"Wake up, Princess." I could hear from my sleep, keys dangling and the cell entrance roughly pulled open.
Hands gripped my arm, forcing my eyes to go open.
I saw Otto and the blonde guy, who Otto always argued with. I could also see two more prison guards by the side, one of them holding my arms.
The chains were unlocked and I winced slightly as it fell off my wrists.
Looking at my wrist, I wasn't surprised to see how reddish and wrinkled it had become. The bone around my wrist even hurt from the prolonged tightness.
Sighing, I tried to stand but fell to the floor weakly. I had no strength in me as I had not eaten for the past five days.
The guards noticing my feebleness didn't even care. They all laughed amused and dragged me out of the dungeon, on the cold rough sandy ground.
My head was bent towards the ground. I was even weak to raise it up.
I knew father would be beheaded today and that, that was the 'graceful' occasion. I wanted to cry my pains out but I was too deficient in energy to even shed a tear, as crying required strength.
I was taken to a large field but was nonplussed by the number of people who came to watch my father die.
There was barely any space left in the crowd, causing some fightings to occur as people wanted to see closer.
I was dragged near to where the guillotine was. It stood tall and uproot. Its sharp blade suspended at the top. The blade was bloody which means someone had been beheaded there recently.
I gulped in fear, wondering if I would be beheaded along with father. I wasn't so sure but I didn't care. I wanted to die anyways, living life with my parents murderers were too gruesome for me to bear.
I was tied to a pole. The rope so tight on my wrists that I winced anytime my hands accidentally move.
I wanted to beg them to at least loosen it but I couldn't find my voice. My throat and mouth were so dry that I found it hard speaking. I hadn't tasted water for days and my saliva had all dried up.
It was a wonder I was still breathing.
I stared around.
Some people were glaring at me abhorrently, speaking so loud I could hear them.
"Isn't that Rupert's daughter?" A middle aged man spoke with so much anger I could see the fire in his eyes.
"Of course, she is! Look at her, doesn't she seem a bit like her evil mother?" A woman joined in, spatting out words, spitefully.
"Why is she still living? She should be beheaded with her father!"
"Yes! Evil people like them does not deserve to live."
Picking up a stone, the woman aggressively threw it towards me, making it collide with my forehead.
"Ahh." I groaned, my head throbbing in pain as blood trickled down my face.
Two more heavy stones made contact but this time with my chest and stomach, causing me to feel a pant.
The prison guards seeing this warned the people to stop and they reluctantly obeyed.
Feeling unable to control my palpitation, I felt giddy and slumped to the floor, losing consciousness.
I woke up maybe sooner due to the vociferous sounds coming from the crowd. They were shouting and speaking in loud tones. I felt my heart. It was now surprisingly beating normally, earlier I had thought I was going to die from the rapid beat.
I peered my eyes open but my sight was slightly blurry. I closed my eyes for possibly a minute and reopened them. Though still a bit blur, I could see a man closest to where the guillotine was.
Two guards held him still, not because he was struggling, his legs were disfigured and rid of skin, he most likely couldn't stand.
Blood were all over him, from the top of his head to the sole of his feet. He was bald. Deep wounds oozing out blood and pus were expeditious over his body.
Worst still, the man was stark naked. Noticing it, I took my eyes down, to preserve my innocence. I wondered who the man was and what he had done so bad to be treated this horribly.
But then suddenly it hit me.
Was that Father?
I shook in abrupt fright. No! It can't be! No!
I denied.
I looked up at his face. It was so unrecognizable. Metal whip marks, blade cuts, burns, heat scorches and other things I couldn't tell.
His eyelids were much swollen, bruised and bloody, I couldn't even see his eyes.
His nose was broken and shifted to a side, his lips had no flesh as it was all cut off, one of his ears was burned off.
When he slightly opened his mouth, there were no teeth in sight. They had all been plucked off!
I was appalled and terrified at the horrific image.
This.... This man couldn't be father!
But then I heard the voices from the crowd snarling his name and demanding for his death.
He was indeed... Father.
My body shook. I felt fuzzy and flustered. The images before me multiplied. I couldn't see clearly, my vision was quite blurry and double.
My eyes circulated into the back of my head. The immense shock I felt pulling me into the dark web I've been to earlier.
"Wake up!"
I felt some cold liquid poured on my face that instantaneously forced me out of my faint into reality.
The liquid was so cold and unpleasant that it gave me goosebumps on my skin and made my teeth chatter.
Opening my eyes painfully, I realized the liquid was a slightly impure water but feeling thirsty to the brim, I licked the water lying on my lips which unfortunately did nothing to quench even a bit of my thirst.
The guards around me who saw me do that, laughed mockingly and then Otto came closer, slapping my cheek in a bid to awaken me.
"Don't miss the fun, princess."
Then I remembered....
Father! Oh heavens!
Glancing around, I saw Father bent towards the guillotine, his head on an uproot wood, ready to be slashed off.
My stomach swayed in extreme terror and anxiety, my face crumpling in mickle sorrow and helplessness.
I could see the evil king dressed simply in an austere clothing—A white cotton shirt with decorative cuffs, brown breeches and a pair of silk stockings.
He held a smirk on his face and pride in his expression. He does look exultant and my insides burned at the sight of it.
This man was going to kill my father and he was proud about it!
I had never hated anyone as much as I hate him.
I wanted to stop him but I was too helpless and hopeless. No one was going to save father, no one.
"We had waited for quite long, fifteen years to be precise for this day. This man before you all, vulnerable and weak, was once the same man who stepped on your faces and laughed at your pain. Getting him before our mercy seemed much impossible but here he is, King Rupert of the kingdom of Perston, bowing before all of you....."
Cheers and laughter ran through the crowd. Tears swelled up in my eyes as I felt so miserable.
"We captured his legitimate daughter, killed his family and possessed his people." Pausing, he turned to my direction. His eyes found me and he grinned maliciously.
I quaked.
"Do you want to show him mercy or desire him dead in the next one minute?"
His tone was hard and firm, but there was something underneath that showed he would still yet slay my father whether they agree to it or not.
Like I expected, the crowd chorus in unison. "Kill him! Kill him!! Kill him!!!"
Every chorus was louder than the latter. I could feel their agitation and impatience. They wanted father to be dead so bad. I was riled.
He seemed pleased with their words. He beckoned for a guard to come near. The guard was holding a sword covered in a neat posh fabric.
Removing the fabric, he raised the sword before the sunlight, causing it to sparkle gloriously, its blade sharp and pointed.
I groomed at Father, hoping he at least sees me but he definitely couldn't. His eyes were possibly blind, besides he was in too much suffering to perhaps survey his environment.
I went back to my memories, reminiscing the times I and father had spent together.
We weren't close. We don't see each other much. I only saw him four or five times a month. He was always busy with his kingly duties and travellings to other lands and kingdom.
For the few times we had spent either on dinner tables or private meetings, he was always perpetually stern, strict and commanding. His attitude was unfortunately unlikeable for me, but mother would always tell me how lovely and sweet he was. Although that was hard to believe pertaining to his behavior towards me, but I believed mother anyways because of how sincere she sounded.
He solely spends his free time with my step brother Barney. I understood because he was his only legitimate son and heir to the throne. How dare I complain?
Father had three wives, including my mother but numerous mistresses. He only had two legitimate children — I and Barney, the rest of his children were from his mistresses.
I was however the only child of my mother.
~~
The ear deafening screams cut me out from my reminiscence, I saw the king lay the sword right on my father's neck. That seemed to have incited the emotions of the crowd. In an instant, I saw a wave of emotion flash through the King's eyes but the next, it was gone.
The time slowed.
Everyone went silent.
The sword went high in the air.
I wanted to look away. I shouldn't see this. I shouldn't see my father die so horribly but I couldn't. It was like if my eyes were permanently fixed to the spot.
It was only a few seconds but the sword went promptly down on my father's neck, cutting down his head, expeditiously.