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MysteryFish

Member

Registered: 2018-03-13

Posts: 2

The Queen's Garden

The Queen’s Garden wasn’t always a place to be leery. It was a peaceful place when the queen was alone, in the bosom of mother nature. Of course, she wasn’t the queen back then. She was nary a baby, but not far from it either when she founded the small settlement. It wasn’t long before others were drawn to her bountiful abode, and also evil.

    The queen worked hard in the early days, all alone in wilderness. She stumbled upon a momentous berry patch, and a small farm left behind by an unsuccessful elder. Over many lifetimes she worked this land into a formidable home using the skills she taught herself. She built a well for the garden and even started building a house! But after so many lifetimes without a baby to care for, the queen became bored and longed for adventure. She thought if she were a true queen, maybe then she would be blessed with a baby. So, she set out to make a crown for herself.

    Gold is a fairly rare resource and it would take many days, possibly years to find some. But the queen was prepared. She made several pies for the trip and left her home behind, determined to become a true queen. A few years later, she found what she was looking for. She swung her pickaxe (a tool she had actually made by mistake when teaching herself to smith), and flaked off some of the exposed gold ore. She scooped it into a bowl and headed back to the bountiful garden which she had grown to miss after running low on food and having many encounters with vicious wildlife. After arriving at the garden, she forged the crown that would make her a true queen. But the queen’s soul was tired. It needed rest, and rested for many years.

    After her spirit nap, the queen was not reborn in the garden. She was born to a woman she would later learn to call “Milk”. As soon as she could speak, she began ranting and babbling about being a queen and needing to get back to her kingdom. Milk took good care of the queen, clothing her and feeding her. When the queen was old enough, she told Milk that she had to leave to find her kingdom. Milk supported her and gave her supplies for her long, possibly endless journey. She departed back into the woods from whence she was born, determined to reclaim her crown.

    Wandering for many lifetimes, her soul needed rest again. But she knew her crown was there, waiting for her. She was determined to find it, no matter how many lifetimes it took. She devised a system that involved using items readily available in the wild to mark her tracks, to keep from searching the same area, and then spiraling outwards from a small camp. It wasn’t long before she found something that looked familiar, possibly one of her old markings: A tree with the wood laid in a line and the log acting as a pointer.

        Feeling a bit like Hansel & Gretel, she followed this candy trail of wood that surely had to lead somewhere even if she didn’t remember putting it there herself. The queen ran as fast as she could, her heart racing as she was blessed with the most wonderful sight: her beautiful milkweed garden! Only it was at least three times the size!
Making her way to her now-finished house, she couldn’t believe her eyes. There it was, her marvelous crown, sitting right where she had left it. Only now it was actually in a room instead of just sitting beside an open wall. She explored further and found that someone had also made her sheep pen bigger! The queen was overjoyed! “Whoever is responsible for this will surely hold a place in my court someday.” She thought to herself whilst inspecting all the stunning improvements to her home. It was then someone approached, carrying a cart full of materials.

“Hello!” says the strange girl.
“This is amazing!” screams the queen. She continues,
“I’m so happy someone cared for the place while I was gone.”
“You made this?!” remarked the girl.
“Yes, many lifetimes ago. Then my soul became tired and I needed rest.
I became hopelessly lost and wandered for uncountable lifetimes
before I found your trail. I am so grateful.”
“No problem” the young girl says casually.
“Did you make that crown?” she adds.
“I did! Thank you for keeping it safe.”
“So I guess you’re a queen huh?” she asks.
“I am now. Now that I’m done wandering,” the queen says wearily.
The girl hangs her head.
“I know how that is, I had a home once. But I lost it after a spirit nap.
I found this place, and well, I never turned back.”

It was then that the young girl lit up like a shooting star.
“Wait…at my old home, I birthed a child who said she was a queen.
She left at a very young age. She said she had to find her kingdom.
Was that you? Is this your kingdom?”
The queen gives a curtsey and smiles. “Welcome. What’s your name?”
“Milk.” says the girl.
“Milk, you shall be a part of my royal court one day,” decares the queen.
Milk was extremely grateful.

        The two stand in awe for a few moments, quickly catching up with one another before getting to work. Not long after, Milk has a baby. Milk’s boy is helpful and tends the farms, while the queen and the girl work on making the place easier to find. It must have worked because right after they were done, a stranger came from the wilderness. She was old and tired from traveling. Upon seeing the crown, she immediately put it on.

“I’m the queen!” the strange woman exclaimed wildly.
Milk shouted back “No you’re not! That’s the queen there!”
“That’s right” barks the queen. She continues,
“I created this place and that makes me the true queen.
But I am a generous queen, you can wear the crown if you want.
It makes no difference to me.”
“Good!” shouts the strange woman before storming off.

        The strange woman became somewhat helpful, trapping rabbits and making clothing for future generations. But in her old age she became enraged with jealousy, knowing that no one recognized her as the true queen. The queen was having a snack inside the house when the strange woman entered, shutting the door behind her.

“I’m getting old” she says.
“I really like this place, I hope to make it back one day.”

But the queen knew the woman was not sincere. There was a quiver in her voice, a nervousness in her step.

“You’re welcome to return in your next life, and the crown will be right here,
should you choose to wear it,” extended her utmost generosity.
The old woman sputtered “No it won’t be. Because I’m the queen!”

        The true queen bolted for the door as she saw the glint of the knife blade in the old woman’s coat. But it was too late. The true queen was dead. But luck shined on her this day as Milk rebirthed her. Milk had been out gathering when the murder occurred. Milk hurried to a nearby berry patch and raised the queen to maturity and then led her back home. As they walked, the queen explained what happened.

        They arrive at the garden to find Milk’s son’s corpse. Further investigation revealed the old woman’s bones inside the house. The two had just finished sorting the mess when she came back. The old woman, now a young woman in a fresh body, sprinted for the crown. Upon seeing her the queen ran to grab her bow. However, the woman knew her time was short and quickly put on some of the clothes that she made before. She quickly snatched up a cart full of carrots and fled as the true queen chased her out of the village. People still live there, but it’s not the same. The true queen reigns without a crown, and her murderer is still on the loose. 

       The Queen’s Garden wasn’t always a place to be leery. It was a peaceful place when the queen was alone, in the bosom of mother nature.

Last edited by MysteryFish (2018-03-13 04:43:20)

Milkman

Member

Registered: 2018-03-05

Posts: 9

Re: The Queen's Garden

DAMN! Was a pretty cool story Fun fact, I stumbled with the murderous woman in my new settlement. I asked her name and suspiciosly answered "why?", I told her "just curious". She then accused me of trying to kill her, grabbed a basket full of thread (?) and ran away!

Hope to see you again, still owe you a wolf hat

Last edited by Milkman (2018-03-13 05:09:14)

MysteryFish

Member

Registered: 2018-03-13

Posts: 2

Re: The Queen's Garden

Holy shit. It's you. PM'd.

Portager

Member

Registered: 2018-03-09

Posts: 217

Re: The Queen's Garden

Love the reunion.