A Crown Frozen In Time

Chapter 1

The air feels fresh, as though I were standing atop of a mountain. Hydrangeas line the crossing pathways into the courtyard, spring is beautiful here. I couldn't bear walking up the looming steps to the palace. Even now after five years, I still feel like my twelve year old self when walking up. I can feel a pair of eyes following my every movement as I continue. I reach down and dip my fingers into a small fountain in the center of the paths. The eyes approach me closer and closer until a hand reaches out and grabs my arm, digging his fingers into my skin. 

    "You have no right to be on the king's land!" I still can't see him, but his glare says a thousand things at once.

"I have every right to thank you very much."

"Who are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." He has no right to ask, or to grip my arm as he is doing so, but any struggle I provide the more prominent the bruises in my arms will be. 

"I demand your name!"

"And I demand you to let go of my arm!" He spares no expenses in lifting me up from my spot at the fountain
by my arm and dragging me across the gardens despite my many protests.

    "You're going to get into trouble for doing this."

    "I won't be the one in trouble, not when you set foot in front-" He trails off dragging me through a door and pushes me up steep wooden steps.

    "Finish your sentence. Go on now, who should I be scared of again?" I turn to get a proper look at him. He has dusty blonde hair, his eyes are a boring shade of brown, dull and lifeless. "You can't be more than twenty can you? Tell me, would you like to lose your job so quickly? Because I assure you, that the bruises you are leaving on my arm are not a good idea." The hallways turn from dusty floors to pristine marvel underneath my feet.

    He scoffs, a forgotten laugh in the back of his throat. "I assure you that I will be perfectly fine. Such a shame that such a pretty face will be thrown out before such a big event." Mother never told me about any event, she assured me that the castle would be perfectly empty.

    "Yes of course, well I only wanted to see the gardens. Please take pity on me, I didn't know any better." He pushes me through another door.

    "You are the fifth girl that I have caught in the gardens today. All of whom you have been dealt with accordingly for trespassing. I highly suggest that you alert your family to begin packing."

    The fifth girl today? What event is happening? What is going on? I don't like this, it feels as though the scant plan I had is slowly slipping out from underneath my fingers. My knees feel weak underneath me and my stomach plummets as it often does, my chest feels heavy and my throat feels laced with tears.

    "If you plan on attempting to fake collapse, don't. That would make you the third girl to attempt this today." Why are there so many girls trespassing? Father assured me that everything would run smoothly, he assured me that everything would be alright, that we would finally win. It doesn't feel like I can win if there are other families here. What event as he planned. What event has the stupid king planned this time, what a waste his life has been with his wife away. I heard all the rumors, his young wife away for the year, both having an affair. The queen seems much happier. I will give her that, but the affair that the king has is simply disastrous.

    Yelling comes from a nearby room. Far enough that I can't clearly make out the words.

    "I would brace yourself. There's a line."

"I've been trying to tell you that-"

"You had your chance and you squandered it. I won't hear another word from you."