Sitting with my hands tied to a chair, Queen Raelyn shouted at me, "How does it feel to be below me?" Her face flushed with anticipation, her hands twitched on both sides, staring at me with the deepest hatred.

Taking a few steps towards me, Raelyn raised her hand, landing a heavy blow on my face. Closing my eyes upon impact, I felt the stinging sensation that caused a wave of shock throughout my body. I jolted back, making my chair tilt over and causing me to fall abruptly to the floor.

"Look at you! How low you have come, so low that your body is now below me," she muttered as she knelt. Looking down at my frail body, she pestered again, grabbing hold of my hair. "Did you know, Adelia, I had a lot of regrets lately, but the worst one was that I didn't kill your family in front of you," she taunted me. My brother's and sisters' faces flashed in my mind, which led me to think I shouldn't have been so selfish.

*I guess you're wondering how I ended up in this situation?*

Well, it all started when I decided to kill her uncle, who was my wingman and my country's pope. I had many fond memories of him being like a father to me. As you guessed, he was a traitor. He lovingly and openly betrayed my country right in front of my eyes because of his greed for power. I had enough, so I decided to hang him and let him be gone from existence.

**Date: 11/3/1656**

Loud shouts were heard as I turned my back, walking to my rightful place. I walked like a free bird let go by its master, with the crown now placed on my head. No one dared to go against me, but a few did, and those few shall be killed.

Sitting down, I placed both hands on each side of the armrest, crossing my legs. I looked downward at those who dared oppose me. I was quite aware of everyone's displeasure with my final decision. Not being bothered at all, they don't run this country—I do. What doesn't benefit me shall be killed or exiled, never to be seen again.

Just like the priest who will be hung in a few hours. He betrayed me and ratted me out to the other nation, Solutus. What fools they are! I suppose if I let everyone step on me, I will no longer be queen but a mere mat. I do have a right to kill this man. He is not a man of God, and he only wants to reap the benefits for himself. If one doesn't want the benefit for my country, I will send legions against them. I did just that—I sent legions after the priest who escaped from my hands for two months. He claimed it was all God's work, but I beg to differ; it was of some other kind.

When all the crowd dispersed, mumbling curses towards me as they left, waiting for the evening to come, I asked my guards to lead me to the priest privately. I would like him to hear his last words from me. I walked to the prison cell he was placed in. I stood right in front of it; immediately, he stared at me as if he was expecting my presence. Such a despicable, disgusting, lowly human he is. I wished to kill him myself, but that would be too much respect for a man such as him. I trusted him; I confided in him my darkest and most sorrowful secrets.

With my hands folded, I continued to bash him in my thoughts, wishing for sympathy to wash over me, but there was none. For I blessed him with all the wealth of this country, but he turned around and stabbed me in the back as if I were a mere commoner on the street. I am not a fool and never will be.

He was lying flat on the ground, with chains holding down his feet. He was the first to speak. "You shouldn't kill me. Your people, they will forever dislike you."

His proclamation made me shake my head.

I scoffed.

"They can go ahead and dislike me."

I leaned against the cell with my shoulder. I looked at this wrinkled-down old man. Well, it looks like killing him is the right choice; he is such an old fool.

"What was the reason you went against me?" I asked inquisitively.

"I was given a great offer."

"So what I offer isn't greater?"

"Status you don't offer." I let out a laugh at his reply.

Did he want my royal title, I suppose?

"What was the status given?" I continued to inquire.

"A marriage with the King of Solutus in exchange for your country's information."

Not shocked by the news, since Solutus and my country have been at war for a decade, I had known the current king when I was much younger. He used to have frequent visits to my country for business purposes. The younger prince used to follow along as well. The king at that time, who was my father, had introduced us, hoping we could have become future partners, but he became my buddy in crime instead when they had visited.

With the frequent visits came scandals, such as dealing in evil businesses together or money laundering. A few months passed, and the news came that the King of Solutus had suddenly declared war on my country.

"What madwoman will marry such a barbaric man that is invisible?"

He didn't answer that question for sure, so I carried on.

"I have your family in my hand; you don't have a daughter."

"Well, of course, I don't... It was a favor I did for a friend's daughter."

"A man of truth does favors," I shouted in shock, mocking him.

What is the advantage of him doing this?

"What's the benefit for you, huh?"

"My dear queen, not everyone wants benefits but laughter, you know?"

"Yes, yes, but laughter lasts for a while, so your true reason?"

Spitting on the ground, he looked up at me, signifying disgust. "It goes a long way back to when your father was king, but so on you neither deserve to be a queen nor royalty," he informed me.

I am sure it goes way back to my father since they were as close as brothers. What did my father do to the priest? That last line couldn't affect me since I heard that for so many years I could even say it while sleeping.

"How ironic, but the title of a priest you claim to have seems rather humorous."

"Your last wish?"

I ended his clown show sooner than I expected. With my thoughts in a daze, who is going to marry the King of Solutus? It has to be a crazy woman! No one knows what he looks like from previous years, even when he was announced king as a teenager. Someone marrying that invisible man seems rather laughable to me.

As I walked out of the prison, I stopped at the entrance and looked at the guard, informing him of the pope's last wish, making sure to leave a treat in the end, "Make sure to feed him to the lions in the den when he is finished showcasing himself after his death."

Evening came, and I sentenced the priest to death. "So shall it be in the beginning, so shall it be in the end!" I proclaimed, adding more fuel to the finishing fire. "Proceed to hang him!"

*That's where it all started.*

A few months after I sent off my older brother Lucas to war with the neighboring enemy, Solutus, he ended up dead, with only his sword returning to me. A week after his death, I was sent a letter asking for my hand in marriage to be wedded to the King of Solutus. Do they take me for a fool? Have they taken me and my country for clowns to be laughed at or joked upon?

Watching the letter burn in the fire, I walked back to my chair in my study room. Looking at the paper in front of me about the information on the country's well-being, I sighed. My allies were slowly turning their backs on me. Stopping all trades with me caused a downfall in my country's economy. I looked up at the plain roof. Didn't the priest say one of his friend's daughters was to marry the king?

Well, I can't believe a dead man's words, can I?

A few months passed, and my country was at constant war with Solutus, losing the battles that were fought. Left and right, many of the soldiers that I sent to fight either returned dead or with a missing limb. With the amount of death my country has faced, I can only hurt in silence.

I read every letter the Solutus kingdom sent over for me, only requesting my hand in marriage. I shall not let my country lose its pride over me. So I continued to ignore them until a certain letter caught my attention, and I quote: "If not answered by next week, the capital of Cattleya shall be attacked." The capital of Cattleya is Dahlias, which is not far from the personal castle I now acquire. Biting the corner of my lip, I read the information on the paper that was sent to me. These barbaric people dare to be unreasonable!

I waited for a week to pass, and the attack never came. I prepared all my soldiers, making every preparation necessary for war. I made sure all the civilians were secured, but they never came until a week later.

A loud blast was heard throughout the capital, waking me in shock. I dashed straight toward the window, looking out. I saw black smoke rising over the town. With my heart beating fast, I quickly ran towards my siblings' chamber, hurrying to send them off through the secret passageway

 That led to the neighboring country, which we allied with, hoping they would make it safely there.

I ordered all my guards to defend the castle and the country. I hurried off to the dungeons, looking for my treasured sword. Seeing that all the weapons were scattered around the room, I hurried, hearing the loud voices coming from outside. This seems like the end for me. With my weapon in hand, I will go down defending what is mine.

I found myself going from passage to passageway, trying to dodge my enemies as much as possible until I was finally caught. Even with the amount of struggle I put up, it was no use, so here I am, tied up to this wooden chair, staring back at the madwoman who goes by the name Raelyn. 

"You're such a fool, Adelia," she spat out. "You were too easy to catch."

"How so?" I inquired.

"It looks like the king is using you as a pawn, Raelyn ."

I finally understood.

"Even if you kill me, you would have never conquered the throne."

That statement of mine made her enraged; she slapped me again. My head was tilted sideways from the impact, and my nose was bleeding.

"You shall forever pay for your sins," she muttered out.

She stood up, fuming mad as ever, and made her way to the door, ordering her men to feed me to the dogs. 

*Well, that's how I ended up here in my second life.*