Guilty As Charged

I'll never forget the day I made both the best and worst decision of my life.
The day of the King's Ball, the biggest event in the entire Kingdom, where everyone was invited, was famous for being the day that unfortunate ladies like myself who remain unmarried, would find a husband. But no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to love any man. I had my entire life to accept it, but I still hadn't come to terms with the fact that the pang of longing in my heart was not present like it should be when I looked at a man. I tried my best to shut it out, but my heart only knew how to long for women.
But even if it made me unhappy, I knew I needed to find a husband and grit my teeth until death finally did us part.
If only that had happened. Instead, as I sat alone drinking ale and trying to avoid the gaze of lonely men, I came across a lady who caught my gaze and gave me a knowing smile, as if she could see right through me.
Unnoticed by the entire kingdom's crowd, each too affixed onto their partner to lend their eyes to any other sight, we danced together, unsure at first, then fast and graceful and gingerly. We waltzed in each other's arms, our bosoms warm with the ale we were drinking and our blossoming affection for one another.
The song was over all too quickly. I thought our goodbye would come when the music died down and the dancers slowed to a stop, and I wish it had been. But at the time I was all too happy to sneak away with her into the garden and sit her down on a bench overlooking a garden of forget-me-nots.
And unfortunately, she was all too happy to come with me.
We sat and talked for what felt like a lifetime, and for a moment I forgot about the rest of the kingdom and how they saw a love like this. I forgot because it didn't feel wrong. It felt perfect, and when something feels perfect, it's easy to forget that others cannot see what you see.
But alas, they did see us. As we embraced each other and pressed our lips against one another's, I opened my eyes for a fleeting instant to remind myself that this was real. That is one thing I'm glad I did. Because I opened my eyes just long enough to catch a glimpse of the people turning the corner who caught us in the act of what was, for all intents and purposes, a crime punishable by death.
So I made a choice. It was either me or both of us. And I'd be damned if my new lover was to suffer by my hand.
I pulled away from her embrace, which was the hardest part. The next part was easy. Pretending I had not seen the men standing behind her, I shouldered the entirety of the blame with them as my witnesses.
"I'm sorry. I should not have done that to you. I should never have tried to make an innocent women ruin her life and be like me. You should leave before I get you into trouble for something entirely my fault."
I gave her an urgent look to leave me behind and she abided. I saw her peeking around the corner long enough to see me carried away to face punishment for my unforgivable crime.
The arrest. The dungeon. The trial. And finally, the execution date had arrived. But if this was the punishment for my love, then I would plead guilty and remain unapologetic until the second of my bitter death.
There I stand, the noose hung like a pendant around my sore neck, shaking hands tied tightly behind my back, guilty feet pushed together by another tight knot. I hear a booming voice sound as a hush falls over the village that had gathered around to watch me be killed for having the audacity to fall in love with the wrong person.
"Do you plead guilty of perversion against the word of God?"
Perversion. So that's how they see it. So be it then. I'm guilty.
"Guilty as charged."
"Then by the name of God you shall be hanged for your crimes. Any last words?"
There's so much I want to say. But nothing they deserve to hear. I remain silent.
A burlap sack is pulled over my head. It smells like blood and dirt. The platform is about to be dropped. I brace myself for the sure death that awaits me. The platform is dropped. I hear a whipping sound above my head.

And I hit the ground.
It takes me a few seconds to process that I'm still alive. I thrash my head to try to remove the sack from my head to see what is happening. It falls off and I look to the Executioner. A battle axe that had been thrown to cut the noose free from the platform now sits plunged through his chest and he lies limply on the ground.
A woman clad in leather and chain mail plucks the axe from his corpse and uses it to fight off the guards now attempting to capture her. One by one they hit the ground around her until none remain. The villagers have all fled and now only remain the woman and I.
I recognize her but at the same time I don't believe it. My lover.
The woman whose embrace I was one second away from dying for, now kneels before me, having saved my life just as I had saved hers.
She cuts my restraints and stands me up. Almost unable to stand, I fall into her arms and we kiss once more, any regrets I have about the night I met her fading to nothingness.

And now as we lie together in a field of forget-me-nots, far from anyone to judge us, my lover tells me we should start our own kingdom and rule together as the Queens who escaped judgement.
I don't care what we do. All I know is that if a love this perfect is a crime, I am guilty as charged.