The outer door burst open and both guards rushed in, pikes at the ready. One of them started to ask what was wrong, but then they heard the screaming. The younger of the two paled at the sound. “One of ye fetch the guard captain!” the warder shouted over the hideous wailing as he finally found the correct key and jammed it into the lock. He turned to look at the stunned guards. “Go now!” The young one nodded and ran out through the doorway.

As the warder unlocked the door the screaming continued, although it seemed to be climbing to a higher, frenzied pitch. He pushed against the door with his shoulder and it crashed open, but the inner chamber was shrouded in shadows; dusk was fast approaching and with no additional light within the room the two men could see little. The screaming abruptly ceased as the door was flung open and now they heard only a soft bubbling sound coming from the center of the room. Embers glowed in the hearth and there was a shadowed outline of someone sitting in a chair near the fireplace. The two men stood paralyzed in the doorway as the bubbling sound also ceased and the room was plunged into silence.

“Bring a light,” the warder whispered to the other man, who nodded and slowly backed out of the chamber to fetch a candle from the anteroom. As the warder took a cautious step father into the darkened room, he thought he heard the soft plop of liquid striking the stone floor. “Me lady?” he whispered, not really sure if he wanted a response.

He jumped in surprise when the soldier came up beside him with a lighted taper and then snatched the candle from the man’s hand. With a gentle glow from the candle to guide them, they moved slowly forward, now able to discern that the figure in the chair was indeed their captive queen. She was unmoving, however, and as they came closer both gasped at the sight before them. “By the gods,” muttered the warder in shock. “Best fetch the healer, as well,” he told the soldier quietly, who nodded and this time left the chamber at a dead run.

The warder moved closer to what was left of the queen; his eyes narrowed as he stared at the mangled flesh and gore which was once such a beautiful face. Then his training finally took over and he quickly searched the chamber to see if somehow another person—or creature—might be hiding within. He lit additional candles to lighten the chamber, but there was nowhere for anything to hide in this bare room and even though it had been dark when they first entered, both men had been huddled near the door, so none could have slipped past them, even in their mutual shock.

By the time he finished looking over the room the captain of the guard arrived with a handful of soldiers, but when he saw what awaited him, he had the others remain outside with orders to allow only the healer into the chamber. He questioned the warder, but was told only about the sudden screaming and how the queen was found, already dead. When the healer came on the scene, even the old man was shocked by such carnage inflicted upon her body. He chased everyone from the room so he could examine the body in private.