Sitting on the edge of the window with my head pressed against the glass I admired the view I had missed for so long. The pendant kept even her chants away but I knew she was there. I knew she was taunting me. She took my daughter from me in my womb, she took my son from me in his childhood, and she took my life from me. She drained everything. The mother of the kings was brought up from hunger and poverty.

When she had met their father the life of power consumed her. She murdered her husband to claim his position on the thrown. As the boys grew older her heart grew colder towards them until they had nothing left to do. I'd remembered hearing stories of her reign. She had turned to dark magic and sold her soul as she aged. When the boys were getting old enough to take the thrown she'd had ordered them death. However a rebellion rose up and she was murdered, yet her curse remained.

The next Queen would never bare an heir, she would haunt them and drive them mad. The next Queen was me. I thought I was going insane as time wore on and she grew in my head, tormenting me. Because of her curse I lost my children, I lost myself, and I lost Dominic. No matter how much I fought her I knew she was set to take Dominic next. She wanted to torture me. My death was the only true escape. Holding the navy blue pouch I knew after this wedding that was the last thing to free myself. I had searched for years for a way to get rid of her curse. He didn't hear her chants. He had tried to help me but he couldn't. Our time was run. Seeing him now I knew there was no more hope to hold onto. He had met another woman and even if I found a cure, who was to say he would ever forgive me? I could never forgive myself for losing Jane or Samuel.

"Mother watch me!" Samuel said jumping into the lake below and I laughed and shook my head. "You are turning into a prune love come inside" I called back laughing as I picked more flowers from the garden. The wind picked up slightly and I heard her whispers come back. 'My Queen', 'My Blood Queen' they would chant sending a shiver down my spine. "Sam it's time to go inside" I called out to him but when I turned around he wasn't there. "Sam!" I called out again running to the still water. On his last dive he had hit his head off a rock. He was too young to be capable of healing. I don't remember many events following the moment I found him. All I can remember are my screams and cries until someone found us.

She had taken it all from me. I went mad as death followed me. It was then the people nicknamed me the Blood Queen. They believed I had killed my son. They believed I was just like the last Queen. I was a coward, I couldn't even defend myself.

"Are you alright?" Henley asks walking into my room making me jump.

"Yes" I laugh wiping the tear from my face and standing up. "You just scared me is all" I say smiling softly at her.

"Well I was thinking since all the men are in a meeting and Nathalie and Emily are with their kids that you and I could do a little shopping" she winks falling back onto my bed.

"Is that all you do now?" I laugh. "Shop and drink wine?"

"It's the life of royalty" She winks again at me and I roll my eyes and laugh.

"Lets shop" I agree and follower her down to the car.

While in town Henley dragged me from shop to shop buying anything from lingerie to pencil sharpeners. I knew she was getting nervous for the wedding so I let it happen but I had to stop her when she tried to spend two hundred dollars on a headband she will never wear.

"I'm so nervous Alina" she breaks down and says on the drive home.

"Really? I had no idea" I laugh picking up a fluffy pink keychain. "It's a good thing Charlie's got a gold credit card hey?" I say and she covers her face and shakes her head.

"I know I love him but I'm just so nervous. I feel like he has all these big expectations and he's always in these meetings with Dominic. Dominic is his best friend and I'm scared he will never like me" she rants and I shush her and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Dominic will grow to love you. And he doesn't have any expectations other than for you to stay who you are which is the woman he's in love with." I say and she sighs and plays with the fluffy pink keychain before laughing and nervously running a hand through her hair.

"What I'm going to do with all this junk" she says and tosses a bright lime green shirt at me.

"I'll handle this" I say and ask the driver to stop the car. "We will walk from here. Donate everything except the silver heels please" I ask him handing him a tip from my wallet. "Thank you so much" I add before pulling her towards a lake just ten minutes from the road.

"How do you know where you are going?" She asks following behind me.

"I don't. Let's forget about plans and be spontaneous" I say partly lying but I could see the excitement in her eyes.