Time passed slowly as I cooked myself under the three layers of blankets. At the end of the bed sat the rock, the man who lived to kill me. He did not move a muscle as I laid under the covers hiding from him. Occasionally when I tossed about in bed my feet would brush against him, yet he still did not move.

It could have been minutes later, it could have been hours, but the door to my hospital room opened and in walked another person. My blue haired man still sat at the foot of my bed, his statue like form unwavering.

The other individual moved to the side of my bed, the sound of footsteps ceased and all I could hear was their breathing. “Is she awake?”

“Yes.”

The covers were thrown off me, my head a mess as I stared into the face I only glimpsed before. He was present at my capture; I would not forget a face such as his. The stone look in his eyes sent a tremor of unease through me; I could not handle his gaze.

Like a mouse I tried to hide, yet there was nowhere to go. Staring up at the man I swallowed my fear and waited for what was to come next. I wasn’t dead yet, there wasn’t any reason why I should fear them now.

“Your name is Gwen correct?” Nodding, I listened the blue skinned man speak. He knew who I was, and I still was in a room full of strangers. They knew too much, I did not like that. “Gwen, we have serious matters to discuss, they all deal with your role in our world.”

The man at the end of my bed got up, his body stiff and formal; he left without a word again. Tied to the wires and machines, I had nowhere to go. The blue skinned man pulled forward a chair and sat down, his stance casual. “Long ago my world was a thriving economic garden. Every merchant from the darkest corner of the galaxy traded at our ports. With time our fortune grew, and with it so did our power. It took six hundred years for our world to become the strongest of the galaxy. Our ports, the largest, brought in the most profit of the seven nations; and our army unbeatable.

“Then approximately two hundred years ago everything went astray. Three of the seven nations broke away; no longer did they wish to remain peaceful. Over three hundred different worlds fell into these nations, nearly a third of the galaxy lost in corruption. The Glordians evoked the severance, their needs fueled by greed. Accusing our people of treachery and deceit, they broke all treaties. They began to destroy everything; no ship was safe; they killed thousands of innocent people. Our armies protected our nation, the Glordians backing away slowly until they had no choice but to fall into remission.

“The Glordians have remained a docile threat for the past hundreds of years. Recently one of the late King’s advisors discovered evidence of treachery within the royal family. As it would seem, the late King’s brother was making deals with the Glordians; unfortunately, that was all that was found. No one knows what they were doing or how deep this river of betrayal runs. “

Leaning back, I stared at the white ceiling with weak eyes. “I’m confused.”

He laughed, rubbing his chin as he watched me with awe. I thought they wanted me dead, but now I could sense something far grand beneath the surface of a lie. My head was hurting too much, the information he was dumping on me wasn’t helping. “The King knew of the danger, he knew his brother would spread his corruption. In an attempt of preserving the royal line, he hid an heir.

“The daughter was not missed; she was the last of nine children, a new born. The King and Queen knew that by placing her out of harm’s way, their daughter would have the opportunity for a normal life. Not once did they expect her to take her place on the thrown, because if she did, that would mean all was lost.

“So for the preservation of Styx, the youngest royal heir was hidden here on Earth. The baby girl was put in the place of a human girl, no one ever knowing the difference. The human was then taken to Styx, to act in place of the missing royal heir.”

Looking at this strange man, I couldn’t help but laugh. The pain was killing me and this story seemed more like a delusion. Perhaps that was all this was, a fantasy built up in my mind. Lying down, I pulled the blankets up to my chin.

“The royal children have slowly been picked away. They were the first to pass, all nine dying within days of one another. Their deaths all had various causes, all seemingly natural; but we all know there was foul play involved. All suspicion however, is on the King. His suicide shortly after, along with the Queen’s murder, makes it look as though he were responsible for it all.

“If one were to walk onto the market streets, one would hear stories of how the old King went crazy with rage, killing his children and wife before the end came near. There are few followers of the old King now; most converted to his brother’s rumors.”

He grabbed my arm, spreading it out. Whimpering, I struggled against his grasp. A strange object was kept within his right hand, a black rock. A strange blue mark began to glow on my wrist, a triangle which held a crescent. “This is why we are here; this is why we need you. Only the Royal Styx blood burns blue with the light of the moon.”

“I really think you have the wrong person,” I muttered, finally tucking my arm back under the covers. The blue skinned man tucked the rock away, his expression serious. He looked as though someone had died, and apparently a whole royal family did.

“Would you deny your birth right? Would you do so and let your people die?”

When he put it like that, it seemed even more serious. I doubted all of them would die, they were advanced space people. Applying pressure to my head, I tried to ignore the guilt that he wanted me to feel. All I wanted was to go home, to pretend I wasn’t the royal princess of some planet I’ve never heard of, and to cry in my pillow because the pain would not stop throbbing.

“Your cousin now assumes rule. He is already on the verge of bringing our world into poverty; the Glordians are stripping away all the natural resources of the planet. Your father hid you for a reason; he knew what was to become of him and what your extended family would do to the planet he so dearly loved. He wanted an heir to survive, to maintain the world that never failed him. You don’t belong here, you are nothing here.

“You are Princess Sofija, heir to the throne of Styx. We have come here in search of you, in search of a prayer. Through you we can reclaim what has been lost and upraise the revolution the world has been waiting for. We mean you no harm; we are here to protect you. And I promise you, your cousin will learn of your existence in the royal records, and when he does Earth will be no more.”

“He’ll kill me?” I whispered. My head was pounding, my ears ringing. My chest was heavy, it felt like someone had set a pile of weights down on me; and fear coursed through my veins, perhaps this was what it was like to find one had cancer. Cancer and this were both extended death notes, both would come in the future and both would be unexpected.

This man’s face was stiff, his lips tight.

“No, this isn’t real,” I prayed.

He stood, examining the machines which were constant in their rhythm. “Your cousin is ruthless; he will destroy the planet to guarantee your demise, as well as any possible heirs. If we act quickly, we can return with the support of allies.”

Shaking my head, I tried to rip myself free of the wires. The pain was unbearable, the throbbing wouldn’t stop, my head was about to explode at any moment. “Leave me alone!”

“Princess, I was never offering you a choice.” The blue skinned man stood; his stance regal. “I am sorry that it has come to this, none of us wanted our fates to lie in the hands of an ignorant girl. In four days we will depart from Earth, Captain Lefault will be your guardian until then.”

He bowed, his entire upper body bending at the waist to be parallel with the floor. “Rest well Princess Sofija, for tomorrow we will meet with your world leaders.” And he left.

Before I even had the chance to think of escape, to think of a way to fix the phone, my blue haired guard was once again watching me. He sat on the end of my bed with a wry smile. No words were said, only a look of hatred was shared between us.

A nurse hurried into the room, her hand holding a vile and needle. Through the IV she injected the contents of the vile into my body, the drugs working almost immediately. I could feel the world blacking out, my body slowly drifting away. Everything was numb, too cold. I didn’t want to feel numb, I wanted to feel anything, I wanted to feel reality.

“Can I call my father now?” The wires were gone now, my body fully healed over night. Whatever they injected me with, it sure did help. Now I could stop focusing on the pain and put forth all my efforts towards my escape. I was still locked in the hospital room, still forced to wear the simple hospital gown.

Captain Lefault was glaring daggers at me from his seat across the room. He made it clear that he was not going to be any fun while babysitting me. Occasionally he would rest his hand on the gun which was strapped to his waist, a warning for me to behave. I was unsure to whether he really would shoot me or not; but I’m sure he would still sleep fine if he placed a bullet in my foot.

Standing up, I marched right up to him. Managing the most courageous smile I could force out, I placed my hands on my hips and stared him down. “As Princess, I demand you let me call my father.”

He raised his eyes up to meet mine, the amber color burning with amusement which his posture wouldn’t allow. “Is that so?”

“Yes?” My face flickered with worry, would he reach for the gun?

He cocked his head to the side, examining me. “Alright.”

My jaw dropped open, surprised he even spoke. My feet twisted back and I allowed him room to stand. He pushed me towards the bed, his force rougher than necessary. “Sit down and behave while I find you a phone.”

“Wait,” I called after him. He was already at the door, his hand hovering by the handle. He wouldn’t look at me; his blue haired head stared straight into the door. “Why are you letting me call my father now?”

He shrugged his shoulders, leaving without a word. Perhaps as Princess, I had more power over these people than they let on. Maybe when Captain Lefault returned I could ask for something else. My eyes flashed to the door innocently, my sight weaving through my thick lashes to the object which wasn’t shut all the way.

Sucking in a breath of air, my chest was tight. What were the chances that there were more guards outside? My bare feet tested the floor carefully, the cold linoleum burning against my flesh. Quietly, I moved close to the open door, my only chance for escape. Carefully I wrapped my hand around the handle, slowly pulling it open.

Stepping out of the room, I held the same breath of air. The hall was empty, no one in either direction. It would be best to hurry before the crazed gunman would return. With no second thoughts, I close the door behind me and take off towards the right.

The only sound in the thumping of my wild heart; the adrenaline is pushing me to move quickly. There are no signs telling me which was the exits are; there are only doors this way. Rounding a corner I am surprised to see a nurse’s station. I watch them with no interest, waiting for a chance to pass their station without being seen.

The tallest one finally turns her back to me, sitting down at a computer. The other one however, is still standing, her head busy in paperwork. If I moved it was very likely that she would see me. Captain Lefault would return any moment, and here I was, standing in the middle of the hall.

Like a miracle, a doctor appeared on the other side of the station, drawing away the attention of the nurse. Now I risked the doctor spying me, but the glasses on the bridge of his nose told me that it was less likely for him to spy me than the young nurse. His old eyes were more likely to miss a shadow stalking across the floor.

Staying low, I slipped across the open floor, hiding beneath the station counter. No one was making any attempt to stop me, no one had seen me. With a fluttering heart, I spied the exit sign on the wall and crawled towards the directed hall.

My heart skipped my breath heavy. In the blink of an eye, a pair of black boots stepped before me, blocking my only path for escape. Tilting my head up, the hair in my face fell backwards. Black eyes stared down at me, my blue haired captor looking murderous. In his hand he held a small cell phone, I would have been elated that he actually got it, but the murderous gaze kept me frozen in place.

“How far did you expect to get in a hospital gown? You have no shoes, no real clothes, your hair is a mess, and not to mention, the place is surround with police.” He lifted his boot and pressed it down on my hand. With a whimper, I tried to pull away, but I was stuck. “So tell me, how far did you think you’d get?”

My eyes were watering. Through the tears that would not fall, I could see his menacing glare beaming down at me. I was powerless, he was the predator. He pressed down on my hand, telling me to answer. “I don’t know!” I screamed, the pain finally getting to me.

He blew out a hot breath, his hand gripping my hair. “You are worth more than what they’re paying me,” he grumbled. Without caring for my well being, he began to walk towards my room, pulling me by my hair.

As soon as he started to pull, I let out a horrified scream. The pain was horrible; I thought the hair would be ripped clean of the flesh. He grunted in disapproval, reaching down to grab my upper arm. And without taking a breath, he began to drag me along with my arm. My body slide unwillingly down the linoleum hall, the nurses all watching the spectacle.

“I was given orders to take you shopping today, but with your behavior, I’m not sure if you’re capable of a trip like that.” He threw open the door to my room, pushing me in first. He stepped inside, slamming the door shut. He leaned back against it casually, crossing his arms over his chest to stare at me.

Turning on the floor, I faced the opposite wall. “I just want to go home!” I missed my father, my mother, my friends; it wasn’t fair that I was being held captive like this.

“You’re such a spoiled brat. You want billions of people to die just so you can have a little more time to live a life you were never suppose to live?” I refused to look at him, there was too much guilt. I didn’t know that they were really going to destroy the earth, I didn’t know if the planet they wanted me to rule was really being destroyed. Was it so wrong to want to remain ignorant?

I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my face in my lap. “I didn’t ask for this.”

“I set a fresh set of clothes on your bed Princess, get dressed and we’ll go shopping.” He opened the door and slammed it shut, leaving me alone in the dark room.

Standing up, I moved to the bed and picked up the clothing. I wasn’t going to waste time with the impatient man, if I wasn’t changed in time, he’s come in and change me himself. My fingers wrapped around the cloth, pulling up a pink sundress. My face was flush when I spied the pink undergarments on the bed.

Once finished with dressing, I exited the room to find Captain Lefault leaning against the opposite wall. He smirked at me, his eyes running up and down my body. I felt nervous; I rubbed my arm as I stood there. It was awkward.

“We can get you a hair brush from the gift shop downstairs,” he spoke softly. “A toothbrush wouldn’t hurt either.” My eyes flashed to him dangerously, but his eyes showed that he was only trying to humor me. Perhaps he wasn’t as cold as he acted.

One stop at the gift shop later, I found myself inside a limousine, the windows revealing that I was no longer in Kansas. The good witch forgot to leave me with my ruby slippers though. I recognized some of the buildings from my window from movies and pictures, I had no doubt we were now in New York.

Captain Lefault stared out the window as well, his stiff posture ready for anything. I changed seats so I sat beside him, watching out the same window. He made no notion that he was aware of my movement; he was aware of everything though. He was fascinated with the city just as I was.

“So,” I sighed, finally deciding to make the best of the situation, “You have a name?”

He inclined his head, trying to ignore me most likely. “My name’s Gwen.”

“Skylar.” I liked it. The name was beautiful; it rolled off the tongue like a balled for a king.

“How are we going to go shopping? Do you have money?”

He turned to face me, his eyes narrow. “Must you ask so many questions?” Nodding, I let out a small smile. Despite his anger, I still felt comfortable around him. He never beat around the bush, he kept things clean. He let out a sigh, turning to look out the window. “Your planet’s credit companies gave the Duke credit for your planet. I think it was meant as a peace offering; lucky for them, we’re not here to destroy the planet.”

“Skylar,” I sounded out, unsure of whether or not he would like me using his first name, “What’s space like?”

He was getting tired of my questions. “Dark and empty.” With a small sigh, I sit back in my seat and wait. The car moves slow through the New York traffic, but I should be happy to finally be out of that horrid hospital room.

The car eventually stopped, the driver opening the door for us. Skylar exited first, holding his hand into the car to help me out. I took the hand, holding onto him tightly. Lights flashed around us in frenzy; I clutched my gun crazed man in defense.

“Come on, let’s get this over with, I won’t be able to get through the day without killing one of these fools.” He grabbed my wrist, pulling me through the circle of flashing cameras. They followed us, shouting questions at me. Someone leaked out the small piece of information that I was actually a Princess.

We shopped for a long time; Skylar did eventually make the cameras stop flashing. While we were walking to one of the high end fashion shops, a photographer made the mistake of getting too close to Skylar. Before I could even tell Skylar to leave the man alone, the man stood there with a broken nose and his camera was thrown to the ground, breaking the valuable piece of equipment. Skylar gave the rest of the photographers a look, daring them to come closer.

Every store I went into, I was forced to purchase something. Skylar told me that I would want these things; they would remind me of home. I doubted the peace money was meant for Gucci purses, but ten wouldn’t hurt.

Standing in a store with a dress on, I twirled before Skylar. “Do you like this one?”

He blushed as he did every time when I asked that question. “Sure.”

“Skylar,” I murmured, taking my time to examine myself in the mirror. I could see him in the reflection. “Do you think I’ll be able to come back to Earth after all this?”

His eyes were cold and dead, watching me with sick obligation. “I think you’ll be able to come back, but I don’t think you will want to.”

“No?” I was always curious when he spoke, his pale lips barely moving to make the melody. It didn’t bother me that he thought I wouldn’t want to come back, because my heart told me I would always want to come home.

He nodded, his hair moving gently. “There’s a whole universe left for you to explore. If you ever did want to leave, you’d be more likely to visit another planet.” He let out a quiet grunt, his eyes falling shut. “Princess, go change.”

“Technically,” I smiled, sauntering into the fitting room, “It’s Queen. My mother and father died leaving me the only heir to the throne.” He ignored me, waiting patiently to leave this store and go to the next one.

I had enough clothing to last a lifetime; I had enough of being with Skylar to last me a life time; and I most defiantly had enough of these photographers to last me a lifetime. Skylar was pulling me out of one store when the sky ripped, thunder crackling through the streets.

He grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the street. The people around us scattered, running for cover. We stood in the middle of the rain which began to pour. The cold droplets felt nice on my warm flesh. I glanced up at Skylar who was soaked to the bone; he was searching for the limo which was nowhere to be seen.

“Just get a cab,” I urged, my own clothing becoming wet as we stood there.

He shook his head. “We’re not taking a ride from a stranger.”

The blue hair soaked his head, sticking all around his face. The water droplets on his face made it seem like he glowed, he was beautiful wet. I could see his muscular form under his clothing, my hormones were going crazy.

“I think the hotel is nearby,” he mumbled, ignoring the busy street. He held my hand, pulling me along as though I were a child. Perhaps I was a child in his eyes, I had no idea how old he really was.

We rushed through the streets, he turned once in awhile, taking us further and further away from where the limousine was suppose to pick us up. I didn’t want to contradict him, but I had a feeling he was only getting us lost.

I stumbled alongside them as he continued to rush us forward. I loved the feel of his gloved hand over mine; the black fabric was warm and safe. I’d be lying if I said his cold demeanor didn’t turn me on. He had the bad boy image going for him; I was beginning to melt like butter.

He finally stopped moving, leaving us standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Everyone around us was walking with umbrellas, an occasional man held a paper or briefcase instead. “Let’s just get a cab,” I muttered, having the feeling that a cold would soon be finding its way to me.

“Will you just shut up for one minute, the hotel should be right around here.” He pulled me along again, wiping away the water which was dripping down the side of his face. He stopped a moment later, smirking in victory. “There it is Princess, and to think you doubted me.”

I chose not to reply to his cocky attitude; I chose instead to lead myself to the hotel. Skylar followed behind me, making sure no one came too close, an unneeded security in my opinion.

The inside of the hotel was grand. Everything was beautiful, trimmed in gold and marble, this place was no doubt five stars. Skylar had disappeared from my side, I was rather shocked. Looking around, I spied him at the desk. With a sly smile, I briefly considered fleeing. Like he was thinking of my silent motives, he looked back at me tapping the corner of his eye.

I rolled my eyes, moving to look at the abstract paintings which hung on the wall. In truth, I didn’t want to run away anymore. The unreal situation I was being thrust into didn’t seem that bad; I’d go, claim my thrown, and return home as soon as possible. And on the rare chance that I enjoy being Queen, I wouldn’t have to return home right away.

“Ready Princess?” He jingled the key before my face, smirking at my figure. He grabbed my hand, taking me towards the elevators. Everyone’s eyes were on us, watching us as we boarded the metal box. The doors closed and we were left with the reflection of ourselves staring back at us.

The ride was short lived, we arrived to our floor quickly and Skylar guided me towards the room. The room wasn’t hard to pick out, there weren’t many doors on the floor to begin with; but the one we headed towards was guarded by two men in uniforms much like Skylar’s. They barely acknowledged us as we moved past them and into the suite. Not a minute after we were inside, Skylar left my side and disappeared behind a closed door.

I found my way into the bedroom, closing myself inside. Rolling the dress off my body, I crawled under the covers and faced the open window. The rain outside drizzled down, occasionally accompanied by a strike of lightning or roar of thunder. I lay there silently, my eyes drizzling as well. I was scared, I didn’t know what the future would bring tomorrow, but no matter what comes I have to face it with a brave face.

Somewhere between raiding the mini fridge to making what could be the last phone calls of my life, I fell asleep. My rest was needed, but I felt as though I were sleeping too much lately.

Skylar was sitting on the couch, reading the paper like a normal human being. He could have blended in well enough, all he needed to do was update his fashion and be a little friendlier. I think it would kill him to do the latter.

He dropped his paper for a moment to glance at me. With a look of boredom, he pointed towards the door that lead to the hall. “The guards outside will escort you to your dress fitting.” After he said what he needed, he raised the paper up and continued to ignore me. Rolling my eyes, I pulled the paper down from him earning a deadly glare.

“What do I need a dress fitting for?”

He shook out his paper and kicked me away with his feet. My legs toppled backwards but I caught myself before any damage was done. “For your meeting with the world leaders. The Duke wants you looking your best.”

I couldn’t understand how anyone could be rude like him; he acted like it was the worst thing in the universe to be my guard. It obviously wasn’t his normal job; he’d mentioned a few times that he wasn’t getting paid enough for this job.

The guards outside the door were two young men, the same ones from last night. They were polite in their greetings, but said no more. “Follow us,” the blond with brown eyes instructed. He turned before I could reply, moving down the hall. The other, a taller blond, followed behind me. Both not only wore matching uniforms, but also had matching tattoos on their arms. The odd symbols looked to be words, but it was in a language foreign to me.

We rode the elevator down to the second floor where we were greeted with more guards. There were almost a dozen, most wearing different uniforms than Skylar and the two guards who lead me downstairs. The other men wore white jackets lined with gold trim, decorated with swords and a gun at the waist.

The Duke sat on a chair in the hall, his blue skinned face smiling as his eyes landed on me. “Princess Sofjia, I hope you slept well.” He stood, bowing at my feet. This man was the only one to treat me like royalty so far. When he rose, he took my hand and kissed the back of it. “Now should we get you fitting for this afternoon?”

Barely nodding, I followed him into the room the guards were surrounding. Inside was a large conference room, now a fitting room. There were mirrors set up around a platform. Two young girls dressed in the style of the aliens sat on chairs on the other side of the room. As soon as we were inside, they were at my side, escorting me towards the platform.

“Princess, let me properly introduce myself, I am Duke Ellice Kuplas, your first advisor. As Queen you will be responsible for the ways of the world, and I will help you along the way. I will take it into my hands to cultivate you into a glorious, head strong Queen.

“Today is a pivotal point in your world’s history. Never before have they been open to the universe before, there will be questioning, demands, and I do not expect you to be ready for a meeting such as this. So for this meeting, I will control the negotiations; all you need to do is sit pretty.” He smiled, bowing before exiting the room. My eyes were like Skylar’s, cold. I hope I wasn’t about to step into a world where women were looked down upon. I certainly was not going to sit idly by while the future of Earth was determined.

The women stood me on the platform and all men left, leaving the two tailors. The young girls smiled timidly as they began to pull out materials. Another entered the room, a petite girl with blond hair that reached her waist. She held a dress in her hands, the light blue fabric flowing in the air as it was carried to me. Blue, I hated the dreaded color; if it wasn’t for the blasted vile turning such a hue, I’d be sitting at home this very moment.

They assisted me as they slipped it up my body, the dress ending as it reached my waist. The girls were talking to one another in a language I did not understand, their hands moving quickly as they pinned the skirt to my hips. One of them held a long strip of fabric as she walked around me, her fingers careful with the materials.

“Hold still,” one commanded as she pricked me with a needle. My eyes watered from the pain, it disappearing a moment later. They were working behind me, their hands busy. One began working on the front of the dress, kneeling before me as she cut away to make the front of the skirt shorter.

My eyes busy on the girl before me, I failed to notice that my bra was unlatched until it slipped off my arms. The third girl yanked it away from me leaving me with a naked torso. With the thin strip of fabric she began to work, her hands wrapping it around my neck and down the front of my chest. The girl who was trimming the front of my skirt caught the ends of the strip of fabric and began to connect them to the matching skirt.

All three of them were working fast, the different pieces of fabric looking like an exquisite dress of their people. I was a princess, a Queen, and now I looked the part. In fascination I watched the girls work in the mirror, adding and taking away fabric so the dress fit perfectly. One of them began to add metal clasps to my body, my arms now covered in rings of metal. A charm was added to the back of my neck, hanging from the strip of fabric, that being the only thing covering my back.

When the jewelry was in place, the girl took over my head. She began to brush my hair, her fingers weaving into it. Pulling and tugging, she kept working at it, my eyes watering. My figure was transforming over time, the scrawny girl gone and in her place an elegant woman. Elegant on the verge of slut, I mentally added; no queen in my history books showed this much skin.

The girls helped me down and escorted me out of the room, all of them careful not to ruin my appearance. There were four guards waiting outside the room, all dressed in the white uniform. None made eye contact as they turned to move towards the elevators. Hesitantly, I followed, glancing behind me to see the girls gone and the door shut.

The ride to the first floor was quiet. The only noise was that of the elevator music, which ended abruptly when we reached the ground floor. As soon as the doors slid open, lights were exploding all around us. Everyone in the world who owned a camera was in the room it seemed, the flashing never stopping.

The four guards were waiting for me, standing patiently. If Skylar were with me, he’d be pulling me by my hair already. It was almost a relief not to have him around, he was too domineering.

I moved towards the doors where there were several more guards. They allowed us to pass, following us out the doors. A limousine was waiting outside; the driver held the door open as I drew near. The sidewalks were packed with people, everyone staring at me. I had to wonder how safe it was, someone could be carrying a gun in the crowd.

Before giving anyone the chance to shoot me, I climbed into the limousine as gracefully as possible. The long dress flowed behind me, falling around my ankles as I sat down. Duke Kuplas sat on the other end of limousine, smiling warmly at me. Next to him sat Skylar, who now was dressed in the white uniform, matching the other guards. Skylar stared out the window, acting as though I wasn’t even there.

Nervous, I tapped my legs. The car moved quickly through the streets, we’d be at the meeting with the world leaders sooner than I’d hoped. “Are you alright your majesty?”

Was I alright? What kind of question was that? Of course I wasn’t alright, these men kidnapped me and now were forcing me into these situations I’d like to avoid. Every important person in the world was about to look down on me and judge me, and was I alright with that? “I think I’m going to throw up,” I muttered with regret.

Both men looked at me skeptically. No one made move to help me as I bent over, gagging on my own fluids. Finally, when they realized I was not just talking pointlessly, one of them thrust a bag into my face. My throat burned as everything in my stomach came out full force. I coughed it all out, letting the acidic substance burn my mouth.

Coughing, I removed the bag and sat up, feeling slightly better. A glass bottle landed in my lap, Skylar glaring daggers into me. “Drink up Princess; it’ll make you feel better.” My hands wrapped them around the glass bottle, my eyes flying to the label.

“I am not drinking booze before meeting with the world leaders!” I thrust the bottle back at him, only to have him move to sit next to me.

He grabbed my neck, tilting my head up. With force, he held me in that position for a moment. The bottle was now in my hands, my fingers tight on the cool glass. “It will make you feel better,” he muttered.

Nodding, I raised the bottle to my lips and drank a small portion of the poison. Satisfied, Skylar released me and sat peacefully beside me. That man was a monster, but he was right, I did feel better now. I set the bottle back down and ignored the men in the car, promising myself that this would be over soon.

The ride was over soon. The car slowed and the windows outside revealed a sea of people. We passed through a gate to a building which was closed off to public, but some paparazzi still managed their way past the iron bars. There were guards everywhere I looked, standing in black tuxedos with a gun in their hands.

The large red brick building we were arriving to was surrounded in green. The landscape was built to beauty, flowers and shrubbery everywhere. Hundreds of flagpoles decorated the front lawn, each with a different county’s flag. They were a beautiful contrast to the gray murky sky above them; the wind swept the fabrics away lightly, each flag waving peacefully.

We stopped near the doors, my guards already around the door. Skylar exited first, helping me out like a gentleman. I was thrust in the middle of the guards, Skylar keeping to my side. I walked with them, keeping myself calm.

“Stand tall; remember you are a Queen now.” My body was in tremors, the ground beneath me ready to give way any moment. With a deep breath I held my hands in tight balls, my arms weak with fear. Guards were surrounding me, Skylar next to me. Keeping my head forward, I reviewed what I was to do. Walk and remain calm, let Duke Kuplas do the talking.

We stopped as we reached two large wooden doors. From outside my wall of guards I could see others gape at us, all people dressed in the finest Armani. They were most likely guards for the other officials in the room, all waiting for something to go wrong so they could pull their gun out and go trigger happy.

My breath was frozen in my throat, I wanted to flee but no one was letting me go now. The world was wondering who this one woman was in the elegant green dress. Queen, no one would let me forget it.

Skylar stared forward like me. “They are about to announce you, then we will enter, the Duke will follow. They would prefer it if you did not speak, but you are Queen, if you have something to say, then you say it.”

“You’ll stay with me?” My voice was hoarse; I needed a bottle of water.

He nodded his head slightly, his hair moving with the jolt. “As your personal bodyguard I will not leave your side.”

Scared, that was the only thing I could think of to describe myself at this very moment. Just beyond those doors sits the rulers of the world. What was I? A girl from the Midwest, this did not seem right. This dress did not have enough fabric to it, I wish I could cover myself up but there isn’t any time. On the other side of the door I can hear them announcing me, my royal name of birth rolling off of someone’s tongue.

The doors opened and like a zombie, I moved inside. My guards still surrounding me; it appeared to me that they would not sit outside like the rest. I wished my father was here, I wanted him to hold my hand and walk me though this. Skylar would probably shoot me if I made a move to grab his hand.

A table was set in the front of the room, a dozen chairs behind it. Skylar sat me in the middle, moving to stand behind the chair. He kept his hand hovering over his gun while scanning the crowd. My heart thudded wildly in my chest as I did the same. Sitting all around me were the leaders of the world. I was sitting at the feat of the most powerful men and women of the world; and like the light beaming on me was a sign, I came to the realization that I was now one of them.