The Substitute Cinderella

Chapter 12 "Past Comes To Hunt"

Ella watched the stone walls beyond her reach and the knight towering over her even from far away one last time before dozing off.

She was still waiting for death on the frigid ground, sitting in a weird angle, her back against the wall but slowly falling with the cruel pull of thirst and sadness. Her scratchy hands were not enough to support the rest of her body anymore.

Maybe this was her execution.

Rotting until her last breath.

***

The Queen walked down the narrow spiraling ladders heading to the dungeon with her all glory following the almighty knights lighting her way with torches, remembering the days she had to spend there once as a naive young girl, almost losing her chance to become the ruler because of a redhead stranger who didn't belong.

She would never let it happen again. She would save her son the king, from the hands of the cunning girl who literally fell from the sky.

The path finally ended, she realized when the bothering humidity hit her cheeks and the smell of mud filled her nostrils. There were drops here and there falling from the dusty high ceiling.

The knights cleared the path for The Queen and opened the lock of Ella's cell for her to step in. Ella was in deep sleep but the Queen was decided to steal her moment of peace.

"Knights!" She called with her strict and demanding tone as always. In a second Ella was forced out of her comfortable place to the cruel version of reality she should have never experienced.

She barely opened her dry and puffy eyes with an excruciating ache in her head, still being held on her knees by the strong knights who gripped her arms tightly, more than necessarily.

"Pitiful child. Now you look like you belong with all the dust around the air and your rat friends to accompany you." She said heartlessly taking out her fan decorated with black lace for fresh air.

The same air suffocated Ella. She had no more tears to cry but she was not exposed to cruelty enough to feel numb. She could never be cold hearted like the woman looking down at her.

"How can anyone... feel joy by watching another's suffering?" Ella asked blowing on the strand of hair falling on her dried up lips, her voice was hoarse and weaker than she intended to be.

"You are not 'anyone.' You are a threat. And as the ruler of this kingdom who wants the best for everyone, of course I will enjoy to crush the heads of dangerous beings like you before it is too late." The Queen said getting more angry while stepping closer to Ella's slim figure.

"I don't know why you hate me so much but I know one thing for sure, you will regret executing me, your highness." Ella said as if to mock the Queen, she decided not to hold back, now that her life was already at stake unfairly.

"How dare you threaten me so directly you evil witch, you are talking to the Queen. I am not Henry and your dark spells can't blind me. Knights cuff her hands with the heaviest chains, now."

"No, you can't do this. I don't deserve any of this treatment. I am innocent." Ella screamed in the hands of knights she could never win against. She needed Henry.

But he was not there to help her anymore. 'He must have a reason, he can't leave me to die and rot in these dungeon cells meant for the notorious criminals. He will come for me, I have one more day. He has to...' These thoughts passed from Ella's head in a second driving her crazy but not as crazy as the chains on her wrists that hurt her more and more every time she tried to fight against them.

"Not even Henry believes in you anymore, witch. I know people like you. I fought against one when I was still young and I saved my husband. You...come from nowhere just to cause chaos and then more chaos in our world. This time I won't make the same mistake, you have to die to never be born again for all of our sakes."