are y'all ready :)
I did cry writing this chapter so it is a little emotional
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I raked the comb through my hair, undoing all the tangles it had within. My hair now reached the bottom of my ears, as opposed to my waist like it had before. It was odd that I was more concerned about my short locks than my impending future. Maybe it was because I knew it was inevitable and there was nothing I could do about it. The guard that had given me his breakfast gave me a mirror and comb so I could make myself more presentable. I had also been given a pail with a rag to wash up if I wanted. I had already cleaned my face and tried my best to clean up the scratches I had. No matter how raw I made my skin with cleaning it, I still couldn't recognize the girl staring back at me.
She was sad. The emerald waters in her eyes were murky as they stared back at me. Her skin was paler than it was before – making it seem as though she was very sick. She was scared, too, as the emerald waters churned with uncertainty. Her hair was dirty and her body shook. Her fingers were frail and bony – she looked like she hadn't eaten in years. And as the minutes of her reign dwindled down, her hope dwindled with it.
This is what everything came to. Aaliyah's reign and triumph were going to dissolve in just a matter of hours. The citizens were going to be slaves to a new king that didn't view them as people. Their development would be stopped as the money that came to the kingdom would be used to exalt the new ruler, not the people. My mom and dad's kingdom was going to crumble. Their ancestors' kingdom was going to crumble. Aaliyah was doomed with no savior ready to help her. Everyone had turned their backs and was oblivious to her cries.
The girl in the mirror started to cry. Tears slipped down her pale cheeks and onto the dirty linen dress that hung loosely on her skinny body. Her hand reached up to wipe her eyes that were void of any spirit. A quiet sob escaped her mouth, followed by more that tore through her weak body and let every built-up emotion leave as she realized it was all over.
Aaliyah was over.
***
"Your time here is over, Queen Evangeline," a guard said as he opened my cell. Even the guards didn't seem happy. The ones who laughed at me every day were quiet and solemn as they bound my hands behind my back and led me out of the prison hidden underneath Desdemona's castle. When my feet finally touched the tiled floor I had cleaned almost every day for a month, I knew my time had come.
I'm sorry I couldn't have been a better daughter.
The guard's heavy footsteps echoed off the white interior of Desdemona's castle as they gently led me to my death. The harsh grips they normally had on me were now just mere touches as if they were sorry, too.
I'm sorry I didn't try to be slow to anger, like my mother. I'm sorry I didn't try to be hopeful, like my father.
"We will tell you how this is all going to happen when we get in there," one guard said behind me. I just nodded. What was there to say?
I'm sorry for not being a better ruler.
A big white door was pushed open and my breath stopped. It was like it was Judgement Day, but I was the one being judged. King Phillip of Desdemona was already inside, beaming at me as I stepped in. I was led to a chair in the middle of the room. I was instructed to sit, and when I complied, my arms and legs were bound to the chair, preventing me from running away.
"I heavily debated how I should finally kill you," the king announced. He approached me, a sinister grin never leaving his face. "I thought of every single method I could use to end your entire bloodline. I knew I wanted something that would be slow and agonizing so you could think over your entire life as you died. But then I thought of the perfect solution: poison."
I remained quiet and he noticed. "Oh? You don't want to fight back anymore? You're finally giving up?" He made a noise of amusement and gestured a nearby servant. "Go get the poison."
As the servant scurried off, the king viewed my sorry state. "You'll be stuck here in this chair until you finally keel over. I don't know how fast the poison will work, but surely it won't take long for it to work through that tiny body of yours." He leaned down and looked me in the eyes. "I believe this will be our final farewell. I hope you enjoyed living in my grand castle for a month. Your work was appreciated, but we don't need you anymore." He stood and began to walk off. "Say hi to your father for me when you see him!" And he walked out, just as the servant reentered with a platter that held a single cup.
My heart began to beat quicker as he handed the cup to a guard. He told them to be careful with it as he passed it along before leaving once more, probably never to return. The guard came up to me, cup shaking in his grasp. He looked at him with sorry eyes – it was the guard that helped me clean up.
"Do you, Queen Evangeline, have any final remarks before you are executed for breaking Desdemona's trust and breaking the alliance Aaliyah swore to have with Desdemona?"
I wanted to say that Aaliyah never swore to anything like that, but I just shook my head. "I have nothing left to say."
The guard should've forced my mouth open and made me take the poison concoction, but he hesitated. "Are you sure?" He was stalling.
Kim Namjoon, Min Yoongi, Kim Seokjin, Kim Taehyung, Park Jimin, Jeon Jungkook, Jung Hoseok: I'm sorry for not treating you better. You will be remembered as blessings.
"I am sure."
The guard's hand shook as he murmured something under his breath. He took a deep breath before motioning something to the nearest guard. I felt a hand on my jaw and I willingly opened my mouth. I was ready.
The guard from earlier approached me. "No one came," he murmured. Tears hung in the corners of his eyes as he looked at me. "I'm sorry, Your Highness." Don't be.
He blinked his tears away before he straightened up. "In the fourth month, the third day, and in the year one thousand eight hundred twenty-three in the year of our Lord marks the death of Evangeline of Aaliyah. May your spirit cross over with ease and your family be comforted at the news of your untimely death." He stepped closer and gripped the cup before inching it closer and closer to me. I could smell its bitter odor and the guard holding my mouth open urged his friend to hurry.
"I can't-"
BANG!
The hand left my jaw as the guard stumbled backward before falling to the floor. The one in front of me jumped back, the poison spilling onto his attire and the cup fell from his hands and rolled along on the floor. I gulped before the sound of crashing erupted behind me. I tried to look behind me as my heart began to beat quicker and quicker, but I couldn't see anything. I went to ask what it was, but the guard that had always watched me in my cell was speeding toward the exit. I started to panic, thinking something was terribly wrong, especially when he collapsed right after another gunshot rang out.
"Shit," I heard a familiar voice murmur as rapid footsteps approached me. Despite the voice being so soft, I imagined some god of death to approach me and finally take me for escaping his clutches too many times. But I soon saw none other than Jeon skid to a stop beside me before taking a small glade and cutting the ropes that bound me to the chair I was stuck in.
"J-J-Jeon," I stuttered. "Why are you-"
"We got to get her out," another voice said – Yoongi.
"I know, I'm hurrying," Jungkook stated as he finally cut through one of the ropes. He looked up at Yoongi who was watching whatever was going behind us. "What's that?"
Yoongi looked over to the spilled poison on the floor. "Don't touch it, idiot. It's ricin."
"Like I know what that is," Jungkook whispered to himself as he started cutting the rope holding my right ankle to the chair's leg.
"Why are you here?" I blurted out, wondering why I was so worried about having them here.
"Why else?" Yoongi retorted. "Jungkook, hurry."
My ankle was freed and he began on the other. "Do I look like I'm just sitting here? Idiot."
"I will kill you right here and right now," Yoongi growled. I noticed a cut along his arm, his sleeve ripped opened to reveal his wound, and I realized that if these two are here, the others are, too. And since I didn't have my ring, Yoongi wasn't healing as fast as he normally would when I had it. My breathing stopped.
"The ring," I said. "They could die."
Another ankle free. "Yes," Jungkook replied. "But they aren't. How are we doing?"
I could sense irritation from Yoongi. "We'd be doing a whole lot better if you'd hurry up."
The last rope was cut and Jungkook grabbed my hand and jerked me up. I collapsed into his body and he swung me around to where I still couldn't see what going on behind us. And the next thing I knew was that we were running through Desdemona's halls.
"We need to go up," Yoongi panted. "And get the ring. Then, we leave without looking back."
"The others?" I asked, desperately trying to keep up with the two. I wondered if they knew where my ring was or if they were just looking where they thought it could be.
"They'll get back on their own," Yoongi answered. "Namjoon just told us two to get you and leave for Aaliyah. Whatever happens with them... happens."
We came to a set of stairs and I tried to take them at the pace they were going, but my body just wouldn't let me. I was fatigued and weak to keep up with their quick pace. Jungkook noticed and picked me up, setting me back down once he made it to the top. "I got you," he reassured.
We raced through the halls, my bare feet padding against the tiles softly as their boots sounded like war horses going into the battle. Yoongi led the way, obviously knowing the floor plans of the castle, while Jungkook made sure I stayed with them by holding my hand. Before we turned a corner, Yoongi stopped suddenly, pressing himself against a wall. Jungkook and I copied his actions becoming a part of the shadows that lingered in the dark hall. I heard footsteps and I prayed it wasn't the King.
A shadow of a body emerged on the floor and as soon as the owner came around the corner, Yoongi and Jungkook drew their blades and pointed them toward the owner of the shadow. I heard a gasp and then a soft murmur of my name. When I looked up, I felt my stomach knot up.
"Jackson," I muttered.
"You need to leave," Yoongi quickly said, his dagger's blade jutting into Jackson's stomach.
Jackson was trembling. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed and he fumbled with something in his fingers. In the light from the moon shining through the window, I could see tearstains on his cheeks. "I knew you were dying today," he said, his voice shaky. "I didn't want my dad taking your belongings, so I was going to go throw this in the pond we hung out at together."
I went to ask what it was, but he reached forward and my ring dangled on the end of his finger. "Take it," he urged. "Please, Eve. And run away."
I took the ring as he told me to and forced it onto my finger where it belonged. I couldn't find any words as I stared at Jackson's tearful eyes. "I understand if you hate me, Eve," he said, not caring about the daggers pressed tightly to his skin. "But please just know I am sorry this all happened. I never knew my dad was planning this. My mom didn't know, either. If I knew, Eve, I would've let you know as soon as I could. I would've done everything I could have to change his mind and save you, but I didn't know until I heard all the servants whispering about you." He wiped at his tears. "Please, Eve, forgive me if you can."
I opened my mouth to answer but I quickly shut it, unsure of what I should say as a response. Jackson looked at Yoongi and Jungkook and stepped back. "The quickest way out is the staircase down that hall. It leads to the kitchens and gardens easily."
And we sped off again, leaving him behind and everyone else behind wherever they were. Anything else could happen after this and I'd be satisfied knowing that my ring was protecting them once more. Before I knew it, I was breathing the night air outside the castle. I could see a deep forest looming before us, and a pair of arms picked me up.
"Watch your head," Jungkook said as he began to run toward the tree line ahead. I cowered into his body, hoping there was some sort of carriage waiting for us shortly ahead. The cold spring air nipped at my bare skin and I shivered. I closed my eyes and anticipated the running to end, but I fell asleep before we reached a small carriage hidden within the thick trees.
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I couldn't let my homegirl die okay she still has unfinished business to settle