed uncontrollably and rocked Anette body back and forth.

“I love you too. Please do not leave me!” Tarja said pleadingly.

A single tear rolled down Anette’s cheek.

Tarja bowed down and kissed her beloved. One last time.

When Tarja raised her head, she already knew that Anette had passed away.

“NOOOO! PLEASE COME BACK!”

The queen screamed and clinged on to the maiden. But there was nothing she could do.

Tarja sat there for a long time and dragged her hand through the long, blonde hair that she loved so much. Anette looked so peaceful. The blood from the wound had stopped running a long time ago.

Tarja let go of Anette’s body and lay down beside her.

The queen remembered the sunshine on her face, and the sweet laughter that sometimes escaped from Anette’s lips.

The memories remained in her head until the guards had to pull her away from the body.

The queen and the maiden (Part 3)

Tarja was torn out of her sleep when a hand suddenly moved on her back. She was scared at first, but then remembered what had happened the evening before and started to calm down. Tarja listened to Anette’s calm breathing and steady heartbeats.

I cannot believe that she stayed with me last night. No one has ever tried to comfort me like that before. And when she got me out from the throne room…

Tarja moved her arm that lay across Anette’s stomach. The movement caused the maiden to moan slightly before she opened her eyes.

They both lay still for a while, until Anette started to move. When she sat up, Tarja felt how her heart sank in her chest when the close contact they had been sharing suddenly ended.

“Good morning, Tarja!” Anette said smilingly.

Tarja answered her greeting shyly.

“Come on; let us go to the kitchen. I am starving!”

Anette grabbed the queen’s hands and pulled her out of the bed. Tarja was surprised, but did not struggle until she suddenly stood in front of the wooden door that would lead out of her room.

“No I…I cannot. Just go and get my breakfast.”

“Is that an order, your majesty?”

Anette had a playful look in her eyes, which warmed Tarja’s heart.

“No, it is not an order.”

“Good, come on then!”

“Did you see the look on their faces when you just walked in and started to slice up the bread?” Anette said with a big smile on her lips

The queen and the maiden were back in Tarja’s room. They were sitting on the huge carpet that covered the most part of the floor in the room. For hours, Anette had been telling the queen stories about the life in the city. Tarja became more and more fascinated after each one, but also sad. She only went outside the castle to go to church or to visit the homes of the nobility’s.

“What is it?”

Anette looked straight at Tarja. The queen clenched her fists slightly and breathed in heavily.

“I was not allowed to go out much after I turned fifteen. Well, not even during my childhood years. When the time had come, my mother practically sold me to the king. I have spent so many years hiding in here with my responsibilities. The king broke me down and told me that I was his toy, and that he was the only one who was allowed to look at me or touch me.” 

Tarja bit her lip to prevent herself from crying.

“All I want is to feel free. Even if it was just for a moment.”

Tarja sighed and looked down on the floor. Anette put an arm around the queen and began caressing her shoulder gently while Tarja leaned into her embrace.

They sat like that for a while before Anette almost jumped up from the floor.

“I have an idea, I will bring you your lunch and then… This is going to be so much fun!”

Tarja gulped down her lunch quickly and waited for Anette to come back. She had been out for quite some time. The only thing she had told Tarja was to put on some comfortable clothes and a cloak.

The queen checked herself in the mirror one last time, and hoped that Anette would like her red, loose fitting dress and her black cloak.

Suddenly, the door flew open while Anette came running in.

“Come on, the king is out to declare a new tax law! We have to go!”

Tarja nodded and put on her cloak before Anette handed her a dagger. Confused, the queen looked at her.

“Put it in your belt, you never know what kind of people you may meet.”

The queen did as she was told before they both went to the kitchen, where the back exit was located.

The market was almost empty. Everyone must have gathered at the square, where the king was going to hold his speech. Anette was constantly watching over her shoulder. She was familiar with these streets and knew what could happen. In some corners, she had spent some of her years begging. That barely gave her money to pay for food. In her early teens, she went from begging to stealing. Later she ended up outside the Snow’s family house. Anette had been lurking around there for a while and finally they took her in. They taught her how to read and to write, and later she became the head of the house servants. Anette was heartbroken when she had to leave, but she could not throw away what the Snow family had done for her.

If it were not for them, she would still be out on the streets.

Anette shook of the thought for a while and looked over at Tarja. The queen had a bright smile on her face and Anette noticed a twinkling in her eyes.

They walked past the market stalls with fruits and vegetables. Some were selling spices and fabrics from around the world. Anette had to drag Tarja away from several of the stalls. They had to be back before nightfall.

After a while, they stood by the city gate. Anette looked at Tarja and saw her hesitation. The maiden grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly, causing Tarja to straighten up and taking the first step.

It was there, on a field a few hundred meters away from the wall that covered the city. It was here Anette had spent a lot of time with her now deceased mother. They had been fishing in the small creek and enjoyed the shade under the only oak tree in sight. They shared stories with each other and picked flowers, which they later placed in the vas on their kitchen table.

But now, they were all distant memories. Anette felt how Tarja let go of her hand.

“Wow, it is so beautiful!”

The joy in the queen’s eyes made Anette’s heart clench up. Anette liked the queen, she had been so kind to her already on the first day she had met her. And now she wanted to repay Tarja’s kindness.

Anette took off her cloak and revealed the bag she had on her back.

“Let us go fishing!” the maiden said and pulled out two thick strings with hooks on them.

The hours went by fast and soon it was time to go home. The fishing did not go very well, since Tarja kept losing the strings.

First it was hard for her to relax, but after spending some time with Anette, she felt that she could let go off her worries. A feeling of happiness bubbled up inside of her, as the two of them went to the oak tree that Anette had been telling her about. There, Tarja had been lying on Anette’s stomach, while the maiden had been telling her about her past. Tarja could not focus on Anette’s words, since her heart almost jumped out of her chest.

Tarja now knew that she loved her. She had been denying it before, but now it was impossible to hide. All Tarja could think about was how badly she wanted to kiss Anette’s lips.

“Tarja, are you listening to me?”

The queen quickly regained her senses.

“No…I…I am very tired. We should probably go.”

“You are right. Let us pack up our things and head back” Anette said while Tarja felt how a wave of heat travelled through her body and reached her cheeks.

When Anette had gathered all the things, she grabbed Tarja’s hand and pulled her up from the ground. This sudden movement caused Anette to stumble backwards.  Her heel got caught in one of the tree-roots, and caused the queen to end up on top of her.

Tarja was so surprised that she giggled at first, but then her heart started to ache. Tarja looked into Anette’s beautiful blue green eyes before she bent down and captured Anette’s lips with her own. Tarja’s heart sang with joy when Anette responded. The queen started to caress Anette’s cheek, when the maiden suddenly pulled back.

“No your majesty, I cannot.”

Tarja felt how tears started to form in her eyes, but managed to blink them away. The queen moved away from Anette so that they both could get on their feet.

On their way back to the castle, Tarja felt how her heart started to break into a million pieces. She felt so embarrassed and cursed her actions over and over again.

I have lost her now. I am so stupid!  

The queen clenched her fists while she lost battle against her tears. When they got inside the kitchen door, Tarja darted past everyone and ended up in her room. She closed the door and threw herself on her bed. The queen curled up and cried until there were no more tears to cry.

At the same time, Anette lay in her room and thought about today’s events. The kiss she and the queen had shared repeated itself in her head over and over again.

The maiden did not know why she had reacted the way she did. Tarja was married, unhappily married, but still. And she was the queen. There could not be more than friendship between them.

But that kiss…

Anette remembered how good it had felt and how her heart started to speed up when she felt Tarja’s body against her won.  

Oh no, why did I reject her? She must be heartbroken!

Anette rose from her bed, but realized that it was the middle of the night and that Tarja was probably asleep by now.

Anette sighed and changed her clothes before she curled up under the covers.

Tomorrow she would tell her, tell her that she loved her. 

The queen and the maiden (Part 2)

Anette woke up before dawn. She put on the same dress as the evening before and once again braided her hair.

Anette had not been sleeping well. The sad look in the queen’s eyes during the evening before had been haunting her dreams.   

When Anette found out that she had been sold to the royal house, she became scared. So scared. She had heard stories about the king and what a wicked man he was. But when he said that she would be the queen’s maid, Anette had to hold back a sigh of relief.

Anette’s movements stopped in mid-air while a big lump started to form in her chest. She had heard that the queen always was cheerful and confident. But those rumors turned out to be lies.

Anette got out of her room and went to the kitchen. One of her duties was to serve the queen her breakfast and dinner in her room. This seemed very strange to Anette. She had always thought that the queen was surrounded by servants all the time, and had many dinners with the nobility. Of course she had only been here for one day, but still she could not suppress the feeling that something horrible had happened to Tarja. Something that would make her want to be left alone.

After getting the breakfast from the kitchen, Anette went to Tarja’s room. She knocked gently with her knuckles and waited for a response. When Tarja did not answer, she knocked again. After a fourth time, Anette balanced the tray carefully so that she could open the door with one hand.  

“Good morning!” Anette exclaimed cheerfully.

She put the tray down in the same place as the dinner she had served the evening before. Anette turned around and saw that he queen was still in her bed, with her head hiding under the cover. Slightly amused, Anette sat down on the side of the bed and shook Tarja’s shoulder slightly. Tarja immediately curled up and started to shake. Alarmed, Anette removed the cover slightly. The red marks on Tarja’s wrists stood out brightly against her pale skin. On the queen’s face, similar marks appeared. To Anette, they looked like someone had slapped her really hard on the cheek.

“Tarja, what happened?”  

Tarja sat up slowly, as if she was in pain. Without answering Anette’s question, Tarja went to her wardrobe and pulled out the clothes she wanted to wear for the day. Anette was stunned for a while, but then remembered her duties.

“Let me help you, your majesty!”

While Anette got Tarja dressed, she noticed the bruises on the queen’s thighs and shoulder blades. But the maiden kept her mouth shut, still afraid of what the queen may do to her if she was being too demanding or annoying.

Tarja had her breakfast in silence, and then proceeded to put some white powder on her face to hide the red marks. Anette later helped her with the bracelets and the crown. When she was done, the maiden looked into Tarja’s eyes and saw how she bravely held back her tears.

“Good morning dearest, did you sleep well?”

The king’s eyes were cold and emotionless.

Tarja hid her sadness and replied with the sweetest voice she could manage.

“I slept very good, thank you for asking.”

The queen placed herself on the throne and adjusted her dress and crown. She straightened up while Anette served her some wine. When she was done with that, Anette placed herself on a chair a few meters away from the queen’s throne, so that she would be able to assist the queen if she wanted her to do so.

Hours passed and Anette saw how Tarja’s bravery began sinking. Every time the king spoke or looked at her, Tarja clenched her fists and breathed in and out heavily. Anette could not take it anymore, so she rose from her chair and walked up to the king.

“My king” she said and curtsied “your queen is not feeling well, may she be excused?”

Anette saw how the king almost broke out in laughter, but instead he nodded.

“Get better soon, my darling”

Tarja did not even look at him, nor did she respond. The queen grabbed Anette’s arm and pulled her out of the room. But before Anette closed the door, she managed to catch a glimpse of the malicious look in the king’s eyes, which caused a shiver to run down the maiden’s spine.  

“Does your majesty want me to go?”

Tarja lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling above her. She had put on one of her lighter dresses and gotten rid of all the jewelry and powder. The red marks had subsided a bit, but still made a sharp contrast against her skin.

Anette stood by the side off the bed and waited for an answer. The queen turned away from her before she spoke up.

“He did this to me, my husband.”

Anette heard some sniffles coming from Tarja. The maiden lay down next to the queen and put a hand on her waist.

Slowly, Tarja turned around and faced her.

“He raped me again. He always does it when I have disappointed him. I am nothing but a failure!”

Without a word, Anette slid an arm under Tarja’s head and pulled her closer to herself.

The maiden held the queen as she cried.

The queen and the maiden (Part 1)

Tarja’s gaze travelled across the throne room. It was late afternoon, but still there seemed to be no ending in sight of citizens who wanted help and advice from their king. Tarja squirmed in her seat and adjusted the crown on her head. She hated wearing it, but she had to look proper next to her husband.

The king leaned back in his throne and started rubbing his eyes, signaling that he had had enough for the day. Tarja was just starting to leave, when her husband’s voice stopped her.

“Do not go yet dearest; I have a surprise for you!”

Tarja sat down again. She wondered what he would give her this time. The king was not very good with presents. He had given her strange animals and disgusting fruits from the colonies he had around the world. He was a strict and ruthless king with a lot of enemies. He scared Tarja a great deal.

The king waved his hand and made a woman step out from the shrinking crowd of people. She curtsied towards the king and then the queen.

“Tarja, this is Anette, your new main maiden.”

Tarja eyed Anette up and down. The clothes she wore seemed simple and did not show if she was of noble birth.

“Where did you find her, dearest husband?”

“I bought her from the Snow family. Apparently her reputation is good and since your last main maiden died, I thought you needed another one.”

She was murdered, and it was all your fault.

Tarja swallowed her anger and smiled.

“I will happily accept your gift, my king.”

“Good, you may leave. Your duties are done for the day.”

Tarja left her throne.

“Come with me Anette, I will show you my room and explain what your duties are”

“Yes, my queen.”

Tarja had five servants of her own already. They were all noble men’s daughters. They always flattered the queen and sucked up to her every time a chance presented itself to them.

Tarja was sick of them.

She had been showing Anette the duties she would undertake. There were not a lot, since the main maiden often kept the queen company and acted as her best friend. Tarja really needed one right now. The loneliness she felt had become hard to handle.

Someone knocked on the door and made Tarja snap out of her thoughts.

“Come in!”

She saw how Anette appeared with a tray.

“Your dinner, your majesty.”

Anette sat the tray down in front of Tarja.

“Thank you”

“It was my pleasure, your majesty”

Tarja began eating while Anette sat down opposite of her and continued sewing on pearls on one of the queen’s dresses.

Tarja watched her in silence. Anette’s hands worked gracefully and with ease.

“Where are you from?” Tarja asked.

Anette diverted her eyes from the needle she was holding and into Tarja’s emerald eyes.

“I was born in the city, in the darker and poorer areas.”

Tarja was shocked by her response.

“How did you end up here?”

Anette bit her lip and Tarja sensed that she did not want to tell her. At least not yet.

“You do not have to answer that if it makes you feel uncomfortable.”

“I am so sorry, my queen, if you truly wish to know I will tell you.”

“No, that will not be necessary. And stop calling me queen or majesty when we are talking to each other. Call me Tarja.”

“Yes, your m… Tarja”

Tarja smiled and continued to eat. When she was done, Anette got up and went to the kitchen with the dishes.

While she was gone, Tarja started to remove her jewelry. The rings and bracelets were quite heavy and caused her wrists to ache quite a lot. She carefully placed them in her jewelry box and then proceeded to take of her crown and placed it next to the box. Tarja looked up and saw her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were much sadder than she remembered. All her youth seemed to have been removed from her face and soul.

Tarja did not even notice that Anette came back into the room.

“What would you like me to do now, Tarja?”

The queen held back her tears while she turned around and faced her maid. To Tarja’s surprise, Anette wore the dark blue dress she had picked out for her. Her blonde hair was braided and around her neck, she wore the simple silver necklace that all of Tarja’s servants had.

She was so beautiful that Tarja forgot about the question Anette asked her.

“Tarja?”

“Oh I am… what did you ask me now again?”

Anette manged to hold back a giggle.

“I asked you what you wanted me to do next”

Tarja smiled and started to remove the hair clips from her hair.

“I think I will go to bed a bit earlier today. Can you help me get out of my dress?”

Anette later continued helping Tarja with the hair clips and freed her long, black hair. She then untied the corset around Tarja’s waist. The queen took a big breath and stretched herself. Anette went to the big chest next to Tarja’s bed and pulled out one of her nightgowns. She gently placed the gown over the queens naked body and then went to ready the bed. Tarja watched her in silence until she was ready.

“Good night, my queen” Anette said and curtsied before opening and closing the door.

Tarja started hugging the pillow tight and listened for any footsteps.

Please, please, not tonight…