The Story of The Two Queens

Long ago, before the creation of the modern kingdoms, there lived two queens. They ruled together over a small kingdom.
It was a beautiful place, with mountains stretching next to beautiful sea. The queens’ palace sat atop the highest mountain, high above the bay, where they housed their extensive fleet of ships.
The two queens were opposites in every way. Where one was sweet, the other was stark. Where one was forgiving, the other forgot nothing. Where one wore only white, the other wore nothing but black.
Where one was light, the other was equally dark.
Despite their differences, these two queens ruled over their kingdom together in harmony. One day, danger came to the queens’ kingdom.
Atop the tallest tower of the queens’ castle, the dark queen paced anxiously. A quiet knock penetrated the silence.
“May I enter?” The light queen asked, already closing the door behind her. Her pale skin shone in the candlelight.
“What are we going to do?” The dark queen's low voice resonated in the small room. “We are surrounded in every direction. Our fleet was conquered in minutes. Is it time–”
The light queen interrupted her, always the optimist, “We need not surrender. We can still find a way to win,” but the other queen could read the desperation in her friend's eyes.
“The people in the village must stay safe. At all costs.”
They stood together, moving to the open window to look over the bay. On the far mountain, lights flickered. Another village, unaware of the danger not so far away.
In the bay, a cannon fired, but neither queen flinched.
The dark queen spoke again, “They expect the monarch to surrender. If we both leave–”
“–they will chase us all to the ends of the earth.” The light queen finished, “but they don’t know that there are two monarchs here.”
The unspoken question hung in the air. Who would stay behind, and who would save the villages and lead them to safety.
“I will stay,” the light queen said, at the same time the dark queen spoke, “It should be me.” They looked at each other and laughed softly. Friends since childhood, the two queens were both known for their equal stubborn streaks.
“One of us needs to keep our people alive. You are better at relations with the public,” the dark queen said, “it should be you who leaves. Go, live to see another day, find somewhere else to grow our kingdom in peace.”
The light queen's eyes were teary. “But you'll die,” she breathed. They both knew all too well what the enemy did to the rulers whose land they conquered.
Yet the dark queen smiled softly. “Then it will be a death well spent.” She wiped away the light queen's tears. “Now go. I will wait here, and give you time.”
The light queen hesitated, but only for a moment more. “Ruling at your side has been the honor of my life,” She said softly. She bowed low to the dark queen, who returned the gesture.
They embraced quickly, and the light queen disappeared from the tower and down the stairs. She led the townspeople and other cast inhabitants past the bay, and along the small strip of land connecting their island to the mainland. Their enemy was powerful, but they weren’t waiting for them on the strip of land. So the light queen and her people disappeared into the forest.
Many years later, the light queen had long since found a safe land for her people. As they flourished, their kingdom grew, and she was known throughout the land as the most fair, most brave, and most selfless queen to rule.
Despite the years that passed and the kingdom that grew, the queen continued to share the story of the dark queen who sacrificed herself to save everyone. The queen who willingly went to the grave to save what she loved.
And so the dark queen and the light queen both lived on in the memories of their people for all eternity.