awww thank you so much shroom! (; if you enjoy the cute sister bonding moments, just know there will be more in future chapters... 
Chapter 10
She then got out of her bathroom and went into her bedroom, rifling through the dress she had been wearing until she found the small note tucked into the frilly sleeve. Future Your Majesty Sara, I told my parents about Kaia and she’s in trouble now. I’d assume her punishment will be something along the lines of no parties for a month, extra time studying and maybe sending you a letter of her deepest apologies. She seems pretty regretful, if you were wondering. Hopefully you can have it in your heart to forgive her because although she can definitely be dreadful, she didn’t mean it. Anyway, the reason I wanted to give you this was because I wanted to give you a personal invitation for a party for my parent’s 25th anniversary. Your father will get the formal invitation, but I figured you’d see this first. Saludos, Arthur Sara blinked. A dance? What an idiot. She thought, rolling her eyes, but she was unable to suppress the soft smile blossoming on her lips. Sara didn’t feel very tired, so she opted to curl up in her fancy armchair by the window. Where had Arthur’s sudden interest in her come from? She couldn’t help but wonder. He seemed so curious and… Open. Even more important, what was she going to do about the papers? Would people see the harsh editorial? Did people agree with it? Did they really think Sara was that unfit for the role of queen? She had spent thousands of hours practicing and learning - Surely she would make a better queen than whatever A could do. Sara fumed, her skin prickling angrily. She felt like her ego had taken a huge blow. She had never really considered the fact that the people might not actually have liked her - She just assumed they would. Hundreds of people had done the 17 Years Speech before her and done fine. Why hadn’t she? Had she not put in enough effort? Sara shuddered as another thought popped into her jumbled mind. What if she simply just wasn’t what they wanted? That would be stupid. Sara contradicted herself immediately. Of course she was what they wanted in a queen. She was the embodiment of a good queen - everyone said so, and she knew it herself. Doubting her ability just because of some especially cruel editorial that no one would even see was not what a good queen would do. Just then, out of nowhere, was the sound of a gunshot. Instinctively, Sara leapt to her feet and half-ran to her door, hand above the doorknob just as the door burst open from the outside. Sara’s hands automatically snapped up, her years of combat training perked. However, it was only a pair of guards, one of which had his cap lopsided. “Princess! It’s an attack. We’re not sure of anything yet, but we need to get you out of here and to a safe spot. Now.” One of them said urgently, hand on the hilt of his rifle. Sara only nodded, expression set but her throat feeling like it had closed up. The guards each took one of her sides as they all ran out of Sara’s room and down the halls, hissing into their radios for backup to safely transport the princess. Sara felt like it was a dream. She didn’t process what was happening as more and more gunshots rang out around the castle, her shoulders tightening at each one. What about Krisha and Aliya? Were they safe? Just as the three turned a corner, they came face-to-face with a big, burly man. He had short cropped blonde hair and wore plain clothes. Sara and her guards, as well as the man all came to an abrupt stop. A flash of surprise blinked across his face. And then Sara saw his hand dart to his gun. “Get down!” The guard on her left barked, grabbing Sara’s arm to drag her down with him as the other guard aimed and fired at the man. The man was hit right in the forehead. He collapsed almost instantly, eyes wide with shock. Sara felt her heart in her throat. She was in such shock that it took her another moment to realize the guard that had shot at the man was on the floor, hacking out coughs with a hand clutched tight to his shoulder. Blood seeped through the gaps between his fingers, and his face was slick with sweat. The other soldier stared at the injured soldier from where he was still crouched on the floor with Sara, looking pained. He didn’t say a word, unmoving for a few seconds as the injured soldier took a few more wheezing breaths, then fell silent. The soldier beside Sara dipped his head, then swiftly got upright to his feet. “I apologize, ma’am.” He held out his hand for her. “We must hurry, the safe place isn’t too far away now.” Sara was stone still for a moment, eyes fixed in horror on the body of the blood soaked soldier. He had given his life for her? Even after the apparent flop of her 17 Years Speech? Sara felt her heart warm a bit. Officer Mills, she read from his nametag on his deep navy blue uniform. After a second, she pried her gaze from the body and turned to the upright soldier and his held out hand. Instead of taking it, she got to her feet herself, a hand against the wall for balance. The soldier didn’t seem surprised, instead taking his hand back to adjust his hold on his gun. “Let’s go, Sir.” She ordered softly, clearing her throat when her voice came out slightly hoarse. “Of course. Come now, we must be fast,” The soldier urged, and the two sprinted down the hall, Sara’s heels clacking noisily through the silent halls. It was then, only, that the full extent of what had happened started to settle in, along with an overwhelming sense of dread. It was painfully clear what the reason for the attack was - Sara’s failure of her speech, according to some of the papers. Officer Mills and probably other innocent soldiers had already died because of her.
