The Unloved Queen

Synopsis

My funeral was a stately affair. It made sense. I was Joshua Hamilton's wife and spent four years as the queen. I lived carefully and never gave anyone a reason to fault me. Even later, when Joshua lifted Lillian Patterson onto a pedestal and fought the Queen Mother for her, I stood stuck in the middle, took the blame from both sides, and cleaned up his messes. When Lillian fell ill, he stayed by her bed for three days and nights, barely eating. When I lay dying, though, he showed no real grief. He just held my hand as it grew colder and colder, sat there for a long time, and finally forced out, "No matter what, if I'd to make a choice again, I'll still choose you to be my queen." I never expected his words to come true. But it did. I went back in time. Joshua was eighteen then, still a prince, unsure of himself, untouched by the love that later drove him mad. His marriage rested entirely in the queen's hands. The queen chose me. Just as Joshua looked over, her finger shifted slightly and landed on someone else. She said, "Miss Daphne Hawkins it is then."