Luana fell down on her knees, but she didn't lower nor bow her head. After everything she had lost – her sister, her father, her houses, her war, her head was still raised up. Pride was a too little word for her.
Rea swung her sword up and met Luana's eyes. Her face twisted into a cruel, proud smile, yet her tears and eyes spoke of fear. This woman deserved death. Rea brought the sword down.
But death was a low punishment for her. She deserved something crueller than death.
Rea impaled the sword into the ground before Luana and smiled as she saw her flinch. She had expected death, after all she had nothing else to live for. Rea looked her dead in the eyes.
"You don't deserve death." She grabbed her chin and pulled her closer, so she could hear her loud and clear. "You deserve to rot."
Rea shoved her head to the ground as two soldiers grabbed her and took her away. For the first time, she saw genuine dread on Luana's face. Some would say it was an act of mercy, but Rea knew that death wasn't a punishment to her, it was an alleviation, a distant comfort. Throwing Luana deep into a dungeon underground, with high securance, that was a fit penalty for her.
After all, no one could break her out now. She had no one now, only herself.
Rea took a shaky breath, looking around the battle ground at the remains of her army, pirates who came to help and Luana's soldiers giving in. Rea had lost so much – her family, her kingdom, and her people. But she won.
She glanced around and saw Amelia, who stood the closest to her, hand covering half of her bleeding face, but still she smiled at her. Rea's eyes met with Neirin, whose arm was wrapped around Amari to support them. They've noticed her and smiled at her, waving at her in victory. If Ivan was there he would hug her, and whisper into her shoulder "We've won."
Rea placed her hand on the pin over her heart and smiled through the tears. "Yes, we've won, Ivan."
She dropped her sword to the ground and took off her chest plate, letting her hair down to blow in the first spring wind. She closed her eyes and let herself breathe. It was finally over.
She opened her eyes with a smile to search the grounds for Tivon and Elias. Rea ran around, helping the ones who needed help, pulling them up on their feet, greeting their smiles of victory. The cheers of victory and cheers to the new Queen sounded through the valley. She smiled at them, but her eyes were focused on two boys – her two friends, her family with whom she could celebrate their victory with.
Her eyes search for them, but all she could see was white hair walking through the forest and up the hill, holding the body of her dead sister, a black serpent crawling weakly beside her feet.
Rea found them in a forest clearing, laying in the grass surrounded by Hyssopy and Cobily flowers – their flowers. Their hands were entwined with one another, their faces at peace, smiling.
Rea fell on her knees beside them. They had promised her, there will be no goodbyes. She placed her head between her hands. Tears flooded her as she cried into her hands.
Then why were they dead? Why did they leave her? Rea screamed into her hands.
They didn't deserve death at the hands of her war. They deserved peace and freedom. They deserved a world that wouldn't reject them, a world where they shouldn't be afraid, a world free of trauma. They deserved so much more. They deserved decades.
Rea had stayed beside them till the night came and till there was no more tears left to cry. She stayed till the cold night wind shivered her to the bone. When the moon shone on them, Rea moved her head and leaned to kiss Tivon's forehead and then Elias'. She whispered her finally goodbye and left the forest quietly.