The Ace of Queens ( Ace of Queens #7)

Prologue

It was a woman. Dressed in the softest cloth the world had ever seen. Her long wavy hair blew in the wind as the two gold strings tied around the straps of her stress flew behind her like wings. Her bare feet moved over the grass as her radiant eyes landed on the little girl by the fountain.

"Hello, Clare," the woman smiled. She slowly bent down to look the child into her eyes. Her porcelain skin was dewey and plump, her cheeks rosy. The little hairs around her face curled. The darkness was a striking contrast against her pale skin.

"Hello," Clare whispered.

"What have you got there?" The woman slowly took Clare's hands and pulled it back to expose the butterfly.

"Don't hurt him," Clare said as the woman took the butterfly from her. "I'm going to keep him forever."

"I'm afraid we can't keep anything forever," the woman said with a sigh as she admired the butterfly on her fingers.

"Why not?" Clare asked.

As the slow wicked smiled began to pull across the woman's face, Clare felt her fear return. Her heart froze as images of bloody battles, piles of dead bodies, screaming children, and horrifying storms invaded her mind.

The images left as soon as they had popped in Clare's mind. But just the glimpse of them was enough to frighten the child to her little core. Clare dug her fingernails into her finger as her lips began to tremble.

"N-no," she whispered as the woman took the butterfly into her hands and crushed it.

"War is no place for a butterfly," the woman said.

She took Clare's hand and pried open her little fingers. Placing the crushed butterfly on her palm she closed her hand back up.

"Clare!" A voice made the little girl jump. She looked up from her close hand and realized everything had returned to the way it once was. Green grass, warm wind, bright sunlight.....not a single trace of the horrifying woman.

"Clare, Max is calling you. We're going to build a fairy garden," Ella came running up to the little girl. "Do you want to come with us?"

Clare slowly turned to look at the blonde girl her brother was crushing on. Ella slowed as she neared and panted to catch her breath. She was about to ask Clare to join her and Maksim once more when the little girl began to open her palm.

"Clare!" Ella gasped, spying the crushed butterfly. "What happened?"

"It's better dead, anyways," Clare flung the thing into the fountain and raced off towards the palace. Her brother and Eden called her name but she didn't stop for anyone.

She ran through the halls with her hands over her ears. Her pounding heartbeat was louder than thunder as she rushed up the stairs.

"Princess, your father is in a meeting!" someone tried to stop her as she pushed open Owen's office door.

Owen turned just as the door opened and looked up with concern. Clare, with her hands covering her ears and her cheeks red as tomatoes pushed passed the secretaries and ran up to where he sat at the head of the conference table. At once he held out his arms and Clare jumped onto his lap.

"Daddy!" Clare said breathlessly as she tightened her arms around her father's neck.

"What's wrong, princess?" Owen asked in Alarm. He got up from his seat at once and began to walk out of the room. His arms held the little girl firmly against his chest as he felt her little heart beat wildly.

"We'll pick this up tomorrow," he said to the people around the table as he walked out with Clare. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"I don't want you to die," Clare began to cry.

"What?" Owen couldn't help the small laugh that came out of him. He pulled back and lifted Clare's chin to get a good look at her.

"You make everything better," Clare frowned. "I don't want you to die."

"I'm not going anywhere, princess," Owen shook his head. "I'll never leave your side."

Clare didn't respond. She flung herself back against his chest and hooked her arms around his neck. She felt her father chuckle as he patted her back and began to carry her to her room.

"I hate butterflies," Clare mumbled.

"Why is that, your grace?" Owen asked. "I thought you loved butterflies."

"They're stupid!" Clare said, placing her cheek on her father's shoulder. She began to count the number of steps he took and the pattern of his movements. "They are stupid little things that die."

"Did Maksim teach you that word?" Owen frowned.

"No," Clare pouted. "Don't yell at Mackey. He didn't do anything wrong yet."

Owen suddenly burst into laughter from the little girl's words.

"Yet?" He asked.

"He's going to be very mean to Ella," Clare said, seeing the deep frown on Ella's face in her mind. "He's going to make her cry."

"I'm sure Ella will give it right back to him," Owen nodded.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Why are there wars?"

Owne took in a deep breath and turned the doorknob to Clare's room. He walked in and sat down on the chair by the window and placed the little girl on his lap.

"Sometimes there are bad people who want to do bad things," he began to explain slowly. "And the good people have to stop them. When they disagree strongly a war can start."

Clare slowly nodded her head.

"But daddy....."

"Yes, Princess?"

"How do you know if you're the good people or the bad people in a war?"    

What are your thought? Any idea on what's going to happen? :)