To Save a Heart

Chapter 1

"Actually not." Parson said. "For you see you are not married."

"I don't need a man to make me queen. It is my own right."

"Yes.... Well actually no."

I waited for him to continue as my hands gripped the armrests. My armrests.

"You see you can't be queen without a king."

"I don't need a man."

"Of course you do. A woman couldn't possibly manage a kingdom all on her own your mind couldn't handle it."

"My father did it just fine and he was expecting Caleb to take over for him in just a few years. If Caleb could do it so can I."

"But Caleb was a man. May he rest in peace." Parson said crossing himself and bowing his head. His servants did the same in a surprisingly synchronized manner. Their head remained bowed for a second giving me a full view of my uncles balding head. At the crown of his head was a thinning patch that swirled outward in an embarrassing manor. Their heads snapped up in unison.

"He wasn't any better than me." He was actually quite worse. The scheming brute.

"Well he was a man and seeing as I am a man I will be taking over in his place. Temporarily of course, unless you want to make my rule more permanent." He said tilting his head up so I could actually see past his hook nose.

"No." I said feeling my blood boil at the mere suggestion of turning my kingdom over to him just because he was a man. 

"I wasn't asking." 

"It isn't for sale."

"Oh I wasn't thinking of buying. Marrying actually." He grinned.

"A marriage to who?"

"Why to a beneficial match, me of course." He said with a wiggle of his large bushy eyebrows. 

"No." I said standing up in front of my throne to tower over him at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Or you could just hand it over." He said with a wave of his hand. 

"What makes you think I will just hand it over?"

"This." He snapped his fingers together and the hoard of man servants rushed forward to seize me by my arms.

"What are you doing?!" I demanded thrashing about as they hauled me to my feet. "Let me go I am queen!" I shrieked kicking them in the shins and smacking their chests. They pinned my arms down and marched me to my room. The doors were opened and they tossed me inside.

I was caught by thick carpet that prevented the bruising of my knees. Instantly I sprang to my feet and rushed back at the men as they slammed and locked my bedroom door in my face.

"You won't get away with this!" I screamed beating my fists against the doors. "I am queen!!"

§

It had been a long night of me prowling back and forth in my room. I felt like hissing whenever someone walked by my door. When the door finally did open I glared at it as my maid Isabella walked in. Her dark brown hair bounced on her shoulder as she rushed to me with a tray in her hands.

"Oh Saphrine what's happening?" she asked as she set the tray down on my table.

"It's my uncle Parson." I spat as I lifted the cover to a steaming bowl of soup.

"Your uncle?!" she gasped.

"Yes. He's my fathers youngest brother. He's here to take over the kingdom."

"You must get out of here." She said softly.

"What? No. I'm going to get my kingdom back."

"There is news from your uncle. Ariah heard him speaking." Her deep dark eyes welled up with tears. "He plans to kill you."

"What?" I shot to my feet.

"He wants your throne. And he says that because you won't marry him he has no other choice than to take what is his."

"Well he won't get it."

"Saphrine he is going to kill you."

"I will fight him." I said "it is my right to be queen I am next in line."

"You must run away." She said with tears cascading down her cheeks.

"But that would just give him the kingdom."

"It is your right to be queen." She said. "But if you are dead you have no rights. You must escape and then return to fight with an army to back you up."

Her words were slowly dawning on me. She was right of course. I could be queen and stay here to have my head separated from my shoulders or I could leave and return for my kingdom later. I had to leave.

"But how do I get out? Surely my room is being guarded.

"Leave that to me." She said hopefully.

Within a matter of minutes we had traded dresses. Her into my expensive gown embellished with lace and jewels and me into her gown with the large skirt.

"This isn't enough the guards will still recognize me." I said looking down at the skirt.

"I'm not finished." She said. With that she turned to the fireplace then back to me with a wicked smile. "Take your hair down." She instructed.

I eased the pins out and my hair fell past my waist in blonde curls.

"Now don't scream." She said as she scooped a handful of soot and walked towards me. She smeared the black powder all over my hair then combed it through with my brush. The black soot turned my golden hair into a dark color that was similar to hers. While it couldn't be called brown exactly it was much less blonde than it was before. She pinned the curls up into a hairdo just like hers then she walked around me like an artist examining her work. "There. You're finished." She said proudly. Now to get you out."