I stared at the cards. Something wasn't right.

The little bugger was cheating.

"Are you sure that those are your cards Remi? " I asked and looked up at him.

He shuffled in his chair, raised his little fat hands and shrugged.

"You didn't get this from your special deck?" I picked up the card that he placed on top of mine and showed it to him.

Remi jumped from his chair and took off running. He ran past the door and into the hall way.

I sighed, leaned back in my chair, and slapped my cards down on the playing table.

"Absolutely perfect."

Every single time he cheated. As if it wasn't enough that he'd cheated me out of my throne.

Standing, I looked around the room that once had been mine. The pink nursery I'd known had been replaced with blue hues, trains, and stuffed lions.

I'd been kicked out when I turned thirteen but that didn't mean I didn't return from time to time to reminisce about my lost freedom. When the bell struck midnight my sentence was read.

I was to be turned into a mindless, polite, snotty, prudish puppet. The lessons on manners and ball dancing replaced kite making and swimming.

Janson had made it better, Janson always fixed everything. He proposed actual courses. Courses that Thomas was getting at the boarding school his parents had sent him off to.

I was the most capable and qualified to rule out of all the princess. I wasn't being arrogant, it was just that obvious. Their parents and tutors all knew they would marry kings. Kings who had been prepared from childhood to rule. They didn't need to know about politics or the economy. They just had to be seen and not heard.

Although, that didn't mean that they were completely stupid. They could work a room. They knew how to talk to people and get what they wanted. Something I struggled with. I'd been trained in the art of manipulation but I didn't know how to approach people and snare them.

Mother grew extremely frustrated with that fact.

Mother would also grow frustrated if I didn't spend time with my cheating and insufferable brother. The first two years of his life were spent in fear and trepidation. Hoping and waiting until everyone realized that he was fine and healthy and strong. But more importantly a boy.

A boy.

A boy that I had to find.

I tried to like him but he was too spoiled.

I walked out of the nursery and into the hallway that joined all of our rooms together. It was as cold and empty as our relationships with each other.

I heard giggling coming from behind the red curtains that decorated the only window.

"I wonder where on earth Remi could be? Is he behind the chair? Or maybe the curtains? Oh well I guess I'll just go ice skating without him." I sighed and started to slowly walk away.

"No! I'm here! I want to go skating!" Remi dashed from behind the curtain and slammed his small body against my leg.

"Please take me skating."

It would have been better for everyone if he had just stayed behind the curtain.

Remi held my hand as we made our way to the doors that lead to the gardens. I hadn't been outside in days and I wanted fresh air. After my importune meeting, I sulked and stayed in my room. I asked Agnes to bring me books on seeds and I occupied my time with that. All the invitee's had left yesterday, the celebration usually lasted three to five days but a blizzard was coming and everyone wanted to leave before they got snowed in. The Brittons were overstaying their welcome to finalize the betrothal documents. It was horrid.

But not nearly as horrid as what happened next.

Remi and I had reached the large doors and were waiting for the guards to open at least one of the doors. I stared at the immovable guards for a minute before I reached out to open the door.

Abruptly, the guards pushed their spears in front of my hand. Blocking my escape.

"I am going to forget that this happened if you move your spears within the second."

The guards continued to look ahead and ignore me.

I huffed and stomped my foot.

"Will you at least supply an explanation?" I asked.

The guards shared a look, shuffled their feet, and continued to look ahead.

We stood in silence, until the shortest one spoke.

"Your mother gave direct orders not to let you out of the castle unless unaccompanied by someone of higher ranking than yourself."

I was about to protest but he talked again before I could say anything.

"Your brother doesn't apply due to his age. "

I was out of cards.

I left Remi with his nurse before proceeding with my tirade.

How dare she? As if I were a mere child.

I wasn't even allowed to go outside anymore. What was next?

They would probably lock me in my room forever if given the chance.

The guards in front of the throne room didn't hesitate to open the doors for me. They were probably expecting my appearance.

I found mother seated talking to Janson while father scanned the large map on the wall.

Plotting. They were always plotting.

"Roan, I was just going to send for you-"

"How dare you! Out of all the things to take away! I can't go outside! Very little things in life bring me joy, especially now. Let me tell you, all I wanted to do today was to go outside and skate with my brother because who knows when I'll see him again. You banned me from the library which made no sense and now you want me to shrivel away not only mentally but physically! It's as if your goal in life is to make me suffer, to prolong my misery to no end! I won't stand for it! I will sneak outside and stay out there until you lift this ban and if you add it again we will just go in circles because I am not standing down!"

I was left huffing, my hands shook with anger and my mind was too volatile to form a cohesive thought.

"Are you quite finished?" Mother asked, handing a scroll to Janson.

I nodded my head. If I spoke I would cry, I didn't know why but I wanted to cry.

"Darling, I know this will certainly offend you but keep in mind that they do this because it's the only way they know. They're quite fatalistic and well, we have to keep them happy." Mother stood as she spoke.

"W-what do you mean?"

They weren't making sense. Why would…no they wouldn't dare… would they?

Father took care of my doubts "The Brittons have asked us to keep you indoors for your safety."

"They have no right!" I didn't realize I had yelled until it echoed.

"Well the Queen Mother doesn't but she has to sign for the approval of the marriage, so we need make sure she is pleased." Janson interceded and approached me.

"I realize this is unfavorable for you but it's only for a few days. Please try to understand that-"

Mother cut Father off. She never cut him off.

"That we can't offer you anything. You can't rule because you are a woman. The fact that they…they offered to marry their crown prince to you, the princess of the smallest nation is a miracle we cannot trifle away on your whim. Why on earth did they do it? Who knows and we are certainly not going to ask. So grow up."

I bit my lip and spun on my heels. The pounding in my head grew so loud that I nearly went deaf.

I wish I had gone deaf. That way I didn't have to hear the last thing Mother had to say.

"Before your tantrum, I was going to tell you that the Brittons have invited you to tea. Don't be late and behave like you belong in your station."

I made it out of the Throne room before the tears spilled. They silently ran down my cheeks and blurred my vision.

I walked as fast as I could back to my room, I was halfway there when they stopped me.

"Roan, I was looking for you. We were wondering if you wanted to play cards before tea."

"Not right now Thomas." I wiped my face and turned away from the corner where we had nearly collided and went in the opposite direction.

"Are you all right? Is it because…Its just for a-

"Oh do shut up Thomas! Just shut up!"

I put my hands over my ears so I wouldn't have to hear their reactions and continued to walk away.

They knew I had been crying. My eyes were red and my forehead and cheeks had turned blotchy.

Thomas, Prince Terror, his mother and sister were all there.

At first they tried talking but my clipped answers and biting tone had stopped them.

I hated them and I wanted them to suffer.

"I think I've had enough of this silence," the queen sat down her cup "Why don't we brighten things up? Rosemary tell us about your embroidery."

I scoffed and stood.

I could feel them staring at me. I walked to the window and stared at the vast pine forest. So close yet so far

"Well…I've just started something new … it's um an altar piece because well you know the wedding and I just got inspired."

I was causing the air of awkwardness and I wanted it to continue indefinitely

"Wonderful. What about you Newt? Anything to share. "

It was quiet. He must of have shook his head.

"Hmm… Thomas?"

"Nothing half interesting."

Of course.

"And you Darling Roan?"

I turned around with my arms crossed.

One day my mouth was going to get me killed.

"Actually, the most peculiar thing happened. I wanted to go Ice skating with my brother but the guards wouldn't let me through. Didn't tell me why either. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait and enjoy your great outdoors." I spoke slowly to elongate their agony.

I held the queens gaze and watched how her eyes narrowed and the corners of her mouth turned down before being replaced by a surprised face. It looked practiced.

"That is peculiar but I think you will rather enjoy our gardens. They are just so lovely-"

"Oh slim it, Mother. You asked them to keep her inside and everybody knows it. It's not fair that you get to control my life and hers too. Look at her, she'd rather die than marry me and you're not making it any easier."

The prince sipped from his tea, while his mother gaped, glancing at him and then at me repeatedly.

"Well it's nothing to cry about. It's for her safety, you very well know why her health is vital." The queen wiped the corners of her mouth and set her napkin down.

The prince scoffed and held his cup out to me "Does she know why her health is vital? Does she know what you did last year? Hmm should I tell her? So she knows exactly what to expect when she goes and visits your bloody gardens."

The queen stood, she vibrated with fury.

"I've had it. The entire time we've been here you have been a complete horror. I told you that if you want to be king you need to marry her. Get that in your head, idiot boy. Some people know why were truly marrying you off and if the council even gets a whiff of what's going on they'll lock you up like they locked up your father. Do you want that? Is that what you want?"

The prince slammed his cup down so hard the tea spilled everywhere. He shook his head in disdain at his mother and left the room.

The queen muttered under her breath before disappearing through the opposite door.

Absolutely dandy.