The Queen's Reign

Chapter 2 - Forced Union

"Isn't that a little excessive?" Prince Jason asked his father, Orion.

"Of course it's not! It's part of life. Son, you need to get married. Your mother has amnesia and my limbs are giving way. So you need to step up as soon as possible."

"I can rule alone," Jason said, confidently.

"You could, but then people would talk." His father scoffed.

"Let them talk." Jason retorted.

"I will not," his father argued.

"And I'd rather have you with someone from royalty, rather than some rag wearing peasant." He continued. "You know how I feel about tattered rag wearing uneducated mindless freaks—"

"That they're contagious, and they've got germs," Jason quipped, imitating him. "Yeah, you said that like a billion times. The only person who ever forgets your anti-peasantry speech is mom."

Orion sighed.

"Look son, please just meet the princess of Primadonna. Tonight, you will be meeting her at the halfway point between our two kingdoms."

"How do you know we'll meet there?" Jason asked, skeptical. "And who's to say she'll come?"

"She has to because I threatened her kingdom." King Orion declared. "If she doesn't want her stupid depraved followers dying, then she had better listen to me."

"You what?!" Jason strode on over to his father, and started shaking him. "Are you nuts, old man?! That's not how you get to know someone, that's how you start a war!"

"Actually, your old man is a genius at picking up chicks. Before I met your mom, I was quite the ladies' man." Orion said, smirking. "Even wrote a book called 'Wife? More Like Wives' but unfortunately, it wasn't a bestseller because over 90% of our kingdom is illiterate."

Jason just rolled his eyes and grabbed his stylish coat.

"Look, I'm going to visit the princess and tell her it was just a misunderstanding. I'll tell her that you were held at gunpoint, and forced to write the letter."

Orion shook his head, sad. "I knew you were going to say that."

He snapped his fingers.

From behind the throne arose someone who looked just like him.

His look-alike had an olive complexion and he was tall. He had short blond hair and dark blue eyes. The only thing remotely different about them was the fact that he wore blue robes.

"Woah, those are tacky." Jason commented. "Dad, who is this?"

"Look son, I didn't want to have to do this...but I spent a few years searching for a guy who looks like you, because I knew you would fight back against my arranged marriage plan." Orion said, sharply. "You see, I told myself if you refuse to marry the princess, then I'll throw you in the dungeon, where you'll await execution. Then this handsome fellow will pretend to be you, and carry out my wishes."

"Damn," Jason said, stunned. "You really had it all planned out, didn't you?"

"Yep," his villainous father smiled. "So, will you go to meet the princess tonight?"

"Say no!" His doppelganger shouted. "I don't want to go back to being poor! It's a nightmare!"

"I'll do it," Jason said, quickly. "I'll do it, father."

I hate you dad!

"Excellent. Elly, you may go back to sweeping the barns."

"No thanks! I'll kill myself. Bye!" Elly ran out of there, heading towards the direction of the guillotine.