Mirrors ✔️

Chapter 30: Execution

Valarie

A million stares, but voices? None at all.

Dead silence in the Trial Room.

I pretend not to notice as I make my way up the steps to the royal box, my shoes tapping against the wooden floor the only sound.

Tap, tap, tap.

When I reach the top, I take my seat between my mother and my sister, who stares at me with wide, childish eyes. My gut twists when I realize that this is her first execution.

My little brother, Xander, isn't here. At four, he's not fit to see someone die. Neither is eight-year-old Annette, but apparently I'm the only one who realizes that.

I give my sister a strained, but genuine, smile. Prehaps the only true one I've shared in a long time. I haven't seen her in years- I'd almost forgotten she and Xander's existence.

"Valie?" Annette asks now, voice small. "What's going on?"

I don't answer her, preferring to gaze at my mother- who refuses to meet my eyes. Who's idea was it, anyway, to bring Annette along?

Not mine.

My father's, maybe?

"Valie!" Annette begins to bounce in the velvet seat, stopping only when my mother reaches over my lap to place a hand on her knee. "You didn't answer my question!"

"Valarie's different now, sweet Annette." My mother says, voice soothing even as she shoots panicked glanes around the room- probably wondering how this, as well as my assassination attempt, is affecting her picture-perfect image. "Remember how she hurt Father?"

"Momma, but I didn't see Valie for so long."

"Valarie." My mother's voice is a warning. She doesn't trust me any longer, that much is clear. After two years apart, she probably doesn't still see me as her daughter. "Why don't you explain?"

"Annie," I turn now, slowly. "Shhhh."

Annette frowns, but sits straighter, already trained to be a perfect princess. Already poised as my parent's successor. Queen Annette- isn't that nice? The puppet queen, for she'll surely be manipulated the minute she ascends the throne.

Unless I take it first. Which I fully intend to do.

Will she see me as an enemy after I finally kill both of her parents?

"Why isn't Xander here?" Annette asks, hands clasped together. "You said this was a family occasion, Momma."

"Xander's too little, sweet." My mother turns to face the spectators. The nobles from the other courts. "You'll see."

Annette nods hesitantly. "Okay, Momma." She's probably thrilled to be considered "older".

If only she knew.

"Bring out the convicted." A voice booms. The same doors I came through earlier, a prisoner once more- how ironic- swing open again as Myra is dragged to the middle of the floor by guards identical to mine. "Myra Jane."

"Yes?" Myra's voice does not shake. I almost envy her.

"You have been accused of the following charges..."

Just like before, I tune him out, instead watching the scene with rapt interest.

"Do you deny the following?"

Myra shakes her head.

Eva, screaming. Eva, calling for me, her eyes on my face. "Val! VAL!"

The executioner steps up.

"Please! I didn't do it!" Eva thrashes in her chains. "I didn't!"

The ax is falling. And Eva is shouting. And there is red on stone.

Come back to us, Valarie. Come back to us.

Renee again. But how can I, when I am already so far away?