Chereads / Elegy of a Child of Misfortune / Chapter 1 - To die is to stop living (1)

Elegy of a Child of Misfortune

tangama
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Synopsis

Chapter 1 - To die is to stop living (1)

This tale is of a young soldier. She was loyal, never yielding, and had always been a great weapon for the Emperor whom she served so well. It was a given, since the two were best friends since they were younger. And it was then that the little soon to be knight pledged allegiance to the soon to be ruler of the country.

However, things easily did not go as they had planned, for that same knight now marches down the hard concrete coliseum floor on accounts of crime against the country, while the Emperor, her "best friend" watched from her high seat as his loyal weapon is sent to their own death.

As the soldier walked, her worn out titanium armor stripped of medals were clashing with the clean fancy golden armors of the knights who are escorting her. Behind her walked other innocent soldiers with identical armors to hers, but whose attitudes were opposite.

It was because they have been betrayed, by none other than the country they loved most and served since they were called for duty from the first war, like she was, back in the day when everything was as happy and bright as a peaceful cloudy morning.

She was only young, yet she was chosen to serve the military for the sake of her country. It was a lucky assignment for her, for she had the opportunity to protect her "friend", who was soon found out to be the missing son of the previous Queen.

As an orphan, it was not a problem if anything happened to a person without an identity like her after all. But as she gained more and more honors for her service, more and more people began to despise her for being too excellent for her own good. And soon, as she proved to be the best, she was chosen to serve the Crown Prince, her once friend who was such a big coward and crybaby from back in their childhood, but now grew up to be a reserved, cold man hungry for blood, but refuse go get his own hands dirty. From then on, she knew things have changed between them, but still, she continues to be loyal to her promise and serve him the heads of the enemies. Until eventually, it was her own head who the Prince, now the Emperor, wishes to obtain.

Despite her cruel fate, she served honestly and without remorse. Her only regret is that she never got to say goodbye to the only friend she made, that is, if he even wanted her last goodbye.

The sound of the cheers head from all around her woke her up from her short flashback of the past. In front of the huge wooden construct was a fancy looking Imperial soldier whose uniform was of the newer design, holding a piece of parchment paper with their names and crimes listed. As the soldier read their names one by one, the crowd roared in delight.

The chains binding her hands served as her temporary distraction as she was forced to march towards the wooden construct. Terrified voices from her behind were heard pleading and kicking as the escort soldiers pushed them to stand at their designated positions.

"All spies of Navia shall be put to death.", the soldier said after all of the prisoners were lined up.

The female soldier sighed her final sigh of disappointment as she looked up to the one sitting in the high chair in the crowd. There sat the Emperor and her Empress, who she was framed of trying to kill.

"Well, she looks quite fine.", She whispered to herself sarcastically, knowing that the crime against the Empress was probably just a huge set up for her. But even realizing that, she was calm and did not even try to retaliate, seemingly already long accepted her fate that is the present.

From that same direction, an object of horror came to her view. That piece of rope that hang playfully from the ceiling. The escorts were putting them on the necks of the prisoners. Some wails were heard from her left as this happened, and some angry shouting from her right. However, she herself was silent as the escort put on the rope around her neck. She recognized that knight as he smiled at her while tightening the knot.

While watching our pitiful figures, the crowd started to light up with even more excited cheers.

From afar, the new Emperor elegantly seats on his designated seat, enabling him to look over the whole row of prisoners lined up for their deaths, all facing towards their direction. He seemed pleased to see their faces filled with grief but ultimately his eyes were focused on a certain soldier. At that person, he grunted and smirked with dark eyes as if to say that he found delight in her situation.

She looked like the odd one out of all of the other people in her line. She was not crying or begging for her life to be spared. Her eyes already looked dead. It's as if she had already seen enough blood and death that she's numb to it, even now, when she's the one to experience it for herself.

The prisoners were starting to feel hopelessness as the time of their deaths draws near as the soldier announcer was close to finishing his announcement of their crimes. Immediately after they said the very last sentence, at the command of the Emperor, the platform floors dropped while the prisoners let out one final shout of anguish and remorse before the ropes made them unable to do so...

—and that, was how I died in my previous life.