Perfect Flaws

2. Battles all alone

Rhea

I've been taught to walk confidently and be better than the kings and queens before you. But the funniest thing about that is I don't know how a queen walks, I don't know how to be a confident and tough ruler.

For years, I've been a loving sister to my citizens, I've been that best friend you can count on, and hang out with. I feel as if I am a civilian around these walls, meeting the royal family. But there isn't much left of the family, is there?

Walking to the office door, I'm stopped in my tracks. "Your Majesty," she bows, "may I clean the former king and queen's room?" a maid asks me. Former king and queen, my parents she means. I have no answer for her. They still haven't cleaned it?

"Uhm...No, I'd like to go through it myself first," I replied, waiting a second before hurrying into the office. Shutting and locking the door behind me, I hear her low-top heels stumbling away.
I can't deal with that, at least not at the moment.

Right now all I have is a file. Sure, I have a palace and workers. But all I have left of my parents is a file.

I slowly make my way behind my desk, staring at the cover.
How is this even going to help? I have no leads on who was after my parents. They kept me out of the loop with business. They didn't want me to have to deal with that stress.
Yet, I'm here with more than what they kept me away from.

I look down at my necklace. Holding two golden rings, one with an aquamarine jewel, the other plain. Their wedding rings. I'm grateful for their cautious mind. Thankfully when they went on business trips they left all jewelry at the palace, just for safety measures. Their wedding rings especially. They treasured the rings so much, for signifying their love, they never wanted to lose them.

2 weeks ago when they died, I put them on a necklace and haven't took it off. I don't plan to either.

Grabbing the file, I skim through the information. Deciding there is no significant information to help me with a lead, I go on the computer for the first time. I find there is a passcode. They never gave me a passcode. I tried their wedding date, no luck. Then my birthday. Second time scores.

Immediately I get slapped in the face with a huge photo of all three of us, in elegant gowns and a suit. My parents on their very well deserved thrones, and me proud to be standing near them.
Ignoring it as best as I can, I start clicking on the downloaded files. Reading for what feels like hours, I come across a few emails. Very discreet emails. I realize this was a threat to my parents, or me?

"Attend the year round Aepresea event, you have 48 hours before Rhea Windsor pays for your decisions. Ignore this message, and you wont ever see her again."

I freeze in place. Someone threatened them, by using me. They left, to save me.
I look at who sent the email. No good comes out of it, of course it's anonymous.
Aepresea Kingdom is where they were headed to, however, it's beyond far, you have to travel by boat, or in my parents' case, a ship. Did the King and Queen of Aepresea send this?

That doesn't make sense. A body guard here had a file on them. Yet there was an email telling them to go to Aepresea Kingdom.

I look through their business files, and see that Aepresea Kingdom never offered an agreement to unite with us. The last contact they had with us, implied they supported our decisions, but couldn't unite due to personal issues within their kingdom.

I log out of the computer, needing air. Leaving my office, I go to the nearest balcony.
Breathing in as much air as I could snatch. A suffocating feeling of revenge fills my body within one blink of an eye, guilt along with it. My parents had gone and risked their lives for mine, ending in death.