A/N: Hi to everyone reading this story. I started this new story since there were many questions about the character twist of Beetle's mother in the 'Mystery in past' - Hope you liked that, by the way. So I really liked her character and decided to write a short fanfic as a prequel and explain her life and the reason she became such a powerful woman. Please give it a try at least once before closing it for the reason it's not containing your favourite characters. Hope I'll be able to satisfy you.

Disclaimer 1: I don't any of the Septimus Heap character or the series and the ownership goes to Angie Sage only but I own this story.

Disclaimer 2: The base of Pamela Beetle's character are inspired from the Korean historical drama 'The Great Queen Seondeok.' but only minor as an inspiration and I created the story and developed her character myself which totally different from the drama. (And no, I'm not Korean. Just love their dramas.)

The sound of a skirt splashing repeatedly at the water holes formed from rain broke the peaceful silence of the night as a girl walked down the Wizard Way. Many people stopped to look at her for there hadn't been a new face coming to the Castle in a long time. The girl however, didn't break her stare at the palace shimmering in the night sky and continued her way. Nothing made her to take her eyes off the palace, not the whispers or even the stones that were making her bare feet bleed. She passed the stores that were closing and Manuscriptorium scribes that stopped to take a second glance at her muddy face and torn dress.

When she finally reached the palace's gigantic gates she stopped and looked around her. Two guards stood on each side of the gates. She placed her tin and full of bruises hands on the gate's door that a guard pulled her back.

"You can't go in. The visiting hours are over." He said with a friendly voice but the girl just freed her torn cloak and started to yet again open the gates. "Didn't you hear me? Come back tomorrow." The guard was getting frustrated as he pulled her away.

She gazed at him with emotionless eyes. "I need my complaints to be heard." She said firmly but he blocked her way and motioned at the other guards to stand in front of the gates. The girl creased her eyebrows. "Can't you, for once, disturb your Queen's rest for a homeless person like me?"

"The rules are rules. I cannot do such a thing." Said the guard and went to stand beside other guards leaving the girl on the steps. She looked up at the palace walls and estimated its height. She couldn't go over it so she went down the steps and sat on the ground with her head held high. Nothing, not even soaking from rain could stop her from sitting there

"Your Majesty, you have a subject in need. Why can't you hear my voice?" She shouted and continued to do that until there were people surrounding her with surprise. She knew that any minute she would be thrown away so she gathered all her strength and shouted louder. "What good is a monarch that doesn't notice her people? Those in suffer need to be noticed." Her screams caused people around her whisper and ask each other of her identity.

A young scribe, almost same age as her ran to her side and took her arm. "You'll get into trouble. Get up." His attempt to help her made her look at him. She looked at his curly brown hair, almost black eyes and honest face. Her eyes went to his hand holding her arm and noticed that he hadn't held her arm that was brown from mud with disgust.

Gently she pushed his hands away and looked back at the palace. Before she could go on the gates opened to reveal a tall woman with red gown and a golden crown on her raven black bun. Power radiated from her way of walking. Everyone bowed with respect as she came out of the palace and passed the guards. The girl stared at her without any fear or respect. She remained on her spot and waited for the woman to reach her.

The young scribe went aside with a bow as the woman stood in front of her. "What is the reason for all this commotion?" Her voice was high pitched.

"I came a long way to have Your Majesty hear me but they_" The girl paused to shoot an irritated glance at the guards for making her go this far and then again at the Queen. "They refused to let me in with the knowledge of me being homeless." She said boldly.

The Queen turned to the guards. "Is this true?" She asked with a threatening voice but none of the guards answered. With a disapproving sigh she turned back to her who was still sitting on the ground. Making her dirty dress, dirtier. "You may stay for the night and I'll hear your story later in the morning." She said and went back to palace.

Voices of compliment rose from people as she disappeared behind the gates. The girl started to stand up but her legs gave in from pain shooting through her body from her swollen feet. She fell to the wet ground but didn't give up. She pressed her hands against the stair in front of her to stand up. No one came to her aid except that same young scribe who gently took her shoulders to help her up.

As the bottom of her right foot touched the ground she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to stop herself from groaning. "Come on, what are you waiting for? Help me." She heard the boy's voice call to his fellow scribes and opened her eyes to see them come over reluctantly.

They too held her but not like the young scribe. She could feel their disgust from touching the mud on her body and she didn't like it. Offended, she violently freed her arm and held her breath to stand up. The boy looked at her with bemusement and people started to fall apart. She saw the other scribes secretly wipe their hands with a piece of cloth but that boy didn't.

"Please, let me help you." He said with a polite manner and again came forward but she was fed up and tired.

"No need." She said curtly and held her head up. Before going she looked again at that young scribe to store his image in her mind. The one person who didn't show his disgust in her. With great arrogance she walked up the stairs and didn't show her pain for the sake of her pride as she passed the palace gates, the doors shut behind her and she looked straight ahead to avoid her eyes wonder to things she never saw before. A fat woman came to her with a white apron tied around her waist. The speed of her walking made her curly blonde hair fly behind her and sound of her heals click on her nerve.

The woman eyed her state then her gaze went to the red carpet that was getting muddy and wet under her feet. "The Queen ordered me to assist you, come on." She went off but the girl didn't move so she looked back with frustration. "Move on, move on. We don't have all night." She motioned with her hand for the girl to walk and she did, being grateful that the carpet wasn't white for her feet kept on bleeding.

They entered a chamber. She had never seen something so grand in her life. A queen bed with silver curtains was on the side and the floor of the room was covered with light blue carpet that led to a small balcony. She followed the woman in, being careful not to step on the carpet and they went to a door in the room. The woman opened it. "Take a bath and sleep. You need to be clean to see the Queen tomorrow. Let's go." She took her hand but the girl brushed it off.

"I know how to take a bath myself." She said and looked at the luxurious bathroom which was nothing like she was used to but she couldn't step on her pride and admit it. The woman muttered under her breath with annoyance and left the room.


The girl opened her eyes from ray of sunlight falling on her face and looked around. She couldn't believe the bed she was sleeping on or the soft cushions that had gotten wet from her damp hair. She was still wearing her towel since she was too tired the night before to change so she looked around and saw an outfit on a chair. Excited she went to it and picked it up. There was a note on it saying her meeting with the Queen was in an hour. She wore the dress and it was perfect size and to her liking with shades of blue on its skirt and it's prolong sleeves. She sat in front of the mirror and looked at herself. It was time to resurrect her beauty.

The girl picked up the brush and started to brush her hair then braid it. There were even make up on the table but she didn't touch it, confident of her beauty. After an hour passed she was ready and the same woman from last night came in.

"The Queen is waiting." The woman's eyes fixed on her with surprise as she was unrecognizable with her hazelnut hair falling in wavy curls on her shoulder and braids accented it, fierce brown eyes and white skin that made the blush on her cheeks shine out more. The girl walked briskly to her with a nod and followed her to another massive chamber. The Queen was having breakfast with a young girl sitting on her right side and a man sitting across her.

She liked the girl from the first sight as she seemed nice and smart with being small and elegant. The man, however, was harder to get used to wiht being muscular built and a tanned serious face that matched the Queen in power radiating from him

"Your Majesty, she's here." Said the woman and they all three looked at her with three different gazes. The Queen with determination, the man with confusion and the girl - Who appeared to be a princess - with excitement.

The Queen looked back at her breakfast. "Sit with us." She said and the woman left with a bow, leaving the girl feeling small against all the bigness. Trying to keep her confidence she went forward and sat at the Queen's right side. She tried to not look or the smell all the great food on the table but the Queen looked at her. "Eat and then we'll talk." She said gently.

The girl started to eat and only tried to keep herself from looking too hungry. She wanted to tell her problems so she stopped her hunger and looked at the Queen who was looking at her gracefully. "Thank you." She said.

"Your welcome, now tell me all you had to say to make you make such a scene last night." Said the Queen with an edge of sarcasm in her voice which made the girl gulp but she wasn't the one to give in.

"I come from a countryside over the marshes and have heard of your generosity so I came here to ask for your help." She paused for a moment to contain herself from tearing up at remembering the horrible things she saw. "We were peaceful villagers and only worked without wanting much in return. We didn't object or questioned anything so we were never prepared for any misfortunes. It was the night of the first harvest that some men came to our village and wracked the place apart, demanding things we didn't have. They_" Her voice cracked so she had to look down for a moment to cool herself before continuing. "They killed everyone. My parents... friends and all who were present." She stopped and looked back at the Queen.

"How did you survive then?" Asked the Queen with curiosity.

The girl tried to keep her gaze. "When we heard the shouting from outside my father... hid me in the basement. I stayed there but I could see everything from the little window and I saw them... saw them..." She couldn't go on and the Queen noticed as well so she didn't push it.

"You don't need to explain any further." She said silently. "For what kind of help you came here?"

The girl's body trembled as she saw tears in princess's eyes, she hated being pitied. "I need a place to stay and work but I have no money or anything." She answered strongly.

The Queen looked at her husband thoughtfully. "Normally we would place people like you in an inn and they would find a job but an inn isn't a safe place for a girl at you age." She placed her hand under her chin as if suddenly remembering something. "How old are you?"

"I am seventeen and a half, Your Majesty." She answered with worry of not being able to find herself a foothold.

The Queen's husband frowned. "Seventeen? You said seventeen, right?" He asked and when the girl nod he looked at the Queen. "Mathilda, we can place her in the royal army. It'll provide her shelter, food and a job." He continued as he saw the doubt in his wife's eyes. "And since she's seventeen, she won't be in the young army so she can keep her identity as well."

"We cannot place a girl in there." Said the Queen but the girl stopped her.

"I'll do it. It's an amazing place to start again." She said earnestly which made the princess look confused and the Queen glance with warning at her husband.

"Are you sure?" She asked, defeated. There were no other places and she couldn't waste all her time on a girl so when the girl nod her head she sighed in relief. "Well, I guess I can dodge over some small rules and fill you in." The girl's small smile satisfied her that she was doing what was right. "What is your name?"

The girl looked at her with gratefulness. "Pamela, Your Majesty. Only Pamela." She didn't have any surname and didn't need it. It was a first step to stand up again and when she did she would find all those who murdered her family and avenge them.

A/N: Thank you for reading and please give it at least two chapters try before omitting it from your reading list due to it being about Beetle's mother. Reviews are always appreciated. Hope you liked it and I'll update soon.

P.S. I'll post the last chapter for 'Mystery in past.'' soon as well.