Royally Screwed

"I'm honestly getting tired of that wretched boy," Jamie hissed through her teeth as she and her husband walked through the halls of Parliament from their little meeting. Her head had been aching from thinking ever since all the consorts for Vic were scared away by the idiot prince so quickly. Gone. Course Jamie just knew the prince would find someway to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Those blithering idiots she placed to stall were finicky and absolutely will not put up with the chaos that Prince Vic finds delightful whether his little 'princess' was there or not. She scowled at the thought of the boy, wide-eyed and innocent with tender voice and caring hands. Her fists balled and her teeth clenched, "How long are we supposed to wait for Parliament to sign the papers for impeachment?"

"We have the copies right here," her husband said, patting the briefcase that held the documents and she nodded.

Jaime was an absolute buffoon for thinking he could get away with locking the boy up in that disgusting tower his father had given him. Jaime never fully thought things through. He didn't deserve any kind of royal title, that was for sure. An egghead like him, Jamie thought, deserved to just stay and be the family's doll; looks admired and everything else ignored.

So that's why Jamie had other things planned for Vic's adorable little princess. Her men should be back anytime now and Kellin Quinn should be sitting pretty in her mansion like a present when she gets home. She thought of a plan to get rid of that insolent child once and for all so that the prince would have absolutely no choice but to marry her idiot cousin, Jaime. And then, she smiled widely at the thought of it, the crown will be relinquished to her and she and her husband will rule Miridia just like they always wanted. Just like they've always dreamed of.

However, her daydream was interrupted. She furrowed her eyebrows, placing a well manicured hand to her temple at the sound of annoying screams in the main hall. Two people were shouting and shouting for someone to help them, Jamie hearing the American-born accent in their voice and groaned. She was getting sick of all these tourists coming to her country all because 'Prince Kellin' was of American blood. She was getting sick of all this nonsense, she was getting sick of all the ignorance and idiots around her, she was getting sick of Kellin.

"We demand to speak to someone now! About my stepson! Kellin Quinn!" the man shouted and Jamie paused in her place, eyes widening with apprehension. Stepson? Kellin? She turned, tugging her husband alongside her as she approached the two Americans with a well bred air of elegance and smile coming to her red, red lips.

"Stepson, you say?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, I'm James McDougall and I request that my stepson be returned back home to America with me," he said sternly and Jamie looked at her husband with intrigued eyes before back to the man and what the duchess assumed was his daughter glaring.

"Are you his legal guardian?" she asked and Mr. McDougall crossed his arms.

"Yes, can you help us or not?" he asked and she smiled but then began to frown. She remembered seeing some documentation about the committee finishing up on Kellin's citizenship, her frown getting harder.

"I would like to help greatly, but your stepson is practically a citizen here and can not be taken out of the country so easily," she said with a sneer and the girl turned to her father with angry eyes.

"It's all your fault! I wanted to become the princess and now Kellin is taking it all away from me! You should have given him up for adoption the moment that woman died! None of this would be happening if you did! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" she screamed and Jamie raised an eyebrow. What a distasteful spoiled little brat. But she hummed, "A princess, you say? You must have blue blood status though in order to become His Highness' queen consort," Jamie pointed out and the girl turned to face her, eyes dark and angry.

"McDougalls do! Count Frederik of Odense! He married a woman and had children and their first born daughter married a man named William McDougall, his blood runs through our veins! I am a princess! I am, I am, I am!" she shouted and Jamie closed her eyes. What an annoying little girl but at the same time, a possibly useful one too.

"Of course you are, darling. But we will have to check to see if that is true."

"It is!"

"Of course, of course. . .maybe perhaps, you can become a princess and my husband here just so happens to be His Highness' new advisor after his old one quit. His work as advisor starts tomorrow, in fact." Her eyes widened at the thought and Jamie smiled, her idea and a new, better plan beginning to brew in her mind, "Yes, you're perfect. Strong and won't fall so easily to any tricks. Do you have etiquette training?"

"Yes, since she was a girl," Mr. McDougall commented with a smile and Jamie smiled as well.

"I wouldn't have known that, she seems like such an angel I thought she was born with it," Jamie flattered and the two grinned. Idiots, right in her palm. "Oh yes, yes. You're perfect. . .and I'll give my recommendation for you as well. . .only, there's one thing I'm afraid," Jamie said with a sad sigh and the girl began to frown.

"What? What is it?"

"Well, most girls don't know this when they try to become a consort but once you are one, it's dreadfully boring. All work and no fun and I wouldn't want to let a young lady like yourself be cooped up in a palace all day doing boring things. But. . .I might be able to do something about it. You marry the prince and get everything, the jewels, the palace, the fame while I can handle all of that boring business things like that. Treaties and laws, they're just so boring," Jamie said with a hand wave and smile while the girl looked at her with raised eyebrow. ". . .You won't take my offer? Well then-"
"Oh no! I will! I will! I want to become a princess!" she shouted and Jamie smiled, extending her hand out for the girl to shake it and the teenager took it firm in her grasp. "I'm Jenna."

"Jamie Preciado and my husband," the duchess introduced, the Duke taking the young girl's hand to politely kiss and she gave a smile, eyes eager and determined. Jamie clasped her hands together, "Come on then, we have places to go if we want you to be a princess. There's customs and oh, follow me down this hall right here so that way we can work out paperwork-"

"What about my stepson?" Mr. McDougall asked and Jamie smiled.

"He won't be a problem once we're done. Matter of fact, if things turn out well, you won't ever have to deal with him again."

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He woke up with his head pounding, opening his eyes but it still felt like they were shut because all he could see was black. How long has he been out? Where exactly was he? And now suddenly, all he wanted to do was forget about what Vic did and run back into his strong, familiar arms. He was a bit dizzy, and he was lying on what he thought was a bed. Whose bed was this?

Light flooded the room when the door opened and a switch was turned on. His head automatically snapped up and he saw a tall, built man come in with a tray of food. The man set it down in front of him. A plate of hash browns and vegetables, scrambled eggs and two plump sausage links and a glass of iced tea. It looked delicious and Kellin was absolutely starving from not eating in so long and he wanted to scarf down all this food but-

"Where am I?"

The man grunted and said, "Zack. And I'm not allowed to speak to you."

"Will you let me go?"

"No. You leave when Jamie says," he said gruffly and Kellin's eyes widened.

"Jamie? Jamie Preciado?" he asked because he remembered that name. He remembered what Sierra said about her want of the crown and her being cunning and devious.

"Yes," Zack said curtly and turned to leave and the sound of the door's closing was louder than Kellin would have liked.

Jamie Preciado. Just what did she want with him? Jamie had to be planning something but what? He looked at the door again, getting up and jiggling the knob. Locked, just like he assumed and he sighed. He instead turned to his food and ate slower than he imagined he would have. It's just cause- so many things were running through his head with Jamie taking him and Vic shooting Jaime and how much he didn't care anymore about that because all he wanted to do was run back to Vic where all his problems disappeared. His head pounded from everything and the only thing that could make it all go away was Vic's arms around his waist, making him feel warm just like the breeze that he felt in the room after he finished eating the food on his tray.

Wait, what?

Kellin looked to where it was coming from and he just noticed now but there was an open door in this room leading out to a small balcony and what if he could escape through here? He hurriedly went out and looked down from the balcony and wow. It's. . .it's a very long way down and it made Kellin sick just looking at the ground of the neat lawn below so far from him so he just looked straight ahead, giving up on his plan to escape through the balcony and just opted to look at the view.

It was deep into the night indeed. The stars twinkled above him and the moon was almost a full one. He could see the little houses littering the landscape and there, standing out completely, he could see the palace. It was tall and glittering and looked amazing. His heart ached to go back. To Sierra. To Jean. To Tony and Kim. To Vic. Vic who he still loved so much despite what he did. To Vic who he would take back without hesitation if he came bursting into the doors right now.

The door opened, Kellin quickly turning to see Zack walking back in with stone expression on his face like usual. "Time to go," he said and Kellin walked back inside the bedroom, kicking the doors to the balcony closed as he looked at the guard confused.

"Go where?" Kellin asked and Zack turned, beginning to walk out of the bedroom and Kellin began to follow. The guard continued to walk out of the bedroom with Kellin following, the hallway quiet and empty except for the two of them. They continued left, making a right and then another left as they approached a set of stairs.

"Where are we going?" Kellin asked and Zack didn't respond, only climbing the stairs. Kellin gave a huff, "Zack?"

"Quiet," he growled and Kellin pursed his lips, heart beating in nerves as they reached the top of the staircase and all that was there was an old wooden door. He gave it two knocks before it opened, allowing Kellin to walk inside first and Kellin glanced at the guard's face for any signs as to where they were going but there were none. He gulped, walking inside the small space as Zack closed the door behind him. It was a writing room, but it was black. Black walls and black ceiling, the room was dark and there were no windows, only small oil lamps along the walls. And seated at a desk with papers in a neat stack along with an oil well and quill was Jamie, the Duchess giving Kellin a red lipstick smile.

"Hello there," she cooed and Kellin stepped back, only bumping into Zack's front and the guard pushed him forward as Jamie got up. Kellin tried to not look worried, tried to not look afraid and sucked in a breath, "What do you want?"

Her eyes widened and she gave a little smile, "Ooh, are you trying to fight with me before I even tell you my business? Tsk-tsk, wouldn't become a good consort at all if you don't listen," she chided and Kellin growled. She walked over, picking up papers and holding them close to her chest as she sauntered forward, sway in her hips and playful smile on her lips, "Do you know what these are?" she asked and Kellin shook his head, hands gripping into tight fists and standing his ground as her eyes glistened. "Papers for impeachment."

"I-Impeachment?" Kellin stuttered out and she smiled.

"Why yes. His Highness has become too disruptive and chaotic, don't you think? It'll be much more easier and faster to impeach him and make sure the crown never will get into his hands. And then me and my husband shall take over and spare Miridia of the burden that is Prince Victor," she said with a bright smile and Kellin reached out to take the papers but she held them behind her back, "Oh no no, even if you do anything to these papers, they're only a copy and the official ones are down at Parliament to be looked over, considered and voted on and I assure you a majority vote to impeach is at the snap of my fingers."

"Why are you doing this? Why can't you just leave us alone and accept that you lost?" Kellin asked and Jamie gave an annoyed roll of the eyes.

"I didn't lose, Preciados don't lose. I have been waiting for this moment ever since Jaime was that arrogant little child planned to marry the prince for me to take the crown and I'll admit, the news of your arrival at first amused me." She gave a small laugh, "A silly little American boy becoming a consort, how ridiculous. Then, your presence started to become annoying. Left and right people were talking about you, how kind and loving and other sweetly sickening things about you that were simply idiotic." Jamie stepped forward, grabbing Kellin's chin and her nail dug into his skin as he winced, "And now. . .now you're really beginning to tick me off."

Kellin felt the nail swipe and scratch, cut forming on his chin as she placed her thumb on it to stop the blood flow and hold Kellin in his place, "However, I'm a woman of business and I have a proposition for you. I'll stop the impeachment process, I'll stop it. . .if you leave."

"Leave?" Kellin asked and Jamie smiled, removing her hand to wrap an arm around Kellin shoulder's. His hand went to hold his chin, feeling the small cut on his chin and the blood as she began to speak, "Yes, leave. To America, to another part of Miridia, I don't care where you go just leave. You won't come into contact with the Royal Family, you won't see them, you walk out of their lives and live your own, do you understand?"

"How do I know you'll keep your word if I do so?" Kellin questioned and she smiled.

"If I was going to continue with the impeachment, I wouldn't have told you. Would have been more enjoyable seeing your dumbfounded faces when His Highness was stripped of his titles." Kellin broke away from the woman at that, looking at her with a disgusted and angry face as she gave a scoff.

"Well? Do we have a deal?"

Kellin looked at Zack, the guard looking with no expression visible before back at the duchess eyeing him. "Don't you see what good you'll be doing if you're out of the picture for His Highness to finally choose to step up and be a good king? You know he'll give up his titles if he gets to be with you but you know that isn't the 'responsible' thing. Do you think you'll be a good lover to His Highness by taking him away from his people? By getting him thrown onto the streets with no money and no food, especially with winter approaching?" she asked, approaching Kellin and wrapping an arm around him, her lips on his ear,

"Imagine it, the prince dressed all in rags and nothing but a dirty scraggly bum, begging for the lowest of change to feed you since of course he'll choose you over his own health. It'll be so hard to find a job for the both of you since everyone is trying to fight for work to bring something home to their loved ones for Christmas. Her Majesty can not help you survive for long, your stepfather can't do anything for you for being so disobedient and the citizens that once flocked to you in love will turn away because you are nothing but a fad passing through. Without that fairy tale dream of Cinderella, you are nothing. Both of you are in the snow on the streets, cold and hungry, nothing but skin and bones and prepared to die of starvation or of the cold just as all the poorest of poor do every winter. But hey, at least you have love."

The word sounded so horrible and hissed, Kellin wincing at the horrible image of him and Vic dead on the streets in each others' arms. "You say you love Prince Victor, prove it. You say you love Miridia, prove it," she said and Kellin looked down at the ground. She. . .was right. . . "Do we have a deal? I don't have time for you to stand around with that silly look on your face," she snapped and Kellin closed his eyes, sticking his hand out.

She laughed, "I don't do handshakes, I do signatures." Kellin opened his eyes, Jamie pulling him to the desk and grabbed the quill, pushing forward a piece of paper. Kellin tried to read just what it was but she snapped her fingers, "Hurry it up, we don't have time. Those Parliament members are going to be voting-"

"Okay!" Kellin shouted, signing his name fast and quick, looking to the woman with worried eyes, "Now go down there and tell them to stop!"

She smiled, taking the paper and gently pushing Kellin down into the chair, snapping her fingers and hearing Zack move around behind him. Kellin turned to see what the guard was doing but Jamie grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her red smile and dark eyes, "I wish I knew what goes on in that little mind of yours, what gives you that ability to hope and keep wishing when it is obvious you will lose. Hmm. . ." she rubbed her thumb over his cut chin and cocked her head, "Guess I'll never know since we'll never see each other again. Oh! And your stepfather and stepsister said 'Hello'."
Kellin's eyes widened. James and Jenna, oh no they weren't here were-

A cloth slammed over his face, Zack's big hand holding it tight and Kellin screamed but the sound was muffled. The smell was sickening and Kellin was growing woozy, Zack's other hand holding his shoulder and making sure Kellin inhaled everything he could. He could barely see Jamie's face, the chloroform making his mind haze as he heard her give a little giggle, "Of course you understand, only precaution to make sure you don't come back. You don't trust me to carry out my end of the deal, why should I trust you to carry out yours? Only business, my little Princess. Or maybe I should say my Sleeping Beauty?"

Kellin couldn't respond, swaying to the left and Zack caught him before he could fall, the boy deep in sleep.