Prompt #5

After a long dark night, you wake up in another body

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Pain. My sides ache. my heart is throbbing. I am tied up with thick chains and a guard on each side.

"It's funny to see you like this princess." A man with long legs and a sharp jawline takes a seat on my father's throne. "It's an honor."

"Get off of that throne, you backstabbing bastard!" I shout with confidence.

"Well now, Let's not get hasty," he smirks. "Your father didn't deserve the throne; he made his people miserable."

"You lying fool! The people loved my father," I rebuke.

He chuckles, "Did they really? Or was that just a lie you decided to believe?"

"My father bought peace to this kingdom, he united the nations and bought the people together. My father was a man. He had was a rightful king." I glare at him.

"You seem to know very little princess," He approaches me and leans in. "Did you ever think at what cost did your father achieve peace? Did you ever think to win wars, you have to fight? Lives will be taken away; families will be broken apart and children becoming orphans. Did you ever starve, did you ever go through a famine? Did you ever consider the lengths your father went through to achieve all that? DID YOU?"

"My father was a nobleman. He was true, brave, virtuous!"

He stands up straight and glares down at me. "Tell me, Princess. Do you hate me?"

I let out a huge huff, "To the core."

"I've killed your father and you hate me. Now think." He takes off his shirt. "I was almost burned to death for trying to defend my brother. My mother was raped by your soldiers. My siblings sold to slavery and my father beheaded in front of all his family and country. Now tell me princess how virtuous was your father."

I stare at him and do not answer. I do not have an answer. He realizes and puts his shirt back on. He heads toward the door.

"One last thing, Princess. Your father didn't deserve the throne," he stops at the door and walks back to me. "And neither do you."

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My head is still throbbing, my heart is about to burst. My eyes feel heavy. I slowly open them and adjust to the light. I feel the sheets very rough. Was yesterday a dream? I pat the sides of my ribs. They don't hurt. I sit up and look around. Everything is different. The room is the size of a prisoner's cell. The walls have no color, and the bed is extremely small. I get up. I look down at my clothes. Where's my nightgown? I look at my hands, they're different. I search for a mirror and find a broken one on the wall. My hair, my eyes, my nose, everything is different. My blond hair, my blue eyes, my straight nose, everything is gone. I touch my face and pull around to see if it can come off.

"Beth, Get up!"

"Come on!"

Two younger kids enter my room. and try to grab me.

"Let me go. Miss Robin! Miss Robin!" I call out.

"What is going on?" A thick woman appears at the door. But is not my maid.

"Are you a servant? Whose children are these?" I ask desperately.

She looks taken aback. "What's gotten into you? Hurry up and get ready!" She leaves me with the children.

"Beth, What's wrong," the little girl asks.

"I'm not Beth. I'm princess Elizabeth," I desperately explain.

"Do you feel sick?" the boy persists.

I stare at them for a while. "I ... um. What...Where am I?"

They look at each other confused. "In Albridge?"

Albridge? That was east of Kalebon, and it was renamed after my father conquered it. MY FATHER!

"Where's my father!" I grab the little boy.

"Did fall off the bed?" The little boy worried.

"No," I shake my head. "I command you to tell me where the King Jedrick is?"

"King Jedrick? He's the king in Kalebon. It'll take you weeks to get there," the little girl answers.

That means He's Alive. He's still king.

"Do you like the king?" the boy asks.

"Um... yeah something like that," I mumble.

I look around, everything is different. The room looks old and dirty. I need to find out whose body is this and where is my original body. There is no possible explanation, I need to find answers. I turn to the children, "um... where are my clothes?"

They look at each other again. "Um... in the drawer," They gesture to a wooden box.

"Right."

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My father is alive. I need to find a way to get him. I need to warn him. He's in danger. If I walk to Kalebon, it'll take me months to get there.

"Beth, are you listening?" The little girl asks.

"Um.... Yeah," I come back to.

"Are you sure your alright?" The little boy eyes me.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Had a rough night, ugh?" The woman asks while serving food. She pours me some soup into my bowl.

"What is this?" I scoop a few of its contents and examine it.

She pauses. "Carrot soup?"

"I don't eat carrots," I look at her.

She blinks a few times and mumbles as she leaves to the kitchen.

I Look over the two kids sitting across me, delightfully eating their soup.