Prologue 1

"Yes, I am the one who killed Lord Finn."

As soon as Lilynn said the words, chaos erupted in the courtroom. Men started to shout, ladies started to gasp, and some even fainted. They could not believe that a mindless servant like Lilynn could kill Earl Finn. Yet, it was true. They saw her drink the Potion of Truth, forcing her to confess everything she had done in front of the tribunal of Trimon.

Only Lilynn had no idea that she had indeed killed the lord.

She was a member of the maid circle responsible for Lord Finn's wellbeing. Her job was to wash the bedsheets and clothes in the lord's castle. He held the title of an earl, a high-positioned wealthy landowner who was also responsible for numerous financial decisions that impacted all towns in Trimon county.

He was also known for being abusive towards his servants. Lilynn already knew this when she joined the castle's servant group, but she really needed the money desperately. After a few weeks, Earl Finn started to show his true side; when Lilynn made a tiny mistake, like leaving a dirty spot on one of the sheets, he kicked her until she was on the ground begging for mercy. The other servants never helped, and in fact, were happy that the lord did not take his anger out on them.

Being a maid was harsh, but the little money she earned kept her going. Lilynn never planned to kill the earl.

She had no memory of doing so. This day started out as any other when the news of the lord's death came. The guards assumed that murder, possibly poisoning was behind all of this. The entire staff of the castle was delivered to the tribunal in Trimon's capital for interrogation.

A few minutes earlier all of them drank the Potion of Truth from little cups. Lilynn did not know much about alchemy or magic, but she knew that potions were powerful enough to make any person confess their darkest deeds. Other servants described that they had nothing to do with the murder, just as Lilynn should have.

"My lord, this must be a misunderstanding. May I drink from the potion again?" Lilynn asked in confusion.

"She was always hateful about the lord! She was probably planning this all along!" one of the other maids claimed who have not given her confession yet. The other servants nodded and agreed. They all knew she hated him after everything he had done to her. They also knew the lord's punishments were dehumanizing and understood why Lilynn was feeling that way.

Yet, in front of the court, they betrayed her to save themselves.

"I believe there is no need for that," the jury said. "Your fellow workers say that you are indeed capable of such a thing."

"What? No!"

Everyone in the room seemed to agree with what the jury said. "No second chance!" they shouted. Lilynn was abandoned by everyone.

"Your punishment shall be the same as that you committed," one of the juries said as the mob calmed down. "In seven days, your execution will be held in the capital."

Lilynn could hardly process the words. Seven days. She will be dead in seven days. The little power she had to stand in front of the tribunal after the lord's unexpected death left her. She collapsed to the ground.

"This is just a misunderstanding…" she whispered as her body could not put any power into those words. Nobody heard them.

This cannot be happening. This must be a nightmare.

She could hear the distant noises of the court crowd coming to her as if she was underwater. Suddenly heavy hands grabbed her two arms, pulling her out of the room. The world blurred around her into an unrecognizable mass.

The next thing she remembered was that she was underground. She was pulled through tunnels covered with mossy cobblestone, where the light was very scarce. Only a few torches lighted the way towards more lifeless tunnels. From one of them, they arrived at a large wooden door. After opening a larger room was in front of them; it was full of prison cells. Of course. Before being killed for something she hadn't done, she will be treated as a soulless monster.

She was trying to tell the guards to let her speak in front of the jury again, but as if they had no ears, they did not even glance at her. She shouted and screamed, all without hope.

They walked by many convicts. All of them looked deeply miserable, perhaps also waiting for their death. They were thin, dirty and staring at Lilynn without a word.

"Here," one of the guards murmured. There were two of them holding Lilynn and one behind her. The one behind walked to one of the empty prison cells and opened it with a heavy bunch of keys attached to his belt.

They tossed in Lilynn, and without looking at her, closed the gate.

"Please! This is a misunderstanding, please let me talk to someone!" she shouted, but the guards already left her.

"Please…"

She was holding the cell bars while her tears started to flow down in silence. Her blonde locks covered her face like a row of curtains, not letting the world see her tears.

Five days have passed. She had no idea what time of the day it was underground. During the first two days, she did not get any food. The water she had was only a small bowl filled next to an urn for waste. Guards entered the room full of cells only a couple of times and stayed within it for only a few minutes. They could not bear the smells and the horrors.

She only ate once. The food was wet and unrecognizable – Lilynn however decided that she would not become a lifeless being. She tried to stay calm in this underground hell. Maybe if they saw her as a sane woman, they would question her again. She just wanted to get another chance in life after such tragic events.

On the fifth day, she kneeled in the corner of her cell and prayed to the gods. She was never religious, as she could never imagine a divine being that would give her such a terrible life. As if some god had heard her, she could hear the prison room's wooden door open as she finished the prayer.