Erased by time

Chapter 7 : The Queen's Curiosity

The queen, a woman of power and intrigue, had always been a keen observer, her eyes a constant source of knowledge and insight. Her gaze, though veiled behind a façade of regal composure, saw through the carefully crafted façade of the court, noting every subtle nuance, every unspoken gesture. And it was this keen observation that had alerted her to a shift in her husband, the king. He had been a stoic ruler, his affections for his queen undeniable yet measured, his focus always on the affairs of the kingdom. Yet, something had changed, a subtle shift in his demeanour, a flicker in his eyes that hinted at a secret longing.

This was a change she couldn't ignore. The queen, accustomed to controlling every facet of her life, found this shift disquieting. She had always been the one to hold the reins, guiding her husband with a gentle hand while wielding power behind the throne. But now, a new force had entered the picture, a young woman named Jenny, a woman who had captured the king's attention in a way no one had ever witnessed.

She was a woman from a different time, a modern-day descendant of Jenevieve, the legendary female knight who had once stolen the king's heart in a past that now felt shrouded in shadows. The king, still haunted by his past, found himself inexplicably drawn to Jenny, recognizing the echoes of his long-lost love in her features and her spirit. He spent hours in her presence, his gaze lingering on her, his voice softer than usual, his usually stoic demeanour replaced with a warmth that was unsettlingly familiar.

The queen, a woman of immense intellect and shrewd intuition, began to piece together the puzzle. It was not merely the king's interest in Jenny that bothered her; it was the way he spoke of Jenevieve, the longing in his voice as he recounted the tales of her bravery and her unwavering spirit. The king, once a man of unwavering ambition and a ruler who had sought to erase Jenevieve's legacy, was now consumed by regret, tormented by a past that he could not escape.

Her curiosity piqued, the queen began to delve into the history of her ancestors. She sought out ancient texts, consulted with the royal historians, and spoke with the court's oldest servants, those who had known Jenevieve and who had witnessed the king's heartbreak as he had banished her from the kingdom, erasing her existence from the annals of history. Through their whispers, the queen pieced together the story of Jenevieve, a woman who had challenged the norms of their time, a woman who had defied the very fabric of their society to become a knight.

The queen's investigation began to reveal a truth that threatened the kingdom's stability, a truth that had been carefully buried for centuries. The king, in his desperation to claim the throne, had betrayed Jenevieve, silencing her legacy in order to secure his own power. This revelation, if uncovered, would shake the very foundations of the kingdom. It would expose the king's past sins and cast a shadow of doubt on his reign. 

The queen's investigation led her to a hidden chamber within the castle, a chamber that had been sealed for centuries. Within its dusty confines, she discovered a treasure trove of secrets, a collection of Jenevieve's journals, her personal letters, and her own meticulously crafted account of her life. This was not just a collection of artefacts ; it was a window into the soul of a woman who had been unjustly forgotten.

The queen, a woman of considerable power, found herself torn between her love for her husband and her duty to her kingdom. On one hand, she knew that revealing the truth about the king's past would create chaos and instability. It would put his reign at risk and possibly plunge the kingdom into turmoil. On the other hand, she knew that the truth had to be revealed. Jenevieve's legacy deserved to be acknowledged. Her story, a testament to female courage and a reminder of the dangers of unchecked ambition, needed to be told.

As the queen delved deeper into Jenevieve's story, she found herself drawn to the woman's strength and resilience. She saw a reflection of her own spirit, a spirit that had been tempered by the fires of her own ambition. The queen had always strived to be the power behind the throne, the woman who controlled the destiny of her kingdom. Yet, as she read Jenevieve's words, she realized that her own ambition had been fuelled by a desire for control, a desire that had blinded her to the true meaning of power.

The queen's curiosity had been piqued by the king's fascination with Jenny. Now, it had evolved into a quest for truth, a quest that would change the course of her life and the destiny of her kingdom. She knew that uncovering the king's past would be a perilous path, but she was prepared to face the consequences. She had always been a woman of power and intrigue, but now, she was also a woman driven by a desire for justice, a desire to right the wrongs of the past and honour the legacy of a woman who had been unjustly silenced.