A/N: Yes its another story. Yes I know I should be finishing The Winter Visitor. But I couldn't help it. This story is a bit different and more dramatic then anything else I've written. Its short right now but this chapter needed to be out on its own for a bit before its fellows come along. Enjoy.
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It all began on a cold morning in January. The temperature had dipped to a measly two degrees but the occupants of the Royal Genovian Palace were all snug and warm. Her Majesty Queen Clarisse was ensconced in her office in front of a roaring fire signing papers as usual. It was headache ridden work, trying to sort out the nations problems along with the international disputes. She was on her fourth cup of tea when Charlotte came along with more papers and, thankfully, an aspirin.
"Oh Charlotte, you're an angel."
"An angel with bad news."
"Oh?"
"That is the last aspirin that I could find and with the snow coming down as it is, it would be impossible to get more."
"Well hopefully this one will last me till I sort this mess out." She gestured at the mass of papers. "Please, would you help? I've sorted them into three piles. The far contains papers that have been signed. The next one over has the ones that will not be signed but this one," it was the nearest one to her and she examined it with a slight sigh, "is the one giving me the trouble. It's the 'I haven't the slightest idea what they say' pile." She took off her glasses and pressed at her nose, right between her eyes. "You went to school for this type of thing. See if you can make heads or tails of it."
"Are you sure your Majesty?"
"Quite certain. I can do nothing more. You're my last and only hope." Clarisse rubbed absently at her head before taking the aspirin.
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With Charlotte helping her, Clarisse found the work went at a slightly faster pace but not fast enough for her taste. Her headache had not improved any, even with the aspirin.
"Ma'am?" No answer. Charlotte called again, this time a little louder. "Ma'am?" Clarisse turned to look at her from by the fire but not without pain. Her head seemed to weigh thirty pounds.
"Hmmm?"
"Your Majesty, are you all right?"
"Yes, yes of course." She was lying however and Charlotte knew it. It was not her place though to argue with the monarch.
"Very well." They continued on with the papers.
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A few hours later the fire was dying and Clarisse was having difficulties in staying sitting upright. Charlotte could no longer sit back and ignore the increasingly ill state of her Queen. What ever headache her Majesty had, it was debilitating her.
"Ma'am, perhaps you should go to bed. It is late and you don't look at all well." Clarisse looked up dazed. The world was spinning around her oddly. She grabbed the nearest table to keep herself from falling as she stood. "I'm going to find some sort of medicine for you."
"Charlotte," her voice sounded nothing like her own, strange and distant, "forget the medicine. Call a doctor..." She trailed off and fell unconscious to the floor.
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A/N Yes I know you're all thinking of killing me right now but stay with me. Its an ever changing story within an ever changing mind. Now push that lil button down there and tell be what you think. Since its zero here, flames aren't such a bad thing....but only if they come with their own fireplace....
AW
