Title: Dark Days
Author: Elizabeth Wilde (star_momma@...)
Rating: PG
Genre: vignette, drama
Summary: The Queen does not tolerate weakness.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don’t own the 10th Kingdom or any of the characters from
it. This is
done for fun only.
Distribution: anyone who already archives my fic, anyone who asks,
http://www.biteyourtongue.net/wilde (my site)
Completed: April 11, 2009

There were days when she felt close to something, some memory that lingered just
beyond the edges of her consciousness. On those days she felt weak. It was like
being
sick only nothing made her feel better. She shied away purposefully from those
feelings,
but they persisted. The Queen never knew when they would strike, but they always
troubled her.

As much as possible, she avoided even the guards on the days when that weakness
came
upon her. The people deserved to see her as a ruler. Some of them denied the she
was
“good” enough to rule, of course, but she paid that no mind. The Queen knew
that there
was no room for goodness in a ruler. The people never understood all that must
be done
to keep control of a kingdom, all the dark little decisions that built an
empire.

She smiled. It would turn their stomachs. But she knew. She accepted. She had
always
understood the necessity of difficult decisions, had understood even before-

It would NOT be one of those days. The Queen tipped her chin up and set her face
into a
mask of determination. Lesser men and women might fall apart in such
surroundings, but
she would persevere. Even hidden away in the bowels of the jail, she would find
her way
to the light of freedom.

The Queen smiled to herself. Heaven help the rest of them when she did.


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