The Villainess

The air seems heavy around the plaza, and a distinguished smell of rust is dancing through the place.

The nook and cranny of the execution site are dim. A large crowd gathered there, waiting for the arrival of the vilest person in the Kingdom of Avalor.

An execution.

The one whose going to be beheaded is none other than Arri Ares Vesileios, the only daughter of Grand Duke Attalos Ares Vesileios. The wicked woman who attempted to murder the newly appointed fiance of the crown prince, Euthydemos Ariobarzanes Avalor.

Her sins are immeasurable to the eyes of the kingdom, not even her death can amend them.

The gloomy atmosphere is spreading like a plague when the royal guards appeared. Loud chattering noises are reaching the wooden scaffolding in a moment.

Chirping and creaking sounds from the guillotine are heard even if it is far from the crowd.

The place suddenly emits a rotten foul smell, it's the result of moving the blades from the bloody guillotine. The crowd gets louder.

"Kill her, your highness, the crown prince!"

"that vile woman must perish!"

"she's a taint for the House of Vesileios! Shameless!"

"Yeah! We're not even surprised if you're not a Vesileios!"

The screams are not ending. Every one of them is angry at the only daughter of the Grand Duke, even the Grand Duke himself is standing right in front of the guillotine waiting for the commotion to end.

Another figure is standing beside the Grand Duke. A beautiful woman with a pale complexion. She's trembling while clinging to his highness, the crown prince.

His Highness, the crown prince is also there.

Standing with her new fiance and the Grand Duke, the gaze his giving to the guillotine in front of him is indifferent. It's as if he doesn't have an ounce of interest in what will happen to her ex-fiance soon.

The yelling continues as the person they are waiting for arrives.

"Move!"

One of the royal guards said while pushing the wicked woman.

The wooden scaffolding trembles as Arri Ares Vesileios walks towards the guillotine.

In every step that she takes, her beauty shouts from every angle.

The elegance she emits is incomparable. Regardless of the tattered and muddy dress she is wearing, her appearance is that of a high rank noble.

Even the dirt can't hide her grace.

Her skin is white as snow, hence the bruises on her body are visible, it's from the beating she got from the royal guards.

Her golden eyes are dead. The stare she's giving is not that of a pathetic person whose begging to be forgiven.

The long and curly lime-green hair of her is shining even though it's smeared with rain. The sudden pouring seems like it is sympathizing with her solemn moment.

Her face is wet, in fact, her whole body is drenched.

A single step is left for Arri to reach her first and final place.

The rain gets heavier.

Several servants rushed to the nobles in the audience, aiding their master to not be rained.

The Grand Duke, His Highness the crown prince, and the lady with golden hair. They are now covered in a thick fur coat that seems to be made from a rare white wolf. There's also a large parasol umbrella covering their heads from the sudden rain. The sky is angered.

The vile woman gives them a bitter stare.

Arri saw her father standing beside his highness, her ex-fiance, and the woman who replaced her. They are all looking at her with nonchalant faces.

She thought that there was no emotion left in her yet her chest is in pain. It's more worst than the beating she gets from the royal guards. It's ticklish, but at the same time, it's suffocating.

'I guess I'm a vile woman, indeed. Even my father abandoned me...'

She looked at her dear father once more but the eyes she is seeing are more than those of an unsympathetic person. She felt a shiver in her whole body, her body turns beyond cold, but it is not because of the heavy rain, but the fact that her own father is looking at her with indifferent eyes.

She felt scared.

A thought slip again into her mind.

'Did you love me as your daughter? Did you even consider me a part of your family?' that thought keeps pounding her brain.

When Arri once again glances at her father, his proud shoulders didn't budge at all. He doesn't care.

She thought that it was hopeless because even her older brother didn't even bother to witness her final moments.

With that in mind, Arri wants to push her luck just this once. She wanted to know what her dear father thinks of her. She thought that even if she did hideous things to many, she didn't even intend it in the first place, she hoped that he will save her and realize that she is still her only daughter.

"Father...why didn't you save me?"

A cold breeze passed by after what Arri said. The rain is still heavy.

Her heavy breathing isn't heard by anyone thanks to the rain.

"..."

"In the end, you are still useless even with the name Vesileios"

Arri's shoulders dropped in an instant. Her poise began to crumble. That is not the eyes of a father who loves his daughter. It's like a stranger's.

She's more than scared. Her body trembles more, she can't hide it any longer.

Arri clench her trembling fist, even if her hands are tied behind her, she kept clenching. Her nails are sinking into her soft palm. It's bleeding yet she doesn't mind.

The terrified feeling is eating her up more than the physical pain.

"Your Highness...I'm scared" said the woman who was hiding behind the crown prince.

She did not yell yet it is heard by Arri.

Still not recovering from her father's rejection, the presence of His highness, the crown prince, and his new fiance gets the attention of Arri.

His highness the crown prince who's not giving a bit of concern earlier changed his stance. A worried look was plastered into his angelic face instantly.

Looking now at his new fiance, his highness touches the cheeks of the woman with the golden hair saying that there's no need to be afraid.

Arri witnessed the gentleness his highness showed to her new fiance that not even in her final moments she experience herself.

They were engaged since they were kids yet he didn't show that side of his to Arri.

The nonchalant father she has, and the ex-fiance she thought will love and understand her are now putting an invisible blade right through her heart.

Not even the blade of the guillotine will be this hurtful. Arri mumbled in her head.

'I can't anymore.'

"Hah...you guys are too much"

"Shut your mouth. You don't have the right to utter any words. Just wait till the blades reach your neck."

Not surprised anymore by his highness's words, Arri puts a smile on her face. Even though the feelings are hard to swallow, she bit her lips to prevent her bottled emotions to burst out. She mustn't cry.

At the sight of her Father and her ex-fiance with the woman who causes her demise, Arri's chest tightens once again.

The pain keeps going.

She feels tired all of a sudden.

Now, she just wanted to end everything.

"Begin the execution!"

His Highness, the crown prince's voice echoed at the whole plaza. Arri didn't even create noise while the royal guards are putting her shackles and positioning her into the bloody guillotine.

The crowds are getting rowdier.

The stench is getting strong.

The silence seems loud to her.

Arri trembles. She's going to die.

"Wait..."

She whispered but none of them heard her.

"Wait...wait..."

She keeps mumbling.

"I said wait!..."

Arri screams at the top of her lungs.

Her voice is filled with anger.

She thought that it was okay to die and end everything there but she felt injustice.

"It's not me."

"Father, it's not me!... I didn't harm lady Iness!"

Arri screamed, pertaining to the woman with golden hair. Arri can't look into her father's eyes.

She's afraid of that look yet she's still hoping that he will believe her.

"It's not me...father..please...I'm telling the truth...I...I know I did terrible things but it's not me...I swear..believe me...please! please...please...please..."

'I didn't want to die

Arri said to herself.

"Euthy...believe me---"

"Stop it, Arri. Accept it already...no one wants you to live."

That's the last straw for Arri to keep sane. His highness's words shot through her deepest soul.

Even Euthydemos, her first and last love.

Hah. It's really unfair.

When the blade drops at an unbelievable speed, the heavy rain showers the whole wooden scaffolding.

The head of the vilest woman in the kingdom of Avalor came flying toward the large crowd without proving her innocence. Her blood runs down the place, it's shimmering. A dominant and vibrant color red.

Loud screams filled the execution place.

--

Heavy breathing wakes Herra up, a cold sweat rolling down her cheeks makes it more uncomfortable. Her eyes widened, and from laying down, she sit and hunched while caressing her chest. It's suffocating.

'My chest...'

I feel like there's a sharp knife stabbing my insides.

Herra keeps stabilizing her breath, it's as if there's not enough oxygen circulating in her body.

"a-ahuk!.." she coughed while still holding onto her chest.

"My lady! She's awake! Our lady's awake, call the physicians! Hurry!"

A loud voice came from a distance. A woman yelling who's not in his mid-20s is wearing a maid outfit that looks like it comes from eighteen hundred.

The surprised face of Herra, witnessing a bunch of crowds entering the room is totally a sight.

'What is this? Who are they?'

"My lady, are you okay? Tell me if there is any discomfort you feel"

An old man who's wearing a white coat with a thin white mustache. Herra didn't respond at all the question that is aiming at her.

She doesn't even know what is going on.

'Who's 'my lady'?'

'Are they talking to me?'

"My lady...let me check you first..."

The old physician grabbed Herra's wrist to check her pulse.

Herra got surprised by the sudden contact and get her wrist back.

"Hey! Don't touch people without consent!"

Everyone in the room got surprised by her yelling. Even Herra was left speechless.

The sound of her voice doesn't seem familiar. That doesn't make sense since she's the one who uttered those words.

At the top of that, the delivery of the words seems unclear. It's like it is spoken by a child.

'but I'm a grown adult?...'

"You fuckers--gah!..."

That sound again! Why is my voice like that? Wah! This isn't true...

Herra's now flustered, while holding her mouth, she saw her tiny hands. Not even the voice matters anymore.

Herra stood up running into the huge mirror not that far from the huge bed she was sitting on.

That distance doesn't seem that far but it feels like forever for her to reach it.

'What's happening?'

"huff...ha"

'I can't breathe...I'm tired

When Herra catch her breath, she finally had the chance to look at herself.

Her jaw dropped when an image of a gorgeous child with cute chubby cheeks, plump red lips, long curly lime-green hair, a pair of glittery golden eyes, and skin white as snow appears in the mirror. It's not hers yet it seems familiar.

"This isn't me...what the hell's happening?"

"My lady, what are you saying? Are you really sick?"

"Our lady is possessed by a demon! She kept cursing the very moment she woke up!"

No way, there is no way I turn into a kid...and what's wrong with them? They keep calling me my lady. I'm going crazy.

What is this? A medieval period or something? But it seems real! If this is a prank, I'll beat the fuck out of them!

"Lady Arri Ares Vesileios! Come back to us! Leave! You demon who inhabits our lady's body!!"

"My lady!"

With the screams filling up the extravagant room, it seems like Herra doesn't hear it.

The only thing that is playing in her head right now is the name that is uttered by one of the people in the room.

Arri Ares Vesileios.

I heard it right, right?

They said Arri Ares Vesileios, right?

Am...Am I dreaming?

There's no way I become Arri Ares Vesileios, the unfortunate wicked woman who meets her end at the hands of her own fiance and is abandoned by everyone including her father and older brother, right?

RIGHT?!