Right after Daniel’s betrayal, Edoile had placed a divine protection on me.
Anyone who tried to harm me would be unable to do so. The new would-be queen (a fine turn of events, don’t you think? A princess from a neighboring country, who came here to be a guest at MY wedding to the king…is now the new bride-to-be while I get thrown in the dungeon!) gave the guards permission to beat me as they saw fit. But whenever they tried to harm or even touch me, lightning would crackle, emanating from my skin, scorching them and sending them into a dead faint.
Now the guards were saying that the new queen-to-be, Karina, had ordered them to starve me to death. I was sure she hadn’t gotten permission from the Sunruta royals to give such an order. But the guards didn’t know that. Even Ed, with all his powers, couldn’t save me from starvation.
I knew the situation was hopeless. That I was done for. And yet, Ed’s reassurances could strangely make me feel at ease.
“Ed. This time, they’re going to starve me to death.”
“…”
Ed didn’t respond.
“Knowing that I’m going to die…makes me wish I’d chosen a completely different path. I wish I’d laughed out loud more…cried more tears whenever I was sad. Gone shopping in town, eaten the things I wanted to without care…even fallen in love! And then married my true soul mate…”
I sighed, realizing how foolish it was to dream of those things now.
I’d dedicated my entire life to my role as a princess. Suppressing my own dreams and desires had led me to this. How ironic life was! How absurd!
“You can still have all those things.”
“Heh. Oh, I’m sure. And will you give them to me?”
“Yes. I will.”
“I’d settle for a reset. A chance to make a different choice.”
“Of course. Then I will give you another chance.”
“Silly.”
I couldn’t help laughing a little, even in this hopeless situation.
Ed was so sweet. He’d say anything to try to keep up my spirits.
Silence fell upon us again in our dreary cells.
The sound of the plinking water dripping from the ceiling seemed magnified in the silence. It hurt my ears.
“…Ed?”
Whenever I said “Ed?” he would always respond with “Yes, Princess?” but this time, he didn’t respond at all. I felt a streak of panic rip through me.
“Ed? Please…say something.”
“Princess. Take this.”
His response brought with it a flood of relief.
It’s all right. He’s still with you. You can still be brave.
Ed let go of my hand for a moment, and then I felt him press something into my palm. I explored it with my fingertips, noticing it was round in shape. I withdrew my arm back into my own cell and raised my hand close to my face to inspect it.
“But…this is…”
It was a Magic Stone. A deep crimson Magic Stone, the same color as Ed’s blazing red eyes. Even in the darkness of my cell, I could see it clearly.
Magic Stones contain the crystallized magical powers of the magician or conjurer who creates them. As such, they are extremely valued.
Only one can be created by a person at any one time, and as long as the magical power of the stone remains, it will provide divine protection to the bearer, even if the stone’s original creator dies.
Usually, they’re given as a sign of love and a symbol of marriage, or given to the family, lover, or friends left behind when a soldier goes off to war.
“Oh, Ed…why would you give me something like this?”
I felt a cold chill go down my spine, even as I spoke.
No, you can’t. You swore you’d always be here to protect me, didn’t you?
“Ed?”
“Princess, your wish will come true. Until it does…I’ll…protect you. I…swear…”
“I know. I know you will…”
Then I felt Ed’s hand go limp in mine.
In an instant, the blood seemed to drain from my cheeks.
No, no, no!
“Ed? Answer me please! Ed? Ed!”
But there was no reply. I tipped my head back, staring unseeingly up at the ceiling.
As a princess, I was taught never to cry or raise my voice in public. But alone in my cell now, I howled in agony, tears pouring down my cheeks.
Where did I go so wrong?
I’d given everything I had for my country, for its people, for everyone I ever loved.
If I’d only chosen a different path, would I have been able to evade Daniel’s wrath? Would my homeland have remained unspoiled? Would my last faithful companion, my loyal guardian knight, have been saved?
I didn’t know.
I didn’t know what anything meant anymore.
“Ed? Please, Ed. Please say something. Ed. Ed!”
My wails echoed around the damp walls of my cell.
I could hear the curious footsteps of the prison guard, coming to see what I was crying about. A grizzled face with several days’ unshaved stubble on it looked in at me before moving to the next cell to look in on Ed. Then I heard a voice mutter “What, dead already?” in a completely unconcerned tone.
The guard couldn’t have cared less whether Ed was dead or alive.
I was struck with a sudden rage, which seemed to boil up from the bottom of my belly. At the same time, I felt a burning hot sensation in my chest so powerful, I clutched at myself, unable to bear it…
I’d never experienced it before myself, but I’d heard about it. A sudden outburst of magical power, prompted by extreme feelings of rage.
It felt like eighteen years of pent-up, repressed magical energy was swelling up inside me.
“No!!!”
As I screamed, a furious, roaring sound filled the air. In an instant, the walls and ceiling were blown away, obscuring everything in a cloud of white dust particles.
It was too late now for my latent magical powers to emerge.
It was too late for anything.
With the walls now mere rubble around me, I could see the palace terrace…and the grand courtyard in front.
I could see crowds of guests dressed in all their finery, which made me suspect that they were there for the new queen’s coronation ceremony. Or perhaps a party to celebrate their victory over my homeland.
“Show me closer.”
As I muttered the words, my field of vision zoomed in on the scene. Holding a folding fan made of feathers and smiling away, I saw her. She turned to me, standing in the ruins of my cell, and smiled smugly. Karina Niqvist…the new queen of Sunruta Kingdom.
My homeland, my family, my friends… She had taken all of them away from me.
I wasn’t going to let her get away with this.
“Go to hell!”
As I half-screamed, half-wailed, I felt another swell of magical energy billowing up inside me. With a thunderous roar, the distant tower of the castle began to crumble and topple. The guests below scattered, screaming in panic.
What good is magical energy if you can’t use it?
Everything was blurry, either from the powdered dust of the destruction I’d wrought or from my brimming tears. I tipped my head back, looking up at the blue sky above—the same sky that hung over the remnants of my lost homeland. A lone falcon soared calmly overhead.
A hot droplet slid down my cheek.
If only I could turn back time…
Another flash of light thrummed and burst forth, turning everything around me into swelling plumes of dust.
I’d dedicate everything I have to changing things so that I wouldn’t have to suffer this absurd fate…
Then, with a final earsplitting roar, the darkness rose up and swallowed me.