A/N: Thank you everyone!
Chapter 1: The worse luck
Deaf to the applause that erupted all around her, Serena stood dumbstruck, her competition throwing down her bow in a fit. No, it could not be. 'It was a trick, it had to be a trick,' her mind whispered. Face paling as the Prince stood from his seat with a beatific smile, she felt the ground move beneath her feet. Covering her face as she forced herself to calm down, she tried to be practical, logical.
Surely the Prince wasn't fool enough to defy law and continue with the marriage? From experience, those born into status rarely did anything stupid or foolish. Their rearing and pride would not allow them to look the fool. It was always the lower class that looked silly, and knowing her luck, she would be the laughing stock of the entire kingdom.
As the targets were brought to the front of the dais, she paled as evidence of her skills as a superb archer was displayed. Eyes sliding to the Prince who was now walking towards her with his royal guard, she froze on the spot, remembering each and every face. It was the boys from all those years ago.
"This is not wise, your highness," Malachite hissed. "This is not wise at all."
Gaze trained on the petite figure in the distance, Darien gave a carefree laugh, liking the shade of her hair in the sunlight. "Oh stop being such a kill joy, Malachite."
"A killjoy?" Malachite sputtered in outrage. "How am I being a killjoy, your highness? You are planning marriage to a commoner!"
"Oh stop making it sound like the plague. She's human isn't she?"
"But she's beneath you!"
Stopping in his tracks, the men stopped with him, heads bowed slightly. Looking at his childhood friends, Darien sighed. "You are all idiots, you know that, don't you?" Rubbing the frown creasing his brow, he looked to the woman again, her face still too far to see. "Do you honestly think I would do anything that rash? I know my responsibilities and duties as a Prince. I have had it drilled into me, right from the day I was born."
Expelling a breath, he tugged at his clothes. "I'm just having a bit of fun, where is the harm in that?" He queried. "Besides, I'm to be married soon anyway. My father has already agreed to an alliance with the kingdom of Dark Moon. I'm to marry the most beautiful woman in the world."
As silence befell his companions, Darien picked up the pace. "Come on. Time to make the girl look like a fool."
They didn't remember her. Standing before her and beaming down at her, Serena looked up at them from beneath her lashes, her body sunk into an awkward curtsy. Overcome with the desire to shoot them all down, her nostrils flared as the Prince looked down at her, his face an unreadable mask.
"Rise my future wife," the Prince said, his blue eyes twinkling as he turned to the applauding crowd. "And now my good people, I hear by present to my wife, a token of my affection!"
Almost shrieking as he took her hand, Serena started to hyperventilate as he placed a small bag into the palm of her hand. Amid the cheers of the crowd and the wails of heartbroken women, she simply stared the thing. Feeling its weight, her mind went into overdrive. There was only one possible thing inside the bag; gold. Feeling her mouth go dry, she could not take her eyes off the damn thing. The gold would last for months! With it, she could provide her village with new clothes, shoes, food in their bellies. Daring to imagine the future, trumpets heralded the arrival of the King and Queen.
The entertainment was over.
Watching as his father and his queen bid the kneeling citizens to rise, Darien sighed. Together, they ruined everything that was fun. Scowling as they explained to the audience that the competition had been nothing but a hoax, he flushed, feeling the sting of evil glares from the female audience. Shifting his gaze to the woman with the lovely, golden hair he winced, noting that she still clutched the bag in her hand. There was nothing but rocks in there. About to tell her to discard the dratted thing, the captain of his father's guard was moving towards her, his army of soldiers hot on his tail.
Sensing trouble, Darien intervened. "Let her go."
"King's orders, your Highness," the captain said. "We must retrieve that bag."
"There is nothing in it," Darien insisted. "Nothing of worth."
"I apologise your highness," the captain said seriously. "But an order is an order. I dare not defy the King."
Feeling relieved and almost joyous, Serena struggled to contain herself from leaping for joy. Far from disappointed, she lowered her gaze to the bag still in her hand. Aware that the bag was no longer hers, she gulped. At the sound of footsteps, she looked up to see the soldiers heading her way.
With every instinct screaming at her to remain where she was, she turned and ran, the bag clenched tightly in her fist. They would have her head for this. Sprinting as fast as she could, she was no match for the soldiers' long legs. Capturing her in an instant, they held her tight as she struggled in their grip, fighting as one of the soldiers tried to pry the bag from beneath her fingers, the captain simply aiming a crossbow in her direction, intent on killing her should she make one wrong move.
"Give it up, girl. Disobey me and I'll put this quarrel right where it belongs."
Forced to her knees before the King and Queen of Earth, Serena bowed her head in shame as thoughts of her father and village flooded through her head. She had been a stupid fool. Why? Why? Her mind screamed as tears leaked from beneath her lashes.
Staring down at the mite of a girl, the King of Earth paused for a minute. Discovering the bag to contain nothing but rocks, he was about to let her go, when his Queen squeezed his arm, her eyes seeing everything.
"You must set an example my liege," she purred. "Though it is true there was nothing of worth in that bag, you must teach the good people of this kingdom the punishment for stealing. Imagine, if gold had been in that bag..."
She had said enough. Staring down at the girl, he let go of his reluctance. His queen was right. He had to set an example.
A/N: THANK YOU FOR READING!
