Sad Ending (3)

The following morning Lyana left her room for the first time. Her eyes were red and puffy, but there

was a smile on her lips. She informed Baridi, the Count and also Afram that she would comply with

King Ulrics request and accept the throne.

After that everything went very quickly, the ceremony was prepared as soon as possible and Lyana had the whole castle fixed. Even after the coronation, she wasted no time. Next she had the villages rebuilt around the castle and soon afterwards the first residents came. She also hired more servants

and met almost daily with the count and other nobles to discuss and improve the state of the kingdom.

While the inhabitants of the Ice Kingdom had initially reacted rather skeptically and negatively to their young and foreign queen, but after the first few years that changed. Despite the ice and snow, the land seemed to be blooming. And it would stay like that for the next 59 years.

Lyana became a fair and merciful queen with the help of the Count. In gratitude, she gave him the title of Grand Duke in the early years and named his son Miler and his future children as her successors. At that time she herself had broken off her engagement to Afram and not married.

Even though she had never had children herself, the children of the Grand Duke and his wife were like her own. They spent a lot of time in the castle and they themselves had children of their own, and then they had some as well.

The day before Lyanas 78th birthday, she woke up with a strange feeling. Belan, her maid and

daughter of Alisen and Baridi, immediately brought her some tea and bread, as she feared for the

queen's health. Lyana accepted the friendly gesture wordlessly, but knew for some reason that it had

nothing to do with it.

Slightly restless, she threw on a cape and left the room in her nightgown. There was already a lot

going on in the corridor as everyone was preparing for her birthday and Sarath, Miler's grandson,

was running through the corridors. When he saw Queen Lyana, he came up to her grinning. "Where

are you going? Can I come with you?" The little boy asked happily.

She smiled softly at him and stroked his head. "Unfortunately this is not possible. I have something

important to attend to. Go play a little more." The boy nodded obediently and Lyana walked on.

Finally she arrived at the garden and entered it. He was still beautiful. Even after Feronia found her

peace, it stayed the same as if by magic, and the flowers continued to bloom every day.

She walked to the wisteria and gently placed one hand on the trunk of the tree. With the other hand

she touched her chain. In all these years she hadn't taken it off even once. "I have not forgotten it, my King."

When Alisen and her son arrived at the castle, they all found themselves in great turmoil. Many of the servants were beside themselves. Her daughter Belan was just leaving the queen's room when she saw her mother and she fell around her neck with tears in her eyes. "Well, well, well. Calm down, my child. Where is everyone?" She already suspected what had happened, but warned herself to stay calm. At her age, she had to be careful.

Belan took her to the study, which already housed most of the Grand Duke Miler's family. They all

cried. Only the youngest, a 5 year old named Sarath, stayed calm and hummed to himself.

"The Queen," Miler began hesitantly when he saw Alisen. "She is ..."

The former maid took a sharp breath, then nodded her head deliberately. Feeling dizzy, her daughter

led her to the sofa so that she could sit next to Sarath. "Everyone is crying," he said right after she

sat down. "They are sad that the queen is gone."

"It's a really sad situation," Alisen explained to him. But Sarath didn't seem to understand. "Why is it sad? Queen Lyana looked happy as she slept under the tree.

Alisen put a hand over her mouth, startled. "Don't say you saw the queen when she ... fell asleep?"

The little boy nodded eagerly. "She said I should go play, but I followed her secretly," he proudly told her. "She clearly smiled when she fell asleep." This fact did the old maid good. At least she died with no regrets. "Did you just see her sleep?" She asked him.

He nodded again and then stopped abruptly. He opened his eyes wide and beckoned her closer to

him. So Alisen leaned down to him. "I saw two angels," he whispered excitedly in her ear.

"Angel?"

Another nod. "A tall man with ice-blue eyes and a woman with long golden hair."

Alisen felt like her heart stopped. "Are you really sure about that? What were they doing?"

Sarath giggled. "They hugged and kissed. Then Mr. Angel took Mrs. Angels hand and they became

transparent as they walked. Then both were gone."

"Oh!" Alisen put both hands over her mouth and began to cry. But they weren't tears of sadness, but

of sincere joy. "So he kept his promise after all."