The Journey

Prologue

Queen Clara paced her bedroom in a nervous fit.  She was sweating and twiddling her thumbs.  The paranoia and stress were too much, she cried out to her maiden for more wine.  Her maiden rushed back to her with a full glass.  Poor Clara had a habit of trying to drown her demons...

Clara downed her glass within a matter of seconds, then called for more.  She finished that glass, then sent her maidens out.  She closed her door and sat on the floor and cried.

Clara... Well, Clara wasn't thinking straight... She put on her nicest dress and dug through her drawers for her "medicine".

She finally pulled out a vile of red/purple liquid.  She set it down and grabbed out a piece of paper and began to write...

"Dearest Alice,

I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you.

I still love you with all my heart.

And it pains me to be leaving my precious daughter, but living this nightmare will only pain me more...

I hope you understand, the constant fear of being attacked by my sisters, along with the stress of life and heart ache, is only harming me.

I was never as strong and intelligent as you, so I am trusting you make good decisions while I'm gone.

I will always watch over you, please don't be sad...

I love you,

Queen Clara"

Clara folded the note and picked up the vile.  She sat on her bed and opened it.  She drank the liquid fast, the laid her head back on her pillow.  She held the paper in her hand and closed her eyes.  It only took a few minutes for the poison to kick in...

A few minutes later, Clara's maiden knocked on the door.

No answer.

She knocked again.

Still, no answer.

Then she called for Princess Alice to open the door.  Alice opened the door slightly, then opened it all the way.  She walked over to her mother and took the paper.  She unfolded it carefully and read it.  She dropped to her knees and sobbed. 

Queen Clara... was dead.