The Queen's Promise

It’s been two months since Queen Alora heard those bells chiming throughout her city. Gazing through a window from her castle, she watched as all the residents & guests were walking toward the town square. Guards, knights, and other members of the military were also marching alongside them. Shopkeepers were even posting signs outside their windows, briefly closing their businesses for the meeting that was about to happen.

Sipping on a glass of mead, Alora eventually stared off into the distance. She was much deep in thought as the land beyond the city walls was a harsh reminder as to why this gathering was happening in the first place. What used to be a gorgeous landscape full of flowers, crops, trees, and all sorts of life…has now become a barren wasteland full of charred debris, destroyed weapons, and mutilated corpses.

The queen was nervous…very nervous. She could feel her pulse racing and her mind was flooded with grim thoughts as she feared the worst. Downing the rest of her mead, she turned toward a table in the middle of her room and reached for another bottle. Upon pouring herself a second glass, Alora glanced over at a large mirror in one corner of her room. Staring at her reflection, the queen adjusted her hair and began admiring her custom dress.

While technically it was a formal robe, Alora’s outfit could pass as a ceremonial dress. It was a deep shade of red with gold floral accents that perfectly accentuated her natural beauty. With or without the dress…Queen Alora was well known as the most beautiful woman in the world.

Her enticing, emerald eyes gazed into her mirror over her soft, heart-shaped lips. She had a bouncy personality and a lovely voice. Women all around the world envied her beauty… especially her long golden hair that flowed elegantly over her shoulders. Even silly rumors were being spread that Alora was secretly a goddess.

She had a petite figure with a slender waist. While her dress enveloped every curve of her body, Alora’s perky breasts were slightly on the larger side, nearly bursting out of her dress. Alora was accustomed to getting all sorts of looks from men…even from the other kings. While distracted for a few moments, Alora’s mind finally drifted back to reality and began focusing on more pressing matters.

After spending a few minutes stressing about the gathering, Queen Alora lifted her head the moment she heard footsteps shuffling toward her bedroom door. She closed her eyes and smiled while shaking her head as she knew who it was. The footsteps stopped just right outside her door before three knocks were heard.

“Come in, Henry,” Alora answered in a warm tone.

Hurrying himself into Alora’s sleeping quarters, Henry closed the door behind him and proceeded to bow before his queen.

“Your grace,” he greeted.

“Hello Henry,” she said, turning toward him. “I take it everything is in order?”

“Indeed it is, my queen,” he nodded before straightening his posture. “All the banners are up in the town square. The flags are flying high and everything is decorated to your liking. All shops are temporarily closed and everyone in this city is gathered around…all waiting to hear from their queen.”

“Good,” Alora sighed. “I apologize if I seem nervous. It’s been a couple of months since…well, you know.”

“I completely understand, your grace,” Henry affirmed. “Your husband was a fine king. He will go down in history as one of the greats ”

“Yes…yes he was,” Alora continued. “And yet that wretched beast is still alive, killing more and more of our people. It’s only a matter of time until there’s no one left.”

“Our king died honorably,” Henry defended. Him along with six of our best men!”

“Honorably or not, the dragon is still out there,” she rebutted. “While I am grateful for his sacrifice, we are in fact still facing a dangerous threat, Henry.”

Rubbing his beard, Henry took a deep silent breath before taking a few steps toward a nearby window. Feeling annoyed, he watched the people down below making their way toward the town square.

“Look…” he said calmly. “I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that I am your hand and we both know it is my duty to help you in the best way possible for the betterment of this city. I know you were only married for a few months before the king’s passing. If he had lived longer, I’m certain you would show more sympathy toward him.”

“Well, being forced to marry him didn’t help either,” Alora rebutted.

“But it was in your family’s best interest,” Henry responded.

“Of course…” Alora said sarcastically. “Marry off their only daughter to a 60-year-old man who was already at death’s door. And in exchange, my parents got what?…a castle of their own. Excuse my bitterness but we both knew the king’s death was bound to happen soon. Dragon or not.”

“Like I said, he fought with honor and he died a noble death.”

“So what do you want me to do?” Alora huffed. “There is an entire city waiting for me, wanting answers and reassurance that everything will be alright…and I don’t know what to tell them.”

“The letters that we have sent out to our allies…have any of them responded?” Henry asked before turning back to her.

“Just three,” she groaned before taking another sip of mead. “Two of them respectfully said they didn’t want to risk losing any of their men to the dragon.”

“And the third?”

“They wanted me to leave the city to marry their king,” Alora huffed. “They never directly said if they were willing to help kill the dragon…so it’s likely they have no interest either.”

“To be forward with you, your grace…you are in fact a widowed queen,” Henry gestured. “The most beautiful queen to ever walk this earth, I might add. I think finding a potential king consort would be beneficial. Perhaps forming a new relationship could result in having more reliable allies?”

“Their king is a chauvinistic swine,” she snapped. “Plus he’s as old as my late husband.”

“You…aren’t wrong,” Henry chuckled. “But to be honest, a lot of kings are like that.”

“At least our last king had more dignity.”

“True, but his brother on the other hand was the complete opposite,” Henry smiled.

“Ugh…don’t get me started on him,” Alora groaned. “I only met Gerard once and he was a pompous ass then.”

“Well, lucky for you his brother is no longer with us,” Henry smiled. “He passed away last year from war injuries and Malaria.”

“Good!” she chuckled.

“So…do you want to head towards the town square?” Henry asked. “I’m sure the walk there would help you think more clearly. You might know what to say then.”

Feeling the weight of the whole world on her shoulders, Queen Alora closed her eyes and reflected on her conversation with Henry. With no help from her allies and more dead bodies piling up, she spent the next few minutes ruminating over all possible scenarios. Her late husband was known as a great king who promised everyone a safe place within their city walls. Alora knew she couldn’t offer her people something that they were already promised, but time was of the essence.

“Let’s go,” she commanded. “I have a plan that might buy us some time.”

Bowing before his queen, Henry opened the door and escorted Alora out of the room. Tagging along with them were a knight and two members of the council. All were marching down the castle halls side-by-side, heading toward the other end of the building.

With every passing turn, large portraits of all of the previous kings were scattered throughout the castle. All of them captured Alora’s interest as she walked past each painting…reminding her of all the great leaders that came before her.

“A king consort would be beneficial to you…” Alora thought to herself, mocking the advice Henry had suggested earlier.

After making another turn, everyone marched their way down the hallway that eventually led to the balcony. The large double doors at the end of the hall were guarded by two knights. Each of them bowed to their queen before grabbing the handles and opening the doors.

Alora could feel her heart beating more rapidly. Loud cheers from a large crowd instantly echoed through the castle walls. All of them were eagerly waiting…hoping to hear good news from their queen.

Upon exiting the castle, Alora and her company stepped onto the balcony just right above the town square. The crowd erupted in an even louder cheer as Alora and Henry walked gracefully toward the edge of the balcony. Before their eyes was a sea of residents and guests standing shoulder-to-shoulder, all chanting for their queen.

The queen waited a minute or two, taking in the applause and observing the crowd in silence as one of her knights held up a blowing horn to his lips, waiting for her command. Alora could feel herself getting more stressed. She eventually took a deep breath and nodded at the knight.

The sound of the horn soon pierced through the air, instantly alerting everyone in the city and silencing the townsfolk. Within seconds, Alora could hear a pin drop. Feeling her heart pounding against her chest, she straightened up her posture and began her speech.

“Thank you everyone. Your esteemed presence graces this crucial occasion,” she began. “We are gathered to bring forth news in regards to the wretched beast that roams beyond these castle walls. This dragon has claimed many lives, including our king who died honorably alongside his men.”

As the queen carried on with her speech, Henry and the rest of the council raised their heads and stood proud, observing the crowd’s reaction below. Most were still, patiently waiting to hear how the queen planned on handling the dragon. It wasn’t until a minute later that Alora finally revealed her plan.

“Which is why today will be a momentous day in our kingdom’s history…as we come together to remind everyone of our achievements, and the bonds that unite us all as one,” Alora continued. “I have reached out to our allies and I’m proud to say that they will be providing reinforcements to help kill this dragon once and for all!”

A small gasp escaped Henry’s throat as he jerked his neck, staring at Alora with awe-struck confusion. The other members of the council took notice of his reaction and glared at their queen, hoping that this was not a trick. It wasn’t until what Queen Alora said next that sent a nervous chill down their spines.

“At first they didn’t take me seriously…until I gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse,” Alora continued. “To prove how serious I am about the safety of everyone here, I am offering anyone the same reward that I proposed to our allies. Slay the dragon beyond these walls…and you shall become my next king consort!”

The crowd erupted with gasps and commotion. Groups of people huddled around, confirming if what their queen had said was true. Alora could see the mixture of excitement and surprise amongst her people. She just simply kept her posture and smiled as she continued her lie.

“For those of you who have any doubts…hear this,” Alora continued. “To the man who brings me the head of the dragon, will have the proper reward of joining me in my room that very night...for whatever their heart desires. If a man is capable of killing a dragon…then that man is capable of being a king.”

Upon concluding her speech, Everyone in the town square broke out in a loud cheer once more. Most were relieved to hear that everything appeared to be under control. Many men stared at their queen with salacious grins on their faces, fantasizing about what they would do to her if they had slayed the dragon. Some of the women expressed more of a concern, silently judging the queen’s decision.

With a formal bow, Queen Alora turned around and walked back into her castle.