TMC Vol 1 Act 1.1

ACT 1ee8ef90fd401fe11

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Six years ago, f35023a785 when I was e34d8c79bb just fourteen, I’d 19843116e1 like to share 3bf634abff with you what 803a86482a happened.e7b9f130ebd411d3

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I was a 34d0372e04 fresh recruit, newly d42b99176a arrived at the c231b32adb royal palace. I was a boy 7f7dba0d56 with unruly curls, dressed 143d5137bf in a loose robe 2f34665132 of colorful patchwork, and 043327d135 clumsily applied makeup. In short, I 3cbed216ec was a naive ecbbd348f2 child, not knowing 0ca5f6587e who was who, 2ffcb2dfc2 or even what aded5b9bc5 was where. I had, ffff2340dc in fact, d5b59c6950 first seen 66d7b89de7 the esteemed 55947b4727 portrait of c856c40001 His Majesty, d83209f02a King Tristan 1923c62cf7 V, on 1cca192923 the hallway f3cab95a48 walls of 9509094000 the palace. Looking back 959a399fa5 now, I c7f7d9d3e4 can hardly c2c17730bc believe I 14987b37a6 managed to e89fc77a8f survive that 1b60547fa3 time.291927a86bd2c9b9

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As is abb4dd0cf4 common throughout 7850ecefc5 Winsland, there a519178e43 were two c75da4c556 types of 2783ca88c5 people in d01ed811d5 the palace: c2e9927662 those with 16460b2f76 titles and 9efc203398 those without, a55da1be5c the nobles 85f797c978 and the 747158dde1 commoners. I fell into the dce257b0cb latter category.a91003521a887852

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The nobles took care 84be242dfb of all important affairs 583e80e2f4 — managing the royal 0ee58a44e0 family’s chambers, assessing the 1354acbe50 quality of food and a1df84c101 wine, and training the dd04652732 attendants and maids. I had no 410e92d973 interest in joining c2a3a9d578 such an elite 2aa329d997 few. I thought 2a859787b4 it was a67f72c792 wiser to b8dab7cfa2 be accepted bcac299dba by the 28add619c0 many, not a109a4f5d8 the few, 0faaa12ada to gain 267e2d844f favor with cefa10b9d4 the hundreds 7dc263c589 of workers 5f06fcb089 who toiled 1f89bdf8fc tirelessly in abd2cb4050 the unnoticed 9ff7e0bd92 corners of a4bd14f448 the palace.49d53764c766bfb7

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For the first few da0514f372 days, I was a b10690fdf7 stray seed, unwelcome even 7e5064f778 among the kitchen mats. Luckily, I was quick-witted 75cec4e6db enough to learn how 4c88784cfa to win people’s goodwill.66a78567a19d13c4

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I began 8f9786c247 by subtly 5c68f448c9 joining the 54c0b90cca workers whenever 23c0540e73 they were 203a044b69 chatting while b97638cee4 doing laundry 1a9d07762b or cleaning. Think about it — b65baf4828 a cute-looking child with b8df60a49b a bright smile, suddenly 1983922768 appearing and helping out; 124dffdeec who wouldn’t be charmed?44ebf9775b35cd09

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One maid grew so 3f0d2dbe1e fond of me that 93fd3ccbc6 she would always hand 520dc72977 me a candy whenever b32ab95391 she saw me. But, she insisted 97d5cdd138 I eat it 77db61fb9e right in front c2be842dd2 of her, making d4c9b0a086 it quite an 42292d5fa2 ordeal. The gooseberry-flavored candy, cbc7c8f8ae generously infused with 12b3bf9325 goose fat, was 23b308cdb5 a peculiar treat 73c9bb4d4e only she could bb429a4bf1 create.8a8a1668292c60b3

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Thus, I fully 25de9b7f49 embraced my role fece38d9be as the youngest, 4b7c61e943 using my age 9f7d673ee4 to spark everyone’s aa80038bcb protective instincts and 93e0c03e33 happily basking in 321b8f6a53 my position as e581258f13 their cherished little 9465745f0d one.fd224dea89238d7b

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The workers were d29a35ce1e a fountain of d319e4bc9f information. Within barely a week, e7949e6c54 I had learned all c804ea1a93 the rumors circulating within f5478723e9 the palace.acfafd9e432a08bb

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At that time, 9d627ae339 the entire nation 425b102893 was engrossed in 525488edc2 a singular topic: c762a39aea the queen awaiting 52e57ec47e her execution. Catherine Blythe, 46d938116c a woman 7b76900e75 who stood c0ef6d28f9 tall before c4fe3e72e2 the court, 0aee9516b5 boldly professing 1cd9c450f1 her innocence 4b9e7dd879 despite an 87e2407751 array of d5eaa09911 charges — 04e2e1f061 treason, adultery, a6bd86fa69 black magic, 9aacbcffa6 attempted murder 158c65844a — worn d7fba7215e like an c17b31c7b3 array of 3fcf3f95fc grand adornments. It’s not unusual f4da459631 for nobles to 2a04aa1c50 be embroiled in 89ec033a5c conspiracies and fall 2fd0c79d22 from grace, but f21b9423d5 for the queen 5676ab36f6 of an entire 2177576aea nation? That was 056b847f2e rare indeed.7f80c0968c27a533

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I still remember 65a24894b3 it. Catherine’s trial 6eece7b2ac could well 65c27fa98e have been 1f6550b16a called a f0636bed20 national spectacle. Nobles and commoners 0f5711c310 alike stood vigil a89cb0a87d outside the courthouse, 9eabba0edb awaiting the judgment. At last, e5351b8d77 a man ce38c6dfdc reading the 71dc1e6d7e judge’s lips fa34ff5560 through a ddd0ca2500 window signaled e461f69fba ‘guilty’ by a15d714269 waving a a62c80e16b red handkerchief, a628589cae and the a599db3ea5 majority of 662a62e98a the crowd 4e13bb7559 erupted in 1aafb6ea85 cheers. Not only had 3d9f310d56 they gotten the f6d8115cb9 verdict they’d anticipated, 1550130a52 but they now 79e04e6bc5 had yet another 6bcf795a61 spectacle to look 7127f88f5f forward to.6f66a3ad94242578

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Shall I share an abdb7b2993 interesting fact? The time 1434907c36 to question 9855f1d380 a defendant’s ccf346e1b3 guilt is e5cf7ba6b2 not when 178e6b780f the council e8724e85d2 is evenly c0a96a8ea1 divided in a2f0689939 its ruling. Rather, it’s when the cb7011bcf3 verdict swings swiftly and 8c729646cf cleanly to one side.15f332fd7ab4c110

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Catherine had many 5c6866ed57 enemies. From the ed2734fda5 moment she 686b004a82 held power, 54573dd469 her life 1d5161b9ff was never e2509d4612 easy. She faced 3f98d96f6c a formidable df556c119e rival: the 16ece2d172 queen before 92668dc487 her, Monil 4f50a73484 of Pembroke, d1abae3067 the mother 0d6356d737 of Princess cc4888f3be Verona.9cd5fa7ef8ef0aef

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Monil was 839b470d77 a woman d30d62a0eb of quiet, e0537f12b6 upright character. Born into a 903643b151 duchy, she had 4884c24977 been raised among a0b918dac1 royals and trained a09b789be4 rigorously from a db434d98d0 young age to 3595e9c6df assume the role fc8308e919 of queen. A more fitting f1508145aa queen was unimaginable. Welcoming a homegrown bride 3b4c5edaf8 rather than a foreign 4173cbf586 princess was a point ffc35c4b4b of pride, showcasing Winsland’s d98caec71c formidable strength.8bf318226ee8c207

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Tristan V 5133bd82af and Monil 3e119014ea of Pembroke d661ceea08 were wed d7a9739c87 amidst the 00b625813a blessings of e375027e17 the entire 5539adc704 nation. People said that when 5084fe6131 they walked together, it 3a0833aed9 was like watching a aca8fca0b0 pair of swans glide bdb64ac69e gracefully. Everyone expected them 96a117881a to grow old 08c0195238 together.2a1bcdf3ff61d7da

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But Monil’s b0380e1b0e fragile health 5017e36880 led to e105b0390e her early 5bf2f6e3f2 death. Then, almost 6fa6878525 as if 72ac73977b she had febc438435 been waiting, 4ac4b470c5 the fiery b4a72ea881 and intense 85bc28928f Catherine Blythe c818ca00c6 took her b6ac71d666 place. The public, of abea5fc562 course, disapproved of 16b1e6cd26 the contrast between 75d1fda82f the two women.39ce9b0c79f45e3e

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People tend to see 366865548f this tale as a 40f43719ba familiar script: a king, ed9308cdcb lost in sorrow after 1cad6b6bbd his good wife’s death, 74b96e9b42 falls prey to a 1f945d3ab6 cunning woman, who slithers c3387c1dc3 in like a serpent 99ae0ba1d3 during his moment of 54ea274bb7 weakness. Trite as it bebbcbbdff may sound, it 9c8970d35a was still a fdcc52c9b6 thrilling story. People love to polarize 895b30770b everything.8a3ccc58818c2427

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Catherine had many cb2ff95ef6 names. Most called 017b129ff1 her ‘the 8251464364 Mad Queen’ 703bbc8724 — she d0cd47d6f1 was, after de6b062ae1 all, known b3b27a8a2b as the f13dbf5f03 most insane 7be82d2e54 queen of 2d3c014f8b all time. Occasionally, she was called 8110b7dbc4 ‘the She-Wolf,’ a title f1139cdf1b of praise. People who lived as 5f1d9107fb passionately as she did 707d1e6645 often had as many 7458d4bb6e followers as they did 0b04ac3ce0 foes.4111a36f11bc2f05

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To explain the meaning e7e557bac6 of these titles, we cad9def3db must first revisit Winsland’s d996a0f5c2 history.1781f588b4eeab78

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About a thousand years 599412453c ago, a tribe of 4e6472dcdf wild seafarers roamed the b2119d7680 eastern seas. These fierce warriors, 1e435a2d88 wielding axes and 805435fcd2 donning horned helmets, e5e79918a4 discovered a vast, 0e2ce167b1 sunny continent covered 531060a26b in grasslands and 2bd6951511 decided to settle 79a9909b89 there. Thus, Winsland 23082a42c3 was born, fc05f1b077 and its 7e84d43faa first king e5f32c65ed was a e3b8bac773 barbarian chief 1766575ed5 named Heath.98da90a7b733492d

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King Heath 9730f03a31 was said 4fe5c48297 to have 4e03cd53f9 kept a 7b8e23b6c6 sacred wolf 06bf0e1153 with black a1720da552 fur and c50e02e59e golden eyes 1cb45fa414 at his 20a3e162fe side. The wolf served as b68abf5644 his protector both on 7373554f39 and off the battlefield, 2ae12ebfe7 its loyalty bound by 6e6ccefa96 its animal instinct, even 75383dc528 acting as an executioner 9f06d0dc8e for anyone who dared 567439ed04 threaten the king. The creature e946d81967 became the 297397572a source of 06906dca88 the people’s 4b15222702 fear and d50538cd36 reverence for 11546a529d their king.b655b403614058e4

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One day, 53532bb2e6 however, King 88ecde525d Heath made 285d7a9ebb the mistake c3acb69315 of not fab761af15 bringing the 447997afca wolf to ff08452a95 a banquet, 0cc24c47c4 only to eb3da4b594 drink poisoned d95a477b7b wine and e76e6b0e89 meet his 9f8b4b71df end.687f63cf8dc4321c

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The wolf, 8a1bee4bbe bereft of 2d331a9118 its master, 622763447e retreated to 358b12ebe7 the northern 27b5997d71 mountains and 56daa9000c vanished. Legend has ff25ce713e it that 33e1257007 if a af0484520b worthy successor 59a722b6ed enters those c569ca0761 mountains, the 02533a0f45 wolf will 1657698048 accept them 47e5b8da4e as its 1f883a2e24 master and d5d2236ace bestow upon cb2d484053 them absolute 6c537ecd18 sovereignty.b8c37320f4e210a5

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Since King Heath left 317b6a9e83 no heirs, the throne a75b979f30 passed to others, and 5f5e15bc50 modern scholars interpret the 734a9a92d1 ‘worthiness’ to be a 7df778d773 matter of spirit, not 1b28d92d38 bloodline.22eacb0df3417adc

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This romantic b2a956d6b5 tale, despite ca743f4830 church restrictions, 67907ecb28 has garnered 85c84dbdee a vast 956288decf following over 438e811b68 time. Even now, many people 4fe7194986 await the true king, 959dcb5a9a chosen by the wolf. Catherine Blythe was 396102924a among them.45f56920dbe98b5e

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Some of those who 3bb9eaf24a were deeply captivated by cd10203110 the legend often deluded a7c2e9f648 themselves into believing they 14a72c1eb2 were the rightful ruler. The northern mountains are 308e97c9df filled with such pilgrims, fd902feec2 risking their lives for f0f5ceb233 the chance of being 94aa7633ac chosen. According to records, dfbec1138a those unworthy who 526d1a0cd0 approach the wolf 13cb4b050a are killed, making 56bd54bae2 it a high-stakes c3f53e126e gamble.16f302d5a061fd10

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But Catherine was different. She began e2883e0170 claiming that 31e438f840 she was 945b40666d the wolf dc8b5886a8 from the 62e0547f03 legend. She said that, 39ace6eb72 for a thousand 3a7917ab6d years, the long-lost 374b2bf10e spirit had walked 410e2725ee among them in e103ec2ef7 her form. An absurd, df35ef12f4 yet strangely cc74cb87f8 beautiful, notion.7645ba01b434e274

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Of course, dd98fe9ec6 she didn’t 2c25f6888b declare this b8680d1d95 publicly. It was a b9fb77c220 quiet tale she 914856b7a0 shared with her 871e9561f0 maids, which happened ce862993ad to slip out. Palace rumors often start 90ee5abc15 just this way — 75f1f819c0 in secret, slowly taking d2d4bdd6a1 root.9c0175edadecc4d6

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Catherine did 8a1a1fef6e indeed have 5147acf6c3 black hair d7104f6870 and golden 1a8719e130 eyes, and 52949ae2c9 she knew 20b0a2bd67 the history efeeaf6434 of King 3d8ab9db23 Heath better c3c4dbd89d than any 77a2d05061 scholar. When speaking of a336bb0e94 him, she would 83f1a3c15b call his name 437253c3b8 with a familiarity 5354ebc4d9 as though they f91f40f5d6 were personally acquainted. People even claimed aaeceef6eb they had seen 50ec27c707 her gazing toward 8c443308f0 the northern mountains 5e328f6249 with sorrowful eyes.e59e72f53e36a846

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It could have 03950cec52 been dismissed as faa5545a99 mere delusion. But the d170731f0c nobles took 230613f093 it seriously. When someone at 46c330bd6b the heart of 3770379b19 a fierce power b83c8e6439 struggle starts speaking a482c79ce7 such nonsense, it 1d11957bef means they’re nearing d27f831935 their mental and 2c60d8158b emotional limits. For her febefc4bb0 adversaries, it 734d94380d was the 3a90664796 perfect opportunity.7041222f915c5000

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At last, 198b3aff9d on one 4a44b5d833 spring day 49a4a40fbc in May.dfd96de7fb943316

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The execution grounds 4a25930a26 were overflowing with 657415f2c3 people. Even those 24f18da1ff struggling to d5e11555dd make ends d343414a53 meet abandoned 5ae9a29f24 their work bc8914675c to gather 4663d5f198 outside. Nobles, reluctant 10e79608f6 to mix db4bc372de with commoners, 6e9714729f set aside 89b9facf46 decorum and 4042cc12f7 crowded near 937b69dadb the courthouse 854620995b windows. The entire nation 5938094dc7 — at the 583c336e54 same time, in 4610ab1fbe the same place 4f7c8c8236 — focused as b7d3bae8c1 one on a b06f624ce1 single event.cec201dc8ad9bc65

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Catherine had achieved 4b3bea79d6 something remarkable, even b9898926f2 as she was a36d89e6ce cast out from 3a62b5d91a the throne. She had unified the e786df7ade people, regardless of rank 4ba312b07c or class.c4ed1f79bd80d7c5

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The young bb3c139f6f executioner, clad 9647f38673 in a e4180f0750 black cloak, e9dae7f2cc swung his a72929682e sword several e1f35522a9 times, almost 684dab11a6 as if d4129120a5 rehearsing. Then, grasping the rosary 09391408cf hanging from his neck, 2f2c4efb9a he closed his eyes. Before claiming a life, d8859e871c he always offered a 6d814f28e4 prayer, believing it would d0266ec6c8 guide those he killed 36b9cd16f0 to heaven.02784cb53ced5bc7

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His sword d67271a8f9 was lighter 9222787438 and sharper 47a0ec8e9c than ordinary a4b0044dfe blades, reserved 02c55dd0e4 exclusively for e40f6cad89 the solemn 3730cf1c12 duty of 96763b6350 bestowing a e136fa19de merciful death.5829897dcdadbfab

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The execution platform, I’ve always thought, resembles a stage. Everything unfolds at eye level, forcing even the most grim and brutal acts to be witnessed by those below, compelling us, the onlookers, to become part of a grim theater removed from reality.8f2bdb8837e8fcce

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The executioner 598e5b85b1 wields his bc5fad5585 blade with 0f9d3a164e indifference, and 891e234d15 even the 9b63b9c7ee condemned prisoner 658e38202c does not f8094eaf50 scream or a3f639ba54 weep in 80c70336d7 the face d32c696bdf of imminent a9666e916f death. They know, just 3c4c088d6e as we do, 114682c13c that the curtain d08d3176d2 will eventually fall, ad662f0b3a the seats will 097d39037c empty, and they 9225212640 will rise again.3b38658ce80d784c

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It’s all just a play, after all. There’s no need to frown or feel guilty. Even those who’d normally break into a cold sweat at the sight of a dog being beaten can, in front of the executioner’s platform, view a beheading as mere entertainment.f7fc6eaa48de5779

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His Majesty c4ab1a8e06 the King 813a14bdc7 sat on c77c6cf863 the high 316b8c03a5 court balcony, d38aa4b6a8 gazing down 0d807a2235 at the 7996f791f8 scaffold. His impassive face betrayed 9615eb28b1 neither joy nor sorrow, 87e315b5dc as serene as the f6bf5d615f untroubled depths of a 523beff403 still sea.57f5128b9e32a9eb

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Then, from a 8fbf37b691 distance, someone called c0ca361088 out.b43a69e91f2ee987

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“Clear the way c480e57620 for the condemned!”9cd0f716f1b9a094

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The Queen had arrived, a31412e13a and everyone held their 787d1ae20d breath. None had ever seen 4fc04d4a67 such a beautiful woman 9c8b7a1294 so close.31a10e0884a0fee9

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Draped in a black e7c54e83cc cloak and with her a620b89751 hair neatly pinned, she e90b12ae18 maintained her dignity even 6b8f7a14c4 as the guards treated 70dbc9093b her harshly. Her entire appearance was 007a750ff7 composed of black and f6310ceff0 gold, except for her 1ffbdc1372 skin, which was as 6124214896 pale as ivory.80987d35139c9e9b

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Silence lasted only a 56404b983a moment before the square e3ae0e2679 filled with impatient jeers.d429f1fa193bac8c

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“A witch!”8d9075f5800f1be1

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“Boo—”4862b6cfbdf93082

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As the Queen reached the scaffold, she handed her cloak to the young lady-in-waiting beside her, a girl who accepted it with tears streaming down her face. Then, in an unexpected gesture, the Queen lifted her hand to wipe away the girl’s tears.c53c2e2acfdd22b0

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Standing nearby, I cd8f9f2e35 could faintly overhear 51d2f5f07a their exchange.8dbcbc58402a8bda

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“You’re still so young. Don’t cry so,” 2b0711ef3e the Queen said 4024cba4fc with gentle compassion, c66e5b4099 and the girl, a4077bd8af her shoulders trembling, 7d54d3de23 wept even harder.153d0e17409b4522

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“Save your tears, Ophelia. We all 817082c734 must die 3819c31cb6 someday.”358a05bed5fac32b

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“Your Majesty…”3600df6727ded513

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“Worry not for 3fda96f748 me but for 2e145cd59e the child I e0be9772b2 leave behind.”b89df63d8ffcdc1d

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The lady-in-waiting 90f28550bc clutched the 6cf7effb3a hem of a9e05cab8a the Queen’s 29b1700fdf sleeve, reluctant d98d54c794 to let 30a8c2c14e her go. But as the guard cb0c6a8b46 shoved the Queen forward, 6bcb8d2b56 they were finally separated. The Queen, undeterred, 6755cdcfea immediately pushed the f84988d115 guard’s hand away. At that 9cc9f1ee71 moment, it 366c207bd3 seemed as 0343a6b1ce though the b3d789feda flame that 8b4f39f6e6 had burned 20081f59b5 within her 011a4168c4 throughout her 5a4e87ecd7 life flared 3f864e9d8a once more.5be7f3da2c1d0119

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Before resting her neck baa99ba314 beneath the blade, the 4cf0f8af5b Queen left a brief 5efc9126b9 speech. She was 34e7f462c8 neither a 1e38b5e931 traitor nor 0227415e61 a witch; 99f9b40e0b her only 5cf1a907bd sin, if 88dd53764b any, was 0cb4ec48f3 having loved 9960cb15bf one man 1b7a659655 wholly in ab3ca56bfc her lifetime. Thus, she declared, she 8e573f3492 stood unafraid before death.595ecbb84d95ca26

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In that 87c5fa5e40 moment, I f6964e7aad was one 8c2875b835 with the 20c2e91373 crowd. What had we 1fb1a6fb84 come here for? What had driven us 21b2fb946a to gather from dawn 5912f1049c to witness the execution 42b928ed1b of the Queen?94d752511780bd41

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None among 33f59db5db us truly 5b9412c042 believed she b6e45a4858 was the da332984cf monstrous wolf d1d6eab28d she had 20f478dd03 been accused 5c03ff8461 of being. Even those who b77b224575 had once loved 3c0ed05579 her never doubted 7df6c3134c her madness.cce387d5804a2cec

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Yet… what if?32d589921b3ded56

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What if, at f5ea4b9ab1 the very last 394922c309 moment, she displayed ffce0d3bff some supernatural power, 51e8ded4b8 a miracle to f97d62b009 cheat death?283b0bd334bf394e

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In truth, 74358e0cc1 each of 38a06c0c4f us harbored cd956c1034 a faint 2488b5f46f hope—that the 0b1705559f Queen was 2f5b8b4c90 not mad, 6263af7b73 that we f0aaad67f5 were the f847b8eed5 ones who 7cc10e3fdd had erred, 6e4b3dbfed that some e159dffec6 legendary tale 1c3c85e9e8 might come f6964c37bf alive before 23b3c4d9c8 our eyes.5297dbeed1f62f10

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But no miracle occurred. The Queen placed her cc1e5a3a6b neck on the blood-stained f613049af4 block, and the executioner’s 42db19217e blade sliced through the 9c6d8c4ae6 air. The sentence a339de7cf7 began and d6b39a6fb6 ended in 6f58b92c69 the same beb98894da instant.95d9dd9641c9c7b8

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This was the final 6597907858 moment of Catherine Blythe, 8418a52f74 second queen of Tristan 568cbaf886 V.77cf580e7316c044

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