Look What You Made Me Do

Part II

I don't like your perfect crime

How you laugh when you lie

You said the gun was mine

Isn't cool

No I don't like you

The first days of our marriage were filled with bliss. He was so attentive, so caring. He'd been so interested in everything and he had so many questions about the castle and how it was run. I told him almost all that I knew.

Once or twice, I remember finding his behavior suspicious. I saw him talking to our power hungry Chief-of-Army, who my parents were very dissatisfied with. When I asked him about it, he gave me a vague answer and changed the subject. I didn't push either.

There were probably other signs. I didn't see them--or perhaps, I chose not to see them. Alas, my family suffered greatly for my blissful ignorance.

Three months after my wedding, my parents suddenly became ill and died, within minutes of each other. The Royal Physician performed an examination and declared that it was poison.

My brother and I were devastated, but with the crown thrust upon his head my brother set aside his grief to rule the kingdom and investigate my parent's death.

Three days after his coronation, he was murdered. One of the maids discovered his body, and her screaming brought others, including me, to my brother's chamber. It was a horrible sight to behold--his glassy eyes staring at the ceiling, his lips already turning blue, sheets drenched in the red of his blood.

I fainted.

When I came to, I was alone. I couldn't move. Looking about, I saw I was in the palace throne room, chained to a slab. More confused than frightened, I called out, wanting someone to release me.

The doors opened and a procession walked in, led by none other than my husband. Behind him were the Chief-of-Army, the Grand Judge of the highest court, the Castle Herald, and a slew of nobles.

"What's going on?" I asked.

The Herald unrolled a scroll and proclaimed that I had been found guilty of the assassinations of my parents and brother, and by the order of the new king, I was to be sentenced to death by drowning. My head spun as I tried to take in everything he said.

"How is that possible?" I exclaimed. "I, kill my family? No, you're mistaken. I didn't do it."

"All evidence points to you, Princess," said the Grand Judge gravely. "The poison and the murder weapon were found in your chambers. We also have a testimony from a witness."

"What? What witness?"

"Why, your personal maid, of course. She saw you in the kitchens prior to your parent's poisoning, and saw you go into your brother's chambers the night of his murder."

"No, you're wrong-she's lying. I'm innocent!" I looked to my husband. "Why are you just standing there? Tell them I didn't do it."

He looked at me remorsefully. "I'm sorry, my dear. Although you are my most darling wife, I cannot stand in the way of justice. As king, I must punish such heinous crimes as yours."

"What do you mean 'as king'?"

"Well my darling, with your parents and brother dead and you the traitor who has done them in, I was next in line for the throne. Pity you missed my coronation last night--I couldn't have become king without you."