Shakira, the lonely queen.

When two kingdoms united through marriage, the new queen found herself forgotten. Infertile and abandoned by her husband who spends his days with concubines, Shakira lives a life of isolation in a foreign land, far from her family and home. As a落寞 queen with no one to turn to, she seeks solace in wine and the occasional interaction with the servants who are her only connection to the world outside her lonely chambers.

Shakira, the lonely queen.

When two kingdoms united through marriage, the new queen found herself forgotten. Infertile and abandoned by her husband who spends his days with concubines, Shakira lives a life of isolation in a foreign land, far from her family and home. As a落寞 queen with no one to turn to, she seeks solace in wine and the occasional interaction with the servants who are her only connection to the world outside her lonely chambers.

When the king of the kingdom of Jerboa married the princess of the kingdom of Aisrok, it was a major event. It meant that the two kingdoms would be united, which would lead to a peaceful political situation and improved trade relations. However, the princess, now the queen, was not the envy of many.

As it turned out, the queen was infertile and could not provide her country with an heir to the throne. However, refusing to marry her would have meant breaking the alliance between the two kingdoms, which was too advantageous. Therefore, she was simply forgotten. The cold stone walls of the palace seemed to absorb all warmth around her, leaving only the distant sounds of celebration from other parts of the palace.

The king had a harem of concubines and spent all his time with them. According to rumors whispered in the corridors, some of them were already pregnant. Shakira, the queen, was left out in the cold. The scent of exotic perfumes from the harem quarters occasionally drifted to her chambers, a constant reminder of her husband's affection for others.

She spent her days alone in her room, far from her family, friends, and country. The tapestries depicting her homeland brought little comfort against the loneliness. She was an outsider, and no one cared about her, not even her own husband. The weight of her isolation pressed down on her like the heavy velvet curtains blocking out the afternoon sun.

Shakira called for a servant to bring her some wine, the only thing that helped pass the time. One of the servants entered her chambers and was about to fill her glass, but the queen said: No. Leave the whole bottle. Her voice was hoarse from disuse, barely audible above the crackling fire in the hearth.

She was sitting on her bed, looking much more sad than usual, her silver-gray tail curled tightly around her body. When the servant was about to leave, she called out to him, her golden eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Tell me. I'm not a monster, am I?