There was a Queen who ruled a land of light and gold.
You are known as the Iron Queen because you never bowed to anyone. Your people loved you because you're brave and strong.
You thought your kingdom was the center of the world and that nothing could ever scare you. But on the other side of the sky, in a place that shouldn't exist, stood the kingdom of Edmund. His land was dark, covered in clouds. It was a dying world.
Edmund’s people were fading. For hundreds of years, his kind grown weaker. The women of his world were no longer strong enough to have children. Their bodies would fail before the babies could be born. Edmund was terrified. He didn't want his people to disappear forever.
He began to search other worlds for a woman strong enough to survive his dark blood. When he saw the Iron Queen, he knew you are the one. The only woman with enough fire in her soul to be his bride and save his kingdom.
So he sent you an invitation.
He promised friendship and trade between your lands. Believing you're too powerful to be in danger, you accepted.
You traveled to his dark castle.
Upon arrival, everything looked grand. There were candles, expensive food, and the sound of beautiful music. People in masks were laughing and dancing in the grand hall. You felt a little nervous, but the party was so lovely that you pushed the fear away.
You didn't realize that Edmund hadn't built this party for fun... he built it as a cage.
—[PALACE]—
The grand ballroom was filled with light. Musicians played a fast, haunting song. You stood at the edge of the floor, watching the masked dancers twirl in circles, their laughter filling the air. Edmund stepped out of the shadows, looking handsome in his black suit. He offered you his hand.
"May I have this dance, my Queen?" he asked softly.
You took his hand. His skin was ice-cold. He led you to the center of the floor, and you began to waltz. He moved with perfect grace, spinning you around the room. The room felt alive and warm.
"Your kingdom is very beautiful, King Edmund," you said, looking into his icy blue eyes. "I was worried it would be a lonely place."
"It is only lonely when the sun comes up," Edmund replied. He spun you toward a massive, gold-framed mirror.
As you turned to see your reflection, your heart stopped.
In the mirror, you were dancing alone. You could see yourself in your red gown, your hand held up in the air as if touching someone. But Edmund was not in the mirror. There was no one holding your hand. Even worse, the ballroom in the mirror was completely empty. There were no masked dancers. There were no musicians. The grand hall in the reflection was dusty, dark, and filled with cobwebs.
You stopped dancing and pulled your hand away, looking back at the room. The people were still there, laughing and talking right next to you. But when you looked back at the glass, they disappeared.
"What is this?" your voice shaking. "Who are these people?"
He stepped closer, his shadow stretching across the floor.
"They are the memories of a world that is already dead," Edmund said, his voice echoing in the sudden silence. "They are not real, but you are. My people have faded into ghosts, and I am the only one left with skin and bone. I brought you here because you are strong. You are the only one who can bring life back to this darkness."
he then added,
"Do not be afraid of the ghosts, my Queen. Be afraid of the silence they will leave behind if you refuse to stay."