the past will come today

      — Her Majesty, Agatha Sylvia Reluc, has arrived.       Having announced this, the footman opened large, wooden, double doors for me. Seeing this, all the people in the hall bowed low before the main star of this reception.       Showing permission to rise with a nod of my head, I walked through the crowd to my rightful place, which I achieved after losing a lot of friends and acquaintances. As soon as I took the first step, all the guests, without raising their heads, even though it was allowed, parted in front of me, creating a corridor through which I walked.       As soon as I took my rightful place and announced the official opening, many aristocrats of the highest and lowest strata began to approach me and express their respect and gratitude.       All, of course, but most of them. Some, mostly ladies, decided to go out and dance with their partner.       I was now considered their liberator from the past tyrant king. But no one knew what could happen tomorrow. It may be times of peace, but wartime is not over yet. It's just beginning. Like the collapse of this empire.       Deciding not to tell my subjects about this, I only tried to hide my smile. Let them consider me their redeemer, let them honor me. They don’t yet know that it is at my instigation that our kingdom will drown in chaos and endless wars. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves for now, otherwise we might scare away our luck.       At that moment a woman approached me. The one I considered my best friend. The one who showed her true colors in battle.At that moment a woman approached me. The one I considered my best friend. The one who showed her true colors in battle.       — Your Majesty. Let me express my respect and gratitude. Without knowing it, you saved me and my family. As a thank you, I would like to present you with these precious gifts. If you allow it, of course. — Then, bowing, the woman moved away, making way for two servants who were carrying two chests.       There were jewels in one of them. And in the second…       After a while, when all the gifts were opened and the requests and thanks were accepted, I got up from my seat. I got tired of sitting and decided to take a little walk around the ballroom.       When I reached the table with wine and snacks, I took a glass of wine. A lot of my memories were associated with wine of this particular variety…       At that moment, a very young man crept up behind me. But despite his age, he was the head of a very influential ducal family. The one who once sheltered me. The one who helped me.       — Your Majesty. Having said that, he bowed. — I would like to ask you a question. If you'll excuse me. — showing, with a slight nod of my head, my permission, I was ready to answer all the questions, but not this one. — I recently read a paragraph on the history of our kingdom… Please tell us how you managed to achieve all this without having anything or anyone behind you? After all, as far as it is written in the textbooks, after birth you were immediately exiled from the palace with your mother.       It was this question that became the starting point and through it all my memories surfaced. Everything I've been through and what I've been through… Including those memories that I would rather forget. They were so bad and sad.       But it was thanks to these memories that I was able to learn lessons and avoid making the same mistakes as my ancestors. But I had to pay a very high price for that.       — Well, it's a long story. And no matter how fabulous it seemed, it was all real. — Answering this youngster, I remembered how it all started. I don't know why, but I wanted to tell him this story.       — Your Majesty, I'm not in a hurry. And I'm all ears.       — Well, then listen. Pretending to take a sip from my glass, I hid my smile. Then she began her story…