Y'know at tea parties other noble ladies and I enjoyed reading stories.
"Theodosia Myrone this has gone on long enough!" My fiancé, Crown Prince William Zion Kitelle, barked at me as I fell to the pavement of the academy garden; my face swollen.
"D-did you just-"
There would always be a young, naive damsel-always-in-distress who has some fantastical rise to a beautiful famed life.
"Don't play dumb!" He continued tossing a bottle at me "You put this on Magnolia's chair. We came back from lunch to find her chair all but disintegrated. You know what it is?!"
She'd have been rescued from a life of tragedy and brought into a warm, obsessive environment. New friends would crowd around her; one eventually becoming her true love.
Usually a prince.
"Aaah!" The bottle shattered on to my academy uniform, burning through my skirt and into my skin.
"This is the venom of the Myrone viper." William said "Deadly and highly acidic. Found on Magnolia's chair! Only you would have it."
She'd face many challenges: education, adjustment, impressions, and a villainess.
"No, William!" Ginger tresses crowded my view of him as a girl grabbed William "No! This isn't right. This is torture! If we torture her then we're no better than her."
What?
"I…haa…don't know…what…haa…you're talking about." I let out between huffs. The pain from the venom is extremely painful to bear but I can't let them embarrass me. I cant.
"Theodosia!"
I looked past the prince and Magnolia to see my brother running over. He tackled William to the floor drawing his sword. He pressed it against the prince's throat.
Slash!
Oh, how we never truly understand the plight of the villainess. We never grasp the emotions one must go through when seeing their life crumble in front of their eyes.
For instance, losing a cherished loved one over an accusatory challenge.
"Remier!" I shrieked wiping my now clouded sea foam eyes.
Or your father is accused of smuggling drugs into the kingdom, and subsequently gassed. Your mother, in a distraught panic after just losing her son and now her husband takes her own life.
"Taker her away!" Williams books as soldiers surround me "This is all her fault I had to kill Remier! My best friend!"
"He…is…my brother..!" I huffed as everything began to spin "You did…this."
How about passing out after your brother was just on a roller coaster of Magnolia that derailed?
Drip!
Drip!
"Oh you're awake!" A voice said as I jumped up. I quickly fell down as the rattle of chains and a pain in my wrists and ankles overtook me.
I looked up in the direction of the voice to see a tall guard looking down at me. His face was contorted and twist into a grin.
"Are you shocked by the scenery Theodosia Myrone?" He hissed " What did you expect after what you and your brother did?"
"W-where is my brother?"
"You were there how can you not know?" He laughed "he's dead. Your brother tried to kill the Crown Prince and was dealt with on the spot. Answer me this: did you and your family stage all of this to shift power?"
"Shift power?!" I replied "My family has always been loyal to the crown. We are their protectors. We command the royal army. Stop your wild accusations brute! This is all due to that abysmal girl Magnolia!"
I was greeted with the sting of metal bars against my face as the guard fumbled in his pocket for his keys. He threw me, entering my cell.
"Do not ever speak ill of lady Lycra Wench!" He yelled "She is a saint given to us to reveal your treacherous family!"
"That's not true!"
I protested but he wrestled me to the floor.
"You still have your pride?" He scoffed "Even in chains. But Y'know, even with a roughed up face you sure are a looker. I see why you were chosen as the Crown Prince's fiancé."
"Stay away from me!
Maybe having a crooked guard take advantage of his position when you're at your highest level of vulnerability?
No. We never understand.
*****
It took 13 days for me to realize why I was still alive.
So they could sadistically vent their decades of pent up anger against the House of Myrone. Courtesy of Magnolia.
13 days for them to allow me to be tortured, abused, and used. By both royal men and women alike.
"Your execution date has been decided." The guard said rolling off of me "it'll be in three days."
I dropped to my knees in shock as he whistled away.
3 days?
That's all I have left of my life?
My hands trembled as I clasped them against my chest; my eyes full of tears.
"God please." I cried "I…don't want to die. I took so much for granted. I confess to any sins I've ever committed. Please…please save me! I don't want to die."
This is ludicrous.
Ludicrous.
All thanks to Magnolia.
"Please rest assured. We'll be back to pick you up soon."
Pick me up?
I froze and looked towards to bars to see a man. He was covered by a black cloak but I could still see his dark hair and strong body.
"Have you also come to hurt me?" I cried "When will it be enough for you people? Why …why even in my final days are you all still torturing me?!"
He didn't say a word. He just dropped an envelope through the bars and bowed before leaving hastily.
I waited a few minutes before picking up the envelope. I opened it to find a an emblem. Five coat of arms joined together by a Phoenix graced its face. One belonging to the kingdom of Kitelle.
No way…this is…
The Phoenix Wave.
The Phoenix wave is an item held by the royals of the kingdoms within the empire of Sluthe. Sluthe is an empire much like a utopia. There are 5 kingdoms that split the responsibilities of the empire: the Kitelle kingdom covers religious and spiritual welfare, the Ziba kingdom handles the financial welfare of the empire, the Cloes kingdom promotes technological and educational growth, the kingdom of Haim conducts all agricultural pursuits, and the kingdom of Robaine protects the empire and handles war. The kingdoms, although against Sluthe rule, were always at odds with each other creating petty brawls or battles. The emperor grew frustrated of this and made them all meet to come to a truce.
The biggest issues were kingdoms facing no consequences for the conflicts from within due to the even power field and having no leeway to protect their people within another kingdom. A piece of a way to satiate this was the creation of the Phoenix Wave.
The Phoenix Wave allows citizens (normally royals) from neighboring kingdoms to call a trial for any accused wrongdoings by a jury of citizens from both countries. It allows for an unbiased right of judgement and helped with due process. The greatest thing about it is, as long as I have it the longer I stay alive.
But what kingdom or royal is trying to protect me?
And why?
I turned the emblem over to read Robaine.
Well…it looks like I've been deemed worthy of a blessing.
My father wasn't much of a father while he was alive. Aside from giving me gifts. Contrary to imperial beliefs of him being a diligent man, he was a rolling stone. The late Duchess of Myrone was not my mother.
"Guard!" I cried out holding the emblem "Phoenix Wave!"
My actual mother was a noble knight, transferred from Robaine. Because she held citizenship until her death in the last war, I was born with Robaine citizenship.
I qualify.
I can use the Phoenix Wave to get them to listen. My peers, friends, and colleagues will all help after they listen.
"I call the Phoenix Wave!"