The First Queen *Sample Only*

Chapter 8

My first two complete days at the palace flew by me in no time at all. I spent as much time as I could spare in the stables, which also meant I spent a lot of time with the same handsome guard who had originally walked me to the stables. He had a quiet demeanor about him that made me enjoy his company. We never said much to each other and he never commented about how much I talked to my horse. I was worried about the old beast and fussed over him endlessly. He wasn't used to being in a stable, and though he had companions on the farm, he only ever spent time with one other horse. Now he was surrounded by ill-tempered sport horses and when those horses came too close his ears would go back and he would snap his teeth. I always chided him for it, but was secretly proud that he could fight back which seemed too silly to say out loud.

However, at one point the handsome guard did ask me my horse's name so it could be etched into a plaque for his stall. It seemed odd. First I had to come up with a name for myself to satisfy the king and I was still learning how to force myself to respond every time it was spoken. Now I had to name my old horse to satisfy the stable hands. I decided on Jester because the old horse always had some tricks for those he came across who were less than kind. The royal guard gave me a smile and sent word out, returning with a bucket of oats. I had sighed to myself at the time, thinking that at least someone in this building was kind to me and my old horse would get the retirement he deserved.

I never had thought that I would be so ungrateful for what had been given to me. I had come from a life with nothing and now it seemed like I had everything I could want. Yet, I often felt miserable in the morning. I had three maids who wouldn't meet my eyes and whispered behind my back about my scarred ankles that obviously had been shackled and my unusual behaviors. I was presented with hobbies and tasks daily but I always refused because of my lack of ability and I knew the staff would eventually catch on if they hadn't already. When I walked to the grand stables everyone would gawk at me and I never knew if they were looking at my disgustingly thin figure or if they were trying to figure out how such an unrefined girl ended up in such a lavish dress. And when I wasn't concerned with what other people were assuming of me I would find myself lazing around, dreading what was to come from the king, but not being able to do anything to prevent it.

Unsurprisingly, the day came sooner than I wanted it to and I was called upon to meet the king in the ballroom. I dreaded going back to the room I had been selected in, but I stayed perfectly still while the maids worked hard to dress me. The dress was white and stunning yet simple. It was much more my taste than anything else that had been stuffed onto me. My tiny waist was cinched tightly and it made me look even more unhealthy than before. But when the skirts were added, layers upon layers of lace and delicate fabrics I had never even heard of, I looked like I had a good figure, wide womanly hips and an accentuated bust. Unfortunately, something didn't quite sit right and I was beginning to think it was more than just fabric.

One of the maids went to work making sure my face and hair looked just as good as my body did. My lips were painted red and a bizarre powder was brushed against my cheeks. My blonde hair was brushed free of any knots then twirled around and pulled relentlessly. I constantly resisted the urge to yelp out by reminding myself that this was nothing, I had been through much worse. If I could survive my master's beatings I could survive this.

Once the whole ordeal was finished I have to admit that I looked quite beautiful. Not very much like myself, but beautiful nonetheless. It was a far cry from the reflections I usually saw in the stream by the farm. If my eyes were less sunken in, my cheeks less hollow, and my waist a little thicker I would've looked just like any other fine lady walking through the city and I didn't know if that was terrifying or appealing.

"Are you ready?" The tall dark haired maid asked.

"I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be ready for, but I suppose I am." I replied with an anxious smile.

The maid didn't even tweak her lips to soothe me. She just nodded her head, opened the bedroom door and called out for a guard.

The usual guard came to my aid and I was thrilled when he actually offered me a grin that looked genuine. I eagerly went to him and slipped my arm through his when he offered his elbow.

For the briefest moment I wondered what he thought of me looking like this. He had seen me when I had first come to the palace, looking like what I had always been, a slave and now he saw me dressed like an elegant high class woman. Did he think I looked beautiful or did he think I looked silly because I was trying to be something I wasn't?

"You seem anxious." The guard said, breaking the sound of my slippers hitting the floor.

"I am." I blurted, the confession tumbling out, "I don't even know what this is about."

The guard looked stricken for a moment, his mouth falling open. The gesture made my heart clench tightly in my chest and my breathing come in and out of my body faster. He tried to regain him composure and shrug his shoulders, but my nervousness had already leapt up immensely. We walked the rest of the way in silence, though I was dying to ask him what I would be walking into.

The guard and I eventually reached the ballroom doors. He eased his arm away from me and pulled open one of the grand doors.

I could only let out a gasp when I saw well over a hundred eyes staring back at me. My attention flew from one person to the next, desperately trying to find a familiar face in this field of strangers, but I found none, not even guard or a maid I had seen in the hallways of the palace. It was all elegant men and women who were dressed in the finest clothing.

And there, at the head of it all was the king. He was wearing some kind of suit that almost looked like a guard's uniform, just a different colour and with more metals attached to the breast. He watched me closely. Those dark eyes stayed locked on me as I slowly began making my way towards him. I tried to focus on him and ignore all the strangers who were watching my every flinch and breath, but it was difficult. I had never been the center of attention like this and I didn't know what was expected of me. All I could do was take slow, calculated steps towards my target.

When I reached the king I noticed there was another man with him.

"What is going on?" I whispered softly. My voice shook even though I truly wished it hadn't.

"You wanted to get married." The king replied flatly.

"This is not what I meant." I hissed back.

But it was too late. The service had started. The priest spoke slowly, but loudly so everyone in the ballroom could hear. My hands quaked at my sides, but I wasn't sure if it was the nerves that were getting to me or the anger. I had never been in front of this many people, especially high class people who were judging my every breath. And I wanted to scream at the king, tell him he was a fool for almost tricking me into this ceremony. He knew this wasn't what I wanted, otherwise he wouldn't have kept it a secret from me. This was his way of getting the upper hand over my demands and it enraged me.

But I couldn't say a thing in protest. Not in front of all these people, I didn't even want to dream of the backlash that would accompany my rebellion. I knew the torment that could come from a small farm owner. I didn't want to think about the awful things that a king could do to me if I upset him enough.

Before I even knew how the ceremony was coming to a close. The priest announced that the king could kiss me and my eyes widened in horror as I took a small step back, but I didn't protest otherwise when the king moved forward and pressed his mouth against mine in a fleeting kiss.

I was left breathless. The contact had been short, but it left my skin tingling and my lungs deprived of air. For a few seconds all I could was stand and stare at the king in absolute shock. I had never felt anything like this. It was electric, far more than I could handle and my stomach felt like there was thousands of butterflies in it. I brought my fingertips to my lips, stunned that such an extraordinary feeling could even come from them.

But when my attention came back to the king I noticed his blank, unamused expression and my heart dropped.