The dungeons were quiet that night. The only thing Davina heard was the beating of her heart against her chest. Her soft breaths. Her uneven hair splayed as she lied on the cold ground that pierced her skin, but it was far from her mind that night. Her dark eyes were wide open, but she only saw darkness.
Months may have passed since Prince Felix's death in the war against the Inarians. But the memory still played in her head like it was yesterday. The image of his dead body was still seared in her mind, making it difficult for her to sleep most nights. Not like her sleeping accommodations were comfortable anyway.
Davina jumped when she heard metal clanging and her cell door opening. She turned her head from the stone wall. There was a guard holding a lantern in his hands. The small flicker of the candle was the first light she's seen in a while.
Through the dim light of the candle, she saw a crest featuring a gladiolus on his uniform. The symbol of the Kingdom of Eris. She remembered the days when she used to wear that uniform herself. The days when she was free and the prince was still alive.
"Get up," he said coldly.
"What is it this time?" She asked, pushing herself into a sitting position. "Will I get new scars on my back? Or will they be new burns on my arms? What does the King and Queen have in store for me this time?"
Silence.
"If they're burns do you think of burning my name somewhere on my ri—Ow!"
"I said get up!"
Davina rubbed her sore sides. "I'm just making some conversation, I haven't talked to anyone in a while."
"What about me?" Davina turned her head to see Felix on the other side of her cell. His face was as red as his hair. He may look offended, but she knew he was just being dramatic as always.
"Well I need to talk to other people Felix."
"You can only talk to me because I'm the only person who doesn't hate you—"
"It's either you get up or I'm dragging you myself," the guard said, oblivious to the conversation that just conspired.
Davina shivered at the thought of being dragged with her fresh wounds. She slowly stood up, letting her fingers slide through the rough and cold wall. Her body ached as she moved. She hasn't exactly recovered from her recent flogging.
"Follow me."
"I'm coming with you," Felix shot up from his sitting position. Davina envied how fluidly his body moved compared to hers.
"Suit yourself."
She left her cell and saw another guard holding a lantern of his own. The first guard locked her arms behind her in chains. As they walked, her eyes lingered on the candle. This was going to be a long walk because she was kept at the very bottom of the dungeons. The place reserved for the biggest and worst criminals in the Kingdom of Eris. But she wasn't a criminal. She didn't do anything wrong, but somehow she was here.
It all started on the day Prince Felix was killed. On that day, she found herself waking up in a secluded place near the camp where the other Erisian soldiers were staying. Davina was a soldier who was fighting for her kingdom in the war against the Inarians. She fought alongside the Prince multiple times. When she came to that day, her head felt cloudy making her wonder if she was attacked and was rendered unconscious. If that was the case, it's a wonder why she was left alive when Inarians aren't known for being merciful.
But all those thoughts faded away when she saw Prince Felix on the ground with his pool of blood and a sword on his chest. However, it wasn't just any sword. It was hers.
The next thing she knew was that she was thrown in the dungeons without any explanation as to why. She only found out a few days later that she was accused of crimes that she never even dreamed of doing. She was accused of killing the prince. The entire Kingdom of Eris now thought of her as a murderer and a spy for the Inarians.
Upon the first few weeks of her imprisonment, Davina was filled with shock. She was already devastated with the death of the prince, now she was accused of crimes that ruined her reputation forever. She waited for someone to come up to her and tell her it was all a dream. That those devious Inarians were playing a trick on her.
She told herself for months that it was all just a trick. The Inarians were able to frame her perfectly for this crime. Not only did they get rid of an enemy, but they also managed to kill the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Eris.
Davina couldn't blame everyone for not believing her. Although she had to admit, there was bitterness in her heart that no one even gave her the benefit of the doubt. She tried to convince the people of her innocence, but they were lost in the spell the Inarians made. That was what separated the Inarians from Erisians.
Inarians are people who are gifted with magical abilities, but they didn't use them for good. From what Davina has seen and heard, there were people who could control the air and water. There were those who could manipulate people's minds and create shields.
They already had a beautiful kingdom and abilities that made them distinct and powerful. Yet they still wanted to invade Eris. They've been trying to do so for almost two decades, but they haven't succeeded.
She hypothesized that someone might have manipulated someone's mind to make them think she killed the prince. They might have also made her forget about what happened.
It was all their fault.
She wished that someone could see that.
At first, she tried to fight. She tried to convince anyone she could of her innocence. But no one listened to her. After everything she did for this kingdom. After she risked her life countless times. After everything she was willing to do, she expected them to stand up for her. She hoped that someone would have their eyes opened. That someone who knew her would stand by her and plead her case.
But the kingdom she would've died for only turned their back on her and didn't give her a chance.
There was one person however who would've stood beside her. There was one who was strong enough to break the spell the Inarians cast. One who would plead her innocence. But he's gone and he's never coming back.
As Davina and the guards emerged from the dungeons, she looked up at the sky and saw the stars blinking at her. It may have been the lack of nice company, but she felt as if the stars were smiling at her. They were the first kind faces she's seen in a while.
A cold breeze ran through them. Davina shivered. Her thin dirty clothes weren't sufficient enough to keep her warm. She wished her hands weren't locked behind her back so she could keep herself warm.
"Don't worry," the guard in front of her said as if he read her mind, "you'll be warm soon."
Davina was occupied with her chattering teeth and trying to keep herself warm to wonder what he meant. She looked at her right to see Felix walking—more like skipping—right beside her. The sour look he had earlier was gone, replaced with an awed expression since it's his first time being out of the dungeons like her.
For some reason, Felix had the unlucky position of always staying by her side. She forgot the first time he suddenly appeared. All she remembered was that he was always with her these months in the dungeons. She was grateful for the form of company he was giving, but he was also a painful reminder of the person she lost.
"Do you hear that?" Felix asked.
At first Davina couldn't hear anything. But as they continued to walk, she started to hear something. They were cheers of people. They were getting louder and louder as she and the guards continued on their path.
"That's a lot of people," Davina said.
"They're here for you," one of the guards said.
But she had a nervous feeling that it was completely different from before.
"Where are you taking me?" She tried to steady her voice. "What's going to happen to me tonight?"
Davina found herself facing a big wooden door. The guards opened the doors and she was greeted with bright lights and the roars of the people of Eris who were gathered at the castle entrance.
When her eyesight cleared, she froze when she saw a thick wooden pole with sticks and hay surrounding it.
"Oh no."
She tried to turn back but her paths were all blocked. The crowds cheered when the guards carried and tied her up against the pole despite her efforts to be let go. She remembered when the people of Eris used to cheer for her just like this. But the difference from then and now was that they weren't cheering for her service for the kingdom.
No, it was definitely far from that tonight.