Replacement CEO

- It's a girl! The future queen is born!

The doctors and nurses were happy to achieve a successful birth. Princess Miriam's birth process lasted long hours, as complications arose due to her fragile health and small body.

The baby weighed around four kilos, which was too much for the young princess's physical build. Because of that, he lost his strength and began to gradually weaken.

Her husband, Prince Roger, was more attentive to his wife's health than to the birth of his daughter. And noticing that his eyes were slowly closing, he called the royal doctor:

- Fast! It is leaving!

But Miriam, taking him by the hand, said in a weak voice:

- No. Leave it. It's too late.

- Don't say that, my wife! – Rogelio sobbed – What will become of the kingdom if you leave? Please hold on, my love!

One of the doctors, seeing that Princess Miriam's heart rate was decreasing, quickly prepared the resuscitation equipment to reactivate the heartbeat.

- Princess Leonor will be the one to inherit the throne, darling – Miriam continued, now barely whispering due to her weakness – And that's why... love... I ask you to take care of her for me... until she is old enough to be... the queen. …

Rogelio continued sobbing, but nodded his head in silence. He felt helpless because he could only look at her. Little by little, his wife's hand released him, until he fell heavily to the edge of the bed.

- I... you... to...

The heartbeat stopped and the princess breathed her last. The doctor applied electricity to her body to revive her, while the prince did not stop calling her, begging her to return to his side.

But everything was useless. Princess Miriam was dead.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………..

The princess's tomb was located in a plot at the back of the palace, where the kings and queens of the past who were at the head of the Northern kingdom for generations were also buried.

The nobles, bourgeois, commoners and other royals were there, saying goodbye to who would have been the next successor to the throne while they debated what the future of the nation held, without a queen available to command.

- Princess Leonor is just a baby. It would be absurd if they named her queen with just a couple of hours of life!

- Yes, but since Queen Abigail and Princess Miriam disappeared it was the best option... Who else could it be? If it weren't for the king falling ill, we would be more relieved. Do we only have… her left?

- No! Don't even mention her! That woman is worse than the devil!

- Don't say that! Although it pains us, we must admit that Princess Jade is the only option... at least until the crown princess turns eighteen as the law dictates.

- It will be eighteen long years of oppression and hell. I'm sure about that!

While the members of the court argued among themselves, a few meters from the tomb stood Princess Jade, who was wearing a black dress with a high collar and long sleeves. The young woman enjoyed a singular beauty due to her long black hair and enormous honey-colored eyes. Her twin sister, on the other hand, was blonde, with skin as pale as candle wax and she wore a gentle expression that made her sympathize with everyone.

Jade shed a couple of tears as she looked at her late sister. He ignored all the malicious conversations of the nobles and proceeded to join his hands in prayer, while thinking:

“Since I was little, I was always the 'replacement princess.' And all because I was born a couple of hours after my twin. But I will show all those idiots at court that I am worthy of occupying the throne and even surpassing my own mother. And I know perfectly well where to start.”

He approached Prince Rogelio who, at that moment, was crying profusely over his wife's coffin. He grabbed his shoulder to get his attention and said:

- I need to talk with you.

Rogelio stopped crying and followed his sister-in-law.

Despite his sadness, he was intrigued to know what Princess Jade wanted from him since, during all that time he lived in the palace as her husband, his sister-in-law never paid attention to him. She even acted as if she didn't exist, because she was always immersed in her own affairs. So the first thing he thought was that, possibly, he would throw him out of the palace since he would consider that nothing tied him to that place.

And generally, the husband of a princess or queen had almost no contact with the children they had together because his only function was to “plant the right seed.” The children were raised by tutors or nannies specially trained to educate the future kings or dukes of the nation, without giving them the chance to choose their destiny.

However, Rogelio was different. He did want to take care of the girl and not only because she was his daughter, but because he promised his wife, on her deathbed, would that he protect her with his life.

Both princes went to an empty room and, there, the young woman said:

- I am aware of how disturbed you are now, brother-in-law. Losing the love of your life has to be one of the most painful things a human being can experience... or so they told me. I've never been in love.

- It saddens me to see that you are worried about my well-being, your highness – Rogelio told him, apathetically – but I swear that I will know how to pull myself together. My wife may no longer be in this world, but in exchange she gave me a treasure that I want to keep until my turn comes to leave by her side: our daughter. And, therefore, I will do whatever it takes to remain in this palace. I won't let them take her away from me.