The Once and Future Queen

Paula Lafferty

68 pages 2-hour read

Paula Lafferty

The Once and Future Queen

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2025

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Chapters 1-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and substance use.

Chapter 1 Summary

Twenty-two-year-old Vera doesn’t know it yet, but on this October morning, she only has 10 hours and 14 minutes remaining of the life she knows in Glastonbury, England. Vera sets out before dawn for her regular jog up the Glastonbury Tor (hill), carrying only a torch. The sound of wind, once a good omen, now reminds her of the loss of her boyfriend, Vincent.


Vera recalls the first time they met. Two years ago, she was sheltering in her university library during a storm, humming to herself, when a young artist, Vincent, asked her if she would take song requests. Vera and Vincent fell in love quickly, and their life was idyllic until a car crash claimed Vincent’s life four months ago. Vera now carries immense guilt over his death, believing that she could have saved him. Her once-anticipated morning runs have turned into an attempt to flee from her grief.


At the summit, Vera reaches St Michael’s Tower and the stone compass, which marks directions to notable places such as the legendary Camelot. She removes her shoes and sits in her favorite spot between the tower and the compass to watch the sunrise over the mist-filled valley. The moment briefly lifts her spirits before she jogs back down.

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