The former queen sat in her chambers, her once elegant gown now rumpled and tear-streaked. Her eyes, swollen from hours of weeping, stared blankly at the teacup in her hand. She tried to lift it to her lips, but her hands were trembling. The delicate porcelain slipped from her grasp, shattering against the cold marble floor. The sharp sound echoed through the room.
One of her ladies-in-waiting, Elizabeth, rushed forward at the sound of the breaking cup. She had yet to hear the devastating news.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Elizabeth asked, her voice filled with concern.
Miriam didn't meet her eyes. "No," she whispered, her voice hollow.
The second lady-in-waiting hurried over to clean up the shards of broken porcelain. As she worked, Elizabeth gently guided Queen Miriam to the bed, her heart heavy with worry. She had never seen her queen in such a state, so fragile and lost.
"What's wrong, my queen?" Elizabeth asked softly, her hands steady as she helped Miriam lay down on the bed, trying to offer comfort.
Minutes passed in silence. Elizabeth, ever patient and loyal, finally asked again, "Your Majesty, please, are you—"
Before she could finish, the heavy wooden doors to the queen's chambers swung open with a crash. Guards flooded the room, led by the head of the knights, Sir Eric. His face was stern, the weight of his duty pressing down on him as he approached.
Eric, once the queen's closest friend, now stood before her with a heavy heart and a duty that shattered his soul. He spoke in a voice laden with regret, but there was no wavering in his words.
"Your Majesty, you are under arrest by order of the king for treason."
Miriam blinked, barely registering the words. Her gaze fell on Eric, her former confidant, her friend. She waited for him to tell her it was a mistake. But his eyes, filled with sorrow, told her otherwise.
"You will be stripped of your title and executed at dawn." His voice cracked, just slightly. "May God be with you."
"Oh…" Miriam's voice was barely a whisper. "Okay... You can go then."
She didn't cry. She had no more tears left to shed. She simply sat there, numb, as her world collapsed around her. Eric, with a final bow of respect, said softly, "I'm so sorry it has come to this. I will leave you to your thoughts." He knelt, as did the other knights, before turning on his heel and exiting the room. The door slammed shut behind them, sealing Miriam's fate.
The moment they were gone, the silence descended like a shroud. Miriam remained still, staring blankly ahead. In her mind, she was back at that lake. Back to the moment when she sent Arissa away. How could everything have gone so wrong?
Elizabeth, still beside her, broke down into sobs, the weight of her queen's fate too much to bear. She knelt by the queen's side, laying her head on Miriam's lap like a child seeking comfort. Miriam absentmindedly stroked Elizabeth's hair, though the act gave her no solace. The other ladies-in-waiting stood quietly by, their own hearts breaking, but none dared speak. What was there left to say?
Hours passed in a haze. The night dragged on, and Miriam found herself unable to rest. Her thoughts raced, but no solution, no way out presented itself. It was too late. Far too late.
Eventually, she dismissed her ladies-in-waiting, sending them to their chambers. But Elizabeth lingered. Miriam sat at her desk, her hands trembling as she wrote her final letters. One for each of her ladies-in-waiting, thanking them for their loyalty, for standing by her in these darkest of times. And one for Arissa… a letter her daughter may never read, a mother's last words to the child she had abandoned in a moment of panic.
When she finished, she called Elizabeth back to her side, handing her two letters in particular. "These… these are special," Miriam said, her voice soft but firm. "Do not give them to anyone. Not yet."
Elizabeth hesitated, fear flashing across her face, but she nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty," she whispered, taking the letters with trembling hands.
The next morning, the air in the palace was thick with tension. The former queen was taken to a chamber that felt like a cave—cold, damp, with narrow windows that let in the early morning light. The smell of fresh air mixed with the scent of death that hung heavily in the room.
"Oh, what a time to be alive," Miriam whispered to herself, a bitter smile curling her lips.
Her ladies-in-waiting dressed her for the last time, their hands trembling as they fastened her simple gown and placed a white cap over her fiery red hair. Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen, and Miriam felt a pang of sorrow. She had hoped to say goodbye.
Outside, the sun rose over the kingdom. Miriam was led to the stadium, her feet heavy with dread. As she walked, she could feel every eye on her. Whispers echoed through the crowd, filled with confusion, anger, and grief. But she held her head high. She had no choice but to face her fate with what little dignity remained.
She stepped onto the platform, the last steps she would ever take as queen. Her voice, once commanding and powerful, was now soft but steady.
"Today, I stand before you to die. But my love for my people will not. In God's eyes, I am innocent, and that is the truth I leave you with. Long live your future queen, and long live His Majesty, King Isaac."
Tears fell from the eyes of many in the crowd. Then, as if one voice had called them all, a chant rose from the sea of faces.
"God save the queen. God save the queen."
Miriam's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't expected this. Among the voices, she heard a single, piercing cry.
"The queen is innocent!" Elizabeth's voice rang out above the crowd, frantic and desperate. Guards rushed to pull her back, but her voice carried on. "I will testify for you in the heavens and the earth, my queen!"
"Long live the queen!" she screamed as the guards dragged her away.
Miriam's heart swelled with gratitude. Her final moments would not be spent alone.
She knelt, placing her head on the block. The world went silent as the executioner's blade descended. And then, there was nothing but silence.
The queen was dead, and the kingdom would never be the same again.