Special mass release of Easter Day!
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I DON'T HAVE MORE TIME, so, please, I know I shouldn't ask this after every life my hands ended... but I can't help it. So, I'm asking for a second chance. One more chance and I'll do it differently. I swear I will.
Let me do it right. I'm begging you, Mikla! Or whoever has the power to grant me this last wish-
I'm so scared of death... And I know I shouldn't be when I became so familiar with her, but I fucking am. I don't find my death attractive at all. It scares me more than anything.
As I saw Dalilah going back to Christopher's side, I finally let the tears fall, felling them getting mixed with the blood in my face.
When I turned to met the cold and shining ruby-red eyes of the executioner under his pitch-black helmet, I saw the ax dangerously close to my precious neck. He held it higher. And when he was about to behead me, I swear that I sensed him smiling at me.
Not only that, but by the look on his eyes, he seemed amused by what he was going to do next. And the strangest thing was that even though he was overflowing with bloodlust, I felt as if none of that was directed to me.
But if... if it wasn't, why did he seemed so delighted? It gave me goosebumps. My body trembled in fear with his creepy and unexpected reaction.
I swear that I felt as if his eyes could see through my soul. As if... he could see me in a way no one else ever could... if he could see everything that happened, the truth.
Shit.
What the heck is happening to me? What kind of feeling is this? Why am I so conscious about this men? And who the fuck is he? Why does this guy feel so strangely familiar when I have no memories of him?
I closed my eyes waiting for my death. Cursing Dalilah and the perverse 3rd Imperial Prince Christopher, my damn brother-in-law, who was a stone in my way and who organized my execution together with my nefarious twin. Cursing each person present who's happy with my death.
Preparing myself for the upcoming feeling of, literally, losing my once beautiful head. And at that moment, a freezing wind surrounded my body and entered me through my mouth. I gasped blood once again.
I felt the inside of my body freezing little by little, as a familiar feeling filled me at once as well as the pain, and when the pain became unbearable, it got worse.
Then I heard a voice telling him to stop, my eyes open widely and for a slight second I had hope, but it was crushed the moment I saw my brother-in-law disgusting face and then he spoke again, "Wait a little bit, executioner!"
My attention went to the red-ruby-eyes guy and maybe I saw it wrong, but I swear he seemed annoyed by the 3rd Imperial Prince. At least we must have that in common. "Honey, why are you interrupting her execution?" Dalilah asked faking sadness.
"I just remembered that the General asked for her eyes," he had a vicious smile on, and I felt my throat get dry. Who is this General? Why does he wants my eyes?
"Your Imperial Highness, isn't that a bit too much?" The executioner spoke, surprising me not only for speaking up for me, for whatever reason, but for having such a deep voice. Besides, his bloodlust was totally focused on my brother-in-law.
Christopher stared at him annoyed, "Excuse me? Do you think you have a saying on this? Who are you to interfere on such a matters. Are you feeling pitiful for this criminal?" Ha, now I am the criminal. "Don't you know how many lives she took? Do you perhaps wants to die with her?" This bastard's too much.
The red-ruby-eyed guy only stared at him, and I believe the jerk felt his murderous aura, because he took three steps back, being the coward he always was. "I believe you don't. So step back and let me do what I need to," wait…
Is he going to take my eyes-
He came closer faster than I could predict and gave me a amused look from head to toe. "What a satisfying view," I should have killed this bastard before. "You must be craving to kill me, uh," at least he isn't that oblivious. "How angry you must be," the asshole covered my eyes with his hands and started to crush them with his fingers, "to know that I'll be the last person you are going to see in your life!"
When his fingers got a little separated, I got a last glimpse of the executioner's beautiful eyes, then my last tears rolled down and I felt my eyeballs being ripped from my skull. My screams couldn't be heard, they only sounded as growls from an injured animal. And I could only feel the blood tears wetting my cheeks.
"Damn," he spoke again, clearly, satisfied. "The General is going to be amused with this!" I felt when he took steps away from me, probably going back to Dalilah's side. "Now you can continue, executioner!"
I recognized his aura when he came closer, it felt gentle, he's probably thinking I'm a pitiful person, "I'm really sorry, Princess Natasha," he whispered lower enough for only me to hear.
Why would he apologize? It's not like any of this is his fault. I don't even know him, but I'm still thankful that he was the last person I saw and not Christopher. At least he has beautiful eyes.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled again and the tone of his voice was as if he was in agony.
And then, it finally happened. I felt my flesh and my neck being torn apart and my head getting slowly separated from my body when the executioner's ax hit me. His moves were fast, I knew it were but the sharp sound his blade made before touching me, but it felt least took him hours to cut through it.
Unexpectedly, after a second that felt like a billion of torturous years, my eyes opened out coldly and not only could I see everything, but the executioner with his stunning bright ruby-red eyes was nowhere to be seen. Neither was I in front of the crowd, being executed in front of the Imperial Palace anymore.
I was somewhere else entirely.
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Second and Current Timeline
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I felt my tongue intact and moist in my mouth and when I found myself, I was already screaming in pain. My beautiful eyes back where they belong. My neck and arms also intact. There's no blood on my face, neck, or body whatsoever.
This is for real or am I dreaming?
I stopped screaming the moment I realized that I was no longer in the center of the square in front of the royal palace but in my childish room from Greenhall Castle, our manor at Theolia, the Imperial Capital. Where we only came when the spring began and we, as members of the Royalty, had to spend the season in the capital.
"This can't be a dream! Is this for real? Was my wish granted?" I shouted, already crying with happiness. "I'm still alive..."
I let out a deep breath.
"Or should I say that I'm back to life? Because I came back... I am back..." I whispered to myself, trying to make me believe in what had happened.
I touched my neck, my thin arms, short legs, not-so-flat but not-so-big-yet chest, long and messy hair, and my soft face trying to have the confirmation I needed. "Thank you, Goddess! ...Or whoever saved me! I owe you my life. When I discover who saved me, I'll make the possible and impossible to thank the person or deity... or whatever creature did this! But right now, I need to now how old am I."
Getting up with my own two legs, I ran to the mirror, and what I saw shocked the shit out of me. No scars or broken bones and purple eyes on my face, neither on any visible part of my body, and all my body members were indeed there again. This must be my thirteen-year-old self!
How can I tell?
Simple, about a month before my fourteenth's birthday I got in a fight with a apprentice of the Knights back in the Nicholai Grand Duchy in Leopenia, the northern region of the Empire, ruled by my father, and that left a scar on my left forearm.
And when I looked at my reflection again, there was still some light in my eyes. After staring at my reflection with my jaw on the ground for what seemed to be an eternity, I ran back to my bed before anyone could come here.
I'm back and with thirteen years again according to my body. And I'm not fucking letting the story repeat itself. Things are going to be different this time, or my name isn't Natasha Mary-Anne Ludwick Nicholai!
You made me a villainess by controlling my mind, Dalilah. Now I'll be the villainess but of your story! I'll destroy you and that Goddess-damn 3rd Imperial Prince. I'll use my second chance the best I can. You said that we would see each other again in hell, so don't worry, sis, I'll make your wish come true, making your life a living hell.
You will pay for what you did, dear sister. This time, things are going to change. I'm going to live for myself and Valerian, and I'll make people see your true colors.
The Goddess may forgive you, but I never will!
Let's see who will end up beheaded this time.