บท 1: in the imperial dungeons
The suffocating silence of the lower dungeon corridors was broken by the sound of heavy deliberate footsteps, echoing like the drums of doom against the cold, damp walls, the frigid air seemed to seep into the very bones of anyone trapped there, sending shivers down both body and soul, Olivia's weary eyes darted from one shadowy cell to another, searching desperately for a familiar face, for a sign of hope amidst the despair, Yet all she found were the hollow gazes of prisoners, their expressions lifeless, empty.
Her frail body was dragged forward by two soldiers, her wrists bound in front of her by iron cuffs that had left raw, red marks on her skin, They stopped abruptly in front of a cell, one of the soldiers pushed open the heavy door, its creak slicing through the tense air, and the other shoved her inside with such force that she fell to the cold, hard floor.
"Enjoy your lovely company with your husband on this, your last night together," one of them sneered before slamming the door shut with a resounding clang, their footsteps faded down the corridor, leaving only the oppressive silence behind.
Slowly, painfully, Olivia pushed herself up, leaning her trembling body against the icy stone wall for support, a long, ragged sigh escaped her lips, a sound laden with exhaustion and anguish,when she finally turned her head, her breath caught in her throat.
He was there.
In the dim light of the cell, she saw him sitting in the far corner, his piercing green eyes locked onto hers, It was unmistakably Matthias, his condition was no better than hers; his hands were bound with chains, and his body was a canvas of bruises and cuts from countless beatings,His torn clothes barely covered the wounds on his skin, and his once neatly combed black hair now hung in disarray, partially obscuring his face.
Who could have imagined? Matthias, the man whose one word from him alone could command the kingdom's armies, now sat shackled and broken, just another prisoner awaiting his doom.
Olivia opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable to form words, shame, pain, and regret held her tongue, Matthias, however, did not need words to make his thoughts known, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, and his voice, low and cutting, shattered the heavy silence:
"So… they abandoned you, didn't they?"
His words struck like a blow, she knew he was right, how could he not be? What kind of father throws his own daughter into the imperial dungeons, condemning her to death? yet she refused to show her weakness, not to him, forcing a feeble, hollow smile, she replied:
"No… my father hasn't abandoned me, what nonsense are you spouting?"
Matthias let out a bitter, mocking laugh that echoed through the cell like shards of glass.
"Are you joking? Wake up, Olivia, you're in prison, the same as me, they've abandoned you, tomorrow, we'll both face the executioner's blade, Do you even understand that?"
Her breathing quickened, and her eyes widened as the cruel truth sank in, the tears she had fought so hard to suppress now spilled freely down her cheeks,Her father, the man she had spent her entire life defending, had cast her aside as if she were nothing, he had betrayed her, and for what? She had even betrayed her own husband for his sake.
Matthias watched her cry in silence, his jaw tightening as he fought the urge to console her, but he couldn't hold back the words he had carried in his heart for too long.
"Olivia… listen to me,we've been married for three years, three years of what? a political marriage, forced upon us by the emperor's decree, Two families who hated each other, bound together by his will, when my father came to me with the news, I refused outright, i wanted nothing to do with this union, but what choice did I have? the emperor's power is absolute."
He paused, his voice dropping lower, almost as if he were speaking to himself.
"I remember the day of our wedding, when I saw you for the first time… you stood there, staring at me with those cold, dry eyes, that's when I realized there would be no joy in this marriage, but I swore to myself that I would honor it, I would remain loyal to you… because you were my wife because you might one day become the mother of my children… even if you were the daughter of that devil."
"Matthias… I..." she began, but he raised a hand, cutting her off.
"Don't interrupt me, Olivia, I don't want to die with any regrets, I don't know if it was love I felt for you?, but I respected you, I respected you because you were my wife."
The weight of Matthias's sorrow hung in the air as he spoke, his voice thick with pain, "I respected our marriage, Olivia, i did everything I could to fulfill your wishes; whether it was wealth or anything else you desired, i turned a blind eye to your mistakes, even when you lashed out at the servants or berated the cooks for meals that didn't suit your mood, i looked the other way when you threw my sister out of our home when she came seeking refuge from her abusive husband, do you know what that did to her? she thought I'd abandoned her, and then…" His voice faltered, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, "…She took her own life, along with her daughter."
He swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on her, his anguish palpable, "Still, I hoped you'd change, even when you betrayed the duchy by passing its secrets to your father instead of protecting it as you should have, i believed in you, Olivia, i truly believed you could become a better person, i defended you against everyone, insisted they were wrong about you, But you proved them right." his voice broke as a single tear rolled down his face, "You betrayed me, Olivia."
Olivia's eyes shimmered with regret as she stared at him, her voice trembling, "When I married you, i dreamed of a life like any young girl does; a beautiful life with my husband, even if you were my enemy, i was a dreamer back then, like all the girls of my age, But you crushed those dreams, you were never kind to me, Matthias, all I ever felt from you was cold indifference, i felt like nothing more than a plaything; a tool you visited each month to ensure I'd bear you an heir, and in the end… I lost my son."
Matthias's eyes burned with fury and disbelief, "An heir?" his voice rose, raw with anger, "Wasn't it you who chose to end that pregnancy? do you think I didn't know? you took Lavin's Potion to make yourself barren, Olivia, do you hate me so much that you'd deny me a child; deny yourself the chance to be a mother forever? i had the potion analyzed to make sure it wouldn't harm you, do you know how I felt when I learned it caused permanent sterility? i couldn't even stand after hearing it, did you truly hate me that much?" his voice faltered, giving way to utter despair.
Olivia's body trembled, her fingers clutching at the fabric of her dress, she couldn't meet his gaze, couldn't bear to confront the truth he'd laid bare, "It was… a mistake," she stammered, "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't betrayed me first."
"Betrayed you?" His voice was incredulous, "What betrayal?"
She looked up, her eyes blazing with anger and anguish, "I saw you, at the imperial banquet, celebrating the empire's seventieth anniversary, you had that girl sitting in your lap, laughing with her as if she were your world, do you know how that felt? my husband; who never so much as smiled at me; laughing and holding another woman, If I'd had a sword that night, I would've ended my misery right there."
Matthias's expression shifted from disbelief to heartbreak, "Why didn't you ask me, Olivia? If you'd just asked, I would've told you, that girl… she was my twin sister, she doesn't carry our family name and doesn't live within the duchy, if you'd truly respected our marriage, you would've known that."
Her tears streamed down her face, her voice barely a whisper. "What have I done? I misunderstood everything…"
Matthias's tone turned bitter, tinged with despair, "Now you realize it? You even orchestrated those schemes to make me appear as a traitor, you tipped off your father, the emperor, to search my office, tell me, what did you gain from all this? what have you achieved now?"
She had no words, none that could refute his accusations or undo the damage she'd caused, the crushing weight of silence enveloped them both, each drowning in their own sea of pain, the night passed in agonizing stillness, and with the break of dawn came the dreaded summons.
The guards arrived to take Matthias first, they grabbed him roughly, pulling him to the cell door, he stopped, turning back one final time to look at her, his green eyes soft despite the betrayal that had poisoned their marriage. "Olivia," he said quietly, "look at me one last time."
She lifted her gaze, her heart shattering.
"I want you to know something," he continued, "I never betrayed you; not even in my dreams, you were always my wife, my only wife, after my death, I hope you'll live in peace… and find freedom away from your family." His lips curved into a gentle smile that carried both sorrow and hope.
She didn't understand his words; after all, she too was sentenced to death for bearing his name.
"Enough of this," one guard barked, "Move along to the execution platform."
As Matthias was dragged away, Olivia's tears flowed uncontrollably, hugging herself, she sobbed; uncertain if her tears were for the family that had forsaken her or the husband she'd misunderstood until it was too late.
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