The Crimson Queen

The day I was crowned Queen part 1

That night my nanny uncharacteristically didn't beat me, or even yell at me. Not to mention Warren was nowhere to be found. She just patted my head, smiled, and sent me to bed.

 soooo creepy. 

In the morning when I woke up, everything was different. The mansion looked as if it had been robbed. More so than before, I mean it has always been on the more humble side in mansion terms, but today it looked especially barren.

"Oh, there's my little sleepy head princess, you need to get dress we have a long way to go." My nanny practically singed and danced as she pranced around the house. For a middle aged women she was always on the strong side. Me and my bum would know best.

"Is this some sort of new way to punish me? Because I'd prefer a beating." With a sickeningly yellow dress, that made her look like a cow that puked on my the sun, I didn't know where to look. Her grey streaked hair was pulled tightly back into a bun, while her pale skin was drowned out by that horrid yellow dress.

"Why would I ever punish you sweety? There's just no way." Her eyes darted left and right as she awkwardly tried to comfort me. has she lost her mind?

"You know the first signs of an early death is a drastic personality change." I'm guessing the coast was clear of whatever or whoever because she then dropped down and harshly whispered,

"Now listen here you little leech, I've just received the best news since the morning I was told your scheming mother committed suicide and I will not let you ruin it for me." Standing once again, she smiled that nauseating smile and called someone to come and get me dressed. Oh please, don't let it be a yellow dress! I begrudgingly made my way back to the stairs but before ascending I turned to her and asked,

"Could you at least tell me where we are going?" her daunting smile riddled me with goose flesh.

"Why, I'm taking you home of course... your majesty." 

*******************Declan PV*****************************

"There seems to have been a coup in the Kingdom of Froinia, your majesty." As Enzo relayed the message my migraine grew that much larger. It was bad enough my precious sister resided in that politically unstable country but now there was even this uprising of which I'm sure my uncle had a hand in.

"What of the Froinian royal family?"

"I'm sorry your majesty Crown Prince Zayn wasn't spared." My heart sunk at the lost of Prince Zayn. He was a friend and an ally, due to inherit the throne and make right a lot of his fathers wrongs. Its no doubt that's why my dear uncle Killian assisted in the coup.

"I was so occupied with the situation involving my sister that I failed to realize such a treacherous ploy by Prince Killian."

"You were supposed to be engaged to one of the Froinian princesses which would have solidified your place on the throne. This will surely cause problems in the future." Enzo, just as his name implied was 'loyal to one master'. I came across him during one of my trips in search of my sister and he's been a trusted aide ever since. Serious to a fault he was one of the few people I could call friend.

"Enzo, what of the next King, Froinian law would never allow a non-royal to sit on the throne." The Froinian people were a superstitious lot, they believed that if anyone other than those of royal blood sat on the throne the kingdom would be destroyed. So there must be at least one royal who survived the blood bath.

"Yes, there was a girl, an illegitimate daughter of the king, our spies in the kingdom surmise that it is she who they will place upon the throne." Leaning back into my chair I contemplated such an idea.

"A puppet Queen. I'm sure my uncle would just love that." Writing down some words I slid the paper to Enzo. "Have all of our spies look into this said future queen, I want to know everything." With a bow Enzo quickly went to execute my orders. Stopping at the door he turned back to me, hesitating. "Is there something else Enzo?" Fixing his glasses the stiff man finally spoke.

"One of the spies did have one source of information, though I thought it too trivial to tell you but now I believe I overstepped and ask for punishment." As often as he asked for punishment I'm beginning to believe he likes it.

"No need for punishment, what was the report." With a slightly dissapointed face, Enzo squared his shoulders to me,

"They said she was a violet eyed fairy." At that moment, the memory of a young girl flashed before my eyes. It's impossible, it couldn't be her, could it?

********************************Leonora PV************************************

Today was the most unforgettable day of my life. After what seemed like days of riding in the carriage we finally arrived to the place my dear old nanny called 'home'. more like huge freaking castle. As my she dragged me through the large corridors, my feet sank into the plush carpet that was soaked with the blood of those who once lived in this palace. Cousins, brothers and sisters, who really knows. One things for sure, it really gave blood related a whole new meaning for me. I am taking this far too well, I guess all those tortuous years with the old hag was just training. I didn't know what was happening or even why I was there, but one undeniable truth, was that the Froinian Royal family was no more, save one small little girl. 

"Leonora! Hurry up you stupid girl! I mean you precious little thing!"

Between my early years and now, I had come to understand many things in life; knowledge is freedom, spiders are the devil, and men are scum. I was relatively aware of the world around me, despite only being at the tender age of 8. In order to retain my sanity until today I've created a sort of other me, an unbreakable me. It was a lesson I learned when Nanny locked me in the cellar for a week, no one can break what they can't reach. Which is exactly why I locked my heart away far, far, far away from anyone's touch said a select few who I let close. But no lesson came more clearly than the one I learned today, "lonely is the head that wears the crown". It was my coronation as 'queen'. In a wintry room that made my fingers feel like icicles, they mockingly placed a crown too big, soaked in the blood of the man who they said was my 'father' upon my head. It seems despite the king already having a wife he still couldn't resist the the charms of a palace maids, which was how I came to be, the bastard child of the king.

 I said it once I'll say it a million times, men are scum. 

I was tossed to a far corner of the kingdom when I was found to be female. Needless to say, not too long after my mother ended her life. But not before naming me Leonora "my deepest despair". At least that was the brief explanation of "me" to me by the ever loving nanny. If someone were to ask if I hate my mother, I fear I wouldn't know what to say, I neither hate nor love the woman who gave birth to me. Some would say her act of suicide was noble but as noble as it is to die it is nobler to live. How bad could having a daughter be, I'm a flipping prodigy for goodness sake? After dear old mothers death, I was told that the servants ran off with anything of value and my nanny, selflessly stayed behind; out of duty to the crown, and the royal family. 

She said so herself.

"How could I leave such a precious child to fend for herself? I'm sure you understand the magnitude of the sacrifice I made for you and your upbringing." Looking around I tried to figure out who she was telling such fantastical lies to. Doesn't she realize I was also there for her so called sacrifice? Nevertheless In the long run it's what saved me from the bloodshed that killed the entire Froinian royal family, so I was lucky, I guess. It was called a revolution but even a child could tell its was a coup and I was seemingly the sacrificial lamb. So, as a young child, with the blood of my 'father' dripping down my face, I came to understand yet another term I'd heard from the slums, "royally screwed".