“Look at that silly girl,” muttered Queen Isabella, as a beautiful young lady walked into court.
This maiden was no ordinary lady. She is the King’s official mistress taken in after he had grown tired of the queen.
You see, kings and queens only married back then for diplomatic alliances, not for love. So the King has to find love elsewhere. He searched among the ladies of the land and found a peculiar young woman. Jane Shrewsbury, the daughter of a lesser-known noble, was a lady-in-waiting to Her Majesty. She was by no means a beauty, but there was something about her demeanor and her quick wit that drew everyone’s attention.
Jane was quickly drawn into court and quickly became the subject of gossip. Some despised her for her immorality regarding her relationship with the king. Others were enchanted with her aura and wondered if there was perhaps more to her that meets the eye. Yet others ask for favors. They knew that at the right price, she would plead on their behalf to the king on whatever matters they want.
And Isabella? She felt betrayed. Jane is her handmaiden. How could she do this to her? She was also suspicious. Jane behaved in a rather unorthodox way compared to the king’s previous mistresses. The king’s other mistresses in the past had been subtle and tried to keep it a secret. Jane was proud and boastful of her position in court and utilized it to her advantage. Her predecessors have all worn modest clothing. Jane was a fashion statement.
On this particular day, Jane was wearing a luxurious dress with sapphires and rubies. She had glittering bracelets and she was smiling widely as she walked into the room. You might as well have called her the queen.
Queen Isabella felt a shiver of terror. What if the king wanted to divorce her? She would lose her title as queen. Where would she go then? What would she be? How would she support herself? Enough is enough. The years of humiliation have come to an end.
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“Jane, dear,” the queen said one night. “Would you mind doing me a favor?” Jane nodded and waited for the request. “Would you please go to the dressing room and bring me the bright red dress from the cabinet?”
Jane nodded and scurried off. Isabella smiled. She knew Jane could not resist putting it on. It was so lovely. Isabella had engineered it to burn up when someone tries it on and takes its unfortunate wearer with it. To her horror, Jane came back with the dress. “Here it is, Your Majesty,” said Jane.
Now, it is time to enact Plan B. “Good job, Jane!” said the queen. “Now, will you join me in a cup of tea?”
“If it pleases you, Your Highness,” said Jane. Isabella smiled again. The tea had been laced with poison. However, Jane drank the tea and nothing happened to her. “Maybe it takes time,” the queen thought.
Days passed. Jane was still alive and well and her bond with the King was growing stronger. Had the poison not worked? What was happening? Isabella now had to go with Plan C.
That night while Jane slept, Isabella snuck up on her. She took out the prized necklace that the king had given Jane and strangled her with it. Jane immediately woke up and begged for mercy to no avail.
Queen Isabella smiled as she stood over Jane’s corpse. She had triumphed. She was the winner.
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“Why do you look so blue, sweetheart?” asked the Queen to the King during breakfast.
“Nothing,” was the reply.
Isabella knew that was a lie. Jane would come visit him every morning and he was probably wondering where she was.
“You haven’t spent much time with me,” she said.
The king gave no response.
“Tell me,” said the queen. “Did you ever actually love me? Did we ever have a chance?”
“No,” the king said, quietly.
“Thank you,” said Isabella.
“For what?”
“For making this so much easier.”
Since Jane didn’t show up, breakfast began as usual. The gold platters were spread across the table and the king and queen dug in.
“The cook really outdone himself today!” the king exclaimed. “This is the best chicken I have ever eaten in a long while!”
“The cook didn’t do anything,” the queen said, coldly. “I did the cooking today.”
“Well, you’ve outdone yourself, sweetheart,” smiled the king.
“Thank you,” Isabella smiled. Wait until you get to the end, she thought.
There was silent eating for a few minutes until the king gasped. There at the bottom of his plate was a human skull. “What is the meaning of this?” he exclaimed.
“That is your beloved,” Isabella said, emotionless. “You broke my heart, so I broke her. And now, I’m gonna break you too.”
She pulled out a sash that she had hidden in her dress and drew it around her estranged husband’s neck. The king struggled, but he was no match.
Isabella smiled. Nothing was sweeter than revenge.
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The king had been buried. The official cause of death was a heart attack that he had suffered during dinner. The queen had shouted for help, but it had been too late.
With no heir, the throne passed to the queen. Isabella was free to reign the kingdom to her will. Her joy knew no bounds. She would make the world suffer like she had. She would fill the streets with blood. She would make the people cry and beg for mercy. She would torture one random person a day just because she felt like it. Oh, yes! Power washers!
It was her coronation and she could wear whatever she wanted. She closed her eyes and randomly chose a random dress. She was the queen. Who cared what she wore? She laughed in delight as she slipped on the bright red dress that she picked.
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