CHAPTER THREE

“Then Five of hearts shh’d him.”
“Why?” she asked. “He’s aloud to his opinion.”
“It’s not allowed to talk rudely about the kingdom’s rules,” Ace said.
He looked at the queen with wide eyes.
“You won’t tell on him your majesty, will you?”
“It’s Meira,” the queen said. “And I won’t tell a soul.”
She held out her little finger waiting for him to respond to the gesture.
He warily linked his little finger with hers.
She gave a squeal and he jumped.
“I’ve always wanted to do that!”
He laughed.
“You’re not how I expected, my queen.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You mean I’m not a stick in the wind as everyone thinks.”
He coughed and She laughed.
“I wish I could be like you,” she said.
“Why?” he asked.
“You’re free.”
He bit his lip, biting back the words.
He was anything but free. If she could only know what death sentence lied over his head every day.
“Have you ever been outside the kingdom?” he asked.
“Never. My schedule is planned out the same way every day.”
“You probably hate croquet by now,” he grinned.
“Hate it?” she said. “I want to hit its name with a flamingo!”
“That bad, huh?”
She rested her hands on the balcony.
“And now I’m engaged to be wed.”
“To who?” he asked.
“Sir Winsley,” she rolled her eyes.
He hated the master of the guards, his superior. He was a brute that had a fake eye supposedly done in battle for his queen. But more likely given while trying to mishandle a few servant girls. Ace wondered what happened to that person’s head.
“Do you want to marry him?”
“No!” she said. “I’m already pressed by his rules, I don’t want to call him husband as well.”
Ace was quiet for a while.
It was unfair that the queen had to give up a life for a man that could never even grow to love her the way he, Ace, did.
He balled his hands into determined fists, standing taller, his lips scrunched up.
“Leave it to me, my queen.”
“What will you do?”
“I’ll help get you get away from here.”