The Mad Queen

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The first Queen's trial to take place was between the granddaughters of Queen Orianna. For when King Niklaus eventually passed on his throne, it had to pass down to her son and not his heirs. The reasoning behind this links back to the contract that was signed in order for the Mad Queen to surrender. That it would still be her son to take the throne once King Niklaus' reign ended. The Mad Queen's son, Prince Orlando, was only a babe when his mother was executed. He was raised by his uncle.

When Prince Orlando reached maturity, he married Lady Anika Drake. The eldest daughter of one of the highest nobles in the kingdom. Once married, Lady Anika became Queen Anika as King Niklaus abdicated his throne. Completing his agreement when his sister surrendered.  She, like King Orlando, was loved by the kingdom. They showed kindness toward the people and he ruled fairly.

Though Prince Niklaus' own children and wife were not happy with the Mad Queen's son taking the throne they did nothing serious to interfere with King Orlando's reign. After twelve years of marriage, the King and Queen still had yet to conceive a child. With every passing year, Prince Niklaus' meddling family grew more confident in the fact that the two would never have heirs of their own. Meaning that the crown would fall back to them. As they felt it rightfully should have when Prince Niklaus abdicated.

It was in their thirteenth year of marriage when Queen Anika fell pregnant. Only to miscarry a few months later. Queen Anika miscarried many times after that. It wasn't for another five years when she became pregnant again when the atmosphere around the palace turned dark. For the first five months of Queen Anika's pregnancy, Prince Niklaus' family waited. They waited for her pregnancy to fail, much like it had all those other times. The Queen was being closely monitored as the pregnancy continued. Doctors were always around her. Examining her completely to make sure nothing went wrong. The news spread fast.

"The Queen is perfectly healthy as are the babes!" The kingdom was overjoyed and waited excitedly for the new royals to be born. Prince Niklaus had passed a few years earlier, leaving his family alone with their scheming. As their desperation grew, so did their own madness. It was the eighth month into Queen Anika's pregnancy when Princess Meadow, Prince Niklaus' eldest daughter, slipped into the queen's chambers. Appearing in the queen's chambers as a supportive family member who had also been through childbirth. Multiple times in fact. Giving birth to three sons. She offered the queen fresh soup from the kitchens. However, between the kitchens and the queen's chambers, the soup had been changed. Princess Meadow had added a little extra to the food. A potion of her own making for she had always had a gift for chemistry.

Not long after the Queen consumed the food, she began to feel unwell. Her nose started to bleed as did her eyes and ears. Though she could not get a sound out. Blood filled her lungs and body. Princess Meadow stood and watched before whispering in the queen's ear.

"My sons are more worthy of the crown than any of your babes could ever be. It never belonged to you or the Mad Queen's bastard," she spat.

What she didn't know is that a doctor was scheduled to give the queen a checkup. Their timings having been changed due to some unusual symptoms the queen was having. It was he and his team who overheard everything, rushed to save the queen. Princess Meadow who knew she could not fight the doctors fled from the scene. Though word spread quickly and she could not escape the red guard. When the King found out what had happened, he rushed to his wife. When he arrived in her room, blood stained the sheets and she was surrounded by a sea of doctors. She was already dead. He arrived at the doctor's cutting open her stomach and getting to the babes before the poison reached them too.

That was the night when the first Queen's Trial was set into motion. The night three baby girls were ripped from their mother's womb.

~The History of the Queen's Trial