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Chapter 15:

The Duke poured some tea on Geirraven's cup when she arrived and took her seat inside the study room of her Father.

"How have you been doing?" He started and puts down the teapot.

Geirraven fidgeted her fingers and looked straightly at the Duke.

"I've b-been doing fine, Your grace." She answered politely.

"I see." As the Duke took a sip from his tea.

A moment of silence was within them.

"Do you know the reason why I called you? And why in this place? And why I poured tea for you?" The Duke questioned her straightly.

"I-i.." She was cutted off.

"Of course you don't, My dear daughter."

She clenches her fist upon hearing that word. It was the first time the Duke called her 'Daughter'. Should she be jumping in joy right now? Is she already recognized that she really is part of this family? But why does she feel like this?

'Why am I feeling…sad?' Geirraven thought.

"I called you here because the emperor and I came into an agreement." He took another sip of his tea and sets it aside.

"You will be engaged to the crown prince." The Duke finally announced with pride in his tone.

She was suddenly taken aback from her father's abrupt news.

"P-pardon?" She stuttered, her eyes widen.

This was an opportunity to escape! To be free from their hands!

Mixed emotions she felt upon hearing this and she can feel herself tearing up from this scenario. This was the every woman wished for, marrying the prince and becoming the empress of their empire.

"T-thank you.." She just answered out of nowhere.

Geirraven can feel her heart thumping so fast from excitement as she took her leave from her Father's office, leaving the Duke with a mischievous smirk.

~*~

"I think we have a good night sleep today, aren't we My Lady?" Clara greeted her with a smile upon arriving in her bedroom.

Geirraven smiled brightly and stood up from her bed for Clara to fix the bed.

"Oh very much, Clara." She answered and heads towards her dresser.

"Did you already gave the present that you bought for the princess last night?" Clara asked, following her step and grabbed the hairbrush.

"Yes and she loved the necklace that I gave her."

Clara smiled while brushing Geirraven's hair.

"I'm glad you already have a real friend, My Lady."

She looked at Clara through the reflection and grins.

"Yes..a friend, that I always dreamed of."

While Clara brushed her hair, a knock interrupted the both of them.

"Oh I think that's your breakfast already, wait here." Clara said and puts down the hairbrush onto the dresser and calmly approached the door.

But before she could open the door, a loud crash coming from outside they heard which paused her.

Screams of agony they started hearing which alarmed both of them.

"Clara? What's happening?" Geirraven asked in an anxious tone as she stood up to look at her.

Clara stood there, trembling in fear and slowly turned her eyes at her.

"We better hide..now." She said with fright, immediately grabbing her hand and dragged her towards a secret room, behind the bookshelves.

"C-clara? What's happening?" She asked again anxiously while they quickly went down the spiral staircase.

Clara just tightly gripped her hands onto her, carefully not to let her go from her grasp.

Geirraven was already confused and afraid from the sudden event but she chose not to talk and let Clara drag her elsewhere.

When they both finally got out, An army of knights surrounded them, pointing their weapons aggressively towards the both of them.

"W-what's this? I-i don't understand.." Geirraven just said out of shockness and confusion while she looked at them in an anxious way.

"M-my Lady..We must run now!" Clara warns her and tries to drag her back inside but Geirraven just stands there in trembling fear.

"Geirraven Beauchamp, You are under arrest for murdering a member of the Royale Family. Death will punish you from your unforgivable sin you have committed." The commander of Knights announced in a whole voice when he stepped out from the towering guards.

Upon hearing this, She can't express what she's feeling right now. It was a mix of anger, confusion, frustration and sadness.

"W-what? Y-you dare to accuse m-me? What d-did I do? To deserve d-death?!" She bursted in anger while tears streaming down from her eyes.

It was immodest for a Lady to act like that but she doesn't care about that anymore from the situation she's in.

Out of nowhere, she was about to charge towards the knight when Clara stopped her from grabbing her hand. She was already sobbing as she pleaded with her to escape now. But this confused her even more and came to the thought where Clara knew what was happening while she doesn't have any idea what it is!

"You are coming with us, whether you like it or not. The crown prince orders." The knight commander grabbed her wrist arrogantly, eyeing her with no emotions in his eyes.

"N-no! You can't take her away! She's innocent! My Lady is innocent!" Clara cried out while the other guards held her while the hopeless Geirraven was being dragged by the knights.

With nothing to do, Geirraven just let herself being dragged away without planning to resist.

~*~

Inside the underground Cell, Geirraven sat on the cold floor in despair, her head down.

She was madly confused that she wanted to hurt herself and pull her hair out from her head.

Tears running through her cheeks and tries to calm herself but no matter how hard she figured what was going on, madness was overcoming her.

She thought she could escape from her father's hands, gaining freedom and free will by marrying the crown prince.

"Is this a trap?" She said to herself out of the blue.

She doesn't deserve any of this. She's just a Lady who wants to be loved by her parents and appreciated by other people. Does someone or anyone really envy her so much that she deserves death?

She just wanted a true friend, that's all. Still they took her away.

"T-the Princess don't deserve this..Any of us don't deserve this kind of treatment. Why her? Why would they slay her just to accuse me and be punished with death?" She said with great sorrow while biting her lips in agony.

A loud chime coming from the iron bars interrupted her and she jolted out from the sudden noise. It was an Imperial guard, waking her up from her demise.

She just sat there on the cold floor, hopelessly looking at the Imperial guard. And there she felt her time had come.

She comes out from her cell while her hands chained as she follows the guard out from there. Geirraven walked lugubriously while her head was down.

Before the guard could lead her out from the Cell Hallway, The Lady crossed a Cell where she saw a familiar face inside one of the Cells.

"L-letholdus." She called in a weak tone and lingers Infront of his cell. The prince looked at her wide eyed while she was confused how the second prince ended being a prisoner.

But before they could speak, the gaurd already dragged her chains away from him arrogantly.

"Keep moving, Lady." He ordered in a firm tone with no hint of respect.

And then there she was, slowly eating her emotions that she felt empty and nothing after all she's been through. She trusted them and gave her best just to fit in but it is really not enough?

A Guillotine on the platform, awaits her and raging commoners and nobles were gathered there to watch her demise.

Familiar faces she saw around her. They were growling at her like she did something awful to them. Instead of being intimidated, she just wept so suddenly. Seeing no sight of her mother and father, hoping they could save her from this trial.

Finally facing In Front of the Guillotine, she felt afraid of the sharp blade atop. Her breath shortened while her tears from her eyes never stopped from flowing.

"Geirraven Beauchamp, daughter of Duke Terrowin and Duchess Elizabeth. The family that was mostly trusted by the Emperor." The crown prince disclosed in a powerful voice.

He was at the balcony, across the Guillotine's platform. He was staring at her with rage in his eyes. As the town folks and nobles murmured from this information.

Geirraven just stared back at him in surprise.

Is this the man she will marry?

"Geirraven Beauchamp." He spelled out in a firm voice making the crowd grew silence. "To what you did to my sister, Princess Genevieve, is treacherous." He glowered.

"You deserve death for killing a royale member of this Empire. Death will pay for your sins."

All of a sudden, Geirraven knelt Infront of everyone and wept bitterly. Her weeping echoes throughout the crowd.

"I did not commit this hideous offence! S-someone! Someone did this! And it is not I who committed this crime!" She shuddered in tears. She just cannot believe someone would frame her by using the princess's life just to put her in this kind of suffering.

The crown prince just looked at her dryly and he signed the guards to finish the Trial, As he removed his gloves single-handedly and gave it to one of his Imperial knights, leaving the place, riding in a carriage.

The town folks angrily chanted in unison "off with her head!". The lady wept in agony, every single drop of her tears felt like a heavy waterfall. In a quick manner, the Imperial guards violently dragged her towards the Guillotine and mounted her head there.

"M-mother..F-father.." She sobbed in a low tone and didn't bother to resist anymore, her eyes blurry from the unstoppable tears as she waited for the sharp blade to cut down her neck.

Before it could happen, she

dropped her last tears and her last words.

"I will make this right." As she closes her eyelids and the blade sliced her neck.