When the underground lost its hope,
When it lost its prince, something else was lost, too.
On that day....
The queen had lost her smile.

She made her home in the Ruins. She closed the door to the rest of the underground.
Even though some monsters stayed with her...

They all feared her.

...

She was alone.

They were afraid of her eyes.
They were so cold......empty...
Sometimes angry...
But most of the time, they were sad.

And everytime she had to close the door behind another child...
She would lose another piece of herself.
And another....
Another.....
And another.

Until....

Someone had come knocking at her door.

To practice his jokes, not even aware that she was on the other side.

The queen said nothing at first.
She was startled by him, unknowingly intruding in her grief.
As always, she did not want to talk, did not want him to know she was there.

So she fled.

He would not be there again, anyway.

But when she next came to the door, he was there again. Telling these corny, cheesy, ridiculous jokes.

Again.
And again.
And again.

The queen wondered if he was ever going away. The queen wondered if he would ever stop telling jokes.

The queen wondered if he knew she was there.
Did he not know how ridiculous this was?

The silly little monster...
Made her smile.

Surprised, she covered her mouth, caught completely off guard.
But as she kept quiet, she wondered...
Was it fair that she hid it..?
Having no audience to your jokes seemed a bit lonely...

Then one day...

His knock....

"Knock knock?"

...

"Who is there?"

Was finally answered.

A door was opened.
The queen felt something warm fill her.
Excitement, anticipation....
Or perhaps, comfort.

Maybe....
Just maybe....
She was no longer so alone.

That she could still laugh...
That she could still smile...

Without always having to see the pity in everyone's eyes.

The queen had found what she had lost.

A true smile.

It's strange how much of a comfort it was...

...

To be sharing these silly, little jokes.

~Aly