The Changeling Queen

Chapter One-Updated

I wake up with a start, gasping loudly and clutching my chest. “Oh good, it was just a dream,” I sigh, sinking back into my pillow.

One heartbeat.

Two.

I jump up, looking around wildly. Where am I?! The walls are decorated with what looks like original, antique artworks, and the molding looks like it’s painted gold. There’s no way this is my cheap studio apartment. Then, I notice the bed I’m in. It’s huge! Big enough for ten plus me. Running my hands over the soft sheets, I wonder if they’re satin. When I see my own hand, I audibly gasp. My sun kissed hands, calloused from a life of playing outside and hard work, look untouched, and lily pale. Sure, I’m a White girl, but I’ve always had some kind of tan from always being outside.

“Highness? Are you alright?” a timid voice asks as the door is pushed open.

In front of me stands a small, meek girl, probably in her late teens. She has mousy brown hair and skin that looks like mine, or rather, how mine did. Kissed and colored by the sun. She looked uncomfortable, and refuses to lift her eyes, so I have no idea of the color.

“Pardon?” I blink, confused. Why was this girl asking if I was alright? Shouldn’t she be asking why I’m in whoever’s grand room this is?

“Y-Your Highness, are you alright? I-I heard you gasping and became worried for your well being. Please excuse me coming in without permission,” she squeaks, lowering just head even more.

“I’m fine, but I think there’s a problem. I’m not a ‘Highness’ or anything. I’m just an orphan who should really be at home with video games,” I explain, Sliding out of the bed to talk to her. She looks nervous, upset, and what? Is that scared? “What’s going on?”

“Your Majesty, it frightens me a bit when you play nice, or they act like this. Forgetting who you are is not allowed. Just, not allowed,” she is visibly trembling now, and despite her warning, I keep walking towards her.

“I’m sorry, but I think you’re confused,” I say as I stand in front of her, looking down at her.

She’s trembling fiercely, but her head is still down turned so I can’t tell her facial expression. “If you’re going to punish me, please, just do it. I’m sorry for coming in without permission!”

“Punish you?” I repeat dumbly, tilting my head to look at her. “Why would I do that?”

She finally looks up at me, flinching when her perfect emerald eyes meet mine. “Y-your majesty. Are you feeling alright?”

I stare at her, pressing my lips together in a thin line. “Why are you calling me that?”

She gasps, her hand flying over her lips. “You really have forgotten who you are, haven’t you?”

“I-I guess so?” I stammer, feeling confused. The room is starting to look familiar, but I can’t place why. “The last thing I remember, I was looking for my daughter, and I saw her with a man...,” I trail off, trying to think. Wasn’t that just in a game? “Oh, wait no. That was-.”

“Your daughter!” she exclaims, clapping her hands together. She immediately looks back down, her face flushed red. “Ehem, I can go fetch her for you, if you so please.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just,” I look around the room. Am I really royalty? “Actually, I’d like for you to tell me what you think of me.”

“Pardon?” she squeaks out, and I notice her hands trembling as they’re clapped together. “Your Majesty, I’d really rather-.”

“That’s an order,” I say, cutting her off with a wave of my hand and command in my voice. “I won’t hold you responsible for anything you say here. My memory is fuzzy, and I want to be filled in. If I find out you intentionally lied, only then will you be punished.”

I can see her visibly gulp as I lead her to a sitting area in my room. “Now, tell me.”

In a shaking voice, and tears brimming her eyes, she does. She tells me how I’m a tyrant, who got a neighboring King to marry me after his wife died, uniting our kingdoms. I was only a few years older than his daughter, who resented me for “stealing” her father and attempting to replace her mother. She told me that there was rumors I tried to befriend her, and that I cared for her, but she kept spurning me until she eventually slapped me at a ball. I tried to banish her, but the King stopped me. I regretted it and tried to make up with her, but somehow, I was turned into the bad guy. It made me bitter, and angry, so after my husband died, I kept her around only because the people from her country would have risen up against my rule if I hadn’t.

She said told me how I became ruthless- I was conquering countries left and right, and had expanded my rule nearly across the continent. Every day, my reach grew further, and people cowered in fear of me, wondering what a Queen that would try to banish her own stepdaughter, and then try to rule the world, would do.

“Okay,” I say slowly, nodding my head, despite the horror that’s currently washing over me. “But it doesn’t actually sound like I did anything that bad. I mean, I didn’t actually banish her, and she did kind of have it coming when I did. That was disrespectful.”

The girl presses her lips together, and uncomfortably shifts. I don’t know what to say to her, and she obviously isn’t sure what to say to me.

“That did bring my memory back though, so thank you. Now, leave my sight,” I dismiss her with a flick of my wrist, uneasy. What would happen if people thought I really was this evil Queen, and came for me during my time of “weakness”. I can’t help but quake at the thought.

“Yes ma’am,” she stands up and hurriedly curtsies before shuffling away. I can almost hear her sigh of relief as she leaves the room.

I lean against the chair I’m sitting in, trailing my fingers along the soft velvet, when it clicks. The story. This appearance. This room. The scared staff. I’m the villain from my new game!

My hand flies over my mouth as I gasp, my eyes wide. No, no way! How could this happen?! I jump up, running to the bed. A nightstand is placed near it, and if there’s a purple, fabric bound diary in there, then I’ll know for sure that I am trapped in my game. Some how. My heart aches as I think of the fact that now, I’m trapped in the game... but then again, it’s not like I had anyone that I was really leaving behind. Even my cat recently died. I was literally all alone in my home world.

I sink onto the bed, tears pricking my eyes. Couldn’t I have at least been turned into the main character? The one that gets the happily ever after? Why did I have to become the villain?

A sob clogs my throat, but I choke it back. I can’t let anyone hear me be weak, because if I’m weak, I could be killed for the actions of the past Queen.

I check the nightstand and yes, there lays the diary. I know I could use it to learn more about the women that inhabited this body before me, but instead, I decide to put it back. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I lay back down, curling into a ball. My stomach and chest hurt. I want to cry. I want to be back in my apartment with my new game and fattening sweets.

Eventually, another maid comes in, offering to help me get dressed for the day. I numbly accept her help, not saying much. She seems uncomfortable, and so does the other who comes in to assist her. I can’t blame them for being uncomfortable. They’re probably worried about their head being cut off. What a as horrible, terrifying fate that must be. I can’t inside the threat of that looming over my head everyday for years on end.

Isn’t that what’s going to happen to you now? a little voice in the back of my head whispers, but I push it away. I don’t need to hear that right now.

“Ma’am, please don’t forget your Royal meeting,” one of the girls eventually squeaks, making me drag my eyes from the floor to her. “Y-you asked me to remind you since this is the third time it’s been rescheduled.”

“Of course,” I force a tight lipped smile before starting off into space, my eyes safely unfocusing on the blank wall beside my maids’ heads.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I notice them exchange a look, but before I could inquire what that look might mean, there’s a knock at the door.

“Your Highness,” a sign song voice says. “Might I be able to be graced with your presence?”

The maids hurriedly finish tightening my corset, and slide on the rest of the fittings, including a giant bird cage around my waist. I can’t hold back a grunt and a growl, making the girls flinch.

“Just-” I sigh, wiping my hands over my face. Thank God we hadn’t gotten to the makeup part yet. “Just go answer the door. The meeting, and my makeup,” I add as I see the other start to rifle through things to look through God knows what. "Can wait."

“Yes ma’am.”

“O-oh, okay Your Highness. I’m sorry.”

The door opens, and I turn to look my brand new, computer programmed, fake AI, step daughter.