The Bitter Sister

"Yes, it's an incredible likeness of my poor sister," Yarna said, feigning sadness for her royal courtiers. "Apparently, it was done just before she left battle that cursed dragon. It and the other one, the man, languished in a dank sub-basement of the castle for years before being found."

In actuality, Yarna wasn't the least bit sorry to see her older sister turned to stone like this. being the oldest daughter, Astra had always been the favored child of their mother, Queen Helia. It was always Astra who got the best clothing, the most attention, the education and training to rule. Phoris, the middle child, was a man, and not eligible for the Matriarch's throne, but her parents had fussed over him as well, and Yarna had not been sad when he left the kingdom to marry some princess in some far-off land.

Yarna, on the other hand, had been little more than an afterthought in the lives of her parents. She'd been handed off to a series of lesser court members, watching with barely disguised jealousy as her elder sister received all the attention and glory.

Now, though, Yarna was the newly crowned queen of Aquilaria, and Astra was no more than a memory to the older members of the Royal Court. To the younger ones, she was less than that, a quaint footnote in the life of the glorious new Queen.

Now, dear sister, Yarna thought spitefully as she ascended her throne with the two new "statues" watching her, I reign supreme in Aquilaria, while you - well, you can just stand there and watch as I eclipse your name!"

1. A few days later the Royal Mage approached Yarna, informing her of a powerful spell located somewhere in her throne room
2. A few weeks later, an envoy from Allaria arrived, and noticed the statues in the throne room
3. A few months later, an old, wizened but still powerful wizard named Pronklezilch appeared, demanding his statues back.
4. A few years later, Yarna had so mismanaged her rule that the capital was overrun and sacked by the nomadic Amazon tribes.
5. Eventually, Yarna died and the origins of the statues were lost to the mists of time

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