A Queens Sorrow

Not My Quest. (Prologue)

I laid beaten in my fathers dungeon.

I still remember the sour taste his scowl left in my mind. The sounds of the blades clashing against my own sword as I Parried the incoming death tools, that awaited my demise. The clank on the shackles and the tears of my mother as she too watched with waning eyes as her only daughter was scurried off in the kingdoms biggest but hardly used dungeon.

I had tried. Tried protesting the marriage. Tried eluding the frenzy of suitors. Even tried killing the knights who trained me for a little bit and what honestly might be the last of my fun for awhile.

The vertical scar lined up perfectly with the blackened left eye, and trusty broken heart.

See, I desired someone else. Not someone chosen for me. I wanted a knight of my own liking. Not some prince that was a outlier to his country. Not an agreed upon peasant. Nor did I want to account for the hinted betrothed action that followed.

I wanted a quest worthy of a future queen. A quest so glorious that it would sang upon in the tales and bard legends for eons to come. I desired a chance. A chance to prove myself worthy.

Alas, my parents did not agree. They couldn't see past my misbehavior and my empty deeds. They didn't when I pulled off small pranks in the merchants market. They couldn't when I spread rumors about the sassy castle cook that was always so rude to me. The had told me with the slightest glimmer of hope that "they hated for me to try, and that the effort to dream was useless" They wanted a princess. A conformed, listen to what they say, innocent little girl that they once knew. But that wasn't me. It never was. And it never will be.

The chains loosened as I slide my right arm out. I had planned my escape from the moment the castle guards locked the wooden door with three metallic bars for outward sound and inward sight. I had a dream to make into a reality. A Quest to take.

The small rats scurried past my feet, the heavy ball locked around my ankle allowing little passage. Nightfall was coming and I was ready.

I just had to wait. Wait for my greater purpose to align. Wait for the lifeline and all the signs. And then and only then would I finally make my way out into a life of endless freedom and adventure.