The Kingdom of Siqua was one of the most beautiful Kingdoms in the land especially in the Spring. The trees that lined the salmon colored cobblestone streets were full of falling blossoms in white and pink. The colorful houses lined the sat peacefully in a row as the residents, just as colorful, played right outside. And at the end of the street was the grandest castle in the land of Quinque. There lived King Alexander; his wife, Charlotte; and their beautiful daughter, Alexandria who ruled over this happy land.
And what a happy day indeed! For Princess Alexandria, or as most called her Alex, was turning 18 today and the entire Kingdom was invited to her birthday party.
Alex stood in her dressing room as three ladies fiddled with her elaborate hair and large pink dress. "Oh, Alex, you look like a dream!" said the tallest, skinniest woman who was working on her hair.
"Thank-you, Margaret," Alex said. "But really it's because this dress you made is amazing."
Down below with a mouth full of pins the larger lady who was fixing her hem said, "Alex always looks like a dream. We barely did anything."
"Thank-you, Sylvia," she said.
"Oh, we'd do anything for you, dear," the third lady who was the smallest said as she put a silver heart shaped necklace around Alex's neck.
The three stepped in front of Alex to admire their work. Alex's long blond hair fell in large curls around her shoulders and back with the midsection pulled up in the back of her head making a bump. Her dress fit her petite frame perfectly. The top was made of a light-pink, metallic fabric with silver sequins and her sleeves went to her mid-forearm. The bottom of her dress puffed out, the top layer was a slightly darker pink then the top. And it laid on top of about ten fluffy white layers. Margaret was right, Alex did look like a dream. Alex couldn't help but smile at herself in the mirror behind the women.
"You're done," Margaret said extending her arms and smiling at Alex.
Alex curtsied at the ladies and turned to leave the dressing room but right before she got to the door she felt the top of her head and turned in alarm. "My tiara!" she exclaimed. "We forgot my tiara!"
Sylvia immediately grabbed the tiara from it's stand and put it snuggly on Alex's bump. "I'm so sorry, dear."
Alex sighed a breath of relief. "I'm a princess," she said. "I never go anywhere without my tiara." She adjusted the tiara and walked out, head held high.
"Enjoy the party, dear," the shortest one yelled after her.
Realizing that she was running late, Alex picked up the hem of her dress and started moving quickly down the corridor towards the ballroom until she saw her parents standing in front of the doors that led to the ballroom. She instead dropped her hem and approached her parents in a respectful manner. "Father. Mother," she said nodding at them. "Shouldn't you be in the ballroom greeting our guests?"
Her father spoke first. "We wanted to see our beautiful little princess first. Happy birthday, Alex."
Alex kissed her father on the cheek. "Thank-you, Father."
Her mother then stepped forward and gave her a hug. "Oh, you look all grown up! Pretty soon you'll be running this Kingdom. Where does the time go?" She stood back to look at her daughter. "It seems just like yesterday you were our perfect little baby and now you're a full grown princess!"
"And quite a charming one at that," King Alexander added.
"Thank-you, Mother," Alex said giving her mother a kiss on the cheek.
"Well, we'd better go. We'll see you in there," her father said kissing the top of Alex's head. The footmen then opened the door for the King and his partner.
Alex waited patiently in the corridor for her father to make his speech and for the footmen to open the door. Once they did, Alex stepped in lightly her head held high, her back straight, slowly waving her hand. She smiled brightly as she faced her people.
Immediately the people yelled and cheered, calling her name and saying kind things. Alex stepped forward to the banister and stopped waving to blow a kiss. The people cheered even louder. King Alexander stepped forward taking the Princesses arm.
Just as he was about to lead her down the stairs they heard gunshots and a commotion in the back. A guard told Alex and her father to get down and they obeyed.
The people of Siqua started started to scream and back up and Alex was able to see the Fortis soldiers that were terrorizing her people. Alex was alarmed, the people of Siqua and the people of Fortis had been at war since the two Kingdoms were created but neither side had ever made it to the castle. Both mostly just fought defensively.
A few Fortis soldiers saw Alex and her parents and started to go towards them. Alex's father turned to her with wide eyes. "The secret exit! Go! Now!" he yelled at her shoving her away.
"I can't abandon my people!" she yelled, tears starting to stream down her face. "I'll stay and fight!"
"No, Alexandria," her father said sternly, "Our people need a King! Come back when it's safe."
"But-"
"Go!" he yelled giving her one final push.
Alex ran as fast as she could lifting her dress as she ran. Some of the Fortis soldiers started to chase her and were getting closer as she couldn't run very quickly in heels. But right before they got to her, one of her soldiers stepped in allowing her to get away.
She ran into the kitchen where a servant upon seeing her stepped into the fireplace and opened the trap door underneath to let Alex through. Alex quickly thanked her servant dropped through hearing the door slam shut behind her.
Alone, Alex got her hands and knees and started to crawl through the narrow passage way that led underneath the Kingdom's North Wall. She crawled through the end of the long tunnel and started climbing the wooden ladder. Once she got to the top she started to push on the ceiling with all her might with one hand. When that didn't work she secured her feet on the rung of her ladder and started to push with both her hands. Finally the dark-wood trap door swung open with a satisfying whoosh.
She stepped through to the light and looked around. Behind her was the Northern wall standing high. In front of her were the woods. She had gotten out of the Kingdom but she wasn't free yet. She closed the trap door and tried to hide it as best she could and then she bolted for the woods.
She tried to wipe the tears away from her face while trying to keep her dress up and her tiara on. She stepped into a large mud puddle and her heel got stuck sending her tumbling into that mud and into some bushes. She got up and started to limp until she found a small clear puddle.
She stared at her reflection. The princess that had been put together so nicely just about an hour earlier was now in pieces. She had mud and branches in her hair, her tiara was now crooked and the bump it sat on was messed up. Black eye make-up ran down her cheeks. She wasn't even sure what had happened to her necklace but that as well as one of her shoes was missing. Her once beautiful pink dress was now brown and torn up.
Alex glared at her reflection and then deciding she couldn't go any further plopped down in the mud and started to bawl.
"RANT RANT RANT" There I ranted :\
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