1 The Start Of My End

"Clank" "bang", "swoosh!" the sound of the clinking of swords started to fade when Rowan fell in her arms.

she stared at his limping body with horror and pain in her eyes. The child.. He.. actually died!?

"Help me.. Please! Help me.." the feeble words hardly left her throat when she felt his pulse weakening..

That was the end of his and her life too.

"She killed him! That witch killed the child. Catch her before she could run away." The painful words rang in her stinging ears when she closed her eyes.

She felt two hands holding her tightly. If she wanted to run away, she would not have been sitting here like a cold statue but who would have the chance to pay attention to such minor details.

She was after all, the witch, the villainess that deserve death.

The sound of hooves and then his footsteps finally took her attention and she blinked and raised her head to stare at him.

He was here! But like always, his eyes were filled with hatred and blood freezing coldness. He looked at her as if she was an abomination, he felt disgusted to look at.

"Garry.." Ana whispered in a soft voice when he gritted his teeth and looked away.

"Take her away, i did not want to see her face anymore." Those cold words were like a siren that kept ringing in her ears so that she did not feel the pain of being dragged on the coarse ground.

But when the head of Rowan fell on the ground, she winced and tried to hold him but Ana's hands were held behind her back and tied there.

Her misty eyes filled with tears when they took Rowan away from her and dragged her body away.

"Just look at her act, if not for seeing with my own eyes, I would have thought that she was trying to protect him." Snarled a woman looking at Ana with a voice full of disdain.

"Who did not know.. This is all an act to gain the love of duke Sophereine, or else she is such a cold and brutal woman." Another one snarled looking at Ana and they called her emotionless and cold hearted.

A child had died and all they cared about is.. Ana and her words! Ha..!

Being dragged like an animal they placed Ana in the carriage and locked it so that she could not run away.

….

Three days, it had been three days since she had been locked in a dark prison without food. Only the thin rays of light coming from the window kept her alive and informed her about the passing of days.

She did not see any person in the meanwhile. She did not hear any news about Rowan. She was not even sure if he was saved or.. 

She stood up and took another bowl of water from the dirty pot in the corner when the door of the prison finally opened and two guards came.

"You are called in the royal court." They announced and without waiting for her reply, they held her chained hands and started dragging her again.

Once, the duchess to whom everyone looked up to was dragged like a lowly criminal. Dressed in tattered rags instead of rare silk, she was disheveled and full of filth like Garry had always seen her.

A mocking smile formed on her face when she realized she was still thinking about him. He was gone and so as.. Ana shook her head as tears started to spill from her eyes again.

All her life, she hated that child and now that he was not here.. She was vying for one chance to apologize to him.

The moment the door was opened, her eyes closed due to the sudden brightness and her ears stung with all those voices that started to fill her ears and heart both.

"Kill that witch!"

"Kill those villainess."

"Burn her alive."

"Put her on stakes!"

"Witch!"

Those curses and desire to kill her were not that painful but not being able to see anyone whom she can call family or friends was worse.

She tried to stretch her neck and look at her family, her friends, Garrison.. But no one was there.

"Bring all her maids and family too." Ana paused and looked back no matter how much pressure was placed on her shoulders. Her whole body froze and the blood drained from her face when she saw the other guards dragging her family. Her father, Marques of Masionile, William Welenshire, her mother, Diana Welenshire, her sister, Aurelia Welenshire and her brother Vincent Welenshre were dragged like cattle.

"Oh lord! Oh lord! Please… let this just be a nightmare! Give me another chance and I will mend my ways, I will turn into a new leaf.." But only tears mocked her prayers as she felt the strong stench of blood and the taste of iron in her mouth and she winced.

"You bitch! Do you think you are still a duchess to show us that face? Huh? Now start walking or I will give you another slap to teach you a lesson."

The ring in the fingers of the maid scratched her ear and blood split out. she stared at the ruby ring that belonged to her just a few hours ago.

Feeling Ana's gaze on the ring, the maid did not try to hide it but showed it off to her with arrogance in her eyes.

"Why? Isn't it a beautiful ring? It suits me more than a corpse." She said with a chuckle as she signaled the guards who walked close and held her arms and started dragging her again.

"As we all know…" The cold eyes of His majesty pierced her. Ana looked around desperately trying to find Garry but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Anastasia Sopheriene killed her stepson, Rowan Sopheriene, for wealth and power. For her sins, she would be given the death penalty and all her wealth would be seized. Not only that, her parents would suffer the same fate." he said in an eerily calm voice when her whole body turned cold.

"Wait a minute! My family had nothing to do with it. They are innocent. Please spare their life, your majesty!" Ana knew there was no other way. No one would believe that she was innocent. She was bound to die.

"Spare their life. They…" a strong bang on the table trembled her and she paused.

"What made you think that you are in the position to bargain, Anastasia?" he asked coldly and mockingly, "You are nothing but a criminal who was stripped of her position and lost all her rights." 

"Drag her here and hang her with her family at once." Richard said, standing up and staring at Ana with hatred and disgust when she tried to stand up and plead to him again but she could not.

They held her tightly and then started dragging her.

When she reached her place, she saw the lifeless bodies of all her maids, her staff and her friends in the palace. Her eyes closed and a tear escaped them.

One by one, her family was taken to their position and was hanged.

She heard their last gasp, their last sigh and their remorse filled eyes.

If only she was not their daughter, if only she had not loved Garry, if only she would have not married him and if only she would not have tormented that child.

Now.. It was too late for regrets. All of them.. Are dead and now it was her turn!

If only she would get a second chance, she would come back for revenge. She will find who did this to her and teach him a good lesson while protecting the child with her life. He did not deserve to die, and neither did she!

In a few seconds, she felt her body rising into the air and then pain in her neck, throat and lungs and that was the end.. In a few seconds, her body was light and all the pain was gone.

And this was the cruel end of her story!