Treason

A Ray of Sunshine

The sound of guards being awoken and getting ready echoed through the corridors. The night shift was going to come to rest soon so the day shift needed to be ready to take over. Sun poured through stained glass windows as I groggily woke up. The air was cold and frigid. The women's quarters were very empty; not as many women thought to become a guard.

After getting, I strolled through the hall, making my way to the princess's room. I was lucky enough to become her guard. Taking a deep breath in, I knocked on her door. "Come in!" she chirped. The door slowly creaked open, revealing the princess.

"Princess Lei!" I spoke, bowing to her.

Lei laughed as she motioned me to come in. "You don't have to be so formal around me," she smiled, "Sorry, I'm still getting ready." Lei walked over to her vanity, her flowy yellow dress trailing behind her. Yellow was her favorite color. I never understood why though. She never told me the reason.

As Lei sat down, I took my stand next to her. She sorted through a box of flowers she kept on her vanity, eventually holding up and orange rose and a small sunflower. "Which one?" she asked, showing them to me, "I want to put one in my hair." I nodded as I remembered she wore one in her hair every day. I stood there for a bit, imagining how each one would look on her. Eventually, I chose the sunflower. "Well don't I look like a ray of sunshine," she giggled. I began to grin and eventually fell into a pit of laughed with her.

We fell to the floor, laughing our heads off for no reason. Everything just seemed so happier when I was with her. At some point, we grabbed each other's hands and lied on the ground, silently grinning. Lei squeezed my hand, "I wish I could marry you instead of some random suitor."

"Me too," I whispered, squeezing her hand back. A girl can't marry a girl. That's how it has always been, and the king will never change that. It hurt, knowing she would have to probably marry some prince she barely even knew.

A knock at the door made us jump. Lei got up and brushed herself off as I positioned myself by the door. "Come in!" she said sternly. The door opened and in came a guard. He bowed to princess Lei and then turned to face me.

"I was asked to inform you to do a perimeter check in the tunnels, ma'am!" he pronounced. Lei looked at me questioningly and I responded with a just as confused face. I usually wasn't assigned to do perimeter checks.

"Do you know why I'm needed to do a perimeter check?" I asked. The guard shook his head in response. I turned to Lei and she just nodded for me to go.