The next day the King of Spade Kingdom returned to his kingdom on the condition that the wedding day would be planned immediately and set to an earlier date. Nelliel held onto the gem tightly as she watched them leave from her bedroom window. SHe didn't leave her room since the day began. Her lady in waiting was one of the few people who saw her that day. She was obviously shocked and spent that morning fixing Nelliel's hair into something less messy and uneven. She didn't ask why Nelliel did that to her own hair, she just accepted it and fixed the mess.
Nelliel didn't use the gem yet because it was still too suspicious considering it was given to her so easily at a very convenient moment. She kept it hidden from everyone around her because she felt cautious and suspicious of most people in the palace. She couldn't let the wish be wasted by a third party.
Though she was ready to make her wish, she wasn't prepared for what was to come next.
As day turned to dusk, Nelliel's determination grew. Being sold to enemy territory was nothing new, however, she knew that she wouldn't be able to survive breathing the same air as that slimy snake king.
It was the night before she would be sent to the Spade Kingdom as a formal greeting before setting the wedding. She felt suffocated with the pressure of keeping her kingdom standing as well as fulfilling her marital duties after her kingdom is saved.
She knelt to the floor. She didn't know what the procedure was for making wishes to Valour's heart, but she thought it would be more respectful to kneel instead of just sitting.
She took a deep breath and uttered the wish she wanted to be fulfilled, for herself and her kingdom. The one thing she wished for her kingdom was,
"Freedom..."
She waited. There was no reaction from the gem. She moved it around thinking there was a catch to it but it didn't shine or even make a sound. On closer inspection, she noticed a reflection other than her own.
It was of a man dressed in all black, holding something that reflected the moonlight. Nelliel immediately tried to move away but it was too late. The shock and sharp pain made her hands tremble as she looked at the figure of her assassin. She clenched the gem close to her chest. She coughed up blood but tried to get herself together. The wound was deep and if she didn't notice the man before he strikes it would have ended her in one go.
Blood spilt onto the floor as she tried to stand up. The assassin knew that even though she didn't immediately, a wound that deep will lead to her death within 3 minutes so he didn't need to stay and finish the job.
He did notice, however, the gem that Nelliel was holding onto so desperately. So before he left he made sure to take the gem with him despite not knowing its true value.
Though Nelliel tried to fight back and take back Valour's Heart she could barely move her body. She leaned against the wall and tried to follow the man by leaving through the door. Looking around she noticed no guards were stationed near her room.
Where were they at this critical time and why wasn't she informed?
She barely managed to make it to the palace courtyard which had never seemed further away than this moment. A trail of blood followed her and she couldn't hold on anymore. She collapsed to the ground with a pool of blood surrounded her body.
She could only laugh at her final moments.
It was funny to her, the trap set up by the Spade Kingdom, the gem that didn't work, her death at this early stage. She could barely muster up a slight chuckle before her body completely lost heat and her consciousness faded into a black abyss.
A few days pass. The news of the princess' death spread to all four kingdoms. The Clover Kingdom was in mourning. A royal's body is never buried until after the thirteenth day of mourning.
Her body was cleaned, dressed in white clothes, and placed in an open coffin surrounded by white lilies.
On the fifth day of the mourning period, the King of the Spade Kingdom came to express his grief. It didn't seem like it bothered him that much but considering she was his bride to be it would be stranger to not attend and only sent his condolences through a letter.
Nelliel felt like had just taken a long nap. Her eyelids were heavy and her body ached. She managed to slowly lift her eyes lids. Her body felt like lead as memories of what happened before she lost consciousness flooded her mind.
She sprang up as if her body didn't hurt anymore. She felt the soft petals of lilies beneath her and the gentle touch of silk against her bare skin.
Was it a dream? She was clearly dying so why was her heart beating excessively. There was nobody in the room with her but she could hear murmurs coming from behind the door.
She clumsily got out of the coffin with trembling legs as if they couldn't support her anymore. She made her way to the door but the muffled words stop her from opening it.
"Now that the Princess is dead, there's only that old man in the way. King Cassius was already engaged to princess Nelliel so it won't be strange if he took the position as successor after his majesty passes. We'll just be speeding up the process a bit." It was a man's voice. The person he was talking to didn't respond, all Nelliel heard was that single voice. "Mix this in with his majesty's tea tonight. His insomnia has been getting worse because of his grief so it'll be the perfect excuse to make it seem like suicide." He said.
Footsteps were heard fading away from opposite directions which indicating that Nelliel was once more alone.
Nelliel couldn't believe her ears. Her body became stiff. There were people committing treason right under her nose and she couldn't do anything. However, even though a plot to assassinate her father was being fed to her, she didn't feel that bothered by it. She didn't understand what emotion she was feeling but it was as if her feelings were being fabricated.
Though her mind was telling her to act and stop this murder attempt, her body was calm, almost peaceful. Her heartbeat was regular and didn't spike after hearing the conspiracy.
She didn't know what was wrong with her body but she could tell that it was not her own anymore.