Chapter One

Deep underground the Wisteria Kingdom's royal palace held the dilapidated dungeons used to hold the Kingdom's cruelest and most dangerous criminals.

Inside one of it's dark and cold iron cells sat Violette, the Kingdom's Second Princess. Her dress was torn, and she was covered from head to toe in bruises and filth.

A full year of tournament had left her a shell of her former self. Bones poked through her skin. She was so malnourished she could not long sit up without the help from the prison walls..

They even went as far as to cut her long silver-blonde hair close into a shirt clumpy mess exposing bald spots here and there.

She never would of guessed that her own family would frame her for such a damming crime as treason. She could tell from the way they had looked her that they were disgusted by her, but she didn't think they would get rid of like this.

Even though they only had circumstantial evidence, her father the King, still decided to push forward with her execution.

The thought made her inwardly laugh despite herself. How ironic. The King is trying to better his Kingdom by ridding it of a 'traitor' while he ignores the thousands of commoner lives drying from the blight.

Their lands were rotting from the outside in, and they choose to entertain themselves with ridiculous political plots instead of saving the people who's taxes pay for their 'Noble' lifestyles.

The Wisteria Kingdom was bearly surviving. The treasury was almost completely depleted, and fields have long since brought a bountiful harvest. Towns closest to the Kingdom's borders were completely wiped out.

A demon blight was running rampant in their Kingdom. It started at the outskirts and quickly made its way all the way to the Royal capital's walls. Right now the Nobility was safe, but it was only a matter of time before they met the same fate of the commoners out side the capital walls.

This blight brought army's of monsters they called demons. Disgusting creatures that come in many shapes and sizes. All with a different amount of intelligence. Typically, the more humanoid a demon looks, then the higher their intelligence was. One thing they all had in common though, was the craving for flesh.

These beasts attack anyone in sight without regard for their age, title or rank. Even a a king could be killed if they managed to overcome their tall walls and Knights.

Unfortunately for commoners, they had no walls nor Knights to protect them. They were like lambs to the slaughter with no one to protect them.

If you are lucky, you get to die a quick death, but the more unfortunate will contract what is called the blight sickness. A disease that corrupts afflicted both body and mind until they eventually lose who they once were. Their skin and minds will become akin to a demons, causing them to devour anyone in sight.

Despite the horrible state of their Kingdom, the Royal family still found the time and resources to frame her. The Maker must have a sense of humor.

Violette's pointed ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps. Soon, a beautiful young woman with sandy blonde hair and big blue eyes stood infront of the cell door. Two Knights dressed in traditional silver armor towered over from behind.

Violette stared up at her sister with apathetic eyes. "What an honor." Her voice was cold and riddled with sarcasm. "The great First Princess is gracious enough to visit a lowly criminal like me. How dedicated you must be to even your lowest citizens."

Leanne clicked her tongue. "It seems this criminal still has the strength to talk back to a royal." She nodded toward her company.

It was like the two Guards behind her read their Master's mind because they both moved in unison toward the iron door, swinging it open violently.

They each grabbed one of her arms and hoisted her in the air. The sudden force made her wince in pain.

"Now," Leanne reached out her hand and aggressively cupped her sister's chin. Her nails digging into her face hard enough to draw blood. "I'm glad to see your outward appearance matches with that disgusting slave blood of yours."

Violette was used to such comments. Yes, her father may have been a King but her mother was still an elf.

Elves had only recently been freed from slavery within the last few decades. In a show of good faith, the current King took an Elven woman as a concubine and they eventually gave birth to the Kingdom's first Non-human Princess.

Most humans, especially Nobles, were still stuck in their ways and still openly abused and degraded Elves every chance they got. They were not considered people to them, but more like live stock.

"Why did you do it, Leanne?" She was genuinely curious. "I've lived my entire life up until now as quiet as if I was dead. I even gave up all rights to the Throne! I'm no threat to you, nor Leonard. Why go to the trouble of framing me?"

Leanne retracted her hand and began wiping them with a handkerchief before discarding it to the cell floor.

"Why?" She laughed at her. "Because you are disgusting. The mere fact you breath the same air as me is enraging enough to want you dead."

She inspected her nails to ensure they were still pristine after touching such filth.

Violette looked at her at her sister with disbelief. She knew that she didn't like her from all the years of abuse, but she didn't expect such hatred. After all, she had never done anything to harm Leanne.

In fact, she never fought back nor retaliated no matter what they did to her. Violette just wanted a quiet life where she could read and eat in peace.

Despite being abused both mentally and physically, she never wished her any ill will. She kept to her palace and never left unless ordered to do so. She minded her own business and never lusted after the Throne. She even went as far as giving up any rights of inheritance. Not that anyone would allow a half-elf to be their queen even if she had kept her rights.

"I'm relieved to finally be rid of you." She motioned to her guards, and they began to move with their captive in toe toward the location of her death.

Leanne's blue eyes looked especially dark that day.

•••

The execution grounds were packed full of noble men and commoners alike. All cheering for the death of the treacherous elf.

Violette's legs were bearly able to hold her own weight so the two guards had to drag her by the arms the entire way.

Together, they dropped her weak body directly infront of the guillotine making her knees crash into the ground. One man stepped forward to push her face into the block head rest. The push was so hard she felt if given the time, a bruise would of formed.

The crowd roared over eachother to the point she could not distinguish what they were saying. Though she could guess from their hate-filled eyes and they way they threw stones toward her. She had never heard anything so loud before. The sheer force of their voices vibrated through the wood stage into her knees.

From her view she could see her father and both of her siblings happily chatting amongst themselves as if they were watching a harmless play, not the execution of a member of their family.

After a moment, her father stood up from his Throne-like chair, and gathered the attention of everyone present. The way he spoke demanded respect in a way only a King could do.

"In the name of King Augusta Wisteria, I stand here as witness to the act of treason preformed by the former princess , Violette Wisteria. Due to overwhelming evidence, I deem her guilty on all accounts of treason. Per Wisteria law, I sentence her to death by beheading. May the Maker embrace this sinners soul."

For the first time in her life she prayed.

If the Maker was truly benevolent, then maybe She would grant her petty request.

She prayed for her family to die a death fitting of their evil hearts. She prayed that the blight would nock down the palace walls and consume each and every one of them leaving none behind.

It was comforting to know their own ignorance would make her prayers into a reality most likely sooner than latter. The blight was allready steadily approaching whether they acknowledged it not.

She could not bear to watch the the blade come down on her own neck, so instead she squeezed her eyes shut so tightly not even tears could escape. Her body readied itself for impact before suddenly going limp.

The crowd cheered as the show's finale had finally came to a end.