Fit to be Queen [Sinbad x OC]

part thirteen

There was no point for Iris to continue lying to Sinbad. There was no question to it; the girl in the picture was a younger, sixteen-year-old her. Now, she was more mature, she chopped her royal hair off so that it danced across her shoulders, and wore bangs, making her appear less formal. She didn't wear ornate clothes or jewelry, favoring the simple, and certainly no one would think an assassin was a Princess.

Her eyes were cold and serious. "How long have you known?"

"Since day two." Sinbad explained. "I knew you looked familiar when I saw you at the festival the first night, so I looked through my files and found this. What can I say? I never forget a pretty face, Iris. Or, I figure it's actually Princess Irisiah."

She swallowed, unsure of how to deal with the revealing of her secrets.

Rather than being angry or frustrated, he sat down across from her, rested his elbows on the wooden table and looked at her expectantly. "So, how did a beautiful Princess like you find her way to Sindria and my bedroom?  I wanted to see if you'd eventually tell me, but here we are."

She debated whether or not to give him the full truth, unfiltered and allowing judgement for her actions. At this point, she had nothing to lose. So, she sighed and told her story.

"I was the oldest daughter of my parents, the King and Queen of the Itraitha Kingdom. My former country - I don't claim it as my own any longer - is a small island country, similar to Sindria, but we don't have the resources or military to properly trade and interact with bigger countries, like Heliohapt or Reim that are closer to us. It is a very old country led by tradition and laws that have been around for generations. But as the Kou Empire expanded and Sindria was established - you forming relationships with other countries - my parents didn't know how to keep the country their own anymore.

"So, when I became sixteen I was considered eligible for marriage, but if you're asking me, I was still a child. They believed that the only thing that would be the saving grace of Itraitha was marrying me off to protect the country and establish trade relationships with other countries. They pawned me off to every other influential leader, businessman, or Prince that could accommodate Itraitha's needs.

"Obviously, I wasn't too happy with that." She chuckled, but the memories and instances were clearly causing her pain to recall. "I fought them. I told them that if we just went out and showed other countries what we had to offer - not me - then we could create trade and business agreements and wouldn't have to just... pawn me off. Also, who's to say I couldn't become Queen by myself and be a leader to Itraitha that's just as good as any man with such experience, if not better." She huffed clearly irritated with the happenings.

"I'd say you're certainly capable." Sinbad chimed briefly.

"Right?!" She agreed boldly, growing angrier as her story continued. "The last thing I wanted was to be just this incapable, guarded, quiet, royal little housewife, but that was the life my parents were setting me up for. Don't get me wrong; they did love me the best they knew how, but it wasn't empowering and inspiring. They hid me from regular life, keeping me inside the palace grounds and constantly watched, only emerging into Itraithan society as some kind of glorified image and symbol of the country.

"Between all of this - the men that were strangers that found their way to Itraitha to meet me, expecting marriage, and keeping me from participating in society and life - I started to lose my sanity, and I knew I just needed out. So, just before I turned seventeen I escaped. I knew when my guards would be with me and when they wouldn't, and I took the chance.

"I changed my clothes, cut off most of my hair, and kept myself alive by working as an assassin. No one would suspect an assassin, right? I was always sneaky, anyways." Again, even though the King could tell she was hurting through explaining her past, she grinned. "I made it pretty far, didn't I?" She joked uncomfortably.