Trapped in a Queen's body

King Evander was sitting on a wingback chair in a sitting room on the fourth floor of a Castle of a Kingdom that he conquered a few days ago. Everything was intact, he made sure his men knew that blood can be washed off but walls and treasures will take time to be replaced and he does not like staying in broken down castles. Most of the kingdom was destroyed, and King Evander knew that soon his new subjects will starve to death since the farmlands were already destroyed at the start of this war.

The sitting room opened to the balcony where the royal family use to go out and see their subjects on special occasions.

King Evander knew that the only way to get his new subjects to respect him was if he has a queen by his side, their beloved Princess Carena Valentina. In front of him, his knees touching her, his large frame towering in front of her, where she sat tied up on a common chair with sidearms. King Evander’s prominent steel blue eyes swept over her porcelain white skin, wondering, ‘how is her hair so dark but her skin so fair?’

King Evander swept a piece of her ebony dark brown hair out of her face, his fingers brushing over her smooth, smooth skin, appearing even lighter under his own natural brown skin. He put the piece of hair behind her ear and brushed his thumb over her cheekbones down to her rosy plump lips, resting it there for a moment.

‘She is still so young, so pure. Pure? Mmm, I wonder if the rumors are true?’ King Evander thought to himself, tracing his fingers down her neck to her full breast that was almost spilling out of her sweetheart neckline dress that had pearls arranged on lace trimming that ran over her shoulders.

King Evander traced his finger from the swell of her chest to her collar bone and over the lace strap to her shoulder, down her arm, stopping for a moment at the restraints, noticing that there was a little bit of bruising on her porcelain skin. He ignored it and traced his fingers to her elegant fingers.

‘Was she about to get married?’ King Evander wondered why she was wearing a white dress. ‘Her parents should have just agreed to have her marry me then they would still be alive,’ he thought, listening to the crowd outside.

“Time to wake up princess,” King Evander puts his fingers under her chin and brings her face up before tapping her lightly, almost scared he will break her if he touches her too hard.

Iris opened her eyes and met the King’s eyes. She gasps as she knew who he was. Her family fled from his kingdom before she turned ten. The word called it the Kingdom of Slaves. She looked around in fear, wondering what she is doing in the castle. Her eyes fell on her tied-down wrist, thinking, ‘oh no, he is going to make me his bed slave.’

“Hello, my princess,” King Evander said, his voice deep and easy on the ears.

“Princess?” Iris questions, pulling her face to the side, away from his hand.

“Soon to be my Queen,” King Evander said.

“Queen?” Iris asked, confused thinking the king was mad.

“Don’t be so shocked. I kept you alive for a reason,” King Evander said.

Iris thinks about the wish she made to be a Princess a few nights ago when she thought it was a joke but made it in any way as she had nothing to lose; her family was already without food and nothing to eat. An enchantress gave her a mirror that had a gold frame around it and told her, “when you hear the bell in the tower ring three times announcing the death of the King and Queen, that is when you should wish to be a princess and I promise you that your wish will come true.”

“If you refuse to marry me then I will let your people starve to death,” the King’s voice brought her back to reality.

“My people?” Iris asked.

“Your subjects,” King Evander corrects himself.

“My subjects?” Iris asked, wiggling her wrist.

“The blow to your head must have given you a concussion,” King Evander said.

“I assure you I am no princess. I am a common servant girl from a village on the outskirts of the Kingdom,” Iris stuttered.

King Evander bent forward, his eyes looking straight into her almond-shaped, jade green eyes, “I have many portraits of many princesses around the world and there are only one with eyes like yours. My scouts would have reported to me if there was a common girl that looked like you, Princess Cerena Valentine.”

“M, -m, my name is Iris, your majesty,” she stuttered.

King Evander raise his hand and was about to slap her when he stops in front of her face, “I cannot ruin your face but if you try to take me for a fool again, I will hurt you where it will leave no marks.”

Tears started to form in Iris's eyes, not fully grasping yet that her wish came true. King Evander stood up and walked over to a side table against a wall that was beautifully decorated with flower outlines and picked up a large jewelry box and walked over to Iris. He stood to the side of her and opened the box but she held her head down, tears dripping onto her white dress.

“Look at it,” he demanded her to look at what was in the box.

Iris looks over and her eyes are greeted by a beautiful choker-type neckless with diamonds all around it. A bracelet that is out of silver that looked more like it should go round the writs of a man.

“I had it made especially for you. Do you like it?” King Evander asked, dropping the jewelry box on her lap before taking out the bracelet and clamping it across his wrist. King Evander takes the choker out of the box and walked around to Iris's back and fastened the choker around her neck.

Before he untied her wrist, he attached a chain to the choker, but Iris did not realize it.

“I am going to untie you now and if you dare to run, I promise you, you will regret it. Do you understand me?” King Evander asked with a firm tone.

Iris shook her head that she understood.

“I have never broken a promise in my life,” he warned her as he untied her wrist.

Iris did not remove her wrist from the side arms of the chair.

“Now shall we show our subjects that you are alive and well?” King Evander asked, holding out a large hand for her to take.

Iris lifted her hand from the chair, shaking.

King Evander took her hand, “as long as you don’t try to run and know your place you have nothing to be afraid of.”

Iris managed to find her feet and only realized then that she was wearing a white dress, the same white dress the princess was wearing a few nights ago.

Iris felt her knees buckle but King Evander wrapped his arm around her and kept her up, “pull yourself together. You should be happy I don’t make you my slave instead.” He walked her over to the balcony doors and taped on the doors.

The doors got opened by two guards that stood outside on the balcony, like every other balcony of the castle at the time.

The people's shouts of anger change into cheers of joy when they saw the princess.

“Wave at your subjects,” he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her back.

Iris looked around, bewildered, searching for a way to escape. She looked back into the room and realized, ‘unless I want to die; I have no choice but to run back into the room and hopefully outrun the King and his guard?’