1# Internal Battle: Heart Of Courage

Chapter 1 - After The War

"Run Scarley!" The words echoed in her mind. "Running is what you're best at."

She never wanted to run. She just wanted a place to call home. A place where someone understood her. She'd been running for around 17 years.

Yet, she couldn't be exactly sure how long she'd been alive, as she was an orphan. She had no idea who her real parents were, and could only guess why they had left her in the woods as an infant. Her first guess was the obvious - they didn't want a daughter who was a liability. "People want normal children." That's what everyone had told her. But she couldn't know for sure.

It didn't even matter at this point, she had survived all these years without them. Her main priority right now was to get as far away from America as she could. Her habit of making enemies wherever she went had become more life-threatening as time went on, as she didn't have the fact she was a child to protect her anymore. No one wanted a sarcastic, angry, orphaned, weak teenager around. Especially not one like Scarley.

"Oh, I ran alright." Scarley laughed to herself, as she held onto the wooden raft she'd secretly tied to one of the ships heading to who-knows-where. She couldn't afford a ride on the ship itself, in case she was caught. Scarley liked to imagine she wasn't talking to herself, but rather to the voices in her head that resembled the mocks of her enemies. "Let's hope I last more than five seconds at my stop, this time."

...

"You can do this..." The 18-year-old monarch tried to convince herself. It had been over six months since her husband, Prince William Clyde of Scotland had died in the heated battle that won the country its independence. The citizens felt his death was worth the sacrifice, but Parisa would've gladly lived under someone else's reign if it meant he'd still be here with her.

Parisa had no wish to be queen. When she fell in love with William, she had no idea he was royal. That was something she found out later on. It was by luck that Parisa had married William before his unexpected death, or else the crown would've been given to a new bloodline entirely, as William had no relatives who were capable of taking the throne. Even when Parisa knew she'd have to be queen one day, if she wanted to be with William, she never expected the entire kingdom to rest on her shoulders at only 18.

Today was expected to be one of the hardest days in Parisa's life, as she had to go face-to-face with the one responsible for William's death - Queen Callista of England. Parisa didn't have a vengeful nature; she was sweet and forgiving, but "commonly speaking" to the one responsible for her misery would be a challenge for her, naturally.

And if that wasn't enough to worry enough, it wasn't just Queen Callista she was meeting. Parisa was also going to see Queen Lucine of Wales; her husband, king Brenin of Wales; and William Clyde's cousin, Queen Bella of Ireland, and her husband, the king of Ireland, Rian. Parisa hadn't seen these monarchs since her coronation, six months ago. They were so much older and wiser than her, being around them made her stomach hurt.

"Just pull it together... It's gonna be okay..." Her voice trembles, as she nervously twirls her hair with her finger. The stylists were almost finished, she needed to get a grip. "Just pretend you're talking to some random respected official."

"Are you okay, dear?" Sharon was Parisa's Danish handmaid. Being queen meant Parisa had hundreds of servants, but she only held 6 of them dear. Alina, Blaise, Sharon, Audra, and Cordelia were more than servants - they were Parisa's best friends. Although they were all different races, and some people had a problem with that, Parisa loved them like family.

"I'm fine." Parisa finally answered, when she realized she'd been overheard.

"You know, you can just cancel, dear." Sharon chuckled as she twisted Parisa's long black hair into one braid. "No way!" Parisa refused. "If I don't get used to the little things I don't like, how am I ever supposed to be a decent queen?"