A Queens Sorrow

Chapter 4: Friendship Everlasting

I can remember the fighting...

The constant rambles of my parents horrible discourse. The talk of the shambles and horrible conditions of their kingdom. Their shouts and yells as I hid under my pillow, the rumors had been circulating for quite some time now, amongst the castle workers and town peasants.

My room had become my safe place. My beloved books that had horrors and great tales
of quests and happiness. I escape in them. From reality and from my problems. And I loved them all. Robin Hood And Shakespeare poetry being some of my favorite past times. I adored reading as a child.

As for friends my parents when happier and sober allowed for only one person. A princess by the name of Emily, heir to the helm-drone queens fortune. Their kingdom was one of savages and thieves, bandits and highwaymen.

But at that age I paid it no mind. We'd sit up all night sometimes talking about the books we loved and our favorite battles that purged in those ink seeped pages. We'd also pull small pranks and laugh about it to ourselves after.

But as time passed so did her mothers hatred for my parents kingdom. For the helm queens land had been expanding by force as of late and there wasn't much chance she wouldn't have tried something untoward.

I remember it like it was yesterday. My best and only friends betrayal. Not only of me but of my parents trust. Her actions also being a reason behind my misbehavior but also my fathers new strict princess policy.

It was raining harshly outside. Storming with thunder and lightning. I hid under my blankets, the small candle lit lanterns masquerading light from each small corner of my light pink shaded bedroom. The small rocking horse from my early childhood shook with great ferocity.

"It's okay" Emily stated weighing down my blanket clenched hands with her usual  clumsily placed grip. I opened my eyes to reveal her stunning blonde hair that strayed down to her shoulders and layered down her back. Her bright blue eyes engraving a sense of security in my heart. "Let's play a game, hide and seek okay?" I recall her proclaiming with a half smile and half smirk. I agreed with a light giggle. I started to count, my eyes closed as I felt the white bed sheet lift slightly as I heard and felt her leave. My large wooden door closing behind her and the sound of light footsteps as she stumbled outward in the dark, castle walls.

BOOM!!. Clanks of swords and the smash of the castle walls trembled as the front gates were breached. "The flowers will definitely love the rain but will hate the trampling" I sighed as I got up. The cold stone floor relishing me of any gray areas I might've ignored. Then I heard a scream. A familiar yelp. As I looked downward onto my balcony below as my beloved friend lingered. The sulky armored man holding a dagger doused with a lethal green dripping poison shuttering he lunged at her. Her grip slightly loosing. "Pull her up!!" I shrieked. But my voice was just a murmur compared to the royal guards small war taking place downstairs. "Get her help!!". I repeated in hopes of someone rushing to my friends aid. This time the burly knight looked up at me. Hearing me utter a command he reached out to her, but it was too late, I watched my best friend, my soul sister, fall into the woods below was the sound of branches snapping and a endless bellow that could've been heard by the gods. I deemed what I had to be luck. The Luck of life. The blessing of triumph. And the honor of knowing someone so unlike her parents that it made me tear up to this day.

So I planted a garden where she fell. And my parents actually cooperated on fulfilling my wish. My mother still tending it to this day. My father watching from his bedroom window as the woman he now loved and cherished preform he beloved newfound passion.

"So what happened to Emily?" Asked Juke his face still stuffed in the venison he caught and made earlier. "I'm not sure to be honest, I went down the next day..there was her blue handcrafted cloak, her blood but no body". I answered, the question still  lingering on my face.

"Well, we Better get some sleep, we've gotta move further up the mountain tomorrow". Juke announced, finally swallowing as he gave me a cute wink before putting another log on the fire, laying down next to me and watching the stars as we both drifted into another peaceful sleep. Once more reminding myself before closing my eyes of the garden statue that read: "In memoriam: A princess, A friend, And A Sister, who not only opened the gates but also gained a new home".