| “ |
What possessed me to make that foolish promise! |
” |
| —Queen of the Sky Kingdom, Rumpelstiltskin and the Queen | ||
The Queen of the Sky Kingdom was a minor character who was mentioned in the sixth Dark Parables game Jack and the Sky Kingdom and was the playable protagonist of its bonus game, Rumpelstiltskin and the Queen.
Initially a miller's daughter with a rumored skill for spinning wheat into gold, she became royalty after making a deal with the devious imp Rumpelstiltskin.
The Queen of the Sky Kingdom is based on the miller's daughter in the German fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin.
Appearance and Personality[]
As depicted in various portraits, the Queen of the Sky Kingdom was a lovely-looking woman, with bright red hair worn in an updo and a gentle, kind face. She wore an ornate gown and a golden neckpiece. Her descendant, Emma, bears a striking resemblance to her.
The Queen was kind-hearted and frugal, unlike her flashy and greedy husband. Still, despite their unusual beginnings and her husband's questionable sanity, she loved him greatly. Her love for her daughter, however, was greater and she would eventually leave her husband to see to her daughter's safety and happiness.
History[]
Her real name unknown, the Queen of the Sky Kingdom was born the daughter of a simple miller. Her life was rather average, though her father wanted nothing more than to be the center of attention. He began to boast that his daughter could spin wheat into gold, even though she had no such skill.
The news reached King Eurig, who said he would marry the miller's daughter if the claim of her talents was true. If it proved to be false, he said, he would have the man's daughter executed. The miller's daughter was certain that death would befall her until an imp came to visit her and said he would spin the wheat into gold if she would only promise him her first-born child. The girl agreed.
When the King saw all of the gold the next morning, he was delighted and made the miller's daughter his Queen the very next day. They were happy together and even grew to share great love. In time, they had a daughter, and the imp returned to make his claim on it.
The King and Queen chased the imp through a portal to a magical forest. There, the imp said that he would return the child only if they could guess his name correctly. The King guessed rashly and was cursed, turning into solid gold! The Queen, however, used her wits and investigated until she had found both the imp's name and a magical grimoire that would allow her to control him.
Having rescued her daughter, her husband, and even a tiny child she'd found during her quest, the Queen of Sky Kingdom returned home to enjoy her happily ever after. But it was not to be; the curse cast on her husband by Rumpelstiltskin had corrupted his very soul. While the King had always enjoyed the finer things in life, he became downright obsessed with gold, wealth and treasure. No amount of it could sate his hunger, and his sanity slowly dissolved. Eventually, the Queen saw no choice but to take her young daughter and leave her husband.
Not much is known of the Queen's fate past that point, but it is known that she raised her daughter and had many noble descendants. She also passed on a handful of magic Beans of Growth to her descendants as a family heirloom.
A witch informed King Eurig of his wife's passing. We don't know if she was lying about the Queen's death or not, but it is likely that the Queen died at some point; since she no longer lived in the Sky Kingdom, she wouldn't have had access to the Beans of Longevity that caused King Eurig and the three Princes to lead nearly immortal lives. When and how the Queen died is still a mystery, but it is likely she did so, and her descendants got the seeds thinking it as a family heirloom.
Relationships[]
- Miller (father, deceased)
- King Eurig (husband, deceased)
- Princess of the Sky Kingdom (daughter, fate unknown)
- Prince Leonard (adopted son)
- Prince Julian (adopted son, deceased)
- Prince Hugh (adopted son)
- Emma (descendant)
- Rumpelstiltskin (enemy, turned to stone)
- Tom Thumb (friend, fate unknown)
- Fairy Queen (ally)
Relevant Parables[]
Rumpelstiltskin (from Jack and the Sky Kingdom)
Once upon a time, a miller boasted his daughter could spin wheat into gold. The King demanded a demonstration, but the miller's daughter had no such skill. Knowing the dawn would bring her death, the daughter wept bitterly. Suddenly, an imp appeared before her and offered to spin the wheat in return for her first-born child. The daughter agreed. Delighted, the King married her the next day. Their first child soon followed and for a while all was well. But one day, the imp reappeared, demanding what had been promised to him. The King and Queen pleaded with the imp for mercy. So he proposed that if they could guess his name in three days time, he would release their daughter from the promise. The King guessed rashly and was cursed. But with the help of a tiny messenger, the Queen learned the imp's true name was Rumpelstiltskin. Foiled, the imp tried to leave, but the King had other plans.
The Mercenary King of the Sky Kingdom (from Jack and the Sky Kingdom)
Once upon a time, there was a poor but honorable King, who was determined to rebuild his kingdom's fortune. One day, his appetite for gold suddenly grew insatiable. The Queen, in despair of his greed, took their daughter in hand and left him. The King suffered many lonely years without them, but his obsession with treasure only flourished. One day, a strange witch came to sell him 'the most valuable treasure in the world'. And it was from this witch that the King learned of his beloved Queen's death and her most unexpected final wish: that the world be purged and remade into one of beauty and peace. The grieving King vowed to honor her memory with the sacrifice of his greatest treasure. He decided to unleash the Shard on the day a meteor shower would rain closest to the earth, a rare occurrence that happened only once every millennium. To protect the rest of his treasure, the King used magic to raise his kingdom into the sky. Though magic ensured the King's long life, his plans were thwarted by a petty thief named Jack, who had unwittingly stolen the key that would unleash the treasure. Though Jack escaped, the rest of his gang was left behind. And there was one woman who reminded the King very much of his beloved Queen and their young daughter...
The Adventures of Tom Thumb (from Rumpelstiltskin and the Queen)
There was once a childless couple who wished desperately for a child of their own. One day, they prayed to a fairy shrine. The Fairy Queen was greatly moved by their plea and blessed the couple with a son. The boy was no taller than a thumb, but the couple loved him all the same. They gave him the name of Tom Thumb. And with the Fairy Queen as his godmother, he was beloved by the fairies. Tom was a clever child. Though he was much smaller than the other boys, he found ways to help his father with the chores. One day, an evil merchant saw the pint-sized boy and snatched him, intending to make him a sideshow piece. Tom was able to escape, but the forest was filled with perils for a boy of his size. Luckily, a woman happened to pass by and rescued him. He discovered she was the Queen, searching for her lost child. In gratitude, Tom volunteered to assist the Queen's quest. For his aid, Tom was handsomely rewarded and returned to his loving parents with bags of gold. And they lived happily ever after.
Quotes[]
Quotes by Queen of the Sky Kingdom[]
- "Oh, Eurig. This is all my fault, but I will save you both. I promise."
- "Supposedly, the imp's magic will corrupt Eurig even after I break the curse. But he's stronger than that, isn't he?"
- "However we began, we are very much in love now." (about King Eurig)
- "What possessed me to make that foolish promise!"
- "It was what Eurig wanted, but this all seems so imposing to me." (about the castle)
- "I do think this throne is a bit much, but whatever makes Eurig happy."
- "My husband speaks again about vanquishing the world's ugliness. I fear the look in his eyes..."
Galleries[]
