Chapter Text
Your majesty had mouthed off as she usually did. It was not uncommon for her; she had an attitude unrivaled within the kingdom. The problem laid, however, with exactly who she had mouthed off to. King Shadow Milk, the king of another land. One skilled in combat, who did not take such disrespect kindly. He had threatened war.
Fearing the consequences of her own actions, your queen scrambled to find a peace offering, and you had sought to soothe her nerves. You offered a simple idea; to send one of the kingdom's best servants to become the king's own. From the moment she smiled at you the way she had, you knew that you had made a mistake. Once your majesty made up her mind, there was no changing it. Your fate was sealed.
Despite the importance of the offering, you had selfishly hoped that the king would refuse it. Living out the rest of your life within a kingdom where you would never see your family and friends again... You would rather clean the stables for the next seven years than deal with that. But to your dismay, King Shadow Milk had accepted the offering, and you were given a meager two days to gather your belongings and say your goodbyes. As you placed item after item in the trunk that had been provided to you, a scowl grew upon your face. Sure, your life had never amounted to much. You were the most trusted servant of a foolish queen who got in trouble regularly. One who often took your advice, but never treated you any better than the rest of the castle staff. Just another face in the crowd. Another subject to heed her wishes.
But you had friends, family, lovingly crafted plans for the weekend... All of them, gone, all because you had to open your mouth and try to be helpful. There was a silent resentment towards yourself, one that you tried to push down.
It was frigid the morning of your departure, and of course, you were afforded no such luxury as an enclosed carriage. Just a simple cart, pulled by one horse, with your luggage unceremoniously dumped in the back. Just one more thorn digging into your side. One more reminder that despite your years of hard work, you truly meant nothing to them.
As you pulled the shawl around you closer, the place you had lived all your life disappearing in the distance, the resentment bubbled up again. Though now, it wasn't directed at yourself, but rather, the people who had put you in this position. And internally, you made yourself a promise; that you would never be their plaything again.