Five years ago...
When I dream, I like to imagine my kingdom still lives under my family name. I like to imagine that I still live within the palace walls, with my family and my best friend, Matt. I like to dream of life once I ascended the throne, with the responsibilities of a queen and the life of a god married to the man I love.
The man I love died. Our kingdom was attacked. Men in armor killed women and children in the towns before chasing the men to the castle where they slaughtered them, and then slashed the throat of the queen and decapitated the king.
I saw it all...
I was forced to watch from inside a cupboard as the man who had obsessed over me for years took his claim on my throne, declaring me as his intended wife. I remember feeling as though my body was frozen, as I struggled to breathe I saw the pale green of his eyes turn towards my hiding space, and in one fatal swoop, he collapsed the cupboard unit, revealing me to his guards. I remember screaming and the feeling of his hands on my arms, making me bleed. I do not remember much else...
"Is it today?" Matt pressed as his sword hit the wooden breastplate I wore, " you just seem more distracted than usual."
"Four years ago, you rescued me from him. And I still can't get him out of my head. I still can't stop thinking about him, about what he did and... what he made me do... I am disgusting"
"The only disgusting thing is him. He tricked you into believing your parents didn't care for you and married you to him." Matt's voice got progressively quieter as he spoke but I heard every word of it.
"My parents did marry me to him, Matt. What do you mean?" His face fell as he looked at me. And as I watched, he seemed to shrink into a much smaller man than what I knew him to be.
" He was not the Prince you were married to. His real name was Alexander Luther Eralni..." His sword dropped from his hand as he turned towards the dorms, walking away as though he had said too much.
"Matt!" I called but he didn't turn around, instead increasing his pace, "Matthew! You cant just walk away." By the time I finished my call, he had gone inside and reluctantly, I followed, hoping to catch him before he entered the dining hall. I was not so lucky.
When I got inside, Matt was already sat at a table, surrounded by some of the other trainee guards. I knew I could not talk to him in front of the others for fear of revealing my true identity. I bit my tongue as long as I could but as soon as me and Matt were both finished, I grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.
"Geez, Sam, will you let me go already?" He shrugged off my hand as we came to a stop in one of the gardens.
"Not until you tell me what you meant in training? You can't just tell me that I was meant to marry the man whose kingdom we live in and then disappear. Explain now..." He wavered for a moment, as if considering ignoring me all together before he began to speak.
"The marriage contract you signed didn't have a name on it because at the time, your parents couldn't decide between two suitors, Alexander and him. Your parents were being threatened by him to add his name to the marriage contract but at the last minute, they chose Alexander instead. That was why he invaded. He wanted control of the kingdoms and you by his side but your parents wanted Alex to have you. He told all the other royals that your parents had killed you when they heard he was invading. That's why Alex hasn't looked for you." I was stunned in place, unable to fathom the lies I had been told for five years.
It couldn't be the truth, could it?
"If this is some sort of joke, Matt. I swear I'll kill you." And in that moment, I was deadly serious. I had hope for the first time in several years and if he was lying, I wasn't sure our friendship could stop me.
"I'm not joking Sam. I saw it with my own two eyes. The only reason I escaped the invasion was because I had been sent to this kingdom to deliver the papers when it happened. I thought you knew." His eyes still couldn't meet mine as he spoke.
"Matt, don't you realise what this means? I've been afraid of being caught here but I never should have been. Alexander will help me take my kingdom back. He's got to right..." And in that moment, I fully felt the hope that I had clung onto overtake me. This was it, the break I had needed. With his army, there would be no stopping us and I could have my home back.
"Sam, you can't just waltz into the palace. The king completely locked himself away after the attack on your kingdom. He only comes out once a year, for the head guard tryouts." That was when the plan finally took control. I could see it, me in the arena, turning to face the King and him clapping eyes on me, realising who I am. Or, Matt in the tournament and me jumping in with him, the perfect breakage of the rules to get the King's attention.
"Well then Matt, Which one of us is entering the tournament?"
"Me." said Matt, quicker than I had expected. "I will enter the tournament and you will get the attention of the king. Just remember, do it quickly, I don't know how long I will be able to last in the arena."
