Ruler Of Thy Fate

The whole palace was filled with horror and terror. The defeaning clasps of swords and loud cries begging for mercy echoed through the hallways.

"Where is he?" I placed my sword on the knight's neck that's currently on his knees.

"Your majesty.. please.. spare my life!" his whole body was trembling and it seems like at any moment he'll pee on his pants.

"That's not what I want to hear." Another knight who came from the back, running, whispered a message to my ear saying that the emperor is on the Arth Capital; where everyone gather even those in lower class.

"Ah. He really like making things hard for me." I deadpan and slit the neck of the night in front me and walk past to it like nothing happened.

"Bring me to the Arth Capital."

After setting foot to the place a dreadful scene welcomed me. Cold corpses of knights, guards, nobles and commoners lies everywhere.

"Your majesty, if we continue to go there people will probably think it's you who killed these people!"

"I don't care. We're already here and I've lost everything now so what's the use of backing out?"

"He planned all of this.. Your majesty please! Let's go back and contact your brother instead, he can save you from this!"

I pretended to not hear anything and continue, as I walk to each one of it my heart feels like it's slowly being shatter-- no, it's long shattered because of him. What I feel right now is pity for the people of my country. A hand that clench on the end of my dress made me stop.

"O-our kind lady.. I-I feel sorry for h-how your fate t-turned out."

Before I could utter a word, a thud of another innocent person's body was heard that made me stunned. I lowered my head and greet my teeth as tears begin to fall. I manage to proceed until a sight of a familiar person from above, sitting on the throne made me lift my head. "There you are." as expected, most of the people gathered here.

Everyone's eyes were looking at me. Murmurs, death glares and pity was drawn all over to their faces. The scars I got through all these years being with him made me extremely devastated, hopeless and cruel. As I step on the long parallel stair of the place where he is, different faces holding weapons pointing against me, aiming for my head, for my body to be as like those what I've witnessed earlier. I raised my sword and kill whoever gets in my way, and drop its end on the cold floor that makes a high-pitch screech that everyone could hear after. I raise, drop, raise, drop, raise and drop my sword until I reach the top; the place where the emperor of this rotten empire is.

I gaze on his face and flashbacks of the past played on the back of my mind, the flashback of the time where I first saw him, fell inlove with him, do reckless things for him, I even did my best to be nominated as the next empress; to be able to be with him forever. Him, him, him it's always all about him! I lived my whole life solely for him but all I got was a crown and a title that means nothing. All he could ever give me was the expression of a disgusted person. Just like how the water from a high mountain falls, my tears begin to flow.

"That expression again."

I know that I'll never be the woman of his dreams.. the woman he yearns for his whole life. I know he only thinks of me as a rat who stole the place that should be bestowed to Entice, his lover. His façade melted the moment she appeared, holding her swollen belly he immediately stood and walk to her direction and caressed her face. It feels like witnessing the two protagonist of a romance novel reunite.

"Yufia, you've done more than enough. If you silently follow the knights and atone to your sins then I'll let you live."

I lost my sanity the moment he spoke and turn to face me with a murderous look.

"You badly want to get rid me."

"You're the one who did this to yourself, Yufi-"

"Stop lying! You were the one who made me do all of this! You keep avoiding me and if not, you'll only show a disgusted expression towards me! You even keep her in the palace and let her bear an illigimate child!" Every word that escapes my mouth feels like thousands of daggers that keeps on stabbing me. The pain that I long endured for the sake of peace burst like big waves from the vast ocean.

"Ethan.. why..why'd you have to do all of this..?" I hastily point my sword on his neck. "Just why?!!"

"I don't love you. It's you who made your life miserable from the very start."

Before I could realize it, I felt a huge amount of blood falling from my mouth. I stagger from my position after my body reacted from the third stab of the arrow from the back.

"Yufia!!!" A loud voice of someone from afar called. "How the hell did he manage to get here?" I said to myself before completely losing my strength that made me fall from the long stair.

That's how my past life ended. 'past', because I woke up in my room with a bandage on my left hand, and even the maids that was assigned to me were crying as if mourning to their loved one's death.

"Milady..I thought you're going to die.."

"Ah. Actually I'm already dead and just came back to life for the hell I know why." I said to myself.

I change my thought with asking the maid what happened when I suddenly felt a light headache that maybe caused by drinking high dosaged medicines. Right. In my past life after hearing that the crown prince, Ethan, got sick I sneaked in to the palace directly to his room to give him the medicines I stole from our house, but all I got was scolding because the medicines that I have brought were all wrong, and so I studied medicine. I also studied how politics run and work, how to use bow and sword to be able to join wars. Now that I think about all of it, it's a waste. I should've enjoyed my youth back then. If only I knew sooner that he's a jerk. I clench my fist on the pillow and grit my teeth, cursed underneath my breath out of anger and disappointment.

"My lady are you alrig-"

The loud thud of the door that almost broke made everyone suprise. My eyes widened as I slowly recognize the face of the person that's walking towards me.

"fa-fath.."

"Yufia my lovely daughter!" hearing his voice makes my heart aches. Tears started to fall again.

"Father.."

In the past, my father was executed for going against the emperor ethan's will, and even sending knights to help me when I held a rebellion against my own empire. He was labeled as a traitor and alliance of the rebellions. He wholeheartedly accepted the punishment in order to save me. I begged him to come with me but he refuse saying that more knights of the emperor will only chase us. That time too, my brother Devryll was overseas attending war. My father bid a goodbye by reassuring that all of it wasn't my fault.

I came back to my senses when father hugged me tightly and said,

"I know you love the prince so much but please don't do reckless things such as climbing trees just to see him."

Cold sweats started to form on my face after hearing what father have said.

"When the fuck did I do that?" I said to myself.

The back of my head is currently resting on the headboard of the bed. It has been two hours since they all left me to rest, but how am I suppose to rest when I just heard something that could make me vomit at any moment?!

"Oh darling let's not be like that we still loved that jerk in the past." I thought.

After considering what father have told me, I realized that it has been five years since I started doing such things for that jerk and.. another five years before my death. To lighten up my mood I decided to go out to get some fresh air. I was about to head out when father appeared with an envelop on his hands.

"Yufia where are you going?"

"To get some fresh air, father."

"What a great timing my dear daughter!"

"Pardon?" I tilt my head out of curiosity. My father isn't the type of person who enjoys dilly-dallying and wandering outside just to get some fresh air.

"Well, a letter from the palace came just now."

"Hm. I see."

"His majesty is inviting us to have a tea with him and to his sons."

"Hm. I see." I flash a sweet smile to keep my cool and hold my inner peace tightly since I feel like it'll escape anytime.

"Can't he have a tea on his own?" I thought. (The emperor sneezed two times.)

"Since you're prepared, shall we go?"

"Yes, Father."

I couldn't come up with any excuse since I only got a light injury on my arm and it doesn't have to do with drinking tea since I still have my right arm. But to think that after waking up from a tragic death and seeing the reason why it all happened is just too much.