The Death of the Princess

A shaft of sunlight came through the narrow window in the stone wall, but it wasn't enough to warm up the cold, damp cell. I no longer wore my dress; instead, I was given a simple gown made of a coarse, scratchy fabric. I barely received a decent meal, just the bare least to keep me alive until the day of my execution.

I lost track of time. Every day was the same, full of darkness and pain that came in many forms. When the inquisitors arrived, it was the worst day of my life. I faced the same atrocities that should have been eradicated from the empire a long time ago and which only appeared in old history books. I was subjected to torture with hot irons, needles, and water towels, and my nails were pulled out one by one, all in an attempt to force me to confess that I was a witch.

All the people I trusted and considered friends turned against me. Laura was the first to reveal her true nature. Every letter I sent to the Grand Duke was delivered to the Crown Prince by Laura. She had access to my stamp and would seal the letters immediately after reading them, before sending them as usual. Her motive for betraying me was very simple and immature. She loved the crown prince and dreamed of being his only concubine when he became emperor. Laura sold me at that price because of her desire and greed.

Laura explained our night route to the fortune-teller's house, but the soldiers arrived too late to arrest her. They couldn't find any clues about the woman's whereabouts.

While I was imprisoned, my father, the Emperor, never visited me. The soldiers kept me informed about the empire. The hospital I financed was demolished, which created a stir. They started spreading rumors that I had slept with the devil and that the hospital worshiped a false God. They also claimed that I had conspired with Grand Duke Valois to overthrow the Emperor and become Empress, which was never my intention.

The people had already condemned me, the long-awaited fair trial would never happen. I was chosen as a sacrifice, something that had to be erased forever to increase the emperor's prestige. I spent my days trying to understand how the church ended up involved in all this, so I put the pieces together. It was so clear that I felt like a real fool for having gone to that temple so many times to pray and help the priests.

The kingdom was almost collapsing, funds were low, and it was just a matter of time before the truth came out. An alliance with the wealthy church would be helpful to both sides, since the ruler had land suitable for constructing new temples, but unsuitable for farming. The most effective method of demonstrating the ruler's partnership with the church was to conduct a trial to prosecute a witch who was also a traitor.

Every day, I woke up to torture, then ate, only to be tortured again. At bedtime, I hoped I wouldn't wake up the next day. The monotonous days dragged on until a soldier opened my cell and chained my wrists, ankles, and neck. The chains were heavy, hurting my skin as I struggled to walk. My wounds still bled profusely, soaking my clothes and leaving a trail behind me.

The dirt floor appeared under my feet and it felt good. The cold rain fell on my back and soothed my open wounds, washing away the blood. I looked up and people began to gather around and watch me walk. But as we advanced, verbal attacks began to emerge. At first, it was just a few comments, but then more and more people joined in and, before long, they started throwing food and stones at me.

I did everything I could for these people. Some of them were my patients at the hospital. I went beyond my own beliefs and values to find a way to save everyone, only to end up facing absurd and false accusations. The soldier pulled hard on the chains, causing me to fall to the ground.

"Get up, you useless woman," he said angrily as he pulled on the chains and hung me up until I could stand again.

How many times have I heard this insult and simply ignored it, hoping that one day my family would accept me? But the truth was that they would never accept me, no matter how hard I tried.

Finally, we arrived at an arena with a spacious balcony where the emperor, the crown prince, the future princess, and the emperor's concubine were seated. In the center of the arena was a small stage with two men on it.

"Ah, yes..." I breathed, letting out a sigh of relief.

I was led onto the stage and forced to kneel facing the audience, with my back to the imperial family. Two men stood on either side of me. One of them wore a long black robe and a simple mask, while the other was the high priest of the temple of the Goddess. He was known as the saint of the empire because of his discipline and devotion to the temple. At that moment, everything seemed as clear and bright as a sunny day. I looked back and saw Theodore suppressing a smile. The emperor remained indifferent, showing no satisfaction or remorse. I meant nothing to that perverse individual.

The priest spoke as usual, but I couldn't understand him. My mind drifted to some happy memories, like the waltz I shared with the Grand Duke. The letters we exchanged and the strong emotions I developed for him also flashed through my mind. I looked into the crowd and spotted him, hidden by a cloak and blending in with the people thanks to the rain. The doctor, my mentor, was standing next to him and they were arguing while William tried to escape the doctor's grip. I made eye contact with him and whispered.

"Thank you for staying with me and teaching me about happiness and love." William's eyes sparkled as he nodded.

It wasn't possible to rescue me, as soldiers were everywhere, waiting for someone like William to show up and arrest or kill him. I refused to let others die just to postpone the inevitable, knowing that I had already been used. Once again, I looked into Theodore's eyes. He smiled back, but his smile faltered briefly. As I had done with William, I sent my message to Theodore:

"I will take revenge and destroy this empire, stone by stone. No matter what. Shock took over his expression. I saw him whisper something to the emperor, who signaled with his hand to proceed with the execution.

"People of the empire of Arventia! Today is a sad day. It has come to our attention that the first princess, Camellia Arventia, is a heretic! She claimed to be a faithful believer, but she was deceiving us. The goddess Eonora is happy to see the success of her people, but we need to do justice and punish the heretics. May Eonora bless you all!" The high priest pointed his finger at me and the executioner pulled my hair, forcing me to raise my head.

People shouted insults and cursed me, among other terrible things. The cold rain soaked my face and mixed with my tears and blood. My whole body ached and exhaustion was quickly taking hold of me. I could barely keep my eyes open due to the lack of food and water. All I wanted was for it to be over soon so that I could rest.

"After days of trial, it has been proven that Princess Camellia's actions involved witchcraft and treason against our benevolent Emperor." I started laughing uncontrollably at those words, and everything fell silent.

"Benevolent, you say, glorious empire, you say." I opened my eyes, anger completely overwhelming me at that moment. "My only sin was believing that one day I would be recognized by a family that had always planned my destruction." I freed myself from the executioner's grip, standing up and turning towards the box, where the imperial family watched in shock. "I curse the imperial family and if there is a goddess in this pig-infested world, may she grant me the gift of coming back from the dead and destroying each one of you!"

Under cries of horror and revolt, the Emperor and the Crown Prince looked at me with hatred, the future Crown Princess weeping copiously beside them. Then I felt the steel touch my neck from behind and it was all over. There was no more pain, no more fear, no more anger, only silence and darkness surrounded me. It was the end.