{Your Title Or Your Niece?}
On the third day Anastasia was dragged into the throne room. "We are gathered here to witness the execution of this criminal" Lord George said. "Execution? I object!!" Rose yells.
Azriel raised his hand dismissing Rose. "Genevieve Whitestone has been found guilty for the attempted murder of Luna Nightingale... The court has come to a unanimous conclusion and we find her guilty. She is here by sentenced to death by hanging" Lady Vivian said.
"Guinevere is innocent!!!" A lady yells from the crowd. "Who said that?" Lord George asked. "I did" Gabriella said as she stepped forward.
"There is no need to lie on her behalf. It changes nothing" Lady Vivian said. "I was the one who delivered the tea to Luna. Guinevere had nothing to do with this" Gabriella said.
"If you claim to deliver the tea to Luna, why didn't you say anything earlier?" Charles asked. "I was scared but I've spent this past few days gathering evidence" Gabriella said.
"Gabriella do not interrupt this execution... I know Guinevere saved you in the past and this is the only way you want to return the favor" Lady Vivian said. "Guards... Escort Princess Guinevere out of this court" Lord George said.
"NO... NO.... Don't do something you'll regret. Guinevere say something... We both know you didn't do it. Don't risk your life for something you know nothing about" Gabriella said as she was dragged out of the room.
"Prepare yourselves for an execution" Azriel's voice was loud and firm. Anastasia stood there trying to process everything. "I see this is what you have always wanted... Isn't it?" Anastasia's voice made the room fall silent.
"How dare you" Lady Vivian slapped Anastasia across the face. "All my life I've taken the fall for a lot of shit I didn't do. Both past and present... It's all the same. No matter how hard I try to survive... No matter how hard I try to be invisible"
Anastasia forced a smile. "Maybe dying is the easiest way out of this misery" Anastasia said. Hannah ran to Anastasia.
"My lady is innocent... That day we weren't in the castle. You can ask the guards, I bribed them with sugar cookies" Hannah said. "Hannah please...."
"I will not let you get killed for something you didn't do" Hannah said. "I'm tired, both physically and mentally. She no longer wishes to live Hannah.... Please let us go"
A woman enters the room. "Your Majesty... I have come with good news" the woman said. "River?" Charles said in a whisper. River is the witch of the west.
"I have found the antidote" River said. "What is it?" Lady Vivian asked. River points at Anastasia. "That girl is the only person that can cure the dying girl"
Everyone looks at Anastasia who was in Hannah's embrace. "What?" Lady Vivian asked in surprise. "She has the cure..." Rose said to herself.
Hannah helps Anastasia to her feet. "You will save Luna, you do not have a choice" Lady Vivian said. Anastasia laughs in amusement.
"You are more stupid than I thought... You actually think I would save your niece? Nah, I prefer to watch her die" Anastasia said.
"Don't be arrogant, do you actually think you mean anything just because you can heal Luna?" Lady Vivian said. "It is your arrogance that has gotten the better of you" Anastasia said.
"Enough!!! Take Guinevere to see Luna so she could start with the treatment" Azriel said. "I don't think you seem to get it emperor... I would rather be hanged than save your precious Luna" Anastasia said.
Azriel hits the arm of the chair pretty hard causing it to break. "You have no right to speak to the emperor that way!!" Lord Wesley said.
"I no longer wish to continue this charade.... I want to withdraw from this competition" Anastasia said. "My lady" Hannah whispered. "Guinevere, please help us save Luna... Please I beg you" Rose said.
"Why? Why should I? After everything this bitch has done to me" Anastasia said. "Don't pay evil with evil... Please" Charles said. "You seem to have forgotten the term an eye for an eye" Anastasia said.
"I beg of you" Rose said. "Hannah please help me with my zipper" Hannah obeys, everyone saw the scars on her back. "This woman ordered soldiers to whip me countless times....This is the woman you want me to help? I would rather jump off a cliff"
Hannah helps her arrange her dress. She went on her knees. "What are you doing?" Anastasia asked. "My lady I beg you... Save lady Luna. I know you are a kind-hearted person" Hannah said.
"You must be out of your mind. Begging for a woman who tried to have you killed... For a woman who has poisoned me twice" Anastasia said. "You once told me that you are willing to give up your life just to save a soul" Hannah said.
"Hannah stop this... Stop talking" Hannah kept begging Anastasia to reconsider. "Do you have any idea what she's been through? She tried to stay invisible, tried so hard not to draw attention still it changed nothing" Anastasia said. "I know what it's like. I was there... I was also there by your side"
Anastasia placed both her hands on her head trying to stop pictures from coming in. "Enough Hannah!!!"
"I know you will reconsider. I know you aren't heartless... I know lady Vivian has given you a reason to hate her but think about what people would say... Think about your reputation" Hannah said.
"I don't care!!!" Anastasia grabbed Hannah's dress, she raised her hands to slap Hannah but her hands stopped midway. "Why am I so paralyzed when it comes to you? I can't hit you... Something in me is preventing me from slapping some sense into you" Anastasia let's go of Hannah.
"But she never said I couldn't hit her" Anastasia walked up to lady Vivian and slapped her twice across the face. "You are the reason why she's hurting... I WILL KILL YOU BEFORE I KILL YOUR NIECE!!!!" Anastasia yells.
"NARI!!!" Azriel's voice was loud enough for everyone to go deaf. "Don't you dare call my name Azriel. You sat down doing nothing.. you watched her suffer for something she didn't do. How selfish can you be?"
"Watch your tongue" Azriel hissed. "Or what little emperor? Are you going to hang her? I see you were willing to do that in a heartbeat" Anastasia said.
"Nari let's be reasonable about this... No one has to lose anyone" Rose said. "Even if I want to save Azriel's pet, I just simply can't" Anastasia said. "Why?" Luke asked. "Turns out her subconscious wouldn't let me... She must hate that human so much that she's willing to watch her die. I wouldn't blame her tho, with what this so called Vivian did it only adds more fuel to the fire" Anastasia said.
"What do you suggest we do?" Rose asked. "I will help her on one condition"
"What is it?" Charles asked. "It's simple, Vivian and her entire family will be stripped of their title" Anastasia said. "What? Have you lost your mind?" Lady Vivian asked. "It's your choice. Your title or your niece's life, which is more important?" Anastasia asked.
"Save the girl" Lady Vivian said with gritted teeth. "One last thing.... She wants to leave the competition" Anastasia said. "I will only grant her one wish but leaving this castle isn't one of them" Azriel said.
"As expected, you wouldn't let her leave. Unfortunately you won't be able to save her in the future... Watch out, this person you're so eager to save isn't as innocent as you paint her to be" Anastasia said.
"What do you mean?" Azriel asked. "You will have to figure that out by yourself... Now take me to your sleeping beauty" Anastasia said.
Anastasia was taken to Luna's room. She laid on the bed with snakes sleeping beside her. "Oh my goodness" Rose said in horror. Anastasia looks at Lady Vivian. "What did you give her?"
"I didn't do anything" Lady Vivian denies. Anastasia grabbed her neck. "If you don't tell me, I will not save your niece.. tell me what you gave her, my patience is growing thin" Anastasia said. "I gave her this" Lady Vivian hands a bottle to Anastasia.
Anastasia opens it and sniffs the bottle. She felt dizzy, she slowly collapsed but Charles caught her. "Woah steady yourself" He said.
"Wow your chest is hard... Any girl would be safe in your embrace" Luke clears his throat. "Yes.. back to business. This is a mysitropical poison... A powerful one at that. It was made with dark magic and the blood of a hybrid vampire" Anastasia said.
"Does it have an antidote?" Luke asked. "All you need is sunlight flower mixed with a cup of water from a raging ocean. Prepare this with a bit of hair of a gargoyle. This potion must be made under the blue moon" Anastasia said.
"Where are we supposed to get all this?" Charles asked. "You asked for the antidote and I've given it to you. How you get it has nothing to do with me"
"How do we get rid of this snakes?" Rose asked in disgust. Anastasia raised her hands and a snake slid onto her hand. She whispers something to it before setting it down. The snake hissed at all of them, immediately they slid out the window.
The snake Anastasia held paused by the window, it bows it's head to Anastasia, Anastasia did the same. With that the snake left the castle.
Anastasia stumbled backwards. "I think your Guinevere is punishing me for helping her... Until next time great emperor" Anastasia said.
Anastasia blinked twice, she rubbed her face disoriented. "How did I get here? Let me guess I save her..... No wonder Guinevere was restless" Anastasia said.
"Fret not your precious love is safe, as long as you have the antidote" Anastasia said. Hannah hugged Anastasia tightly. "What's this for?"
"I knew you would save her life" Hannah said. "Well don't get used to it. This is the last time I would do anything for you even if I don't want it" Anastasia said. "Well I am happy nevertheless"
"Excuse me your Majesty, I need to gather the ingredients" Luke said. "By the way I wish for Lady Vivian and her accomplices to be whipped for framing me" Anastasia said. "Stripping me and my family of our titles wasn't enough!!!"
"It's quite unfortunate, I wasn't the one who requested for that... This is what I want, besides you deserve every bad thing that comes your way Vivian. Your arrogance has cost you a lot" Anastasia said. "This is the last thing I will grant you Guinevere"
"I accept but my name is not Guinevere.. I've told you that it's Valerie... How many times do I have to correct you?" Anastasia asked.
"Everyone return back to your rooms" Charles said. "Guards take Vivian Nightingale and her accomplices to the dungeon... I'll deal with them myself" Azriel said.