Chapter 6

Queen Isabell

If death was the price for keeping this world safe, I was willing to pay it. I would carry this burden upon my shoulders, keeping the vision I’d seen in the Mirror all those years ago at the heart of every action. Those burning images haunted me in my sleep, and I would do anything in my power to prevent it from happening.

I had sacrificed everything I had, not expecting anything back. That didn’t mean that the hate I received in return didn’t hurt me. At times, I wondered why I had been chosen to carry this burden alone. The secrets shown to me lie heavily on my heart, but they would not be shared, no matter how dear it would cost me.

A part of me wished that I had never seen the Truth and lived out the rest of my life in the lie the Unicorns told the people. For generations, they had spread their gospel until it became the truth of the land. Had I not known, would I have lived in ignorance until the day the world fell apart, shattered by evil?

It was no good asking such questions. I did not have the power to change the past or undo my choices. All that was left to me was to live with the consequences of my actions, hoping that one day, in the distant future, someone would see me for who I really was and redeem my name.

Was that wishful thinking? I didn’t know, but I had nothing else to hold on to as my actions drove me forward. Soon, the war would be upon us. I had no way of knowing if my army would be enough to stop the nightmares shown to me, but I had no other choice but to try.

I frequented the Mirror daily, hoping it would show me that my actions yielded results, that the visions it had once shown me were no longer true. But lately, the images reflected back at me contained even more death and destruction. It brought me to tears, and the hope was stolen from me, replaced by fear.

I would have to learn to find strength in those dark visions and let them spur my devotion to make them undone. Once again, I reminded myself that no price was too great to keep the people safe. I was the Queen, and with power came responsibility. I needed to take it upon myself, regardless of the weight of the burden.