It turns out that the path to being queen is laced with crime. I, in just a couple days, became a ringleader of a small crime circle. I had three children working under me. Given that I was only a child myself, it wasn’t child labor. We formed a pretty good team. I was the look out, while the other grabbed all they could. Thanks to the help of Lily, I always knew when to get us out.

Today I stood before them, issuing orders. Caleb, my second in command, stood humbly at my side. Caleb was fifteen and the second oldest, as well as the most loyal, despite being the previous leader. He’d lost a lot in the time before I knew him, and I only made his life better.

Hailey spoke up, taking her attention away from the chores I had assigned them. “When will we get our spoils?” Hailey was only ten, but far more mature for her age. She had great athletic skills and an amazing amount of flexibility.

I eyed her carefully, she was the skittish type, not the kind to confront me directly. It’d been about a month since I became their leader. She must be in dire straits if she was asking for her share now. I stepped towards her and offered for her to walk with me. I made a face for her to tell me what was wrong.

Lily sat on my shoulder, unable to be seen by anyone but me. “When she tells you, you have to act understanding and benevolent.”

I nodded both to Lily and Hailey. Hailey filled me in about her mother, how she had suddenly come down ill and couldn’t work. I nodded understandingly and made a few noises. It was the best I could do but it seemed to resonate within the girl.

I handed her a single gold coin, enough to pay for a family of four’s living expenses for a year. Hailey looked at me with wide eyes, “But this is part of your share too, you can’t give me this.” I waved her off with a smile. She ran back with a wide grin, already telling the others of my benevolence.

“Good job, now they’ll trust you even more.” Lily smiled wide.

What do I do after I get them to trust me?

“Easy, you give them instructions to grow your enterprise, then, when the taking is ripe, you sell them out to the king to earn his trust.”

I nodded, Doesn’t that seem cruel though?

“Not as cruel as the lives these children were living before you came. They made enough to fill their bellies once a blue moon. Now they have everything they could ever want, thanks to you. It’ll be paying you back when you turn them in.”

Behind me I could hear the children whispering. They seem to think I myself am a messenger from god and am communicating with her whenever I go off by myself. Little did they know, I was relying on the real messenger for help.

I will lead them well until it is time for us to part.

“I know you will, you’re a being chosen by god.”

I smiled and made my way back to the group. They all looked at me with loving eyes. I shivered under their stares. Yes. This is what I wanted. I gave them all a big smile and wrote down on papyrus what I wanted them to hear. It took me a couple minutes but they never stopped eagerly awaiting.

Caleb took the paper after I handed it to him. He cleared his throat and said, “I’d like to expand our operation, include some more children and grow our foundation. We can grow to rule this city if we play our cards right.”

There were murmurs in the small crowd. I made a sound and they all quieted. I turned my face to look at Caleb and they all did the same.

“Do not doubt me, I know what I am doing.” Caleb had a cheshire smile, “I will never steer you wrong. Have I ever?”

The last bit was Lily’s idea.

The small crowd raised their fists and shouted ‘no’. I grinned, knowing they were impressed by my ability to know they would doubt me for a moment. I wrote up another note and passed it to Caleb.

“Increasing our network means more money in our hands, instead of in the hands of corrupt merchants and business owners. We can be noble vigilantes, ready to strike at the heart of evil. If you follow me.” I knew such grand words would sway their hearts. Children are children after all, they all dream to be heros.

“Impressive,” Lily whispered. “Better than I could have done.”

I smiled at her compliment.

The children gathered around me, one raising his hand. I pointed at him and he spoke. “How big do you plan to expand our gang?”

I took a moment to write out my answer.

Caleb took it and read. He took a moment and then spoke, “First, we’ll start out small, only a couple new people that can be trusted. Soon we’ll rule these streets. And then we expand again, until we rule the neighboring towns. Then we expand again, until we are ruling this country.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. He’d added his own words, I said nothing about the neighboring towns or the country. Though, I do admit, they were good, he’d done more than I’d said.

“You’ll have to punish him later,” Lily said, “put him in his place and all.” She floated around the group, laying on her side. She cleaned her ear with her pinky, then took it out to examine it. “We can’t have anybody thinking they can do this without you.”

I nodded at the smiling crowd, knowing what to do. Caleb beemed. When he looked at me, his smile faltered, but he kept it up for the children before us. He was a strong willed boy, he knew not to let the children see his distraught.

I tapped Caleb and beckoned him to follow me. He did as I said.

We walked through the bunker, it was a cellar created by a previous tenant, though the blacksmith now rented out the place. When I batted my eyes at the old man, he gave in to my request to make this place our base. He just told me that if we got caught, he had no idea we were here.

The last room, farthest from the door, was my room, the command room, the war room. There were two other rooms besides the main room. Those rooms were used by children that didn’t have a home or needed to get away for a bit.

I shut the door behind us.

Caleb gulped, “I know I shouldn’t have added words of my own, but I felt like it was necessary, they felt good.” I just nodded understandingly.

Lily flew through the lock on the door, shouting, “I’ll leave you to deal with this.”

Caleb surged on, “I used to lead this group, I know what moves them. I know I said that I would pass the title to you, but honestly.” He hung his head, “I’m not ready for that.” I knew what he meant, it was hard to hand over power after having a taste of it. That was what was so wrong with the people in the council and in royalty.

I would make a fine queen, I’d had a taste of that power, being the daughter of a baron. My word had held sway. Now, I would make the entire nation sway.

“I’m sorry.” An idea seemed to struck him. His face lit up, “Say, can we be co-leaders? It’ll work out. I’ll be in charge of the handing out tasks and you can be a field commander, leading the troops.”

What should I say to that idea? What would Lily say?