CHAPTER ELEVEN

Night came swiftly and I couldn't sleep, Regina basically dumped a whole load of information that I knew nothing about on me.

She called me a high priestess destined to bring back some old religion or something, it was all terribly confusing, worst of all is that she's going to get executed tomorrow. On my brother's orders.

I looked at the pendant she gave me, the cool metal a reminder of our brief time together.

I stood on my balcony as I watched the sun slowly rise, the rays illuminating everywhere as night slowly faded. I stood there until the sun rose completely, until I saw servants in the distance assembling a station where they were going to take Regina's head off.

I went inside my room, disgusted by the sight.

I did not wait for Alice to come in before I helped myself to the bathing chamber and had an ice-cold bath. I styled my hair myself and chose a silvery white gown as a way to honor Regina.

Alice walked in thirty minutes later, carrying a tray of food, I couldn't imagine myself eating on a day like this.

"Your highness, you're ready?" she asked surprised.

I chuckled lightly at her surprise "Don't act too surprised Alice, I just saved you some stress"

"Agreed" she answered.

She dropped the food on the dining table, but I did not make an attempt to eat "My lady, your food will get cold" she complained.

"How can anyone eat on a day like this?" I asked "An innocent woman is going to be executed"

Alice' expression dropped "I understand how you feel, your highness. Not all witches are evil, and I don't believe that this one is" she said.

Before I could respond, the sound of bells echoed throughout the castle, and I was sure it could be heard even as far as the lower town.

Minutes after the bell was rung, people started coming together in the town square, around the executioners block to watch Regina beheaded.

In one of the balconies directly above the site, stood Ramiel, wearing a black and silver attire, his crown gleaming in the sunlight, beside him stood duke Herbert, my mother and Melissa.

I would not step foot outside this room.

Trumpets were blown, and guards walked in, holding Regina by the hands and dragging her to the executioners block.

The murmuring of the crowd below ceased when Ramiel raised his hands to silence them, then he began "Let this be a lesson to all, this woman is guilty of using magic. She attacked men of the royal army with a gust of wind"

Only as a form of self-defense I thought "In pursuance to the laws of Korghon, I Ramiel Kastillion, sentence her to death"

There were few gasps among the crowd, and Ramiel nodded to the masked executioner, he removed his axe, and Regina was forced to her knees.

I felt my body tremble in ways it has never done before, and for the first time in a long while, I felt mortified. Everything slowed down, the drumming, the way the executioner raised his axe.

I felt bile rise in my throat and I ran to the bathroom, I hadn't eaten anything, so I didn't understand what exactly I could throw up.

Instantly, I felt Alice rubbing my back as I continued to empty my stomach "Take it easy your highness" she said, but the vomiting continued. She left and came back some seconds later with a wet towel and wiped it across my face.

"I'm fine Alice, thank you"

"I'll go fetch the baron" she said, as she quickly exited the room.

I went back to my balcony and saw.

The executioners block was stained with blood, the people had dispersed, and Regina's head was placed on a spike and her headless body was hung from one of the gates.

A warning, a vile disgusting warning.

Anger like no other boiled within me, aching to come out, but it was overcome by sorrow. It was my fault I thought, tears began pouring from my eyes, it's my fault.

Regina came to Korghon to see me, and she was beheaded for it, the fault was all mine.

I didn't know exactly how it happened, but I was suddenly on my knees, tears pouring from my eyes uncontrollably. I felt a hand on my back "It's alright cousin, breathe"

I took deep breaths, one by one my racing heart slowed, and everything returned to its normal speed.

I could breathe steadily now, and I wiped the tears from my eyes, I said I wasn't going to do that anymore, but I couldn't help it this time.

Warm hands enveloped me, and I welcomed it "It's okay, it's over" he said, but I knew deep down that it wasn't.

Right then and there I couldn't help it anymore, the weight of everything suddenly became too much for me to bear alone, so I told Acrisius everything.

"I understand you cousin, but this was not your doing. Regina's blood is on your brother's hands, and she came to Korghon of her own will, you knew nothing of it, please do not blame yourself" he told me, his voice was soothing in a way that I needed. I may not admit it, but I really needed someone to talk to, and I'm really glad it was him.

"Do you need to sleep?" he asked.

"I don't think I can sleep after this," I admitted "I won't be able to sleep for a while. I just need some space"

And space is exactly what I got. I walked to my vanity and removed Regina's pendant from my jewelry box, on the front side, there was a snake engraved on it. In the ancient texts, a snake symbolized renewal and transformation, which was technically what was about to happen.

I put the pendant around my neck and felt a strange sense of rebirth, I was not going to allow what happened to Regina happen to other innocent witches, I'm going to help.

Even if it's the last thing I do.