𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

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     "Any last words, Jannali Bea?" Adrian asked coldly from his throne, the golden crown that sat on his head most eye-catching to any onlookers.

    After the initial capture of the former Queen of Chalar, Adrian swept his forces throughout Chalar to clean up the rest of her advisors, guards, and loyal supporters, many not going easily without a fight. The entire process was gruesome and taxing—the prince himself leading his army through Jannali's grand palace.

    (Y/N) chose not accompany him.

    No matter how much he pleaded with her, she continued to say no, instead choosing to stay behind and help rebuild. Because of her choice, he left her to be in charge of the kingdom's treasury along with Basile, the two then working together to help refund buildings and homes back to how they used to be. After Leo, and the woman he introduced as his fiancée, Scarlet, guided her back to their home, or what was left of it, they tried to get her to talk.

    But she couldn't.

    Whenever she looked at Leo and Scarlet and how happy they were, she wondered what went wrong. No matter how hard she thought about it, something always seemed to not add up. First it was her mother's death, then the King's, then her friends' betrayal, and finally Banco's. As she stared at them and how happy they were, she wondered why she couldn't have been in Scarlet's place. She wondered what her life would have been like if she had not been forced to dress as a man.

    Would I be friends with Leo?

Would I have been his significant other?

Would my mother be alive?

Would I have even gone to work in the palace?

When both had left for the kitchen, (Y/N) stood up abruptly and left, finding that she no more felt anything when looking at Leo. She no more had the feelings that she had kept close to her heart time and time again. If anything, she was tired of giving out love, giving out friendship, giving out anything, and being returned with nothing.

    With Basile, she lead the construction of the twelve villages, completing the project in a little more than two years, right in time for Adrian to return home and be coronated. She and Basile had stood with their hands behind their backs in front of the large, wrought iron gate to welcome his return, finding that the men that he had taken with him had dwindled in numbers, but all had both victory and determination written in their eyes. Adrian was in the front—seeming to be the most beaten of them all—but when seeing both of them out there, he couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips.

    "Welcome home, Your Majesty," Basile greeted, finding that Adrian looked much like the deceased King as he rode in.

"Yeah," he nodded. "It's good to be back."

    Now, as King after his coronation a week ago, Adrian sat with his head propped up looking down at Jannali and her supporters who gazed up at him with either hatred or total despondency. The nobles of the court, along with his cabinet and advisors, his knights, and (Y/N) as his personal attendant all stood to watch as a man dressed in black robes strode foreword, an axe in hand with a blade that flashed in the overhead light.

   "Hah?" Jannali laughed, tresses of her dark hair falling in her face, hiding how gaunt it had become from her year locked in a cell. "Last words? What makes you think I'd spare you the honor of hearing anything I have to say?"

    "Is that so?" Adrian asked in a bored tone, further inciting her obvious irritation. "Then let me at least tell you this: your country has fallen and become a part of the Carmellian kingdom. Your people have been liberated. The supplies and goods that you and your parents have fought for will now be provided. And do you want to know why that is?"

    Silence answered him, yet it was obvious Jannali's teeth were gritted in anger.

    "I see you have no answer, so me enlighten you then," he uttered as he pushed himself up and off his throne to walk down the raised dias, crouching down beside her. "No longer will I have to try and meet the ridiculous demands both you and your parents presented myself and my father. No more will I always be threatened with war from you. As you face your death, I want you to know everything you fought for has been obtained. Unfortunately... you won't be able to witness it."

    In an instant, Jannali lunged forward with her teeth bared after he stood—a wild animal to anyone present. She then let out a choked gasp when the air was violently ripped from her lungs by a swift punch delivered to her gut. She gasped as she trembled on the ground, (Y/N) above her with a dark scowl.

    "How dare you try and hurt my King," (Y/N) glowered down at her. "Accept your fate already, Jannali Bea, or you'll receive far worse."

    Adrian laughed, placing both hands on the girl's shoulders with a bright smile as he said, "I trained my little servant well, haven't I? You think he is the same as when you faced both of us two years ago? No... no, no, no." Tutting softly, now ticking his pointer finger back and forth at Jannali in a taunting manner, he continued by saying, "After I returned from cleaning up the mess you called your kingdom, I trained him day after day after day... and I must say, it has really payed off since he is now willing to do anything for me..."

    "Isn't that more a dog?" Jannali laughed hysterically as she staggered to her feet. "I have to say I enjoyed this servant's company more without your little manipulations."

    "Manipulations?" He laughed, shaking his head. "I did no such thing. He is loyal to me all on his own. Enough of this small talk. Kill her."

    The axe fell swiftly.

    Jannali died screaming.

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