The crisp sound of roots being torn from earth filled the garden as vampire servants worked diligently under my command. The sickly sweet scent of spider lilies hung heavy in the air, making my nose wrinkle in disgust. Then came the shrill scream that shattered the peaceful morning.
"No! You bastards... Don't destroy my flowers—" Heather's voice cracked with hysteria as she stumbled into view, leaning heavily on Liza's arm. The former queen looked like a ghost of her former self, her once-lustrous silver hair now tangled and matted, her skeletal fingers clutching at her tattered white nightgown. "Stop! All of you, stop! These spider lilies have bloomed here for over a thousand years. I've spent centuries nurturing them... You fools, how dare you ignore me?!"
