The blood... trickles.

My back begins to throb with pain, though filled as blood gushes to my head as I realize what is happening.

I'm... being killed?

"Why?!"

I try to get to my feet, but as I do I feel the body weight of the guards on each of my shoulders, forcing me back down on my knees. They grip my hands and violently wrench my arms behind my back.

"Do your magic and we've been ordered to cut your throat."

My eyes dart back to the king and Alstair, and find their eyes cold and emotionless.

Gil... Gil's masked has fallen. The shock of the supposedly all-knowing spymaster is laid bare as he looks frantically between Alstair and I.

Why... Why is the villain acting as though he understands nothing?

"Why are you doing this? What have I done to deserve this?!

I roar across the room, while pulling and shoving against the hands holding me down to get a feeling of their strength.

Why have I been betrayed this time? I've been good and done well for the army and the crown! I've been loyal and convinced others to be loyal as well!

"You have committed no crime to be punished for. You will die here for the future of the kingdom."

Alstair watches me calmly as he says merely those words without any further explanation, as though those words should be enough to put me at ease. There's not a drop of sympathy in his eyes.

"Why?! Why are you doing this? Why do you dishonor me here instead of sending me to die on the battlefield?"

My voice cracks partway. I don't understand... why? It would have been worth more to keep me alive, since they clearly intend to fight, and there would have been no questions from House-

How are they going to excuse this to Eric? Are they... no... no they wouldn't.

I gasp for air as my head starts spinning faster.

"Your existence is a false hope to the peasants that they can get out of the war peacefully. Thus, the Hero, Child of Scorog, was killed by a Headal noble during the talks between him and the crown about giving him taking the throne. It is a great tragedy, and we will fight the evil enemy that took from us the great Hero, Augustus Celeste."

I... I am a noble. Certainly a chess piece to my lord... but this. This is just...

Too much... I am to be a false martyr for a war that could have been prevented?

You break the contract and execute me... and then lie about my death?

...you... you dishonorable scum.

You corrupt and defiled, putrid disappointment of royalty!

He looks to the line of foreign nobles pallid at the stands. All too terrified to move. The nobleman from Headal is grabbed by the guards by his sides and roughly drag him down the stairs to my side.

The pressure on one shoulder lifts, but instead my head is forced down. They pull the nobleman behind me where they move out of my sight.

I need to move.

I cannot.

When I try to push forward with my legs and curl out of the hold, the guard instead grips my hair tightly and pull my head back... letting my eyes meet with Alstair's and the King's once more.

My breath turns ragged as I push against the hands again.

"...you highness, I was not informed of this plan, nor that you'd tortured the foreign diplomats," Gil speaks carefully but somewhat rushed.

"Of course not, Gil. After all, you have been covering for her. Think of this as your punishment for keeping Lily's secret, but also for helping her."

Wha- my body runs cold with shock... Even Gil's face falls at those words. Yet Alstair only gives a huff at our shock and gives Gil an icy stare.

"How foolish do you think me? I knew the moment she departed as 'Augustus' from the academy. I was waiting patiently for you to report it, but in the end you kept it to yourself."

He looks back to me with the arrogance I'd expect from a superior... but right now it sends my blood boiling again.

"As for you, were you to die on the battlefield everyone would have found out about your shameful behavior and your family would have been shamed, Lily. Cease that pointless anger of yours and do both the crown, your family and the Kingdom a service by dying quietly while you are still a hero."

My eyes are swimming, my back is numb with pain and my breath is getting heavy.

To die here?

The paralyzing pain from my back becomes hotter and draws out my breath as a scream. It's sends my blood rushing again as I thrash against my bindings.

What are you doing?!

Are you digging in the wound you already made?

"...this is all you need for the torture, yes? Then I'll take her away to-"

Gil attempts to interrupt the plan as I heard metal hit the carpet somewhere behind me.

"She will not be moved until there is no further light in her eyes," Alstair interrupts him.

Blasted sadist! ... fine... I'll die here, Alstair, but I am not going alone!

I roar out and push against my confinements one last time.

Let them stab!

Let them strike!

I will get to you be it the last thing I do!

SLAM.

The sound of a door opening echoes through the hall and in that moment they guards get distracted.

By blood rushes as I twist in the grip of the guards and spin both of them off balance. Their eyes fill with fear as they now lay on their backs on the ground underneath my mercy... but they're not the ones who need to die.

"What is going on?!"

Lionel's voice cuts through the rush of blood along with the sound of yet another opening door. His voice is stained by rage, yet I lock my eyes onto Alstair. I turn my eyes to the rises on each side of the path leading to the throne and head directly for the guardrail as I begin my prayer for Lumere to form a blade.

Alstair's eyes widen with surprise, doubt and worry as they lock onto Lionel's figure.

"Augustus Celeste has committed treason and has attempted to attack father!" Alstair's lying tongue tainted with desperation.

How dare you lie to him!

How dare you taint the name of the family you decide to sacrifice!

Gil turns to me, but his eyes are wide with hints of pain.

"Lily, don't!"

I jump up on the rise and feel Lumere's cool body freeze over as it shapes in my hand in the form of a blade, once again ready for battle. The guards behind my struggle at the guardrail. Clumsy in their armors they waste time.

Time enough for Lumere to finish.

I run.

The sounds begin to fade around me only to slowly fill with the sound of the song.

"The kingdom will fall without them!" Gil's desperate plead echoes, but to no avail. My heart is set.

A kingdom under their rule should fall.

His eyes light with the realization that I do not intend to stop, and before I reach them a moving wall of fire spreads from his hand while tears spread from his cheeks.

The wall is too tall to jump.

It's too wide to dodge.

It will envelop me and burn me. Sear me and cling to me till I curl up from the pain.

It burns bright as the sun above, but I will not stop.

Let me burn, let me scream.

I will not turn back.

In an instant the heat and brightness of the fire is blocked as boulders of stone slam into the ground in front, creating barrier of stone to guard me from the moving fire.

I could stop and hide, but I won't. They're just exactly tall enough to let me jump above the wall.

I summon what little strength I have left and set off on the boulders, flying far above the wall of fire as a tidal wave crashing over the barriers to ravage the village below.

Alstair's skin goes pallid in the golden glow of fire as I descend from above, devoured by fear.

My blade connects and Alstair's voice echoes through the great hall in a frightened scream...

What a pity the blade did not connect with the coward...

Gilbert's red eyes stare back at mine... and Alstair is on the floor, pushed away from the bite of my blade by Gil in the nick of time... but not without consequences.

Gilbert's arm lies motionless on the gleaming floor and blood is splattering from where his arm and a bit of the shoulder was once attached. Bits of white from Gilbert's collarbone sticks out among the red blood as Gilbert clutches his shoulder, growing more pallid by the moment.

I feel a strong pull from behind and as another blast of fire bursts at me from the hand of his Majesty, a shield comes between us, devouring the fire like a hungry wind.

Lionel shoves me behind him with his eyes locked onto Alstair and Gilbert.

"Heal up. Now."

Beyond Lionel's shield I see Alstair's confusion... and for the first time, the expression of pain.

Another door slams open as I begin my prayer, and in steps a man tall and wide as a bear... Lord Tepet arrives.