The night that the Grand Vizier was killed a royal proclamation was made throughout the kingdom.

The Grand Vizier had tried to overthrow the king and Lord Torin had tried to assassinate the king. Torin and Lady Kyria would be executed on the day of the King's Wedding in two days.

Jinon was called back into the palace. His eyes were red with exhaustion, he had been halfway to the border to carry out the investigation when an important missive ordered him back.

He staggered a little as he walked into the great hall, he could smell death. And though the odor was light, he knew it was there. He knelt down in front of the king, "My lord."

Jayin sighed, "I tried, Jinon, I tried to give them a chance." His voice caught, "I tried to reason with the Vizier, I even invited them to dinner. But Lord Torin tried to kill me. There was a fight." There were tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry, I had to."

Jinon felt as if he was in a nightmare that he could not escape, "Where are they?" His voice was hoarse.

Jayin shook his head, "The Grand Vizier and his wife are dead, killed in the scuffle. Lord Torin is sentenced to death. The execution is tomorrow." The King stood up, "The family is disgraced, their daughter..."

"Lady Kyria. Where is she?" Jinon stood up, his face wild, "Tell me, tell me now!"

A flash of annoyance shone in the king's eyes, but he continued, "She will be sentenced to death with her brother. I must be impartial, he tried to kill me after all."

Jinon knelt, "My lord, you promised I would have time. Please, give me more time, I can prove their innocence, let me save them."

"Lord Torin must die, even if he is innocent, he has attacked the king." The king said, there was no argument allowed, "But... I can spare Lady Kyria."

"My Lord?" Jinon asked, stunned.

"Perhaps, if I am assured your loyalty" The king emphasized, "If you promise me that you will marry any woman I choose for you, then I'll let you have the chit." He smiled, "I know a duchess who is ten times the woman than that little girl, if promise me you'll marry Lady Yibara, I will give you Kyria as a slave. She can live as long as she wears bears the magic collar."

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"Did you hear? There's going to be two weddings the day after the king's birthday?" The rough voice of the soldier sounded as he told the other jailer, "Lord Jinon is going to marry a duchess named Lady Yibara."

"I heard she's more beautiful than the moon. A hero and a lady, what a pair." The other man whistled, "She's fae too, which means her beauty will last for as long as she's alive."

Kyria stared at her bloody, scared body. Nura had really done a number on her. Her leg was broken. She had been whipped with razor edged whips, burned, kicked, punched, and spat on. Nura only returned her to her cell when she grew tired, her grin burned into Kyria's mind.

Kyria was no longer the adored noble lady. They had taken everything from her. Her family, her life. And now the one she thought she could give her heart...

Throughout Nura's taunts and torture, Kyria had held onto a tiny, tiny light of hope, that Jinon would come for her. That he would avenge the wrongs against her family. He stand beside her as she extracted revenge against Nura.

How stupid was she? How naive. How idiotic she'd been.

He betrayed her.

Kyria stared at her hands stained with blood and caked with dirt. She let them fall into her lap where they lay on her robes, the white now streaked with the same dark red as her hands. Her eyes stared ahead into the only window of the cell, at the ray of light that filtered into the disgusting room.

At least she would die and be with her family. Gods, she wished she could die.

"Why is she in this cell? Open the doors! What are you doing, standing there?!" A familiar voice that seared her soul sounded outside, urgent, worried.

Disgusting. She thought. She wanted to rip out her ears rather than hear anymore of his voice.

The cell door opened and a man stepped in. He didn't dare go close to her, he didn't know if he would ever be allowed near her.

"Was it really that fast to fall out of love with me?" Kyria voice was hollow, cold and clear.

Jinon lowered his head. his mouth seemed to be filled with knives.

"Who is your one and only?" Her voice cut him, the space stretched until it became an infinite chasm that could never be crossed. In that moment he realized that he too had died, for seeing the light of her eyes extinguished, he felt the crumbling within his soul.

"If I marry the king's choice, he will free you." Jinon said, his deep voice cracking, "I can't let you die."

"I died already." She smiled.

Her voice was light and gentle but her words were not. "Jinon, I must be the stupidest woman you've ever met. Tell me, was it fun for you, to toy with me while plotting against my family? Did it bring you joy?" She bit her lip until she drew blood. She would not cry in front of the enemy.

Jinon said nothing. He looked at his hands, just a few hours ago he had held her hands. He took a step towards her. If he could just reach her, if he could just touch her...

"Don't."

She continued with a bright smile, as bright as the day she kissed him, "Don't come near me ever again. I will kill you with my bare hands. I will destroy everything you love. "

"Kyria." Jinon said in his quiet voice, "I will take care of you until my dying breath. I will find a way to absolve the charges against your family, I will prove that you are innocent."

Kyria turned around, her face incredulous. Suddenly she started laughing, she laughed until the tears escaped her eyes. It cut into his flesh, that terrible, terrible sound.

She laughed as if it was the funniest thing she had heard.

"What use is innocence to a pile of bones? What is absolution to ash?"

She beat her hand against her chest in laughter, her body shaking, the chafed skin on her neck broken and she bled. Blood dripped down her neck like broken pearls they fell everywhere.

He took a step toward her.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME." She roared. The protective spells of the dungeon flared up, her collar biting into her skin, hissing as they sank their serrated edges into her skin. Her eyes face twisted in hatred as she pointed to the collar, "This is the only thing that's stopping me from killing you. And I swear to the gods, I will kill you the first chance I get."

Jinon found that he could not look her in the face, the honorable general of the battlefield realized that he was really just a pitiful coward. But he would rather she lived hating him than died, "Your brother will be executed the day after tomorrow, the king will force you to watch. At the time he will pardon you but make you a slave. You will be in my care."

Kyria looked down at Jinon, " Thanks for delivering the message, dog. Now hurry back to your master. His boots needs licking."

Jinon forced himself to look into her eyes, "Once this is over, I swear, you can kill me anyway you wish. But please, don't anger the king."

"Don't anger the king when he murders my brother?" She asked her voice thick with contempt, "Or did you mean when you marry that fae woman afterwards? Get out, before I throw up from the stench you give off." She continued, "I've never regretted anything more than giving you my heart. Since it has died along with my father and mother, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing it would never be wasted on you again."

He wanted to tell her that he would get her out. But the King's spies were everywhere and he must play along right now to ensure her future. His eyes seemed to change, in a low voice he promised, "I will protect you."

"And I will kill you." She promised.

Jinon left the dungeons and step into the light.

"My lord, the arrangements have been made." One of his men approached him and whispered, "We can save Lord Torin and Lady Kyria."

Jinon nodded, "Then we must at any cost."

Jinon sighed and looked back at the prison. He was no longer the man he had been. He was broken and he would never be whole again.

He had broken both of them. If he had fought against the king. But he had chosen to listen to his king. And in doing so, destroyed her.

How could she have withstood life as a slave? How could he insult her by marrying a woman when he had promised her his heart? He would make sure that she lived through this even if he couldn't. He would save her brother, even if it meant dying himself.

He deserved death.

In the cell, Kyria's blood touched the purple gem, which began to glow.

Magic crept out of the purple gem and slithered onto her throat like vines , creeping into her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Kyria gasped, her body went rigid.

Do you want revenge, little one?

"More than anything." Her voice was hoarse from screaming.

Then I can do anything you want, for a price. The question is, what are you willing to give up?

"I don't have anything." Kyria said.

Oh but you do. You are perfect in practically every way, with me at your side I can make you powerful. And at the end of the day, isn't that why your father died? He and your brother had no true power. If they had been able to protect themselves, then you wouldn't be here.

Kyria frowned, "My father is a good man, he preached kindness and goodness."

But he's dead. The voice said, and your brother will die.

"What do you want" I will give it." Kyria said. "Give me the power to avenge my family, you can have anything you want."

The voice laughed, as more of the purple power fed itself into Kyria. Her scars began to heal, returning her to her former glory. When all of the purple substance entered Kyria's body, she fell back in a dead faint.

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Execution Day

"Move it." THe guardswoman said as she shoved Kyria down the path. The girl wore a blood red dress, on her pale neck she wore a purple necklace and the magical collar.

Kyria said nothing. The guardswoman spat in her face and slapped her, "Get up there slave, walk faster." Kyria's face barely moved when the blow came, and strangely, she didn't seemed to be injured. She looked into the guards woman's eyes, the woman flinched. Kyria strode out into the vast grounds without another word.

The entire kingdom seemed to have come to watch the execution of the last of house Kandroc. Every space was crammed with people, from peasants to courtiers in their perfumed seats.

High on the city wall, the executioner's block shone with the blood of the dead. They tossed the dead over the wall and into the pit of the bodies that had piled up for centuries.

On the opposite side, high on the King's Dais, King Jayin sat next to the soon queen to be Lady Nura. Beside them stood a young boy of five or six. His face was pale as snow. He looked down at the pair of prisoners with an excited gaze. "Mother, when do they die. I want to see them scream. And blood. Lots of blood."

Lady Nura patted her son's head indulgently, "Soon, little one."

The execution read from a scroll.

"Lord Torin, you are hereby sentenced to death for the attempted assassination of the great King Jayin Ganrich, Lord of the the Great Realm. You will be hung, drawn, and quartered. Your body parts will be spread across the city wall as a warning to other traitors of the nation. Do you have anything to say?"

Torin looked up at the pair and the crowd of people, "My family is innocent. We did not want the foolish king's throne. My father was his loyal subject and served for the good of the people for all these years. Yet, this little welp of a king would rather listen to the ramblings of a witch than his own."

King Jayin sneered but said nothing.

Beside the royal couple stood Jinon. His hand moved to his sword, his men were in place.

Lady Nura saw his movement and a small smile played across her lips.

"My Lord, I think we should let Lady Kyria go first." Lady Nura said suddenly, her eyes indicating to the king of Jinon's hand. The king frowned, thought for a second and nodded.

"NO!" Lord Torin growled but he was dragged down from executional block. Kyria walked up to the executioner's block calmly. No one saw that her hand had moved, there was power the rose from her skin. A little click and the collar unlocked but hung on her neck.

Jinon drew his sword and pointed at the king, "Release her. Or I will kill the king" Lady Nura stood up, her eyes triumphant, "I knew it." In her hand, blue fire rose and as she was about to cast it at the general...

The world descended into chaos.

Suddenly, the fire leapt out of her hand and impaled the little boy by her side. The boy staggered, looked at his mother and collapsed.

No one said anything, it was as if the entire world lost its sound. Lady Nura screamed a bloodcurdling cry and ran for her boy, Jinon forgotten. The king leapt down from his seat and rushed to the boy as well.

"How could you?!" The king grabbed Lady Nura by the neck and slapped her across each cheek, hard, "You" SLAP"Stupid" SLAP"Ungrateful" SLAP "Bitch!"

He kicked her stomach with all his might, "That boy had the strongest healing magic, he would have kept me alive for another ten years!"

That seemed to draw her out of her reverie and grief. With a blast of magic, everyone, except for the king was thrown from the high dias. He cowered at the sight of her power. How could he forget that she was fae?

Kyria's hands moved again, and more magic flew around the mad woman. Lady Nura began to laugh, she pointed at the king, "Do you want this trash as your sovereign? I would be so much better. Her entire body began to burn with power, "Bow down, receive me as queen."

She pointed to the king, who grabbed his neck, clawing as he turned red, he rose into the air and was thrown against the city wall, head first. Once, twice, three times.

The mages rushed to rescue their king, but Lady Nura was a fae princess, they could never defeat her. Her hand rose and they joined their king, their brains bashed against the city walls.

Lady Nura looked down at the cowering people, "I am your queen now. You are all my slaves. Humans should never think themselves more than anything else besides the slaves of Fae. You are weak."

A growl came from the hoards of people they screamed curses at her as she continued, "Anyone who disagrees must die." Hundreds of people, screamed as she threw out her magic, clutching at their throats as she cut off their air. She didn't care if she was killing children, she threw her magic across the hundreds of thousands of people. If they didn't bow to her, then she would choke them until they fell to the ground, dead.

Jinon ran to the executioner's block, he needed to get Kyria and Torin out of here alive. Kyria stood there, her red dress whipping around her as she watched the mad woman on the king's dias.

"Lady, we have to get out of here now." Jinon said.

Kyria turned around, her eyes full of disdain, "Jinon Sybarius, didn't I tell you that if i ever saw you again, you would die? I will make sure you suffer until the end of days."

Lady Nura had seen Jinon run for Kyria, her smile widened as her eyes grew mad, "Little brat, I can finally kill you." She raised her hand as magic shot out at Kyria.

"No!" Jinon cried and tried to lung in front of her. The magic hit the girl, she staggered and fell off the block, towards pit of bodies.

He would never forget the look on her face. The hatred in her eyes or the smile that burned his soul. She was like a dying butterfly, her robes and red dress fluttering around her, beautiful and heartbreak. Torin screamed and rushed for his sister as did Jinon.

BOOOOOM Bright light flashed, it was as if another sun had been born. The earth shook as a pillar of light shot up into the sky. Lady Nura looked up, stunned, "Impossible!" She cried.

Kyria was encased in a circle of light and when everyone opened their eyes, she descended from the sky like a goddess, her golden hair flowing around her white robes. Men and women were mesmerized by the scene. Surely a goddess had been born. She walked down from the sky.

Lady Nura screamed, "Why won't you die?!" She threw the last of her power at Kyria.

Kyria smiled and with a wave of her hand, the attacking magic dissipated. She looked down at Nura, "Cockroach." With every step she took, Lady Nura body seemed to bend on herself. She screamed in fear and pain as the other woman neared her. Kyria had broken every bone in her body, and it felt as if she was being slowly skinned alive.

Kyria waved a hand, and all the people who Lady Nura kept prisoner took a deep breath. She looked down and those who had recently died revived themselves.

The king and the mages lay dead, Kyria wasn't going to waste magic on them. She smiled, "This is the true face of the Fae. We must never fall for their lies again. From here until eternity, they are our enemies."

The people looked up at the shriveling ball of blood who had tried to kill them into submission. The bowed gratefully to Kyria, who smiled serenely. She looked down at Nura, "I will keep you alive forever, don't worry, you will be in pain for all of your days." The fae princess whimpered.

Jinon walked up onto the dias, he looked into Kyria's eyes, there was something different, wrong about her.

Kyria found the people who had kept her prisoner or mistreated her. In an instant, they were all encased in fire.

The guardswoman who had slapped her screamed as she tried to put out the fire on her body. The soldiers who had held her down as she watched her father being killed. The prison guards and serving maids that tortured her on Nura's commands. They burned to ash.

Lady Yibara whose screams were the loudest.

Jinon was the last person she looked at, "Thank you, I have learned a great deal in the last few days. I will always be indebted to you. " She touched the necklace that rested against her flawless skin.

Fire came from her hands and engulfed him.

The jewel on the hilt of the dagger flared into life and the fire was cut off by a barrier of gold. She looked at the jewel that she had given him, there was conflict in her eyes. Finally, she spat out, "You are banished. It seems I have saved you again. This is the last time."