The Next Morning.

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"Your grace, it's time" Caroline says, entering my chambers. Drawing my eyes away from the window, I follow her orders to dress for the day. Today was the trial for the men who ruined my life, and I will put them through hell on earth. 

"Are you alright?" She asks, fastening the leather belt on my waist. Raising my hands, I notice the shake my anger (and partially the aftershock of morning sickness) had caused. "Of course, thank you" I reply, shooting her a small smile before leaving my chamber and walking down the corridor, her in tow.

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"Asteria!" Pricilla yells, rushing behind me. "What?" I ask, stopping my brisk walk and turning towards her. Linking our arms without a word, we walk past the groups of servants to the throne room. "Never saw one without the other, Did you?" one of the maids hums, earning a pointed eye-roll from myself. 

Stopping at the closed doors guarded by two large men, I turn to look at the young girl. "Are you okay?" I ask. "No, I'm pissed. I want justice" She says. Confident that we were on the same page, I nod towards the guard to open the large doors. 

"And justice will be served, my darling sister"

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~

"The future queen shall have the final say" My mother announces, taking a seat next to Giovanni. The observers grew quiet as the nobles, the executioner and all of Slovenia looks to Pricilla and I for a verdict. Seeing the young girl struggling to form a though after the newly learned information of the deaths of our loved ones, I stood in front of the men who were shackled to large wooden posts. "You will endure seven days of torture, the worst known to all of mankind" I say, the older man chuckling. 

"Passing your bidding onto your servants? How delicate. Let's not worry, she made haste to get to her husband's heart and his body" He jokes. "You didn't let me finish, on the 8th day, I will personally slit your throat and parade your head through the villages on a stake to show just how delicate I am" I say, spinning on my heels. 

The look of shock, or maybe fear crosses his feature as I leaned down to his slumped figure. "And did you know, the fastest way to a man heart is by it tearing through his ribcage?" I ask, bitterness in my voice as I trace the wooden post. 

Regaining my composure, I flash a small smile before striding out of the throne room with Caroline and Pricilla in tow.

The 8th day.

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~

The day for revenge arrived with the arrival of the first snowfall. Making haste to change, Caroline doesn't utter a single word until we're walking the corridor to meet my family. "Make the fucker pay" She utters, earning a slight chuckle from me. 

I don't enjoy anything of this caliber, but this is deserved and it deserves to be served brutally.

Pulling the large crown off my head, I gaze down at it. "Hold this, I won't need it" I say, tossing the headwear to my sister. The execution was being held in the yard by the dungeon where all could see. Traitors deserve to see their fate if they think they will fuck with the crown.

 "Ready?" The guard asks as he hands me my father's sword, watching me unsheathe the heavy weapon. The silver blade sparkled in the light, my reflection glimmering on the material. Only the person staring back was not the small, innocent child that watched her father forge the object. No, this was a woman, a very pissed off one. 

 "Always, unchain him" I say, earning cautious stares by the men. "I said unchain him. It's only fair he goes out the way my father did, overpowered" I yell, the men unchaining the clearly hurt man. "Ah, isn't it the delicate flower" He jokes, shakily standing towards his feet. Seeing as his foolish words had no effect, he chose a more pricky topic to bring up. 

"Your father and brother were not fit for the crown. They were weak and futile like you are" He hisses, my eyes meeting his as he uses what tiny strength he had to land a blow to my mouth. Feeling my blood boil, I kick his damaged shin, making him fall to his knees before putting my father's sword to where it should have been all those years to go, in his gut. The placement was strategic and planned, it would make him suffer for many moments before his death. 

"Don't bleed on my floor" I hiss, wiping the blood from my lip and walking away.

- K