"NO! ANNA, NO!"

I shouted as my faithful maid smiled at me one last time. As the sharp steel and gold sword sliced through her neck, her blood splattered everywhere. The ringing in my ear somewhat shielded me from the manical laughter of the most evil person I knew, the Upsurper — Arthur Leonidas Regnaldi of the Eldoria Kingdom.

"No..." I whispered as I struggled to free myself from the tight ropes that bound my wrists. I shakily walked towards where her body laid. "No... Anna..." I am now a few feet away from Anna when a harsh pull jerked me back to where I was standing moments ago. As I hit the ground, I heard the disguting and horrible voice of the tyrant in front of me. My gaze shifted towards the bane of my world —

"Arthur..." I struggled to loose the ropes that were tightly tied around my wrists. "YOU DECIETFUL MAN!" He smugly smirked at me, looking down at my pathetic state. For once I thought of him to be beautiful, but now... I just wanted to be freed from being tied and drive a sword straight to his throat. "MAY GOD FORGIVE YOU AND YOUR SINS BECAUSE I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SEE YOU IN HELL WITH ME!"

Arthur's diabolical laughter echoed throughout the courtyard. His subjects lowered down their gazes, pretending that all of this torture and murder were not happening in front of them. Tears streamed down my face — a mixture of contempt and agony — as I look at him with equal rage as he felt with me.

"What did we ever do to deserve this?!" I shouted, my emotions boiling over. "My father welcomed you into our kingdom and trusted you. And this is how you repay us?!"

He smiled, but it was a smile that never touched his eyes. "Oh, dear. It seems you're still just a gullible little princess." Arthur stood up from his seat and approached me slowly, his eyes fixed on mine, devoid of any emotion. "If you and your father hadn't been so naive, perhaps you could have saved this kingdom."

As he reached me, he knelt and lifted my chin with a firm grip. I met his gaze steadily, determined not to show any fear in the face of his maniacal presence. He smiled again, but this time his expression was more sinister, sending a chill down my spine. Still, I refused to back down.

"I like watching your eyes lit up with rage, my princess." He commented as he wiped the smear of blood off my face.

"Get your horrendous face away from me." I spat, making him laugh loudly.

"You still have that fiery spirit in you, despite everything you've endured," he whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "If only you had agreed to marry me, none of this would have happened."

"I would rather marry a pig than a tyrant like you."

Once again, his maniacal laughter echoed around us. My heart pounded with anger, but I felt helpless in my current state. Out of spite, I slammed my head towards his, hitting him square in the face. Arthur stumbled backward, momentarily unable to comprehend what had just happened. I couldn't help but smirk as I watched bright red blood streaming from his nose.

"Yes, I still have the fiery spirit in me, Arthur. After all, I am still the Rebellious Princess of Altharion." I said as I saw him wipe the blood off of his face in anger.

" You will pay for this..." He angrily stood up from the ground. He unsheathed his golden sword and pointed its tip to my neck. "Blood for blood, princess. Do you have any last words?"

I did not flinch. My lips broke into a smile as I settled my head closer to the sword.

I have no regrets about this life. I was loved by my family and my country. I helped many people along the way. I stood up against this tyrant.

Most importantly, I loved.

At last, I can finally be reunited with my father and brother. I said to myself as I felt the coldness of the sharp sword on my skin. "Just do it. I'm sick of seeing you everyday, anyway."

"Why, you little...!" The rage in Arthur's eyes were the most wonderful thing I saw today.

The saying that your life flashes before your eyes may very well be true. As I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the sword being swung towards me, the flashes of memories came rushing through my mind. My first horse ride. My first vacation on the Northern Isles. My first piano. My first time gardening. My first ball. My first public speech. My first love.

"NO!"

My eyes widened when I heard his voice, but everything went dark as the cold steel sliced through my neck.