The Mad Queen

Chapter Fifty-Six

This chapter is based on my findings from the book. As I have mentioned before, the two books I found in the King's chambers are actually different. The one I gave to the Princess is the book that the King is most interested in. The one I have is a decoy. That being said, the parts I have been able to translate are very interesting. As I theorised in an earlier entry, this book belongs to the Lupine who served very closely to Visara. The current passage I have translated tells of how Visara won over the Fae. In our history books, it is said she won them over peacefully. They say that Visara easily had the forces to overthrow the whole Fae ruling system. With the Lupine, Centaurs, Mer and Sirens behind her, she was unstoppable. However, in good faith and wanting to cause as little collateral damage as possible, She visited the Fae leaders with only her best warriors by her side. As a sign of thanks and respect, the Fae surrendered to her and pledged their loyalties.  That is what has been taught to us all these years.

Yet, this book states she did the very opposite. It states that she ordered a team of Centaurs and Lupine into one of the largest Fae towns.  They slaughtered hundreds. The rest they held hostage until the Fae agreed to her terms.

The more I begin to translate this book, the more I am beginning to learn the Visara may not be the pure, goddess-like entity we imagined. We always hold her on a high platform. She was our saviour and she was good. However, if this book is correct, it means she is no more of a person than any other ruler. A brute, perhaps. Using the term the ends justify the means as a reason to commit such a horrific act on innocents. Perhaps, she is nothing more than a victorious war criminal.

I wonder if the other ways she won over the creatures are the same as how they are depicted in our history books. Either way, it has dawned on me that there is an alarming amount of false information in our history. It is truly disturbing.

I hope that our current Princess uniting the lands does not use such extremes in order to gain victories. If she does, then is she any better than her father? Though with the current political climate, it would be a lot more difficult to paint Princess Illyana as a pure and kind saviour even if she doesn't do anything similar to Visara. There are no re-telling of truths in this uprising. None that do the princess any favours anyway.

~The Rising of the True Queen. Written by Master Audwin. Master Scholar during the reign of King Orian and King Chosen Matthias.

We stand in a quiet alleyway. There is an awkward, tense silence as we wait for someone to arrive.  They come suddenly. One moment we are alone, the next we are surrounded by figures. They wear hooded coats made of dark leathers and covered in buckles and straps. Over their mouths and noses are scarves. Merissa, Wyatt and the other Red Guard members tense next to me. Nianzu pushes me behind him slightly. After another few moments of silence, Merissa steps forward.

"Holly?" Merissa asks, stepping forward. Someone steps forward.

"Merissa," she says and I can hear the smile in her voice. Her eyes dart over to Wyatt. "Wyatt," she says, much more curtly. I can't help but smile myself.

"We haven't got much time, Holly," Merissa sighs. "Can you take us to your leader?" Holly crosses her arms and sighs.

"She is suspicious, Rissa," she warns. "she isn't a fan of bringing you all into such a secret place. She wanted to punish me just for communicating with you and even allowing you into our city," she tells us. I gulp.

"Just take us to her, we'll be able to properly explain the situation," Merissa sighs.

"Okay, but you have to give us all your weapons," she tells us. Wyatt begins to argue.