Chapter 1: 1
Aeris
Few hours ago I took my dying breath while cursing Carlos, my husband.
I had been sick for years, and he had always been by my side, wiping my forehead whenever my fever built up, changing the sheets and cleaning me up whenever I wet the bed, he never let the maids do all the work, whenever he was around he would stay by my side and we would gist for hours till I fell asleep like a loyal husband would.
I had been diagnosed with a strange illness with no cure so there was no hope for me, honestly I didn't mind death, but Carlos always made me rethink my decision.
I wanted to stay and be a good wife for him, bear his children and watch them grow under our care, watch our family blossom and die of old age. He made me strive to live.
Carlos, my lovely husband contributed in the annihilation of my country and all my people,
Our marriage was supposed to be a symbol of peace, a treaty between two empires who had always been at war.
The Princess of Gorisimo, Aeris Senna Astoria and the Grand Duke of lotisiana,Carlos Emery Leighton. We came together in holy matrimony to celebrate the treaty between our empires.
This treaty is how I met my husband, I never knew him but when asked who I wanted to marry between Carlos and the archduke, I chose Carlos. I knew nothing about him but gossips and rumours reached my ears. I was told that he was caring and decent looking. Naturally I swayed to his side.
I never imagined that it was a plot all along.
.
.
.
.
.
I bolt from my sleep as loud notices wake me, struggling to get up and wear my robe, fear resonates through my body as the sound of swords clashing fill my home.
Carlos went to patrol the northern borders, so it's just I, the guards and some maids.
My room door burst open and its viscount landre,in his bloody knightly attire.
He dragged a body and threw at my feet, it was Stella my lady in waiting with her guts hanging out, she was still alive. I looked at her, her faint breaths and tears in her eyes.
"Madame Aeris, I'm sorry" and those were her last words, before she coughed up blood and convulsed.
Landre said nothing to me as he approached me.
I stood upright and waited for him to close the gap between us and when he did, he sheathed his sword, grabbed me by my hair and dragged me downstairs, I mustered strength and pushed him.
"I can walk" he understood and continued walking.
The hallways were deathly quiet, the servant's bodies were all over the place
The house I once loved was adorned in blood and guts.
"You don't seem to hate the atmosphere" slipped from landre's mouth.
"I'm familiar with it"
"That's why we had to poison you, crimson queen" he answered, which stopped me in my tracks, poison? What poison?
He noticed my halt and turned around.
"Carlos, the loving husband has been slowly poisoning you, giving you small doses discretely and giving you large doses as pills for your so called incurable illness" he laughed vigorously "If you had just chosen me as your husband, you wouldn't have encountered that two faced bastard." He added as he took my hair in his hands and brought it to his nose.
We got out of the house and he tied my hands to his horse and I was forced to walk while he rode his horse.
Everywhere was disorganised, and the knights were trying to calm the mob and I was being dragged to the palace.
The people looked at me pitifully and started chanting.
"Spare the sick princess! Spare the sick princess!"
My body wants to give up, but I will not let myself look weak in front of so many people.
We reach the palace and I'm untied and taken to the palace.
The palace was also bloody, even worse than my home. I'm guessing a coup has taken place and I don't think I'm being brought here for formalities.
The Grand doors open and I'm left speechless.
My husband, Carlos is sitting on the throne with a black haired woman by his side.
I couldn't believe it, Carlos staged the coup.
"My beautiful wife, you still have some life left in you, considering you're able to still stand after being dragged by landre's horse"
Nothing, I was unable to answer, struck of words.
Two guards walked in with a chest and dropped it down
"Open it "he commanded and they did.
Strength came over me as I grabbed one Knight and snapped his neck, taking his sword and facing the other Knight, with one strike, his sword shattered and he fell to the ground.
Heads and significant body parts of my family.
Including my baby brother, Leo. He looked scared and there were dried tears on his cheeks.
Landre came next, we clashed swords, my blade faltering, I was defensive.
"You're weak Aeris" that was all it took to muster enough strength to be in the offensive, I drove him to a corner and buried my blade in his chest.
"You bastard,come and take my head" I screamed and charged through the wall of knights Carlos surrounded himself with and when I was done with them, his back haired beauty was gone.
Carlos charged at me, with steel of gorisimo
"I was never a match for you, you stole all the limelight, with your achievements and beauty"
I grabbed his head and smashed it on the glass table. We fought until my sword broke, he grabbed my head and kissed me roughly. I plunged my small blade into his stomach as my vision blurred I realized that my body was shutting down but I must take Carlos with me no matter the cost
"I love this side of you, if you beg hard enough I'll keep you as my consort" blood trickling down his face as he said this, before I could push the blade further
I felt it, a blade inside my own body and I looked back.
It was landre,he was alive
"Make sure to let my hair down,when you put my head on the spike"
These were my last words before Landre swung his sword towards my neck.