My Cardboard Balcony

This Is My Last Chance by Belinda Roddie This is my last chance to recover my bearings, my grace, and my sanity. My robes have been stripped, my great throne has burned, my crown hung in a vicious effigy. My brother has been executed, my sister lost to consumption, and my dear cousins, nieces, and nephews have all died in the midst of this uprising. I fear that more will be slaughtered if I don't take this fading opportunity to stop the bloodshed. The old world order's at stake. I have my sword and shield. I will chop away at the wall that the people raised to hinder me as queen in golden days.

I've had this brown blemish on the side of my nose for as long as I can remember. Most people have interesting stories about their markings, or as I like to call them, their natural tattoos. My friend Bess has a scar she got from getting scratched by a cat when she was five. My brother's birthmark on his forehead was due to a complicated birth. I, on the other hand, have boring spots, freckles, dots, and speckles. Even when it comes to my physical flaws, I'm very ordinary.