The. . . End?

Brrr. . . It was cold. Clementine shuddered as she curled herself to a ball. She hugged her both her knees, burying her head in between the valley of joints. The air in the dungeons was freezing to the point of seeing mists when breathing.

She tried to snuggle closer to her only source of warmth, which was her body. In the dungeons, criminals are left shivering, especially since the place was meters below earth and there were no source of heat. The magician tugged on her cape tighter. It was the closest possible item she could use as a blanket.

How she missed the comfort of her tower! In there, she could snuggle with her thick comforter on the bed, light the fireplace to keep her warm, drink hot chocolate to soothe her shivering state. It would surely be pure bliss.

A bliss she couldn't anymore have.

She couldn't fathom how she ended up in such situation. Clementine was once a village girl, working hard for money in the stables. The second, she was brought to Celeste, trained to be a successor. Next, here she was. . . Shackled underneath castle grounds.

Would she meet the same fate had she stayed in Sappherine? Would she be prisoned in this god-forsaken cell had she declined Areogar and the king? Would she be freezing in zero temperature had she stayed by her mother's side?

Would she be executed this Friday in front of many had she not been too ambitious to flee her homeland for money?

No. The answers would certainly be no.

But that's the thing. When people are penniless, they would do anything for money. They get too ambitious. Any job would be alright, as long as the price was money to feed and fend their every day needs. She was the same. Her family was the same.

Clementine used to work in the stables for money to feed her family. Her father worked in a pub for money to buy their daily necessities. Her mother worked as a laundress for money to pay for their bills. Her siblings. . .they were workless for she didn't want them to experience bathing in sweat and blood for a single dime.

Life was so poor that when an opportunity opened, Clementine made no hesitation and grabbed it within a second. It was the worst decision she had probably ever done. Because right now? She was in a musty cell, back against the wall, counting for the possible time that was left for her to live.

How long had it been, exactly?

SCREEEE!

That awful metal noise once again broke the silence in the dungeons. This prompted Clementine to groan, burying he head further more in he knees to cover her ears. Thuds then came after and when it stopped — she knew that it was a person, presumably a guard, ready to announce the date of her death.

Wow. Just wow. Death was supposed to be surprising or calm. . . Not nerve-wracking. Well, it could possibly be. The hairs on her neck rose in goosebumps, yet she made no effort to raise her head and face the unknown human.

"Tomorrow, noon. At the town plaza," A knight spoke. Yet words were drowned by her ears as she entered a whirl of thoughts. Tomorrow noon? That's awfully far too soon. She choked back a sob, her cheeks now wet with unknown tears that broke free. Why did it have to be so early? Why wouldn't they give her a chance to at least see her family for the last time?

Why wouldn't they hold a jury? She still had her own reasons why such happened. She didn't mean to harm Brixton like what she'd done. It was a set-up.

It should be a set-up.

Was it?

What if it was really Brixton who was there? Confused and terrified at the sight of Alejandro's bloody immobilized body. What if it was the young prince who shifted, ready to run and ask someone for help? And she thought wrong due to the spur of wrathful adrenaline. No matter. In the end, she'd still pay the price as she should.

If only. . .

If only she could live in a life where everything wasn't surrounded with all this magic jazz. Would she live a better life if so?

She probably would. All she ask now was just a second chance to live peacefully. Live a life where everything wasn't as messy as it was right now.

***

"Mommy? Why is pretty miss up there with chains?"

"I never knew that she'd overthrow the kingdom."

"The Celeste's never should've brought her in. I knew she was going to do something, especially since her eyes are that weird— she ain't even a royal!"

Various voices in hushed whispers rang in her ears as she waited behind a wooden stage. The knights built it up last night in a hurry per orders. They were sure giddy with her execution, weren't they?

Clementine shivered as the wind blew by, cold and sad. It was like it was bidding her a painful farewell. The crowd grew as the clock neared the noon— and when the bell struck indicating the time, someone from the castle stood in front to announce whatever there was to say to the crowd.

"Today we gather to witness the execution of the criminal, Clementine Woods, by the king's orders. She had violated a law and is now facing her punishment,"

She didn't hear what came next. Clementine purposely drowned it herself. She didn't need to know those things, it'll only make her worse that what she already felt. The magician sighed, staring up at the pristine blue skies. After death. . . What would it feel like?

"WAIT! THAT'S MY DAUGHTER SHE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT! I RAISED HER WELL!"

Hearing her mother's familiar voice mad her crack and bawl her eyes shut. Uncontrollable sobs racked her body as she cried ugly. Tears streamed down her cheeks like cascading waterfalls, flowing limitless. Her lips were quivering. Clementine closed her eyes, ducking down to hide her duckling cry.

"D-DON'T! PLEASE DON'T! I BEG OF YOU!," The mother continued her hysterics in the middle of the crowd. Shoving people along the way, the lady— accompanied by a hooded figure— fought the mob with their bare hands, eager to reach the front.

"I BEG YOUR EXCELLENCY! PLEASE GIVE MY DAUGHTER, AT LEAST A CHANCE FOR A COURT!,"

The lady was reaching for her baby girl. Reaching for Clementine. Reaching towards the higher-ups and pleading for a chance. Yet chances aren't allowed, especially since the order was absolute. Unchangeable by anyone, not even his sons.

Speaking of. . . Aethan? How's he right now? Is he thinking ill of her for harming his brother? Despite their brotherly squabble— Clementine knew that he cared for little Brixton, even if it was so little.

Someone tugged on her chains, hard. She let out a loud whimper. It was painful, especially since the cuffs were still as tight as it was last twilight. They forcefully brought her on the stage, right on the middle, in front of the many crowd, in front of the whole kingdom to see— in front of her wailing mother, who could only stare at her child from her location (guards rounded to block her and her companion from moving further).

A block was placed in front of her invitingly. It was scary. Just the sight of the block made her hesitate from going forth, what more the axe?

Someone came behind her, wrapped her eyes with cloth. She was blindfolded, for what exactly? The murmurs became more apparent right now, though above anything else— her mother's cries.

It was a silly notion but Clementine smiled, a sad one. She was so unfortunate. Someone just searching for fortune to thrive her family to life. This was it.

This was her end.

A hand guided her to the right position— and now her head laid on the block. They'd surely serve her head on a platter later. She just knew it. Memories from her childhood till her very life played in her head. There were happy ones, sad ones, irritating ones, everything, everyone was there.

She'd miss those.

It was silent. Nothing to hear but the hushing wind lulling its best to ease her nerves. It wasn't doing a good job, for she was as tensed and frozen as a rock. And when she sensed the incoming neatly polished axe. Someone familiar yelled.

"STOP!"

And she felt nothing.

Nothing at all.

A head tumbled from the bloody body it once owned, and the crowd gasped, the mother screamed her heart out for her executed daughter.

On that day, the known Clementine Woods was executed for harming another magician and nearly killing the king's youngest son.