Execution

TALIA'S POV

I keep dreaming about my execution and it's the worst of nightmares I have ever had. Life has never been this harsh. My body has become so weak that I can't even pull myself up to stand on my feet. I would definitely die on my own if they let me stay in here for a day longer. But I guess my five days of imprisonment are already over.

I am now counting seconds with a racing heartbeat before soldiers walk in through the door to get me. There is no good way of preparing yourself for an execution. Doesn't matter how many times I keep telling myself that it's better than dying slowly of thirst in here.

I just hope that whenever my young siblings are they can at least eat and drink. They will have no one to look after them even when they fall sick. I really wish I can go back to that moment when we let mum accept the Queen's invitation. I would spit on that messenger's face and tell him to tell his Queen to f off. it's too late for that now.

The sound of the heavy doot clicking open sends waves of shock through my very weak body.

I keep my eyes closed even as footsteps get very close. But I immediately open them when I slap Lands on my right cheek, heavy enough to make my vision blur.

Six men surround me, two of them look down at me while the rest smile devilishly.

"Time to go meet your creator bitch!" One snarl and smacks me on the face again. I gasp in pain but I am too weak to get away or defend myself. What's the point of attempting it anyway, I can't really get away or harm them.

"Did you think we would take pity on you because you begged to be punished in place of your evil mother? We already know you are a family of little devils. You all deserve death!" Another one says and Lands a kick on the side of my stomach. It knocks air right out of my lungs. My eyes squeeze shut as the pain becomes unbearable.

"You knew about your mum's plan to kill our prince, didn't you? We will make this a lesson to others with evil minds like you and your mother! You will soon be begging us to let you die!"

I keep my eyes closed and don't see which one of them is speaking. Two hands take hold of my wrist and they start dragging me out of the room.

I try to stand and walk on my own but it becomes impossible. The soldiers pull me past the cell door and keep dragging me down the corridors of the massive palace as we head out.

The people we pass by stop to stare and yell out insults at me. I decided not to let my brain process any of the things they say. I also shut my eyes again so I don't have to see them.

Soldiers marching by my side keep muttering more insults and I block them out as well.

We did nothing wrong and I am not letting their insults convince me otherwise. What I however cannot ignore is the sound of the palace gates clicking open and the sudden loud cheering of a crowd. My eyes fly open just as the soldiers let go of my hand and I fall flat on the ground in front of the angry mob.

They are all people that I know. Some used to be friends with our mother. But they immediately start throwing all kinds of staff at the. Stones and bottles land on my head and body, making me curl up in pain.

The soldiers step away from me to give the crowd the opportunity to hit me as they please.

"Kill the bitch!" Someone in the crowd yells.

I use my hands to shield my head as whips and blows rain on me. I can't believe people have been fooled by the Queen and her family to believe that I, my mother and my siblings are an evil family. That we are envious of the Prince's ideal powers. It's the most unfair execution that has ever happened in this Kingdom.

Someone steps hard on my left-hand fingers and literally breaks every one of them. My screams fall on deaf ears as more kicks and punch land on every exposed part of my body.

Most of the heavy blows are aimed at my head and shielding it becomes impossible. A punch hit the bridge of my nose and blood flows out through the nostrils. My death is so not far, actually, I can almost taste it.

"Stop!" prince Evan's unmistakable authoritative voice roars and the mob immediately scatters away from me.

I already feel like I am about to breathe my last. It's too late for anyone to save me. All those kicks and punches must I've left several of my bones broken. I can feel my wrecked body finally giving in to the strong pull of death.

"Your Highness, the king ordered that we let the people that feel wronged by her deeds punish her." I hear one of the soldiers explain to the prince. One of my eyes is already swollen shut after the slaps I received from the soldiers. I try to open the other but its vision is totally blurred.

"You know that is against the rules, right?" I hear the prince reprimand the soldiers.

"Yes. But the king wanted her tortured so no one else will ever dare try what she and her mother did." Another soldier tries to explain.

"Letting a mob lynch her is still against the rules. Besides, no one knows if she actually knew of her mother's stupid plans.' The prince argues. He doesn't sound as pissed as before. Did he learn the truth? I don't hear the soldiers replied. So I guess they are now acknowledging their mistake. I wait to hear the prince speak again.

"Give the girl a quick death!"

Oops! Guess nothing changed. I had hoped he would say that I will be left alone even though I would still die anyway. The so-called perfect being only wanted to make sure that the rules are followed.

"Yes sir!" I hear the soldiers agree unanimously.

My dwindling heartbeat picks up speed as I listen to the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching. I tense in anticipation when they halt next to me and my one blurry I can see a tall, shadowy figure of a soldier with a sword smirking down at me.

"I am honoured by this opportunity to send you to the list another side, witch!" He mutters before plunging the sword deep into my chest.

The sharp pain makes me gasp. Then darkness immediately envelopes me. My life doesn't flash in front of my eyes. I only feel like I am falling into a dark void.

EVAN'S POV

Killing a young girl for her mother's sins is totally wrong. Some stupid laws like families being allowed to suffer in place of their evil loved ones need to be rectified.

No one has ever offered to be punished in place of their family member before. So no one noticed the awkwardness of that law before now.

The girl may have made the stupidest of all decisions, obviously having been fooled by her awful mother. But I kind of admire her bravery and unwavering resoluteness.

No teenager has ever outwitted my father's council before. They just didn't think a girl of her age would even know of such laws. But she did and dazzled everyone.

I wish my mate will be like her. Not just beautiful but brave and smart as well. Everyone may call her decision to die in place of her mother stupid. But the truth is it was the most selfless decision this Kingdom has ever witnessed.

She just wanted to save her family. Be the one to carry all the blame and pain. But of course, that would not happen. An evil murderer could not have been left to go home freely just because her selfless daughter decided to suffer in her place.

What I shouldn't allow is that her siblings were sold as slaves as well. Those kids were too small to have been part of their mother's plot. They are going to suffer for something that they probably didn't even know was happening.

But it's too late for me to change that now. Mother really wanted to get the family she thinks is full of evil out of our Kingdom as fast as possible. I don't know which slave master they were sold to. But mother had soldiers take them away even before the money got paid.

I was too angry to care about the innocent souls that may suffer for someone else's crimes. We just wanted the whole family out of our Kingdom. We made mistakes and it's too late to correct them. Things like these are the ones that prove that I am not so perfect. I make mistakes too, especially when enraged.

Perhaps things will change the day I will meet my mate. Maybe she will be lovely and smart enough to help me think well even through anger.

Something feels off though. Like I had a connection with someone but it doesn't exist anymore. I feel like I lost something important yet I can't figure out what it is.