Masquerade

Chapter Twenty-one

Coarse, wooden walls. A dirty floor, decorated only with a frayed lavender rug. A rocking chair, looking as if it hasn't been sat in for years. A single small window, its grime making it almost impossible to see out of.

At first, the cabin looks like nothing more than a sad display of a home once lived in, one that has since been completely abandoned. But I am still confident that upon further inspection, we will find that it is more than it seems.

Jac and I waste no time in searching the cabin, the others waiting outside due to the fact that there is not enough room for all of us in the cramped space.

"I wonder why the king didn't mention details about the cabin." I think aloud as I examine the rocking chair. "I understand why my father didn't, because him and my mother were probably hoping I would never come out here to endanger myself. But the king? What reason would he have for hiding this? The people should understand the whole situation of their queen's passing."

"Probably because there's something to hide," Jac ponders. "If he had revealed it as a tree house, some group could have found it much before we did. But since he kept the story so vague, it's stayed hidden away all these years. I mean, clearly no one has been here in a while. Do you see all this dust? Blegh."

I laugh, but quickly go back to focusing on the task at hand. Since the cabin is so small, it doesn't take us long to search every corner. I stand back with defeat upon realizing that there is nowhere else to look, until I glance over at the window.

Maybe it's not a coincidence that it's covered in grime.

I run over to the faded glass and reach out to touch it. I wrinkle my nose when the sticky, murky substance makes its way onto my finger. I quickly wipe it on my skirt but brighten when I see that I've cleared some of it away. Now, I can actually see out of a portion of the window.

I bring both hands to the glass and swipe the grime away, delighted as I watch it peel off with ease. Before long, the window is clean. I'm so proud of my work that I barely notice the piece of paper that falls to the floor. Once I'm able to tear my eyes away from the lovely view outside, I notice the sheet and pick it up with eagerness.

I wave Jac over excitedly, and we both peer at the filthy note. I have to wipe it off as well, since it was stuck under all that grime. I'm unable to get most of the stains out, but at least it's legible.

But very quickly, my excitement fades and turns into horror. My heart pangs with grief upon realizing what exactly this piece of paper entails.

"It's a suicide note," Jac breathes, speaking the horrible truth for me.

"It's from the queen. She was not murdered; she killed herself," I gasp, finally able to find my words. "Look, see this line? 'I regret leaving my kingdom, my people. They were so incredibly kind to me, for a time. But when the feelings of everyone I love suddenly changed, I found myself unable to occupy this world any longer.'"

As I continue to read, it becomes very clear to me why this note was hidden away. Just as Jac and I did together, the queen bares her soul on this piece of paper; it's almost as if her very heart is contained in its words. It is clear that she desired it to be found by a gentle person, one who would understand what she went through and not impose judgement upon her.

No wonder it was hidden away under a thick layer of grime. The proud, embellished soldiers who found her body would not have dirtied themselves by reaching into the window as I did. If the king came to the cabin after her death, he definitely would not have done so either. This note was intended for someone such as myself, someone who would stop at nothing to find the truth instead of hide it away.