A Very Royal Scheme

Chapter One

"Alice! Come here this instant! And bring the croissants!" A hysterical woman called, a pinch of anger in her voice.

"Coming!" The brunette replied, wiping her hands on the dirty apron and grabbing the tray of freshly-baked croissants that laid on the counter in front of her.

Alice rushed downstairs, carefully placing a loose curl behind her ear with her free hand.

The woman looked at her, raising a brow in mild disgust.

"Alice, where are Mrs. Madison's cupcakes? I told you that they were due for this afternoon a thousand times!" She questioned with a frustrated sigh.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Evelyn! We're out of flour! What was I supposed to do?" Alice replied a condescending smile stamped on her face.

"Don't you dare talk back at me!" Evelyn whispered angrily. "Now go buy that damn flour!" She finished, taking the tray Alice had brought.

"With what money?" She barked, taking off her apron and hanging it on the coat hanger violently.

"Don't you have a bit of money left, from last month's catering gig? Use that. I'm not giving you money until you learn to behave yourself. Your father died three years ago. It's about time you start respecting me." The woman answered before turning around and putting the croissants inside the glass showcase that faced the quiet street.

Alice opened her mouth to protest but gave up. She had been baking all morning and was too tired to even try to argue with her stepmother. Besides, she could use some sunlight and a little bit of fresh air.

"Fine. Whatever." She growled, grabbing a basket and heading out the door. Alice whispered a curse just as the little bell on the top of the door marked her absence.

The girl closed her eyes instantly due to the clarity. It took a few moments until she opened them again. 

"Wow. I had no idea it would be so hot out here." She exclaimed to herself, her lips forming a shy smile.

Alice then went forward, beginning her usual walk to the town market. On the way, she greeted a few familiar faces, like the nice lady who always tried to arrange her son with her and her step-sisters when she visited the bakery and the old man who fought in the war with her grandfather.

After she reached the end of her street, she turned right and admired the Stevens family's beautiful garden. This year, Mrs. Stevens had decided to plant daisies, Alice's favorite flower.

After a few more minutes of walking straight ahead, the smell of fresh fruits and herbs was evident. With a heart-melting smile, Alice entered the market, making a few heads turn in her direction. Feeling a few gazes falling on her, the girl wandered freely before reaching the cooking goods stand.

"Well good morning, Alice! What can I get you, this fine morning?" Mr. Lewis asked with an inviting smile.

"Two small packs of flour, please!" The girl revealed before she felt the strong scent of beer. 

"Well, hello, beautiful. What's a pretty lady like you doing here alone?" The man enquired, slurring his words.

Alice recognized his voice in a snap. The drunken and very touchy-feely man that had just crept behind her was Michael Reynolds, a retired banker. His bank account had more figures than the humble townsfolk could count. Due to this, no one ever talked back to him, not even if he was harassing the local women, something that happened very often. 

There were countless stories about him doing a lot more than just sniffing hair, but there was nothing the people could do. He practically owned the town's administration, so, even if anyone spoke up, there was nothing they could do. Most of the time, they just solved the problem by buying the woman's silence. 

"That's none of your business. Get out of my personal space, please." She hissed, despite the worrisome looks from the seller.

"Relax, relax... You're so feisty today!"He grinned, placing a hand on her waist, triggering Alice's hotheaded nature.

With a harsh jab, Alice removed his hand. As he took a step back, she tried to knee him in the groin, although missing for a few inches, hitting his upper thigh.

Taking advantage of his weak moment, she kneaded him once again, this time hitting him in the abdomen. As he fell down, the girl turned around and picked up her basket, split in between hitting him with it or running away.

Fortunately, she didn't have to make a decision, as a hooded figure grabbed her y the arm, pulling her away.

"Let me go! Hel-" She started, before being interrupted.

"I'm helping you, idiot! Now stop. Screaming. Do you really want to stay here, after what you did?" The anonymous woman answered in a surprisingly calm tone.

Alice stopped squirming, not because she was convinced by her solid argument, but rather due to her almost inhuman strength. They spent a few minutes in this frantic running, making twists and turns, in an attempt to throw off any overly-curious spectator.

"Where the hell are we going?" The girl inquired, in the midst of running.

The mysterious woman said nothing, although tightening the grip around her wrist. Alice took the hint, keeping herself silent. It seemed like they had been on the run for hours when the woman finally stopped, dragging her onto a secluded alley.

"A-are... Are you going to tell me why you brought me here?" Alice stuttered, leaning against the wall.

"Hum... We'll need to work on your resistance, but that's easy to fix." The woman pondered, staring at the girl's reddened face.

"W-what do you mean?" Alice hissed, irritated with her own ignorance,

"Would you like the short answer?" She quizzed, a playful smile lighting up her seemingly serious face.

Alice furrowed her brows, as to make it clear that she had enough with the rhetorical questions.

"Short answer it is. I've had my eye on you for really long." She started.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alice interrupted, clearly impatient.

"If you let me finish, maybe you'll understand." She scolded. "As I was saying, I've been watching you for really long. And why is that, you ask? Well, I know this sounds crazy, but, if you let me, I'll make you queen."

~~~~~

Hello! Did you like the chapter? It took me the whole weekend to write, so I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, feel free to tell me in the comment section, and, if you want, to leave some suggestions!