Power and The Queen

Chapter Nine. 🟢

Her mother said she was weak, that she needed to be stronger if she wanted to rule. She did not understand any of it. Princesses marry princes and eventually become Queens and the Queen is not charged with so many duties. She wanted to understand. She needed to because she hated the torture and pain it brought.

Princess Sophia knew very well that the actual ruler of the kingdom was her mother, but that was because the gods chose her. She pushed the thought of the gods away. She had thought they were more powerful than her mother, so she prayed to them, every single one she knew. But they never came to save her. She even sneaked out to the temple to pray and offer sacrifices, but they never heard her, they did not care. So she stopped, no one can save her, she is doomed to this life for eternity.

Her eyes shifted to the wrong move her father just made on the chessboard, and she could not stop the corners of her lips from stretching into a smile. One thing she always had as a talent was strategic thinking. Maybe she got that from her mother. She used her queen to bring down her father's king, which was the last man standing on the board.

"The queen wins!" Sophia exclaimed, jumping up.

"You win again Sophia" king Icarus grumbled slightly faking excitement.

He loved his daughter, but he hated it when she beat him at a chess game and she did every time.

"Do not worry, father, you will win next time." Princess Sophia got up to leave.

She had stayed here long enough. Her mother hated it when any lady spend too much time with the king. Sophia even had a theory that her mother was mean to her because she knew the king loved his daughter very much and that made her jealous. Though Sophia knew very well the real reason her mother tortured her most times, it was not because she did anything wrong but because she could.

She always needed to feel in control. It was almost lunchtime and Sophia needed to get ready. She could not be late for even a second.
"Father, I must leave now." Sophia said, hiding the regret on her face well.

"But you barely visit anymore," King Icarus said, becoming alert.

She knew he was right to worry. Usually, she visited every morning, but ever since that day she kept to herself.

"Are you still angry? I sent your brother away." he added.

"Of course not father, I know that was not your doing," Sophia answered.

She sighed happily when she saw her father relax in his chair again.
"Then you should stay," king Icarus said, gesturing to the chair Princess Sophia sat in.

Sophia wanted to stay. He was right she had been staying away. But she had a good reason. There was no way she would let her father or anyone she loved seeing her in pain. Looking at her father's pleading eyes, it was brown, just like her brother's. All she got was his brown hair colour. She always fell for it and could never say no when they gave her that look. But just as she opened her mouth to answer.

"No, she should not! " The voice of Queen Artemis echoed from the entrance of the King's chamber. King Icarus and Sophia turned their heads to see her as stunning as ever. Sophia bowed her head in defeat and race walked out of the room, her chambermaid joining her outside.

The lights from the windows shone brightly on Queen Artemis' face. The King stood up to see her features better. She was not dressed in her signature blue dress. She looked different and even more beautiful. Her dress was jet black and was designed with gold dust that made the dress shine. The sparkles on the collar of the dress reflected the sunlight and her gold crown sat firmly on her head. Her hair flowed down to her back and was braided in the front. He loved it when she let her hair fall down to her back.