The spiraling castle sits on the hill overlooking the little town. In that castle is the throne room. That throne room, in particular, hosts a throne, a suit of armor in one corner, and dead center of the room, an ornate fountain.

The advisor, who is carefully perched on the fountain’s lip, looks to the book in her lap.

“Your Belovedness,” she says timidly. “Do you wish for me to continue?”

The king, sitting sideways on his throne, removes his knuckles from betwixt his teeth. “No,” he grunts, putting them back.

“Then what do you want me to do?” she asks

“My dear Cassandra, I have a question for you. How do I run a kingdom that’s based on medieval history, especially since it’s the smallest ‘kingdom’ on the moon in the year 2407?” the king asks.

“I don’t know, your Belovedness,” she says.

“I repressed all your memories. I shouldn’t have,” the king muttered under his breath.

“Excuse me?” the advisor questions.

“Never mind. You’re an advisor, you’re supposed to know these things,” the king says, leaning against his throne and folding his arms.

There is a loud rap on the doors. “Come in,” the king growls.

The doors are flung open. “Announcing the official butcher of the palace, Your Belovedness.” A servant holding one of the doors says. The butcher limps in.

“Announcing his royal highness, the Governor Cornelius,” a servant holding the other door says. The governor strode in.

“Er, Brother, Cosmo, I-I-I mean Your Belovedness, the p-p-people have s-s-sent me w-w-with an r-r-request,” the governor stammers.

“What do they want?” the king says lazily.

“They request that either you feed them or a-a-abdicate the throne,” the governor’s stammer sounds better.

“Who should I abdicate to, then?” the king smirks.

The governor swallows, “Our sister, the Princess Cassandra.”

The king straightens up and unfolds his arms. “Are you crazy, Cornelius? You know there is no way I’ll abdicate to her. I absolutely refuse to,” the king shrieks.

“Wait,” the advisor spoke up for the first time since the governor walked in the door. “She’s been missing for five years, a month afore the coronation of Cosmo.”

“Hold that thought, she did disappear rather much at the right time for Cosmo to step forward and usurp the throne. You know what; I suspected foul play all along, it wasn’t murder, but it was actually close. I know everything, brother, who you planned her demise with, your jealously, everything. You were jealous. Cassandra was everything you weren’t, she rode out to visit the subjects every other day, something you, your Belovedness, were always too busy to do. You wonder why the people don’t love you, that’s why; you never made the time to visit them like she did. Then Dad died, she was the eldest, she was going to be coronated, but you tried to stop it. You got together with all the other top officials, excluding me, and you plotted her demise. You knew I would disapprove of what you are doing, didn’t you? But you both learned a very powerful lesson the hard way,” the governor smiled at them both.

The king jumps up and begins to pace the room. “Advise me,” he says.

“I think we should find the princess and put her on the throne,” the advisor massages her throat as she says that.

The governor leaps to his feet from his position on the fountain’s edge and crossed over to them. “Let her go,” he says.

“No, anything but that, Cornelius, stop or I’ll kill her. Advisor, tell me, I don’t have to abdicate to you, I mean her, not my sister, anybody but her, please. Right, since you have nothing to say, I’ll take matters into my own hands. Cornelius, tell my subjects I’ll kill Cassandra before I’ll give you the throne,” the king says.

“Cosmo, please release Cassandra,” the governor says softly.

“Never,” screamed the king. “I’ve ruled for five years, I shall never give up power. Power is everything.”

“No, it is not. That brings me to the lesson you both learn the hard way. For one, knowledge isn’t required, as for the other, power isn’t everything,” the governor says, “Let go, Cosmo, let go”

“Please,” gasps the pale-faced advisor.

The king releases her and sobbing turns back to the throne. “You’re right. I was jealous. Who was I next to my perfect sister? She, she loved you better, Cornelius; she spent most of her time with you, furthering your education, never with me. Did it ever occur to you that I needed an older sister, too? Mother was executed when you were one; remember, actually you can’t remember, you were too young. Cassandra was never the older sister I needed her to be. Then Dad became ill and she never had time for you either, she hired a tutor for both of us. She was too busy, training with the knights, chatting with the common folks, buying their books, which she in turn gave to you. So I started planning her downfall, but all of a sudden, Dad died. I had to hurry things up. We decided we weren’t going to kill her, just to use her knowledge to my benefit. I personally placed the spell on her that gave her false memories; I gave her a new identity. I trained her up and kept her nearby so she could be there to help me and some fool wouldn’t break the spell. So now, little brother, tell me, where is she?” the king sits down on his throne.

“She’s here in this room,” the governor responds.

The king laughs. “Is she hiding in a corner, wearing the suit of armor, behind the throne or in plain open sight? Come on, tell me, where is she?”

“She’s sitting on the edge of the fountain.” the governor says.

“Oh, I am, aren’t I?” the advisor says.

“I think was rather clever of me to think of hiding her in plain open sight. Fine, I abdicate in favor of Cassandra.”

“I don’t want it. I abdicate in favor of Cornelius.” the advisor says.