“All hail the Queen.”

That haunting echo kept resounding in my mind, tormenting me. Just as much as my families ghosts.

I am the new queen.

I do not understand the magic that chose me, the magic that murdered my family when i was chosen, or the magic that ties me to this throne for the rest of my life.

I do not understand why the ancient council bound all of us—the people—to this cruel nightmare.

I am not saying our kingdom isn’t prosperous, isn’t happy. Honestly, most of the time no one even remembers that our monarch is not there willingly, is all alone. No one ever remembers.

No one will remember me.

This is an entire different world, i’ve been shoved into.

My new life is crying in the dark, feeling nothing in the light. I have chose my advisors. They all tell me, it is time for me to go to court. To play the game of red-lipped smiles and bloody knifes. For me though? Just something that will eat away at my soul.

My new ladies maid woke me up at dawn today. She was very kind and apologetic about it as i tried to wake up.

I leave for court today.

I leave for the devils, the backstabbers, the pretty smiles and cunning smirks.

I always found it strange how our kingdom had an entire castle in it, when all of the monarchs spent most of their time in the Hills.

It’s almost like a childhood fantasy come true—the Hills were a legend to all of the children when i was young. We had our village storyteller, she told us many stories, one of them of the Hills. A place where ancient angels, devils and gods stayed on earth.

I sat in the carriage in my blood red dress, matching my lips that hugged my body. I saw my face in the reflection of a river we stopped along. Gaunt features, dead eyes. I can only imagine i looked just as dead as we came into view of towering black peaks glinting with malice. My new home.

As the carriage pulled away, i slowly looked up at the towering palace. My servants started moving forward with my few belongings, the ladies maid staying behind with me. I lifted my chin high, and started walking inside.

The second I stepped inside the noise becoming deafeningly loud and silent at the same time. I saw women in men in small scraps of fabric, i saw young women serving glasses of something glittering gold, and as if i had been dunked in cold water, everything cleared. I saw 6 individuals sitting in shocking thrones, people draped around them and in their laps. These were the kings and queens of the realm. These were my apparent equals.

My hands started shaking, even as i knew my face remained even. I tucked them behind the fold of my dress and tried to gain control of myself, my fear, as the music stopped. I felt their gazes turn to me and felt my cheeks start to pink. All eyes on me, i felt their piercing stares. The judgement, as the room stilled. A booming slithery voice, like a snake, came from a young man probably only a couple years older than me shouted out,

“So this is the new Queen.”

I tried to come up with a response, but all i could do was stand there and attempt to looked them in their guarded eyes. I knew this place was a place of darkness and secrets. I wouldn’t find ally’s here. This world…one of partying and music and loneliness and the danger…it wasn’t a world i knew…it wasn’t a world i could navigate on my own. But i did not have any other option, did i? A sultry voice came from a ruby throne. “Well, let us give our new Queen a Hills welcome shall we?”

Murmurs sounded throughout the room.

“All hail the Queen.”

The echo reverberated on the walls. It seemed more like a mockery than a welcome to me. A servant behind me point to a vacant throne. Oh god. I have a throne. I would have to sit up there, play the part that all of the other played, the heartless ruler.

“I suppose it is time to begin now.” Another King with flat emerald eyes said blankly.

Confusion simmered inside me. I cleared my throat quietly before asking, “Begin what?”

Smirks, from all the high and mighty Highnesses. They started explaining, almost finishing each others sentences, their thoughts.

“There is indeed something you do not know, you are the final piece of the puzzle.”

“It is time for your trials to start.”

“There will be seven trials of virtues.”

“You either live, or you die.”

“If you die, well then, you were not fit for the throne anyway, we’re you?”

“If you survive all of them, you will earn your throne.”

“If you die, the process begins again with someone else.”

Panic rose in my throat. Trials? No one told me about trials, about fighting to the death, about fighting for my life. No one attempted to prepare me for this world i am being thrust into. I did not want to be here, do this but i did not want to die. I did want my family’s deaths to be nothing, mean nothing. I sucked in a breath and met each of their stares. A world of danger, unfamiliarity await. This was just the beginning.

One of them must have sensed my resolve, for she announced a increasing ominous declaration with an awful glint in her eyes.

“Let the games begin.”