Lienna.
After Veronica left, the soldiers came soon after to take me away. I could barely support myself, my body still heavy with the effects of Veronica’s dark magic. They had to lift me up by my feet and drag me out of the dungeons, with me leaning on them for support. My legs felt like lead, unresponsive and weak, and I couldn’t control them. Anytime I tried to speak, only unintelligible mumbles would make it past my lips.
As we moved through the dark corridors, the sound of my own ragged breathing and the scraping of my feet against the stone floor filled my ears. I felt like a prisoner being led to their execution, helpless and unable to resist. And, I was being lead to my execution.
Eventually, we emerged from the dungeons, and I was hit with the bright lighting of the outside world. The sunlight was a sharp contrast to the dark, bleak, and dreary atmosphere back in the dungeons. I squinted, trying to shield my eyes from the intensity of the light.
The soldiers half-dragged, half-carried me across the courtyard, my feet scraping against the cobblestones. I saw blurred images of people staring at me, their faces filled with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. I tried to speak, to tell them the truth, but my voice was still trapped in my throat. Tears burned my eyes and I lowered my head so no one would see me cry.
We approached the town square, and I saw the gallows set up in the center. My heart sank, realizing that this was where they intended to execute me. I struggled against the soldiers, trying to break free, but my body was still too weak. They tightened their grip, holding me in place as they prepared to lead me up the steps to the gallows.
Almost instantly, the atmosphere changed. The sun hid behind a patch of dense clouds, casting a dark shadow over the town square. A whiff of icy cold air blew through, causing everyone present to witness the execution to shiver, including me. I felt a chill run down my spine as the wind carried an eerie, unsettling energy.
I looked around, my gaze sweeping across the crowd, and saw all the Shifter Kings present, seated on their thrones as I made my way to the gallows. My breath hitched in my chest as I beheld the expression on their faces.
While Caspian seemed concerned, yet resigned to what was happening, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. Hermes had an inscrutable expression on his face, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched, giving nothing away. Adonis, on the other hand, seemed to boil with silent fury, his eyes blazing with anger, his fists clenched at his sides.
I really have lost the trust of the Shifter Kings. The thought echoed in my mind, filling me with despair. I had let them down, and now I was paying the price.
As I approached the gallows, the executioner stepped forward, his face grim and unyielding. He reached out to take me from the soldiers, his grip cold and unforgiving. I tried to struggle, but my body was still weak, and I couldn’t resist.
The Shifter Kings’ eyes followed me, their gazes piercing, as if trying to see into my very soul. I felt like I was drowning in their scrutiny, suffocating under the weight of their disappointment and distrust.
And then, I saw Veronica, standing off to the side, a smug, self-satisfied smile spreading across her face. She was enjoying this, reveling in my downfall. My anger and hatred for her surged, but I was trapped, unable to act.
They took me to the spot where my head would be placed and forced me to my knees, pressing my head to the cold, hard wood. I tried to struggle free, but they were much stronger. The executioner stood to the corner, his sharpened axe gleaming in the bleary day, its blade seeming to mock me with its sharpness.
My heart began to pound, my body feeling like it had been submerged into ice water. I already knew this would happen, yet it still didn’t stop me from feeling so much fear. My mind raced, thinking of all the things I would never get to do, all the people I would never get to see again.
“We are gathered here to execute the traitors who tried to kill the king, starting from the culprit here,” a voice spoke up, pointing at me as he stood before the people, his voice filling the entire town square. “This would serve as a deterrent to those who have such plans in their heart. Bear it in mind that you would meet this fate as well.”
He said and walked away, leaving me to my fate. The executioner moved closer, his eyes devoid of emotion, and I began to struggle, desperate to speak, to say something. But my voice was trapped, unable to escape.
I caught a glimpse of Veronica and saw the huge smile on her face. That crazy witch! She was enjoying this, reveling in my downfall. I wanted to scream at her, to tell everybody that she was the real traitor, but nothing would form in my mouth.
A wave of despair crashed over me as the executioner raised his axe high in the air, its blade glinting in the faint light. I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable, my heart heavy with sorrow and regret. This was it. This was the end.
Quite suddenly, I felt a rush of power, like the last time I was attacked by the assassins, flow through me and blast through my entire body. The energy was intense, pushing the executioner and everyone surrounding me away. A huge gasp broke out of the arena, but I couldn’t make anything out as the icy energy was still thrumming through me.
I suddenly felt invincible, and I stood to my feet, my body moving on its own. I felt a presence approach me once more, and another burst of energy exploded from my body, a lot more intense than the last one. It threw away whoever was approaching me, sending them flying across the arena.
My breathing became heavy, and when I opened my eyes to stare at my hands, I saw that they were glowing with a faint blue light. My eyes seemed to have a blue film covering them, and my hair was turning white, flowing behind me like a river of snow. It seemed like I was floating in the air, my body weightless.
I opened my mouth to speak, and the words flowed easily now, my voice having an otherworldly note to it. “I didn’t poison King Caspian,” I heard myself say, my voice echoing through the arena. “The culprit is here with you and is close to you, but you have chosen to be blind to her.”
Another rush of power burst through me, and I felt myself lift off the ground. I was surrounded by a brilliant light, and my body felt like it was being transformed, remade into something new.
But then, I felt myself fall to the ground, my body crashing onto the cold stone. It seemed like I was doused in icy water, unable to breathe. My vision faded to black, and I fell unconscious once more, the last thing I remembered was the sound of Veronica’s scream.