y/n POV
You held your breath as you took the first step into the dungeon. You had only been down here one other time as a young girl. You and Hobi snuck down here the day after he had been shown it. You remembered the big key that hung on the hook and the eerie sound of it turning inside the lock. As far as you knew, there wouldn't be anyone inside. The castle dungeon was reserved for prisoners with crimes directly related to the crown or high-profile enemies of the state. You knew you weren't really kept in the loop when it came to kingdom affairs of this nature, but you felt you'd know if a new prisoner was kept in the dungeon.
Although you were almost certain nothing and no one would be locked in the cells, as you took your next few steps in the cold, damp, dark corridor, you heard quiet sniffles to your left. Your head whipped to the side at the sound, and you wondered if you had imagined it, but the longer you stood in the drafty hallway, the more the sounds of someone else's breathing became apparent.
Motionless, you stood. Your eyes pressed together. Should you go back? You were not supposed to know anything about this. Your mind briefly thought that maybe your parents were keeping it from you for your safety.
Bullshit.
You knew it was. They don't care about you more than a farmer cares about the cattle they raise to slaughter. Whatever secret was locked in the cell mere feet from where you stood now was not a secret kept from you with good intentions. Your mind raced, but every function in your body halted when a voice gently rang out.
"Hello?" The voice sounded weak and strained. "Is someone there?"
You swallowed, now feeling a hot wave rush over your skin. For some reason you felt embarrassed that your presence was now known. All of your senses told you to simply turn around and forget this ever happened, but still, you stepped forward.
Your eyes rapidly took in what you saw when you looked into the cell that the beckoning voice came from. There was a girl. The dungeon lighting was dim, only lit by a few clusters of candles dotted down the corridor of cells, but you could make out that the girl was sitting on the floor, legs pulled up to her chest. You couldn't quite see her face, but you could see her dress. Living as a princess all your life, you were very well-versed in fashion and dress styles. You could instantly tell the dress the girl wore was of high quality; almost as nice as your own. The only difference was that the dress she wore was obviously dirty and torn slightly at the bottom.
You could feel her eyes on you, and it frustrated you that you couldn't see her face. You felt speechless but forced yourself to say something. "Who are you?" you asked.
She moved slightly, and her face shifted into a shred of light. She was a pretty girl with long, straight, brown hair that fell over her shoulders. At the moment, it looked a little disheveled, but for someone being kept in a dungeon, you were surprised at how poised she seemed. She held her sharp chin high and looked at you with bright green eyes that screamed curiosity, but also confidence. You were embarrassed to admit it even in your mind, but you felt small under her gaze.
She seemed hesitant to respond. "Who are you?" She retorted.
You were surprised at her response. She spoke with a tone as if you were the one locked in the cell and she was the one with freedom only steps away.
You debated answering her with 'I asked first', but decided to give in. "My names y/n." A simple, yet informational answer. An answer that withheld knowledge yet was honest.
She narrowed her eyes. "The princess?"
You turned your head slightly. "Yes. Now it's your turn."
She sighed and pushed herself off the floor with what seemed to be tremendous effort. From what you could tell, she was just about as tall as you, but a little smaller in frame. Despite her delicate seeming nature, she stood with strength and nerve.
"You honestly don't know who I am? I'm being kept in your dungeon, am I not?" she questioned, approaching the iron bars that kept the two of you separated. You felt foolish at your lack of intel but shook your head in response. A smug smirk tugged on her lips. "Some heir to the throne you are not knowing your own kingdom's deeds and dirty work. Your family's empire may fall quicker than everyone's saying with you taking power." she mocked.
You scoffed. "Spoken much unlike someone being kept behind bars in an empty dungeon." You shot back. You weren't about to stand here and be made a fool by someone you didn't even know the identity of. "No fires are lit in the dungeon, so I wonder how long it will take for the cold to rip straight through that dress of yours." You said with a venom laced tone. The girl glanced down at her dress and you continued. "Or maybe the starving rats will get to you first. With the icy weather they've been without food for weeks. I don't think they will mind altering their diets from crumbs from the kitchen to a bitch in a ball gown."
You stopped yourself from saying anymore once you realized the defeated look her face boasted. In the dim light, you even thought you saw a tear run down her cheek. But it may have been your eyes playing tricks on you.
She stood motionless, her once daring eyes now docile and focused on the ground. Your anger melted into pity. You unclasped the cloak that you wore and pushed the warm fabric through the space between bars. "Here." Your voice now flat and free of sass.
She looked up at you, making eye contact with you for a moment before reaching out and quickly grabbing the cloak. She wrapped it around herself hurriedly. You could tell she was cold.
"Isabella," she said softly.
"Hm?" you responded, not quite catching it.
"My names Isabella, and we are one of the same, y/n."
Your mind thought back to the conversation between your mother and her secret partner. Was she "the girl" those two were discussing? What "move" had your father made that would be so detrimental to the kingdom?
"What is that supposed to mean? Why was my mother just down here? Who are you exactly?" You mind raced with questions that needed answering.
She came closer and looked at you with an expression you couldn't quite figure out. "We both know the burdens that weigh a princess down. Luckily, though, I happen to have an older brother. You were not so lucky."
You thought at a million miles an hour. Then it seemed to click. "Isabella..." you thought aloud. "Princess Isabella," you finally concluded. "Your kingdom is south of here, right?"
She nodded. "We're neighbors." She stretched her arms and paced slowly. "Unfortunately, our kingdoms lack neighborly kindness."
You remembered hearing about her. She was the same age as you one kingdom over. Due to the turmoil between the two kingdoms, though, you two had never met. You remembered hearing about her engagement to a noble man, followed by various rumors because the wedding still hadn't happened. Your curiosity only grew.
"Why exactly are you here? In our dungeon? And what does my mother have to do with it?"
Her face fell and she ceased eye contact with you. "I want to be honest with you, y/n. I know your parents are cruel and I hope you are better than them. I hope you can help me as a fellow princess, so that is why I'm going to tell you exactly what happened..." she trailed off. "But you may not be happy with what I am about to tell you."
You thought about her words, coming to a conclusion. "I can't help you if you don't tell me exactly why you're here."
She looked up at you with panicked eyes. "Just know I had nothing to do with it."
"With what?" You grew impatient. "Tell me what's going on, Isabella."
She sighed and began. "As you may know, your kingdom has fallen on hard times and many of its citizens are unhappy with its rule." You nodded in acknowledgment. "My father believed that your kingdom was a bubbling pot, just about to boil over and overthrow your parents' rule. He wanted to... expedite that. He thought that maybe, if the heir to the throne was out of the picture, the instability of the royal family would be too much, and he would be able to step into rule."
You put the pieces together. "So..." you started. "Your father sent an assassin to kill me?"
She nodded slowly but spoke urgently. "I promise I knew nothing of his motives! I would never condone it!"
You felt angry but knowing what little power you had in the decisions your parents made, you understood there was likely nothing she could have done. "And why are you here now?" You asked.
"Mercenaries hired by my father always wear our kingdom's seal. It probably wasn't very hard for your knights to figure out who was responsible for sending the assassin. I was taken last night by one of your father's men. I assume as revenge for the attempt on your life."
You thought it over. It made sense. Everything your mother said made sense. It was a terrible and bordering mad move by your father to kidnap the princess. But now that it's done, your mother's advisor suggested denial of fault? Does that include getting rid of the evidence? "Are they going to kill you?" You asked.
"Your mother alluded to the idea. But I'm not sure."
You shook your head. "This isn't right." You began to pace as you thought aloud. "Why does everything have to be so goddam messy? I wish there would just be peace for just a moment between the kingdoms."
"I agree, y/n." Isabella came to the bars. "You're being courted by that group of men right now, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Isabella looked thoughtful, as if she was devising a plan or thinking over her next words. "My older brother is a good man, much better and kinder and smarter than my father. He is to be king soon. If you marry a good man and take the throne, our kingdoms can live in peace, I swear it."
You looked at her in the eyes. You had a skill to tell when people were lying, but deep in the part of the eyes where the soul's intentions are kept, you knew she was being honest. You nodded vigorously now, feeling a new fire igniting in your stomach.
You could save your kingdom from ruin. You could control your and your peoples' fate. An alliance. A friend. This is the way.
"I have a plan." You blurted. And you did. "I'll have extra food delivered down here in the meantime, but I'm getting you out of here."
You turned, knowing if you were gone for too much longer, Noor and Hobi would worry. "I won't forget about you, Isabella, I swear." You took a step towards the door.
Isabella pressed herself against the bars to watch you as you left. "All my life I have been good at telling who is good and who is bad." You hesitated your exit at her words and turned back to see her. "Kind of like magic I know whose heart is light and whose is dark. Y/n, I can tell you're a good person, but you're surrounded by people who aren't. Be careful."
You gave her a smile and for the first time, she smiled back. It was a surreal moment, looking back at the princess in the dungeon. She seemed like a rose that grew out of a cement floor.
After climbing up the way you had come down, you felt a little out of breath. Not from the physical exertion, but from the convoluted plot that unraveled itself in front of you. The cold air nipped at your cloak-less shoulders, but you didn't mind. You began to walk quickly towards the main wing of the castle, but not content with the pace, you began to run. Your dress fluttered at your feet, flowing behind you.
Everything explained itself in your mind. Your plan: Confront your mother about Isabella and leverage your silence and position for her release from the dungeon. Isabella will stay in the castle as a guest. You knew your mother would not be content with the full release of Isabella, so she would be held until a full apology was issued for the attempt on your life and a peace treaty between kingdoms was signed. The alliance between yours and the southern kingdom was the perfect way to pull your people out of poverty and bring security to the royal line.
As you reached the heart of the castle, more stares than usual came from the palace servants. They couldn't pull their eyes away from the running princess. You thought about what they must be thinking. What a sight. The typically calm and shy princess now bounding through the halls. You didn't care, though. You knew exactly where your mother would be at this time of night. The only place where she can be alone and the only place you weren't allowed after dark for that very reason. The library.
Stopping your fast feet, though, was a voice. "Princess Y/n!"
You turned. Although you were on a mission, you knew your mother stayed in the library for hours most nights. A moment with the man that now stood in front of you wouldn't hurt. Plus, his honey voice felt like medicine on internal wounds. "Sir Jimin." You breathed a little heavily due to your sprint, but he seemed to only find amusement in it.
He smiled, his face shining with godlike beauty. "Where are you running to at this hour?"
"I have business with the queen." You couldn't help but smile back.
"Could I convince you to postpone and have business with me instead?" His voice lowering a little as his eyes examined your face.
Oh, how much you would love spending a flirtatious night with Jimin, but that would have to wait. Your cheeks burned and you almost said yes, but you knew what you had to do. With a smile, you turned slightly again. "Find me tomorrow, Jimin! I really do have to go." In your excited state, you had forgotten to call him "Sir Jimin" but his eyes lit up when you didn't use the title, so you knew you had gotten away with it.
All you caught was a weak wave from him and he watched you leave with a dreamy smile. If you didn't know any better, you would describe him as in a daze of love. He seemed entranced by you, but maybe he was a good actor. Either way, you simply didn't have time.
You reached the tall library doors. You rehearsed your plan one more time in your mind. You knew exactly what you would say. You would preach about peace and unity and turning the tides. But you knew those things meant nothing to her. You would use what little power you had to force her to agree with you. You would use the leverage of knowledge. If she didn't agree you would tell everyone of the king's sin.
You threw the doors open
You approached your mother.
She looked at you with angry eyes that would cool over once you began to speak
You told her exactly what she was going to do and how she was going to do it.
For the first time in your weak and mild mannered life, you had power. You spoke with confidence. You gave the orders.
For the first time in your life you acted like the fucking queen you would soon become.
A/N yes ma'am I am doing a double chapter update so I don't leave you guys hanging😌😌 Enjoy besties🙄✌🏼❤️