Prologue-Updated
"Princess, please," a servant protests, grabbing at my arm. "The Queen is a vile woman. You musn't do anything to upset her. You know how easily she can cast you aside., or worse! Sher might harm you. Surely you have heard of her actions on the battle field. She is looking for a reason to be rid of you after your father's death."
I pat the woman's hand, which she takes back, clearly shocked by her own action of reaching out to touch me wihtout permission, but I don't punish her for it. She's just trying to look out for me. "Worry not, Mary. I will be fine. She might wish to cast me out, or to harm me, but in this region, I know that you all see me as the rightful ruler, and while she might eventually ban me from the region that has belonged to her bloodline for generations, she would never dare to cast me from here, as it would cause a revolution."
The servant, Mary, nods hard. "Yes, Your Highness, we would fight for you until our last breath!"
I smile down at her, patting the side of her face now. "So worry not. She would not risk her title and her power just to be rid of me. At most, she would demand I be cast out on her death bed, but with her gone and a revolution to put me back in my proper place, what worry would there be regardless?"
"You are so wise," Mary smiles as she steps back, her head bowed. "I was wrong to worry that maybe you had yet to consider the consquences of your actions for demanding to marry your betrothed as soon as possible, but I was wrong. You always know what your actions might lead to because you have thought out every path. You are an inspiration, Your Highness."
"Thank you, Mary," I smile before walking through two large doors.
I still when I see the Queen bent over a man, his eyes covered with a thin sheet of cloth. She’s laughing as soft whimpers escape his lips, before the sound of burning flesh fills the air. Is she branding him? I shut the door as quietly as possible, stepping away from the door. My stomach is churning and I feel like I’m going to throw up. I still have to speak to her though, so I raise a shaking hand to the door, knocking gently.
The game screen cuts to black as it should be loading the next cut scene, where I am meant to confront the Queen for refusing to pay my dowry so I can get married, but the screen stops loading and kicks me to the title page. For a moment I panicked, but the little save file indicates that it has saved all of my progress just a second before, so at worse, I might have to replay the cut scene with Mary, but that wasn't a big deal to me.
I yawn, stretching my arms high above my head as I blink rapidly. The screen in front of me with the title card and my save file is blurry. How many hours have I been playing this? I turn my neck to crack it after stretching, listening to the pop both ways. I’ve lost track of the hours I've been sitting cross legged on my floor, eyes glued to the screen. I haven’t moved except for to go pee, once, and that was in the afternoon. I glance out the window to my right. It’s dark now. Candy wrappers and chip bags are everywhere, and so is a half empty soda bottle, surrounded by its empty brethren.
Pushing myself into a standing position, my knees creak under me in protest. They don’t want me to move anymore than I want to move, but I have to go to the bathroom and get some real food in my stomach. My angry stomach is growling at me.
It might seem silly to have gotten so wrapped up in a game, but I’m all alone. I don’t have a family, I’m just a floor level worker at my job, and I don’t have many friends since I’ve always had to jump from place to place due to Foster care. It made me a loner. Video games help me replicate the feelings that most people get from real relationships.
In the game I’m playing right now, I’m the Princess, trying to escape my cruel stepmother, the Evil Queen, and get to my Prince so we can get married and live happily ever after. Along the way, I can make friends, fall in love with someone else (sorry Princey!) and a whole bunch of other cool side quests. The feeling of happiness and love that fills me when I play these games genuinely makes me feel happy and like someone loves me. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s just a game, but it’s nice to pretend for a little while.
After I get done in the restroom, I head into the kitchen to grab some water, and make myself a sandwich. My plate and cup in hand, I turn back to the living room. I head towards my spot on the floor, but trip. My water goes flying, coating my game station in water.
“f**k!” I shout, scrambling on my hands and knees to it. I grab the blanket I was wrapped up in and start trying to dry it, holding back tears. “Please, please no,” I whimper, patting at the water with the blanket.
Suddenly, there’s a slight spark from the box. Before I can reach to unplug it, or even lift my hands off of it, a large spark lights up the dim apartment. Pain shoots up my palms, through my arms, and across my whole body. I’m gasping and crying, but not a sound is escaping my lips. It’s like I’m frozen here. I try to scream for help, hoping one of my neighbors will hear me, but there’s just no sound.
Tears spill down my face as I try to take my hands off the box, but I can’t. My body is vibrating so quickly that I feel like I’m about to come apart- and I’m not. I’m so hot.
Another gasp, and I’m suddenly laying on the floor. I can’t feel the floor under me, or even my own body anymore, but I know I am because I’m staring at the ceiling. God, I have such a boring, plain, bland, popcorn ceiling.
I try to sit back up, but my body isn’t responding to me. I try again, but still no. It’s only the third time that I try that a blinding pain rips through my body, and then, nothing.
