The Princess in Forest Green

Chapter 1-Blake Watkins

My kingdom's witch, started when her heart broke. A woman named Madrid was young and content. She found her true love, a man named Linus. They were happy together until a sickness fell upon him, ending his life. My mother would tell me this story every night when I was young. She warned me to never fall in love and turn into the witch Madrid turned into. No one has seen her since.

It's an old myth I told myself, but people of the kingdom would talk about strange occurrences on Linus's death date. They would also say that the forest was haunted, I would never be allowed in the wood, and father says it's far too dangerous. I think he fell into the legends the townsfolk spoke so fondly about. 

I heard a knock on my door, "Hello Kiera," my maid Old Lady Willow said, "Your father requests you downstairs and dressed." She looks at me still in my undergarments. "Alright, I will be down soon," I told her. She closes the door and I look at the dark purple dress on my bed. 

"A princess shall always dress to occasion!" I mock my mother. I hate the color purple, it goes so badly with my hair. I looked in the mirror and saw a tall, curly brown-haired girl with tan skin staring back. I groan and change into my dress. I tie my hair into a curly braid. I put on my black heels and almost stumble walking out of my room.

I walk down the stairs holding my long dress up so I don't trip down the stairs. "Let me help you, my princess." I turn around, It's Jackson, Old Lady Willows's grandson. He's wearing a brown tunic over his white shirt with puffy sleeves.  "I've got it, thank you," I say plainly and keep walking downstairs. He walks next to me, his brown fluffy hair bouncing as we walk down the steps. 

I don't need his help, I can walk down the stairs. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, he guides me to the throne room. I know how to get there! we walk through the hallway and I look at the paintings of my great-grandparents. Someday I'll be up there, maybe. I reach for the door, but Jackson got to it first. He opens it and bows. I roll my eyes and walk through. 

"Good morning my beautiful daughter!" My father says loudly. I'm his only daughter. My mom has been trying to get pregnant for years, it only took 16 years for her to be. I walk over and bow. He nods and motions for me to sit down. 

"Bring in the peasants!" He orders a young girl in front of the door. I see Jackson lead a woman, about the age of 50, walk in. She looks as if she could break down and cry any second. "You shall never cry in front of the king." My mother always said. 

"Hello, my king." She says bowing. "I've come to report some news about a t-theft." She says stuttering. Poor girl is so nervous. Jackson looks over at me and we stare at look at each other, knowing this won't end well. "Well, what seems to happen?" My father asks her. "I was working at my s-shop when a young boy walked by and grabbed a large loaf of bread." My father rubs his chin in thought. "Please describe this 'boy'."He says. "Well he was short, he had a brown s-shirt on and ripped pants. He had dirty blonde hair and look 11 years old." I wince, and I look and see Jackson doing the same. 

"Give the woman 10 coins, and find this boy." He orders. A man walks over and counts out 10 coins, while a guard looks out hunting for the boy. 

"Father, may I be excused?" I ask politely. "Come back by mid-afternoon. We have a show." He says nodding. I bow and grab Jackson's wrist and runoff. We head outside to my garden, we usually hang out here. 

"Poor boys not going to make it." He says plucking a rose. I smack it out of his hand. "I think that's what my Father meant about a show." I tell him, "Yeah, he's poor, I've seen him around town." I look down and play with a knot in my dress. 

"Do you think they'll find him?" I ask Jackson, "Most definitely." He replies quickly. I groan and flop back into one of the bushes. It hurt my back, but I didn't care. Ugh, I give up. 

"Hello, Jackson." I quickly get up and brush myself hearing a voice. "My princess, your father wants you outside by his court. They found the boy." Old Lady Willow told me. Oh no. They must be doing it early. I run inside, while Jackson and Old Lady Willow short behind me. I walk out back, into a small court outside, They have small benches, an execution table, a judging table, and most of all, an executioner. 

I sit down in the third row, I don't want to be here, but I know I have to be. Jackson sits next to me and Old Lady Willow is next to him. More townsfolk come in, and the woman who accused him as well. Trumpets blare as my father and mother walk in. People rise and as they sit down, they clap. We all sit back down, and my mother waves a little bit to me. 

"And now, the prisoner, Blake Watkins." The announcer yells. A young blonde boy, who couldn't be older than 10, walks in. He looks terrified and is crying for his mom. Tears stream down his face and he is escorted up the stairs to greet the executioner. A single rope is hanging from the tree branch above the table. 

"How do you plead your case, Mr. Watkins." The announcer asked. "Please my king, I won't do it ever again. Please, sir!" Blake cries to him. "Hang him." My father replies. He cries out. How could my father do this? "Sir! Please!" He calls back out. The executioner grabs him and places him on the wooden block, and wraps the rope around his neck. Blake cries out for his mom as more tears fall down his face.

"Stop!" I yell. I stand up. "Father, I'll pay for the bread, just let him go! Please!." I yell to him. I year gasp from the crowd and feel everyone's eyes on me. I feel Jackson grabbing my arm to sit back down. My father grunts, he's rethinking, thank god.

"Hang him, now." I almost scream as the block gets kicked from under him, and the rope tightened around him. Only a single scream escaped Blakes's mouth as a quick SNAP, shattered my soul. The poor boy died with a small hope of me going to save him. I see, I think his mother runs over and cries, as the executioner pulls the boy's body down. The mother takes his body and cradles it as she sobs. I see the tear streaks on Blakes's face, the mother closes his eyes as he is ripped from her arms. She cries even harder and catches my eye and stares at me.

I look away while my father grabs me and brings me downstairs to the wine cellar. "Don't you EVER, do that again. You made a fool out of our kingdom." He yells in my face. I wince, he rips the belt off the side of the door, and turns me around, and hits my back with it. I clench my hands together digging my fingernails into my hands. 

I scream out a couple of times, but I know it won't do any good. I feel tears run down my face. He hits me hard three times and punches me In the jaw. I fall to the floor and law there. He throws the belt down and walks up the stairs and locks the door. 

I didn't want to move, so I just stayed here and waited for the candles to burn out.