The Crown Meets The Heirs

(Clara's POV) My name is Clara Hautè. I am the only child of my parents, Queen Naomi Hautè and Prince Consort Dave Hautè of Country F, and I turned eighteen today. Today was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of my life. I should have been in a large pink ball gown with a sparkling tiara on my head, smiling brightly at the guests who’d come to celebrate my birthday. Sadly, none of that was destined to happen. Instead, I watched in dismay as gunshots rang through the hall while guests ran helter-skelter amid the chaos. I was still wearing my ball gown. But this wasn’t the party I had imagined at all. I’d had everything planned for months. I’d even trained all my fluffy pets for the little performance they were supposed to put on for the guests, and practiced my grand entrance with my dad’s arm linked through mine, walking me through the hall like it was a wedding. Now I stood behind a partially closed door and watched unfamiliar armed men take my mother, her relatives, and her ally's hostage while injuring innocent guests. My mother was the ruling Queen of Country F. My father had married into her family even though he came from a powerful background of his own — he always said it was the only way he could marry her. Many people were unhappy that my mother ruled, simply because of her gender. Her father’s younger brother should have inherited the throne instead, though for some reason he never had. With tonight’s attack, I was certain this was the work of one of her political rivals, trying to overthrow her. Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand. I nearly shrieked before a palm covered my mouth. “Shhh… It’s me, Butterfly.” It was my dad. “You need to leave this place safely. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?” he whispered, gently caressing my hair as he let go of my mouth. His clothes were stained with blood. Whether it was his or someone else’s, I didn’t know. What I did know was that I couldn’t leave my parents alone in this mess. “No! Dad, no! That’s impossible!” I shook my head fiercely, tears gathering in my eyes. I might be a spoiled brat to everyone else, but I loved my parents dearly. They were the best thing in my life. Dad smiled gently. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Everything will be fine once we sort this out. Your mother and I will come pick you up after we clean up this mess.” He held my face in his hands. “We just need you out of the chaos so you won’t be used as a hostage against us. Do you understand, Princess?” I couldn’t speak. I could only nod, trying to hold back my tears. Satisfied, Dad sighed in relief. “Richard will send you back to my country. I have powerful connections there — my people will take the utmost care of you until your mother and I come for you. I promise.” “You promise?” I interrupted, looking at him, hopefully. He hesitated, then nodded. “When have I ever broken a promise, Butterfly? Your mother and I are coming back safe.” I finally breathed out in relief. When my father made a promise, he always did everything in his power to keep it, no matter how hard. “Let’s get moving. I’ll take you to your transportation. Richard’s waiting.” Dad took my hand and led me through several hidden passages — we had to be careful, since the armed men were still patrolling the castle. Eventually, he took me to my private playground and pushed aside a tangle of overgrown weeds and bushes, revealing a hidden hatch. I hadn’t even known about this passage. He opened it and motioned for me to climb down. I obeyed immediately. The staircase seemed endless, but I finally reached the bottom. When I looked up, Dad was climbing down after me, pulling the hatch shut behind him. The moment it closed, darkness swallowed us. Fear crept into my chest until Dad switched on a small torch, its dim light spilling over the narrow tunnel. Holding my hand firmly, he led me toward a faint glow ahead, and about ten minutes later we emerged into fresh air. We were at the coast. A medium-sized powerboat floated nearby, a tall figure standing inside it. Richard. My father’s most trusted bodyguard. He’d been with Dad for years and had followed him here from Country F. Now he’d be the one to see me to safety. Dad walked over and exchanged a few quiet words with him before coming back to me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the best eighteenth birthday.” Guilt colored his voice as he smoothed my hair, then unclasped his cape and draped it over my shoulders. Only then did I realize how cold I’d been. I shook my head quickly. “It’s fine, Dad. There’ll be plenty of birthdays to celebrate. I just want you and Mom safe. That’s my birthday wish.” He smiled softly and pulled me into a tight hug, then pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead as he let go. “I’ve told Richard everything he needs to do. He’ll take care of you until you reach the country safely—” The explosion cut him off. My eyes went wide as I turned toward the castle. Part of it had blown apart, flames already devouring the structure. “Mom!” I cried out. “Is she still inside?” Dad shoved me toward the boat. “Richard! Start the engine, now!” Then, to me: “The men have spotted this boat, and some of them are heading this way. I need to draw them off.” His expression turned grim. “Besides — your mother’s still there. I have to go back for her.” That’s when I noticed the earpiece tucked into his ear. Someone was feeding him information, and by the look on his face, none of it was good. I grabbed his hand. “Dad, it’s too dangerous. They’ll catch you.” He smiled. “Don’t forget who your father is, Butterfly. I don’t die that easily.” Before I could stop him, he pried my fingers loose, jumped off the boat, and sprinted toward the burning castle. “DAD!” I screamed and tried to go after him. “Sit tight, Princess.” Richard’s voice was flat, cutting straight through my panic. The engine roared to life, and the sudden acceleration threw me off balance. “Ah!” My arm scraped painfully against the side of the boat. I watched, helpless, as the distance between us and the castle grew. Unwilling to give up, I lunged at Richard. “Turn the boat around!” Some small part of me expected him to obey. The rest of me already knew better. Richard never listened to my orders — while every other servant scrambled to please me, he never bothered. Strangely, I respected him for it, even though he drove me up the wall. Silence was the only answer I got. Furious, I pounced on him, biting his arm and kicking his leg — my usual way of throwing a tantrum. “If you don’t want to get shot, I suggest you lie flat,” he said, his voice still maddeningly calm. “We’re being chased.” “W-what?” I let go of his arm and finally looked behind us. Four speedboats were closing in fast. My stomach dropped. “I thought Dad lured them away! Is he okay?” “He was either caught, or they didn’t take the bait.” His cold answer sent a fresh wave of fury through me. “You—!” I started swinging at him again, but he shoved me down. “GET DOWN!” Gunshots erupted. Wood splintered around us, fragments biting into my skin, a sharp pain flaring in my arm — I’d been grazed. Before I could react, the boat tilted hard as Richard cut a sharp turn, forcing two of the pursuing boats into each other. The collision detonated behind us. The shock wave threw our boat half out of the water before it slammed back down, and my whole body went weak — this was worse than any roller coaster. My ears rang, my vision blurred, my stomach churned, and before I could stop myself I was stumbling to the edge of the boat, retching over the side. That’s when Richard’s attention snapped to me. I couldn’t make out his expression, but his voice changed instantly. “Princess!” He lunged for me — too late. The last thing I heard was something whistling past my ear, and then Richard diving after me as we both plunged into the freezing sea.