Chapter 35: Even If I Die, I Will Love You

Trigger Warning: excessive/heavy violence, blood, knife/sword, death/murder, animal violence.

The clinking of the soldier's armory when they advanced forward was loud and ear jolting. From the man who wore a pure black clothing, had the whole square under his overbearing presence that people find themselves in a dominated state. Everyone remained quiet and waited for his word.

"Well, let's start this interrogation now, shall we?" While the people clamoured their voices away, in Jian Li's eyes, Deverus who said those lines had his face contorted up seeing him wear such tyrannical and very domineering face. In many levels, Jian Li hated it.

The dragging of chains and faint muffles caught Jian Li's ears, although the muscles in his neck was already sore he looked up and rushed to see who it was.

His heart sunk.

Both of his blood beaten eyes shot open as he set his eyes on the appearance of the held prisoner who wore a pale face and veiny red eyes. The man's once white and golden bordered uniform was now nearly turned to a maroon-red uniform as it was fully dried in blood and its fabrics smelled like rusted iron. The people covered their noses at how Aren stunk when he walked across them.

Jian Li began moving around: "Aren? Aren!!!!" He shouts, the pillory shaking a bit.

From all the blood on his clothes and his swollen face, Jian Li already knew he was badly beaten up. "What did you do to him?!" He was enraged.

"Aren! Are you alright?!" He asks but the man only looks at him, his fingers shook wearing a very pained face. He almost looked like passing out, all weakened and wounded.

But then Deverus goes to him. "Oh come on, Jian Li, don't act as if you care for him."

"What?" What is he saying now?

Deverus motions his hands to Aren, the people following it with their gazes. "He is one brave man who confessed to his crimes- no- who helped us know who this evil person truly is. Mister Aren Cananeo is a savior of this kingdom as he revealed who that Jian Li person truly is. A random brat trying to sit on a throne, an impostor? A liar? Who the heck are you o' great pretender?" Deverus taps the pillory's wood and gazed Jian Li's furious face, his teeth bared at him.

Then he walks around, explaining to people: "For years, mister Aren, the 'Crown Prince' 's personal- or shall we say the closest servant of the first prince has been threatened by him for almost six years, saying he will kill this lowly servant if ever he spoke of the matters that he snuck out of the palace."

Aren jolted and suddenly made loud, crying or angry noises that turned everyone's eyes to him. This action of Aren was very unusual, Jian Li was confused and observed him.

Deverus only chuckles, "See? He agrees." Then he would continue, gaining all the eyes to him again. "Royal servant Aren witnessed that a thief and the Prince snuck out six years ago and as he confronted them, he came to play pretend that he doesn't know anything out of his emotional attachment to his master. Then, as we did our search for possible evidence to his claim, he surrendered us this written document dating six years ago to his testimony to the truth in a detailed way of what took place that night. All written and signed by him, the servant who witnessed it all." Deverus handed it over to the judge to check. All in all, it was indeed Aren's writing with no mistakes to compare to other documents he has written.

"Being an accomplice of this crime, mister Aren accepted his punishment for turning a blind eye to Jian Li's crimes. He surrendered himself to the soldiers and confessed to us. Saying he will stand by us instead to be killed by Jian Li's hands once his reign as King has come." The crowd would gasp and murmur altogether then glancing at Jian Li with stabbing eyes, nothing can even make him more uncomfortable than this, this whole issue is becoming bigger and bigger. Jian Li was very overwhelmed by it.

He started panicking. "No! How did you even know those details?! Aren never knew anything about it how would he even say that i was with a thief?!"

Deverus put both his hands together: "He didn't, you did." A textbook was handed to Deverus. "See this? It's a record of your own writing from six years ago. It clearly says here that you went out with a thief from that day you were poisoned by violet hay. Did you use that excuse so that you can fool everyone to be busy and so you can sneak out like a little rat you are?" Deverus smirks internally at how people started chattering even louder, clear enough for it to get inside the poor boy's head.

His heart paced louder and quicker. What a huge misunderstanding. "Quit your rudeness! You think I'd like to send myself a poison?! To what?! to only tighten my security and flood my room with guards?! What ridiculous claims!" Partly, what Jian Li says what right, then half of it a lie. I mean, he really did went out. Only creating this bigger lie to protect the thief. Though he was really at fault with the claim. He was torn to either confess or continue lying. What should he do?

His eyes anxiously travels to meet Aren's.

Deverus picked a white piece of paper and raised it enough to show it to everyone. "And what is this piece of note? Did you get this from the thief as well? Its wrinkled and old. You should get rid of it." Jian Li's eyes widens he felt his soul drop. The paper will be burned.

Just as the paper would be nearly thrown to the fire, a large brown dog would push Deverus' leg, throwing him out of balance. The edge of the paper was burned, the writing on the paper stayed as it was, in exceptions that it now flew away from the man's grasp and landed somewhere on the ground.

The dog barks loudly and the soldier that was chasing it was half dead in exhaustion. He had done his best to keep the dog away from the execution site but Jian Li's dog escaped from the palace's room and ran to the capital's square nonstop. Of course, as the officer in charge, you're responsible on what damage the dog does. Aaand, this is the damage.

"Ah- hey!!" The soldier kept chasing him around causing an unbelievable ruckus, the tense atmosphere flew away and was replaced by the soldier's recklessness. Deverus was angered by the dog who kept barking at him and the soldier who kept hovering and running around him.

He clicked his tongue. He was irked.

The moment the newbie soldier ran around beside him to catch the dog, Deverus snatched the soldier's sword and in a flash, he swinged the sword and the dog shrieked loudly. Later, its blood splashed on the ground and it was also on the reflection of the sword, dripping quietly.

The lifeless dog laid on the cold concrete, having a long slash on its left side. Its neck was sliced wide open from the sharp blades of the sword being able to see its flesh and veins. A gush of red liquid pooling on the concrete. Hundreds of people attending the square gasped, terrified of the sight of blood. But thats what they came here for, right?

Deverus threw away the sword, making a sharp clanking noise. The soldier were surprised as ever, even so, with shaky hands, he eventually picked up the sword and brought back the dripping blade back to its scabbard.

Deverus' eyebrows looked more relaxed, he wiped his hand with a cloth that he pulled from the inside of his black robes, speaking like nothing happened: "Also these boots, why do you still keep them? Isn't it a bit suspicious you still keep these small boots, all ragged?" Jian Li could never even pay attention to what he was saying, every sound that travelled around the air just seemed to be in a buzz inside his ears. In its quietness, he felt like the dog's eyes looked at him with complete sadness and agony until its gaze froze midway. The pet that Aren gave him as present and they raised for years was easily murdered, that years of bond was gone in a flash. It was mercilessly killed like nothing.

He felt blank and numb. Couldn't even utter a word. Was it the because of shock? the overflowing anger? The pain? The huge sadness? Was it his helpless? His empathy? He couldn't even move his fingers. He couldn't make out a tear, nothing. Just him and his short and faint breaths.

"I've always wondered about it you know?" Jian Li's hand felt itchy, Deverus' voice was not going through his head anymore.

Even though it was the day of the sun, the yellow rays couldn't even pass the gray clouds. The sky was getting more and more darker and the town square looked lifeless and depressed. Everyone remained quiet as he kept looking down at the ground that had his red droplets of blood dried on the concrete. He could slightly hear his own heartbeat and feel it thumping in a normal pace inside his chest.

He wondered if this was a dream, could he ever escape it?

The bright, excellent King was gone, he had lost his mind, and his composure, his expressions and thoughts was written clearly on his face, Deverus could tell what he was thinking, he can beat him for the throne.

"Haa. This is pointless isn't it? I've been asking questions and no one's even answering. Hey fraud, im going to kill your partner in crime now." Deverus warns him, by then he only snapped up. Aren will be executed if I don't say something!

"Aren is not a part of this!" He defends, moving around the pillory to send the eyes to him.

He couldn't slip out of the pillory's hold, so he just groans loudly. "Aargh!!! Aren, say the truth!"

Aren jolts at the mention of his name, but his eyes only looked up at His Majesty, and shook his head. With teary eyes, he slowly opened his mouth.

Maroon dripping saliva spilled out of Aren's lips. The liquid was a mix of Aren's saliva and blood. As the boy came to realize what has happened, a lump in his throat started to cut his airway. His eyes was bloodshot open and his breathing went in rough paces and began screaming his sore voice.

"AAAAAH!!!!!!!" His throat has already become dry and no air could now enter inside his lungs from screaming. His eyes bulged and nearly popped out of its sockets when he saw Aren's tongue has been cut and that his fingernails was missing.

"AAHH!!!!!! AREN!! AREN!!!! AREN!!!" Unlike a gentle, well mannered royal he was supposed to be, he now wildly stomped and barbarically attempted to break out from the pillory's clutch. The way how the temperature dropped when he began being mental gave shivers to the onlookers.

"noo.... no...no no no NOOOOO!!!!!" His tears now uncontrollably fell down, continuously, second by second. Jian Li felt so furious he could not contain his composure, his angry and suffering roars reached and spooked the heavens. The hair from the back of their napes stood up, their skin having goosebumps all over.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" His screams roars while his eyes nearly cut Deverus' head.

Sending eye daggers he screams to Deverus, he panics: "YOU YOU CUT HIS—"

"Shut up charlatan!" He cut Jian Li's words, successfully blocking what he wanted to say so the watchers won't hear it.

The people cheered: "YEAH!"

The soldier that was on the way to block Jian Li's mouth by Deverus' orders groaned loudly in pain. His palm was bitten by the mad dog locked in the pillory.

The side of Jian Li's mouth almost ripped by speaking, he gathered all air and yelled through it: "SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING! SO JUST SHUT UP!"

They would gasp. "He speaks ill of us!"

"What kind of king are you to be so rude to your people! How mannerless! I thought you've been trained all your life to serve us?!" Said a man.

Jian Li's anger broke and gained a bit of mind, breathing out and thinking that he won't get nowhere with screaming. He began to adjust his voice a bit. "F-forgive me!"

Their eyes would stretch like moon crescents. "Heh, look at him asking forgiveness for killing King Hongwu."

"Please, just listen to what i have to say!" Jian Li thinks of exposing all Deverus' plots and schemes from nineteen years ago, but the man in black robes already had his blade on the servant's neck, ready to slice Aren's neck. Tears uncontrollably flood down Aren's cheeks, his whimpers of terror and panic was unbearable for the poor King. How ashamed he was to be once addressed as an elite knight.

Jian Li's mouth couldn't speak. He was cornered in this situation. How can he save Aren? "I'll confess so spare him!" When he said this, Aren jolted and whimpered continuously, obviously saying no.

"Don't kill him!" He repeats.

"He didn't do anything! He's innocent!"

"Please stop!"

"I'll accept your punishment! All of it but spare him! He has nothing- never had anything to do with this!" Jian Li was so near to sob, but to fix a condition, he must not show a tear.

Deverus only cocked his eyebrow up. "No oh no no, what else do you want to hear from him? He has already made his testimony. See? He even whimpers from the sight of you. He said to me that he'd rather die in justice's hand than be caught in yours." The people looked at him in anger again, but they side for Aren.

Aren continues to shake his head. Deverus chuckles: "See?"

He couldn't think properly, what does he have to do? He bites the flesh of his cheeks and clicked his tongue, he has no other way to go. "I'll confess my crimes! I accidentally killed father and i broke the law from six years ago! Are you satisfied now?! Now let go of Aren and treat his wounds!"

Deverus shakes his head and laughs: "Haa.. still acting 'king' are you? Im tired of your orders. Why would we treat an accomplice of your crimes?"

As those words came out from his mouth, finally confessing the truth as Deverus wanted, the judge nodded to him and stood up stating loudly: "This case is over."

He blinks: "Huh?"

The judge begins to roll a scroll, done taking whatevere that was necessary on the case's notes. "Jian Li or whomever you are, from the evidences and witnesses, are proven guilty of the illegal claiming of the the rank of King. He is convicted of murder of the King Jian Hongwu, and is a rebel against the Jian's laws. Both of them will be executed on the square's execution platform as their penalty for their crimes. The accomplice will be executed today, and the boy after the King's burial tomorrow. That is all." He thumped the scroll on the table, Jian Li's heart sunk.

"Wait!! If im not even a royal why is that that the law of the Crown Princes applies to me too?!" Jian Li shouts to the judge.

The judge answers: "That makes no difference. Your crimes are fairly heavy that you deserve three deaths. Heh, what a thick faced brat trying to slip away."

"Do it." Deverus said to the soldiers that tightened their grip to Aren, making sure he has nowhere to go.

His breath hitched and his head snapped up to what they were doing to Aren. "Stop.. stop! What are you doing?!" Even though Aren doesn't want to die, he cannot fight back anymore, he was not fed in days, and his thighs were full of cuts, he was bleeding way too much and he was already burning with fever.

"Im sure you are no deaf and heard the judge right?" Deverus walked across the square and stopped infront of Jian Li's pitiable state, staring at him up and down. His feet was dead tired, his face was covered in bruises and cuts, his clothes was all stained from the objects that was tossed and thrown to him as for his public shaming. And the worst of all, he still wore that thorny crown that made half of his face covered in red dried blood.

His blue eyes looked darker even though it was day time. His voice broke: "We talked about this! I confessed! im proven guilty! Do not hurt him! He's no part of this!"

Deverus laughed loudly with the people who thinks their King was witless. "You confessed as you should. We have no deal that i will let him go if you confessed your sins against the judge. A criminal is a criminal. He will be executed."

"Haha! What an idiot he is!"

"No.. no! NO!" Jian Li's chest felt tight, he clutched his palm tightly that it bled because of his sharp nails. He had never felt so betrayed and dejected by anyone before. Everyone has been obeying him with full respect ever since he was a child, no one has ever disrespected him like this before. What should he do now now as he is just as low and worthless as a criminal?

Deverus leans down beside his ear and whispers: "Worry less, I'm ending your favorite servant with a nice reputation." Then he leaned away, turning around. "Alright, stopping words and let's get this over with!"

"You! Abbier! Finish him!" Jian Li turned red in anger from Deverus' order.

Abercon bowed: "Yes sir...."

"Mpph!!! Nghh! Nnn!" Aren whimpers in fright to die, attempting to take a step back but the soldiers caught him, gripping even tighter that their hands was buried to clutch on his flesh.

Abercon unsheathed his longsword that flashes under the cloudy sky. His eyes had a little glint of violet. "With this, surely, I'm no longer your friend." He looks up at Aren's frightened eyes as he says: "I've always wanted to look on the same sky with you." Yet he sighs and gripped the cold handle of the sword with his right hand, looking as calm as ever. "But that is all there is to this story." What Abercon said gave Aren shivers. Aren was confused why he saw an image of young Abercon in a split second in front of him.

What confused him even more is how close Abercon's low voice was to breaking. "I'm sorry it turned out to be like this" Aren's heart felt strangely calmer when he saw little Abercon.

In Aren's vision, although a bit dizzy and near to break down, he managed to make out his dear friend's face. He meets his watery eyes and his lips that barely moved, Aren didn't even wanted to bother himself to move now. He just smiled to his friend and chuckled internally, finally understanding why Abercon had to do this. He understood now why Abercon did this to him, all the actions from before, out of jealousy. He held a face even though Abercon started to raise his sword, preparing a stance.

"..and... goodbye." Was the last words he clearly heard before his sight was blurry. Jian Li's screams and yells was lowered to soft buzzes

Aren lowers his head and closes his eyes, ready to take the sword.

'Forgive me for I am a useless servant. The oath I took was a fake, I could not protect you from the agony the evil people brought you. Please!'

'My boy, from this day on, you will be alone. Be brave and strong, you will be great. This man will always serve you.'

'I beg you, to the boy on his writings, save my boy. Though it's just a shame that i couldn't see my King laugh along with me. This bothers me.., dying with regrets, i probably will roam the earth as a ghost, playing my instrument with the wind haha.. oh wait- can i bring my violin in the next life? I hope i can.'

'I think I will be lonely without my disciple. Why in many times, do i keep hearing those foul notes you played the first time i tutored you? Oh how deafening, but it was a memory filled with fun. Reminds me of that uncanny conversation we had in our first meeting, when we went together to the falls, you were so scared to learn to swim you looked like a dying fish, oh lords. Ah I remember that time too when we did a violin duet? Or that time together at the swing? When your face turned bitter everytime you faced your vegetable enemies? To be always around you even when you're sick or happy. Wow, you're so little by then... but you just keep slipping away, growing and growing, how proud i feel for you. I always had thought you were a scary Prince, but then, the more time we spent together and doing things together, i came to realize, the Prince who had the coldest personality, actually is just a boy who couldn't express himself, who's socially awkward that he couldn't even talk very well and he couldn't pick out the right words to say, in the end, you would end up picking the most straight answers you think works and just stays quiet on the corner, looking all cool and filled with philosophy as you gaze to the skies, but honestly, you're just waiting for the rain aren't you? Hey, you're afraid aren't you? Every inch of the palace, i think we've walked them together side by side. Ahh, my heart feels like it going to melt it hurts. Was i always this talkative? Why do the time feels so slow? Is this how scared i am to die? I hoped to live just.. just a bit longer... What a shame, really..'

'My boy, my Prince, my King. I regret nothing, i am more than happy to serve you.'

'I have surrendered myself to you.'

Deverus' voice echoes inside Aren's head: "A servant more patriotic than the king. Our hero, Aren Cananeo."

Abercon nods, taking the sword with his two hands. Then, with a swing of a sword, the clan of the Cananeos ended.

As I fell down to the ground and feel my body thud on the concrete, i would hear those faint shouts drown and buzz to my ears, a melody began playing endlessly inside my head. It would never cease to play and would nest my head like a parasite. I'm already dead right? Such melancholy and sweetness. Such song to paralyze and wreck my heart, it is the first time I've heard such a song, it is too much to bear. I feel like crying. Everything hurts way too much.

Just like a bitter and sweet story, like how knots would form inside one's heart, like how you would play a string-breaking piece, I would always wonder, would he be able to heal from this? I wonder if you'll be able to forget?

In the darkest nights, someone will have to kill the lights off first in order to see the stars.

Even if i die, I will always love you.

Im sorry.

'Thank you. And forever goodbye.'