Featured Story Written By: Sarah Zahid
-March 3rd-
Good evening.
My mother was killed on February 27, and ever since I’ve felt such a strong grief overtaken me. I take solace in the fact that my beloved Belia has been helping father and I around the palace. Belia is a high duchess, practically the my father’s advisor at this point. She has done nothing but show me love and kindness.
We’re still looking for the killer. There have been string of murders going around town, with both high-ranking officials and townsfolk being killed in a similar manner — stabbed to death with a heart written in the victim’s blood on the forehead. My mother wasn’t any different. The killer even left a note. It said that nobody was safe, not until they were satisfied.
Belia vowed to keep my father and I safe. I am thankful for it, considering she has a history of training in the Royal Guard. I can only hope I’m not one of the next victims...
Goodnight, and may we all see this terror end soon.
_________
𓆙𝕯𝖚𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖁𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖆𓆙
-February 27th-
I killed the queen.
The look in her eyes. . . It was both satisfying and amusing. She really thought she could trust me. It makes me laugh. Jervais, my good friend and servant, is becoming more antsy. That’s not my problem, at least not yet.
-March 8th-
The royal family still doesn’t know I’m the murderer. It’s a sick kind of humor to me. “Oh, darling Velia,” the princess coos, “what would I ever do without you?”
It’s so funny to me. Without me, your mother would probably still be alive, and all those other people.
They’re all too kind. That makes them vulnerable. Jervais continues to become more worried. He thinks he’ll die if I get caught. It’s too bad he doesn’t know how to act as well as I do.
_________
꧁𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓐𝓻𝓪꧂
-March 21st-
Good afternoon, something absolutely dreadful has happened this morning!
It’s so awful! The murderer has taken Jervais! He had been Belia’s servant and loyal friend since childhood. . . Whoever this murderer is, it has been made clear that they are heartless and cruel.
I can only hope Belia is able to overcome such a loss. She has helped me with my own, it would only be fair that I help my beloved with hers.
_________
𓆙𝕯𝖚𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖁𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖆𓆙
-March 21st-
I don’t know what to do. It felt right then, but now I feel nothing. What is wrong with me? I haven’t ever felt so conflicted.
I KILLED Jervais.
I killed JERVAIS.
I killed Jervais.
-May 2nd-
Ara continues to follow me like an infatuated puppy. I find it very annoying, I must say. Her father Heinrich has been keeping an eye on me, making sure I’m ‘alright.’
Little does he know that I killed his wife.
Little does he know I killed Jervais.
This old man is going to die soon, so I won’t bother with killing him. I’ll be queen once he dies. The dumb little princess must think she’ll be queen because she believes I fancy her.
She’ll remain princess, I don’t want anyone trying to get in my way.
-June 10th-
I’m queen.
_________
꧁𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓐𝓻𝓪꧂
-August 13th-
Good morning. It’s been a few months, and it’s been an awful few months. Belia had her coronation on June 10th. She was crowned queen. I do feel a little odd not being queen with her, considering we’ve both expressed our feelings for each other, but she said that she ‘needed more time.’
She also promised to find the murderer. Although we haven’t found them, the killings seem to have ceased for now.
She’s put in so many new rules and even put a curfew on the kingdom. The guard has no say in this, and can only enforce the curfew.
At least, that’s what they want her to believe. The guard has been secretly helping the people behind her back, letting them off and being lax.
As for her treatment of me, she’s been more reclusive. I rarely see her. When I do, she’s speaking with other officials. I don’t know why she’s doing this, but my trust in her has weakened.
I can only hope things get better.
-October 5th-
Good evening.
I SAW her. I WITNESSED Belia murdering someone in cold blood. I was outside after curfew making sure the civilians were safe and sound. I heard some noise and I. . . It took all of my willpower not to scream. I watched her stab the poor woman to death and draw a little heart on her forehead using the blood pouring out of her. I nearly vomited. It was unsightly, bloody, gory. . .
She didn’t see me, thank goodness. I’ve told every single guard. She hasn’t returned yet, but when she does she’ll be arrested and tried for 73 counts of murder, not excluding regicide on two accounts.
I’m shaking. I can’t breathe. It’s so hard to write, but I have to document what happened lest something horrid happens to me.
I trusted her. I was in love with her. I can’t fathom the idea it’s her, but I witnessed it with my own two eyes. I’m terrified. I’m heartbroken. Why would she do such horrid deeds?
Why?
I must leave now, for guards are saying she’s arriving. Goodnight.
_________
𓆙𝕯𝖚𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖁𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖆𓆙
-October 25th-
I’ve been arrested. I was arrested 20 days ago. I get to keep this diary with me because Im allowed a few possessions. Ara visits me still, deranged as I am. Ara is the new queen. I’m to be executed by the 30th, but I have a plan of escape. I’ll be fine. If I write after October 30th, I’m free. If I don’t, I should be prepared to write down my last entry, huh?
If this is my last entry, here’s what I have to say:
I regret allowing myself to kill in the open for that one time only. I regret killing Jervais. I regret having not yet killed myself. I regret my existence, although it was not something I was able to choose.
I am sorry for those things, and those things only.
_________
꧁𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓐𝓻𝓪꧂
-October 30th-
I’m shaking
She’s gone
I can’t think
She escaped
I can’t breathe
She disappeared
I don’t know what to do
She’s nowhere to be found
She was supposed to be executed today
She’s nowhere to be found
I don’t know what to do
She disappeared
I can’t breathe
She escaped
I can’t think
She’s gone
I’m shaking
I don’t want to die
_________
𓆙𝕯𝖚𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖁𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖆𓆙
-October 31st-
I’ve escaped. And I’ll remain free, forever to roam this earth. Who knows — perhaps the person who has gotten ahold of my diary may be next.
Look behind you, dear.