The Shame of Villains

Chapter Seventeen

I awoke In the dungeons. Where the night previously I had been dragged down here after a brief visit with the king, where he disowned me.

A tray was set down near the wall, a cup of water with a slice of bread and a some cheese. Not much but at least they were giving me food. I quickly ate the bread and decided to leave the cheese just in case this was the only food I would receive today. I glanced around my cell. There was a barred window near the top of the room and other then that there were two hooks in the wall where a prisoner could be chained. I glanced into the other cells. Only one other was occupied. An old lady sat there. Her long grey hair surrounded her in a heap. By the looks of it she had been down here for ages. I paid her little mind, she was asleep anyways. With nothing else to do I laid back down and took a nap. Arguing woke me up. Two guards out in the hallway were yelling at each-other.

"I will take her, her food!"

"No I will!" The second voice chimed.

"It was I who escorted her down here! It is my duty to bring her food!"

"Well the king sent me personally! It is my duty!"

They went back and forth until the old lady who must have been awoken by the arguing yelled.

"You can both bring her, her food! Just be quite and let me sleep!"

To my surprise they both entered. I thought the lady was about to be punished instead one of them said.

"Yes ma'am! We are very sorry!"

They unlocked my cell, placed my food down by me and walked back out into the hallway. From my cell I could hear the old lady chuckle.

"A piece of advice miss!" She called out. "Stop running from fate, nobody out runs it. Trust me I've tried."

She then fell silent. What did she know? She was just a crazy old loon anyway.

That evening two ladies opened my cell and cleaned me up. I was meeting with the court. Where they would decide my punishment. They shoved me into a relaxed simple gown. And then they dragged me upstairs.

As I listened to the whispers I caught tad bits of information. The questioning had stopped. And all of the people in relations to me had been pardoned now that I was caught. And their relation to me would not be held against them. That was exactly what I had hoped for.

I was brought before the king and made to kneel. I was so tired of kneeling before kings. Soon the king called the court to attention.

"Alissa Sofie Dayland, by order of the royal court you are sentenced to the death penalty, for treason and other crimes against your kingdom. How do you plead?"

I looked around the court, my eyes landing on a familiar pair. Hayden's eyes were filled with tears. I tore my eyes away from his and turned back to the king.

"I plead....guilty."

A shout of pain rang out from the crowd.

"NO! Alissa please! Please don't do this!" Hayden begged. Jackson was by his side holding him back. I didn't respond.

"Then it is so declared that on March the seventeenth in four days time you will be executed as punishment for your crimes against the kingdom."

Another cry rang out but not from Hayden. Suddenly arrows were raining down from the windows. Hayden rushed to my side covering my head. The King and Queen were immediately surrounded by guards and escorted out of the room. Figures dressed in black jumped down from the windows. Arrows still came from above. A shout of pain came from Hayden. An arrow in his shoulder. I urged him to run. But he stopped me and looked at me uncertainly.

"Alissa if we fight side by side and you fall down and die, I will lay down and die with you."

My heart melted as gruesome as it was it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever told me. But I wasn't sure why he was saying that. He was talking like he was going to die any minute.

"Hayden come on let's go!" I urged.

He finally agreed. But as we stepped into the hallway it was blocked by a line of the figures in black.

I stepped forward and before the figures could move three of them were on the floor knifes in there throats. I sent another at the figure in the middle but he caught it. With 9 figures still left we were out numbered.

"Hayden, take the three in the left. I'll take the rest."

"Th-the rest! Alissa that's six guys! Are you insane!"

"Maybe, but nobody ever gets anything done without a little insanity."

That being said I rushed them. The first guy found a sword in his abdomen. The second snuck around behind me and grabbed me by the neck. I flung him over my shoulder. And caught the third guys arrow aimed at my throat. The next three ran at me and one found his head on the floor. The guy on the floor had gotten up and sent a knife flying. I easily dodged and the same knife was sent back in his direction. Right into his eye. With only three guys left I glanced over to see how Hayden was handling his load. Hayden was clutching his side. But he didn't seem to badly injured besides the arrow in his shoulder. Two of his opponents were still up. I sent a knife at one of them and it caught him the side. He joined his comrade on the floor. Another arrow was sent at me, I swiped it out of the air. With quick efficiency the guy coming from behind me found his arms removed from his body and another guy found a dagger in his face. The last guy came charging at me with his sword, but he learned quickly he couldn't win. I slit his throat and turned to help Hayden.

As I turned I was met with the most horrible sight. A sword going through Hayden's stomach and his opponent cackling. I didn't even breath before he found a dagger in between his eyes.

I ran over to Hayden who was now laying on the floor.

"Hay—it's going to be ok. I promise! We will be fine. We'll get out of here. Maybe we can move to Boxmor! Or Lequin! And we can start a family. We can be happy!"

Tears were steaming down my face. I was clutching his face in my hands. The tears came faster as he reached up and took my hands in his own.

"Alissa Sofie Dayland, It was an honor to have been known by you."

"Hayden i need you... I didn't think I needed anyone. But I need you. And if keeping you means I have to lose. Then fine I lose. I'd lose every single time."

"Alissa I have to go. But I want you to remember. You are not the darkness. And stories that deserve it the most are the very same ones that don't get the happy endings. Go find your happy ending Alissa. And when you miss me, just look up at the sky. I'll be the brightest star there."

"Thank you for showing me the sun when all I could see was the rain. I love you Hayden."

And then he closed his eyes. I could feel his breathing stop. His heart beat faded.

I know people are temporary. But just this once I wanted him to be permanent.

I was drowning and I was so scared I would never breath again.