The test

Kirigan's POV

I watched her smile but I wasn't confident in that smile. She wasn't going to get killed to prove a point to anyone.

"Listen, you don't have to do this," I sighed.

"But I have to or they'll look at you and think you're a fool for taking in a blind girl. They want a blind test and they'll get a blind test. What's wrong with that?"

That was when I knew this girl didn't know what a poison test was. I had to tell her so she would not fall into a deep ditch thinking she was doing the heroic thing for anyone.

"Jane, do you know what a poison test is?" I asked as she nodded.

"It's when you're told to…" she tried to explain but failed to do so. "I don't know but since I'm blind it has something to do with me being blind."

Before I could explain anything to her, Trina joined us with a guard who opted to help Jane go to the table with drinks on it.

"Well, the cups are ready and you are supposed to be there with the elders," said Trina with a large smile. "The guard will see you to the table."

I held onto Jane, looking at Trina as I didn't want this to get far.

"Trina… please," I pleaded with the woman who had a steel expression but she refused to heed my request.

"Take her to her table," Trina said as Jane was yanked away from my hand and taken to the table.

I watched her being led away and suddenly felt like my world was about to come crashing down.

This was all my fault. I would never find the cure for my ailment and I wouldn't be able to keep my end of the deal.

I promised that I would keep her safe but here she was being dragged out to be killed.

"You shouldn't have done that," I sighed. "She's a blind girl."

"She'll survive either way."

"If she's blind she'll pick the wrong go and die. If she's not she's going to live but be taken to prison and I'll lose everything. And she's going to be hung for fraud as well. Either way, she's going to die."

She chuckled while looking at me. "Then you had better start praying that she picks up the right cup and is truly blind so that everyone can start a second test."

At that point I knew that this woman was crazy.

How were we ever betrothed anyway? It wasn't like I had genuine feelings for her. I didn't care if she lived or died now. I wished she could be killed by the same assassins who had come for us during that night.

I looked at the elders line up before a table with the cups on it as Jane stood on the other side of the table with an anxious look on her face.

***

Katarina's POV

Standing before these old farts, I wondered what they wanted from me anyway. It seemed unnecessary for me to be standing before them for any reason.

It was clear they believed Trina over the prince or me. Who was Trina anyway that she would have much power over the elders like this?

Her powers were so superficial I was sure they were fake, but the scenario before me didn't seem fake at all.

"Miss Jane," the leader of the elders said in a calm manner. "I would have said look at me but you're supposedly blind so maybe pay attention is the right word to use."

I chuckled at that joke but waved him on.

"Now, there are six cups before you. Only one is clean water while the rest are going to be poisoned before your very eyes. Now there is no cure for the poison so you should choose carefully which one you should take or you'll die."

Now I knew how so many people died during the old days. Because of stupid tests like this.

If I was truly blind, and everyone said it was false this was the test they would pull out. I would clearly take the wrong one and die.

This was too terrible an idea and I wondered who had thought it was a genius idea to spring this stupidity up.

I watched the cups get filled with water before a jar of oily liquid was poured into five cups with one being free.

This was a terrible experience I was having.

It was a locked line I was kept in.

If I chose the good cup and drank from it, I would be accused of being able to see and they would all be glad to have me hanging from a window. If I took the wrong one and died, they would also win.

Either way, I had to choose wisely as the prince's life and status was also on the line.

He had saved me countless times from danger and I didn't want to repay by being selfish even though that was the only way to get myself out of here.

In fact, how could I guilt trip myself right now when all I was doing was a selfless act.

I was being forced to find Jane's love life or else I would never leave this world. Either way, I was already dead and this excuse of a second life where I was hated wasn't doing it for me.

At least if I was going to die, I would have to save someone who had done that countlessly for me.

With a sigh, I looked to my side to have a last glimpse at the prince who had a horrified look on his face as he shook his head and started walking towards me.

At that moment, the guards rushed to hold him in place as I looked back at the table and picked one of the poisoned cups.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Jane's spirit wherever it was, before gulping everything down.