Connection

by Elizabeth Tudor

Hamlet. The very act of writing a letter, of putting words to paper, is dangerous in a country where even the walls have ears. Some people are willing to take the risk. A collection of oneshots, written as letters between the characters.

1. Chapter 1

Hamlet, student of Wittenburg, Prince of Denmark, and son without a father to Horatio, fellow student, gifted scholar, and trusted friend

Greetings, my dear Horatio.

I apologize for not having written these past few months, but my mind is in a turmoil. My father, the good king Hamlet, is dead, and in his place sits mine cunning uncle, Claudius…and beside him, my queen mother. Scarcely was my beloved father in the grave before they were wed, and he on the throne. I find the circumstances most vile, and have made up my mind to investigate further. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, rotten to the very core, and I fear it may soon spread outward.

In Denmark, the very walls have ears, and all that I must say cannot be put into a letter. I must ask you to tear yourself away from your studies and come to me. I need your help, Horatio. There is no one I would sooner trust than you, and trust is so thin in the air here. I need a friend beside me if I am to weather this storm. I implore you, not as a prince, but as a comrade, to make your way to Denmark with all haste. Be cautious in your travel, and when you arrive, ask for Marcellus. He is my ally, and will aid you.

Godspeed and safe journeys.

Hamlet