Aolroq the Dead King, and his bride the Fair Queen

One of the dark myths associated with Malbrand, the cursed castle in western Revellia, the southernmost canton of Milos.
Aolroq was said to be a good king at first, both generous to his supporters and fierce against his foes. As is often the case in Milos, his downfall was blamed on a woman. The Fair Queen bore him three sons, yet each son died horribly on his third birthday, savaged by monsters. Aolroq grew almost madly protective of each son, going so far as to lock the third one in a room his entire life, allowing only his nursemaid and his parents to look upon him. Yet he too was savaged and died on his third birthday.
When the fourth son was born, Aolroq would not let the child out of his sight. The kingdom suffered from neglect, his borderlands were taken by neighboring kingdoms, and the king himself had grown drawn and haggard. He would not even let his Fair Queen see the boy, and the nursemaid attended him only with the king's sword drawn.
On the night before the boy's third birthday, the king locked the child and himself away in a secret vault, where they stayed in total darkness. Despite his fears, the king slept. He awoke in the deep of night to find the vault torn open and his Fair Queen standing over him, shining with unnatural light. Her face was twisted into something like a hound's snout, and blood dripped readily from her jaws. At her feet was their fourth son, savaged and dead. Tears streaming down his face, Aolroq drew his sword and slew the Fair Queen, whose beautiful visage returned as she died. Some myths say she tore out the king's throat and fled, but most say she died there. Aolroq was either mortally wounded in the fight or soon after ended his own life in despair. Some versions even say he was found over the body of his slain queen and son, and his own household murdered him, thinking him guilty of kin killing.
But this is only the first half of the story.
Being a king, Aolroq was buried standing, before the gates of his castle, to keep eternal guard. Yet the night after his interment, he was seen roaming the halls of his castle. The next morning he held court, seemingly alive, and commanded a return to the ancient sacrifices of the Aernigh. Human men, women, and children were to be sacrificed upon an altar he would commission in order to propitiate the Ancient Gods. In some Host Keeper versions, it is said this sacrifice was intended for Esakr, the rebel Host of Magic. Aolroq's household refused this evil command, and all were slain. The king then hired evil men to serve him (some versions say he raised a host of dead) and had them kidnap new servants. These new servants managed to suborn the evil men into slaying their dead king.
Aolroq was again buried standing in his grave, yet once again he rose, and once again he killed his entire household. This time, though, a lone seamstress' daughter named Claara escaped and happened upon a traveling hero (an aethir or bard in some versions, a hosterman in others). The hero came to the castle and slew Aolroq again. This time, the king was buried upside down with an iron torc around his throat to weight him down. It is said he remains there to this day, before the gates of Castle Malbrand, frightening away evil spirits.

Aolroq the Dead King by DALL-E