Chapter 3: Not fit to be Queen

It was a shocking site for the young princess to watch her army captain be killed mercilessly by the hand of the Shadow King. Princess Cassia gave the command to retreat from the battlefield and she and the commander had reported what had happened on the battlefield to the elder council.

"You have proven to us that you are not fit to be Queen, Cassia… for the moment, you will remain as a princess and affairs of the state will be run by us and if anything gets out of control, we will use the army to put the people in their place" the elder council told her. "That's not fair! I fought along with the men and the fact that the Shadow King left peacefully is enough to show that I am worthy to ascend my father's throne and rule my people and lead them in the way that needs to be led, so that I can rule my people to ensure that their land is safe, and they can raise their families and live peaceably." She told them.

"You're not fit to lead this Kingdom as yet" the elder council told her, they went on to say, "for you to become queen you must successfully put away all threats of the Kingdom. As it is the shadow king will return to finish the job of claiming aspire as his own. You have not successfully, thwarted the shadow king away from aspire. We hereby declare and decree that Princess Cassia is not worthy of fit to be queen of Aspire until she is legally married to a king who will be with her on the throne let it be written let it be done dismissed!" the Elder council decreed.

When Cassia heard this, she was downhearted and left the council room furious.

The commander sighed watching her walk out in anger. "She's just like her father when he got angry in his hot temper" he said, and they chuckled.

"It's for her own good, commander. She is not ready for the throne" the elder council said. "She looked pretty ready out there on the battlefield" the commander commented and left the room. He knew that the elders wanted the authority to run the Kingdom, but for now, he would protect the princess with his life. Commander Saba was the only one who the princess could trust.

Meanwhile, Princess Cassia went to train on the training grounds. She could not get the Shadow King's look out of her mind, the way he killed her captain and the words he spoke to her, "Until we meet again" he leered at her.

"The next time I face him, I will face him on the battlefield to ensure my people and Kingdom of Aspire are safe…. But how can I do that when I am not Queen or don't have power to do so!?" I said in anger fighting with my sword against the training mannequin.

Commander Saba's POV:

I was walking passed the elder council room and overheard their conversation to overthrow the throne and take over and kill Cassia. I swore to my good friend, King Vanir that his princess would be kept safe and from harm… I can't do that if these fools are in charge…. I have one thing to do…. I have to take matters in my own hands and take the princess out of the Kingdom… I thought to myself as I left stealthily out of the palace and found the princess at the training grounds. "Come with me!" I told her abruptly and told her as we both left the palace grounds without anyone noticing.

"Where are we going!?" the princess asked me confused. "We have to get you as far away from Aspire as possible, princess… I am sorry but the elders are planning to kill you and take over the throne. They will not allow you to be Queen until you are married, but they've taken this opportunity to take the throne for themselves. For now, we have to get you into exile somewhere until it is safe for you to return, princess… I promised my friend, your father that I would keep you safe and until then, this is the only way to keep you out of the palace until this all dies down and it is safe for you to return… for now, I will send you on the outskirts of the Kingdom where they have no power to do anything to you out of their jurisdiction of Aspire." I told her.

"And where exactly are you taking me?" she asked me, when suddenly, I got out some sleeping substance and put on a cloth and put it to her nose and mouth to inhale, "I am sorry" I said with sorrow as it put her to sleep.

I took her to a nearby tavern where I knew the tavern master owner, who took her in to his bed chambers and kept her safe, but unknown to me, that there was already someone in the room.

"Who goes there?!" I questioned in self defence protecting the princess.

"Well, well, well, who would have known I would expect to see your face again in a place like this" he grinned at me. "Who are you?" I questioned him. "We only fought on the battlefield not too long ago and you've forgotten my face?" he grinned at me as he sat on the chair in the corner of the room, it was dark and gloomy with only one glass window where you could see out, where the full moon was reflecting its' full raze its reflection seeped into the bedroom of this tavern upstairs.

I grasped when I saw who it was. "Your Majesty…. We mean you no harm…. I am only seeking refuge for her highness, princess Cassia…." I told him.

He looked at me and looked at the princess. "She is unconscious…. " The shadow King thought to himself. He got up out of his chair and walked towards the princess as she lay there sleeping on the bed. He crouched down and embraced her face tenderly, feeling her soft skin of her face with his fingers tenderly. He shook his head for a moment biting his lips in anger as he almost knew the situation that was transpiring for the young princess. He took a deep beath for a moment and said under his lips in his language softly, "Seems like we both have problems in both of our kingdoms, young Princess…." He said under his breath as he embraced her sleeping face.

Both the commander and the owner of the tavern had no idea what he said. There is an awkward moment of silence between the men for a moment as the Shadow King stood up and turned around to face the men in the room, standing in front of the princess' bed he declared boldly:

"I will take her…. Under my wing under my palace home in the shadow Kingdom, if you wish for your future Queen to be safe, I can take her and give her refuge in my Kingdom until…. Things settle down in yours, Commander…." He said with a stern expression on his face at commander Saba.

"What is it that you want in return?" I questioned him, knowing he had a price.

He grinned as he picked up the princess and took her in his arms. "I will cross that bridge when I come to it - to name my price, for now, I will shelter your princess in my Kingdom…. Do not be afraid, no harm will come to her in any way shape or form…." He told me taking her in his arms as he left the tavern, walking out with the princess in his arms.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him. He turned around and faced me, "to repay an old debt" he responded to me.

At that, I left the princess in the hands of the shadow King. I knew that he would not harm her, I just had a feeling that he wouldn't… he's not the type of man to hurt a woman, rumors are around the countries that he is a man of many women and he's no exception…. She will be safe for now…. so I returned to the Kingdom of Aspire to try and sort things out back home. – End of POV

The Princess was now in the hands of the Shadow King. What was his goal?

The Shadow King now had the Princess of the Kingdom of Aspire on his hands. He took her in his horse and carriage under the cover of night. "Looks like you have another woman tonight, sire" his trusted servant said to him, commanding the horses and carriage. "Something like that Albius" he told his servant, and returned to the Shadow Kingdom, where the princess would find refuge under the safety of the Shadow King in his Kingdom from the hands of the elder council who wanted her dead. This was one battle that she would have to face alone.