The Beginning

Clarimond collapsed on the ground feeling as if she was on fire. She struggled in pain as she drowned in the anguish and aching of her body. She tried to call out for help but her yells only seemed to make her feel worse and when it was beginning to seem like no one was coming, the door opened. Someone was finally coming to save her! Clarimond's eyes were closed as she was trying to save her remaining energy but she could hear the person's footsteps coming closer as the gentle scent of rosebuds filled the air. The footsteps stopped and all was quiet, and Clarimond could feel the breath of the person nearing her face.

"How foolish, my dear sister, how foolish. Well, this is the end to you."

As she listened to this wicked person who had come to taunt her even when she was dying, she noticed that this person's voice sounded oddly like the Emperor's daughter Arabella. She opened her eyes, hoping that it was not so, but her eyes were greeted with the familiar wavy blond hair and teal blue eyes of the only daughter of the emperor, the crown prince's sister, Arabella.

"How could you do this to me?", she said, once more hoping that this was a mistake.

The sweet and innocent Arabella who she had played with as a child and told all her deepest secrets and her love for the crown prince could not be this woman who was disregarding another human's life.

"Oh, it was easy. So many people are tricked with this façade of being sweet and kind, but I was only doing what was being for our country."

"The best thing for our country is to kill innocent people?"

"Your death will help everything immensely. After all, we can blame this country for neglecting you and killing you in a way and then we can fight a justified war which will lead to the empire taking over the entire continent and one day the world. Also, since you are the duchess of one of the most powerful families, or were to be more exact, then your fake will can be used to place someone loyal to the emperor in your place, someone not so merciful."

"I can't believe the people I had been loyal to my entire life just abandoned me. Why are you telling this to me? Why do you choose to torment me with this villainous plan of yours?"

Arabella laughed, "You are far too powerful to be alive and for some reason you are always so happy. I would be lying if I said it did not bother me. But you will be very happy too I suppose in death. Afterall, the crown prince will be acting like your distraught lover, and the emperor your grief-stricken father-figure, and me the loving sister in order to take this land. Don't bother screaming, no one will come anyways."

Clarimond felt herself collapsing and her breath weakening, this was truly the end. How could this happen? She knew that she would die soon but she had never expected that it would be planned that everyone she had loved would betray her like that. That it was all a façade, a mask, and that everything was nothing in their eyes. She had just been a tool to take over this country. How many people would be dragged into this war because of her death?

Arabella leaned closer to her, "Good-bye my lovely innocent sister."

Clarimond felt her eyes closing and then everything went black.