The replacement princess

- 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.

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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.

- I know – said Jade, showing a strange smile.

Rogelio swallowed. Princess Jade wasn't one to smile much, but when she did, it was simply because she was up to something strange. So he assumed that he would use one of his tricks to subdue him right there and, in the process, humiliate him for fun.

That was why he almost fell on his back when she said to him:

- I propose something to you: let's get married.

- That?

- Yes. I want us to get married – Jade repeated, while crossing her arms and looking at him in a very strange way, as if she were trying to convey to him an affection that she did not feel at all for him – right now, the court is discussing whether or not to grant me the position. Of successor to the throne. Under normal circumstances, it would be my niece who should take that place since she is part of the main direct line of succession to the throne. My mother disappeared and my father is sick, so I am the only option they have left - at that, his look turned sad, as if it really hurt him to lose his loved ones - I admit that I have a selfish reason for this but Also, I think it would be better for you to accept my proposal.

- And how would it benefit me to marry you, your highness? – Rogelio asked, narrowing his eyes.

Jade lowered her arms and slowly approached her brother-in-law. Then, he caressed his cheek and noticed that he became uncomfortable at this strange display of affection on his part.

"I have it at my feet!" Jade thought with a feeling of triumph. "Now all that remains is to aim at his weak side."

- If you marry me, you will keep your title of prince and you will be able to stay in the palace as many times as you want. Doesn't that excite you, dear brother-in-law? Continue enjoying your privileges and, at the same time, be close to your daughter?

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Across the ocean, hundreds of kilometers from the Northern kingdom, there was a small island where they built a prison for nobles and royals convicted of a crime. The idea was to prevent any possible ally from helping them escape to organize a coup against the crown out of a desire for revenge.

At that time, only one person was in that place, inside a cell, which no one bothered to close because there was no way to leave that island without being eaten by sharks. There lay a woman with gray hair, blue eyes, and a dress that was previously white but that, due to lack of washing, turned gray and filthy over time.

The woman was around sixty years old, or so I thought. He didn't care if he was sixty or a hundred because every day was the same to him. Nothing extraordinary ever happened.

A couple of guards walked through the prison corridors. They looked at the woman for a few moments and then continued on their way while commenting:

- He's relaxed a lot lately. He doesn't try to fight anymore.

- Well, it must have been hard for her to have her own daughter betray her.

- That young woman is worse than the devil! I hope you don't forget to pay us what you owe us just to keep your mother alive.

- Yeah! I'm tired of taking care of her! But we can't throw her into the sea, knowing that she is...

- You don't have to say it out loud.

The voices disappeared little by little and the prisoner, being alone again, let out a couple of mocking laughs. Then, he got up, looked out the window, and noticed a small boat approaching the island.

They usually brought prisoners in boats, because there were very sharp rocks that could damage ships that got too close. But that boat had no crew other than a young sailor dressed in blue.

The guards from a while ago approached him, threateningly, while pointing their powerful rifles that fired laser beams at him. But the young visitor showed them a note and, after reading it quickly, they let him disembark without impediments.

The sailor entered the prison, without being escorted by any guard. He walked straight to the prisoner's cell and, once he was in front of her, he bowed saying:

- Good morning, your majesty. I come on behalf of your ally to get you out of here and give you asylum.

Queen Abigail stood up. She was curious to know why that person would even bother to help her, since she belonged to another kingdom and had her own problems. But what shocked him most was that he learned that she had not died, but rather that she had been captured and held on that island against her will.

Before asking his questions, the sailor managed to dispel some of his doubts:

- A person who esteems her too much and whose name I will not say here contacted his ally so that she can grant you asylum until you are out of danger. I will fill you in on the details along the way, but for now, I ask that you follow me silently, Your Majesty.

- In that case, I will follow you, young sailor – said Abigail, suddenly recovering her spirits – but what intrigues me now is to know how you managed to bribe the guards of this island to let me leave.

The sailor showed him a small bag, where he had accumulated some diamonds. Then he closed it and replied:

- Your daughter didn't pay them enough to detain you and keep you alive in this horrible place. Sometimes just giving a better offer is enough to make the disloyal that are only moved by their own interests change sides. I hope you are satisfied with my answer.

- I am ok. Let's get out of here.

And, without saying anything else, he followed the sailor towards his boat to escape together from that island of terror.