How stupid are they?  I think as I storm across the hall. They let in a sissy, stupid princess. And they have the NERVE to say i’m jealous of her! I hear them reassure her from the room she’s kept in. As if SHE needs to be reassured. They don’t take me seriously, no one does.

The king appointed personally appointed but they still call me a child, not only that but a girl. How dare they mock me! I am much more competent than any of those idiots. Who cares where I come from or if i’m a girl? Those idiots wouldn’t care who I was or if i’m filthy rich. They’ll never take me seriously because i’m a girl. I storm across the hallway and into the King’s office. I stomp in and slam the door shut. The King looks startled, he’s never seen me this mad.

“What were you thinking, letting her in! She could be a spy!” I yell at him. He looks taken aback. Then his face goes red and he yells, “I will not have anyone question me! Not even my generals, and especially not you. Try earning some respect before you start acting like you matter!”

My face heats up and turns red.

Behind me a hear a person clear their throat, “Ahem, sorry to bother, but I brought in some stuff for your… um.. Oh wait… uh, uh…. Nothing!” I turn around to smile at Gretel. She’s stepping in a the herbalist after Albus retired. She’s always so shy, I would say she’s around thirteen. But something always seems forced about her and she always seems jumpy. She scurries around me and places a basket on the King’s desk. She stares at me with wide eyes for a moment, then drags me out. I hear the King’s chuckle behind me. Everyone loves Gretel.

“Follow me” she says and walks quickly down the hall. I tail her small physique. She drags me to the small hut that they use as the herbery and sits me down in a old wooden chair. “You can’t go around like that. You keep your head down and proving yourself can come later. Don’t think about defying the king.” She shoves a basket in my hands and shoves me out.

I walk over to William’s office, he usually helps with these kinds of things. I open the door and look in. As usual he’s buried in a book on his desk. I grin and knock on the wall next to me. He looks up and grins back. Then he looks thoughtful, “Hey, did you hear about that princess? I heard they found her collapsed in the dark forest. I personally would have put her in the dungeon to be interrogated, but you know father.” He sighs, then motions to the seat across from him.

I walk over and sit down, “You know, I think you would make a better king than him. He wants me to use old tactics out from centuries ago.”

“Well, not much I can do now. Anyway father thinks i’m helping you with the plans, but i’m sorry to say that i’m actually reading up on our enemy. Although it’s kind of weird that I can’t find too much.”

“I’m have to go now, more work to do. I have so much work, the other generals just lounge around all day.” I roll my eyes.

“Well, then he must know your the best of the best.” He smiles warmly, “Now get moving.”

For the past couple of days I’ve been trying to develop a strategy, manage resources, and get our soldiers in shape. Nothing’s working.

I stalk across the floor to the King’s office for a strategy and update meeting. Once I get there, I sit down randomly and take out my reports and papers.

Finally, the meeting begins. We spend the next few hours going over past strategies and new ones and putting them together, along with going over progress on the soldiers. We have five hundred new trainees, and our new shipment of armour and weapons came in this morning.

Once the meeting is over, I go back to my room, which means trudging halfway across the palace. I open the door and walk into my room and slump onto the chair in front of my tiny, rickety desk. Even as a general, being younger than everyone else and being a girl still means little respect and poor conditions. My room is the same as the servant quarters, only in a different wing. But I make do. I look around and spot a package on my desk. I pick it up and pull out a note.

Alexis

The bracelet is a gift. I hope you like it. It can be very useful. I hope you use it wisely. Many people have not.