Snow White Queen [NaNoWriMo 2018]

Chapter Eighteen

It saddens my heart to bring this information to your attention, but as your Queen, it is my solemn duty to tell you the whole truth so that you may arm yourselves against wretched acts such as the one that I have survived.
Just a few nights ago, my once beloved stepmother, Lilia Corryntine, snuck into my room around midnight armed with a dagger. Clearly, it was in her heart to kill me. Thankfully, I was also armed and was able to fight back and escape the palace with my life. However, the palace still remains under her control, though I hope not for long.
I am currently in hiding and am planning how to take the castle back and dethrone this evil woman. Rest assured that I will not leave you under her control for long.
Yours truly,
Her Majesty the Queen, Neva Erythrodis

Lilia read the official proclamation over and over again, not believing the words on the page. Surely, it had to be a fake, right? But no one had known that Neva had left the castle, and no one else knew of the confrontation between the two of them.

Lilia didn't want to believe it, but all the clues were adding up, and there was no way to escape the truth.

Neva was turning against her.

~~~

The summer palace was gorgeous. Seated on the coast with a beautiful coast of the sea and surrounded by lush gardens, it was the picture of paradise. Neva had loved coming here when she was a child.

Now, however, she looked on the castle with dread in her heart. Her trip was being framed as meant to get her out of the castle for a few days until she cooled down, but she knew the real purpose behind the visit.

To trap her, and get her away from Lilia.

Lilia was afraid of her. Neva didn't blame her. She had tried to kill her.

Neva spent the entire trip there trying to think of some way that she could make it up to Lilia. It wouldn't be an easy task, but Neva still had hope.

~~~

Neva watched the sun set over the coastline, waiting for night to fall so she could take a walk in the garden without having to take any precautions to protect her from sunlight.

For a moment, she let herself forget all that was happening and just live in the moment, appreciating the beauty. The colors seemed to fade into each other, creating a beautiful gradient that both paid homage to the fading day and advertised the coming night.

Neva had always loved sunsets. The colors were always so pretty. It was the unification between night and day.

It had always represented unity between her and her family.

As soon as the sun was below the horizon, Neva went out and strolled casually through the garden, admiring the way the moonlight brought out a beauty in the flowers that the sun never could.

This was all a nightmare. Neva couldn't help but hope that it was nothing but a bad dream.

Why did I do it? Why had she listened to Tamela? Did she really think that she would have been better off without Lilia?

The damage had been done, and Neva feared it was irreparable.

Neva sat down on a bench and dropped her head in her hands. She closed her eyes and focused on the sound of the sea, trying to clear her head of all thoughts.

A twig snapped. Neva jerked her head up and looked around.

A shape came out of the shadows. Neva stood up and started backing away.

"Don't be afraid, it's just me."

Neva narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. "Tamela?"

Tamela stepped forward so she was in the moonlight, smirking. "Miss me?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Just trying to help."

"You've done nothing but cause me harm."

"How can you say that? I got you to where you are."

"You tried to get me to kill my step mother."

"She was in your way."

"She was my best friend!" Neva sighed, rubbing her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I need you to do something for me."

"No."

"You haven't even heard my idea."

"I'm not interested." Neva started walking back to the castle. Unfortunately, Tamela followed.

"Of course you're interested, don't you want her gone?"

"No."

"She almost killed you-"

"Because you convinced me to kill her." Neva stopped and faced her former teacher, barely containing her rage. "You have been nothing but trouble for me. I don't care if you think you're looking out for me. I want you out of my life."

Neva walked away before Tamela could have a chance to say anything. Still, Tamela followed.

"You can't trust any human. They don't like us - they turn on us every chance they get. Now that you've attacked Lilia-"

"Because you told me to-"

"-she's going to turn on you. It doesn't matter what kind of history they have. Once we prove we're dangerous, they want us dead. Lilia probably wants you dead. That's why she sent you here. To prepare her plan to dethrone you and kill you without damaging her own reputation. She's going to try to deface your image, and the easiest way to do that is to tell them the truth about you."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you need to act. You are loved by your people. If you don't act soon, that won't last much longer. You need to discredit her before she can ruin you."

"What do you suggest I do?" She tried to put an aggressive edge to her voice, but Tamela's words were making sense to her. Once again, the vampire was getting into her head.

"Humans don't trust us. You know that from personal experience. Remember your father?"

The mention of the former king resurfaced a lot of repressed memories. Neva pushed those memories back down before she could remember them clearly. Yes, she did know that humans were dangerous to her.

But Lilia-

"Lilia will not love you anymore. She will only try to protect herself, and that will mean hurting you."

She was right.

Neva sighed in resignation. "What do you suggest I do?"

~~~

Neva read over her proclamation a million times. This information - this lie - would completely destroy Lilia's life and any chance at reconciliation with her.

She looked over at the fireplace, considering throwing the paper into the fire and forgetting what Tamela had told her to do.

She's going to turn on you. Lilia probably wants you dead. You need to discredit her before she can ruin you.

Neva took a deep breath. She called a page into the room and ordered him to make copies of the proclamation and distribute them, saying goodbye to any chance at reconciliation with Lilia as she did so.

~~~

Within two days, the entire kingdom had read the proclamation. Everyone was enraged that the queen - no, she was a commoner - had tried to kill their beloved princess.

Mobs formed outside the castle. Security was doubled, then tripled, then quadrupled, to protect the acting sovereign.

Lilia feared for her life. Neva had completely destroyed her reputation. She had no claim to the throne. She would be thrown out.

Evil Queen, the mobs shouted. Down with the Evil Queen.

Neva, how could you do this?

Hey, so, it's been a while. I don't have an excuse.
I want to have this finished before this November so that I'm not still working on this when I start my next NaNo project. I don't know why I'm telling you that.
Yeah, I don't have much to say.
Hope you're enjoying. Leave a vote if you did, and a comment with your thoughts.
Until next time,
~Patchesmimi