12 Fated

"Attack!"

The assassins pulled their arcs and countless arrows flew to our location. However, the impressive strength of the Duke created a blast of air and the arrows changed their course. The knights were astonished but reacted quickly to create a cover with their shields. Some of them had their arcs ready to shoot the assassins successfully taking down many of them.

They were raised on the battlefield for many years, and they had no fear of death and were no cowards. They fully knew that they were targeted, that the Duke was targeted by his brother and their King, but they were loyal to the Duke to the end.

The knights of Princess Rebecca also helped in the battle, amazed by the Duke's men's skills and courage. Rebecca was also skillfully shooting her arrows taking down several assassins and covering proudly the Duke's back. They looked like a power couple, the hero, and the heroine together in battle, overthrowing their enemies.

Meanwhile, I was in the back with Irina, the dragon child, and the inn owners who were almost fainting from the destruction of their property.

"Irina, let's guide them to the back and help them escape."

"Yes, Miss."

"Go with her, child."

"Alright Sister."

We were starting to move when three archers stood in front of us and pointed their sharp arrows at our heads. Then a shriek stopped the fighting.

"Lower your weapons now!"

The leader of the assassins shouted at the Duke after he took a slash from his mighty sword. They were losing the battle horribly, so they decided to go through what is called 'the cowards' way'. They took hostages, the weakest ones.

One of the men in black had captured the princess and aimed his arrow at her head.

"Choose Duke. Surrender or your little bride will die."

Ohh, they think the Princess is the bride. Well, you can kill her. But then why we were captured. I can't go on a rampage now, there are many hidden eyes around. I can only wait.

I looked at the Duke, I knew he was carefully analyzing the scenario for the right moment to send those men to their deaths. There was no panic in his heart, but I could feel a little fear invading his mind. That bothered me a lot. His eyes were fixed on the Princess.

"Don't hurt her."

The leader smiled, but the next moment the Duke appeared from behind the archer and threw a hard punch to his face. The battle began again and the ones that had their arrows pointed at us were already dead thanks to Irina. The inner owners took the opportunity to run away for their lives while Irina and the little child were waiting passively behind my back.

"…"

However, something I've never expected to happen happened.

Three men in white clothes and high skills appeared behind the Duke, their swords were about to reach him when Rebecca noticed them and shielded the Duke with her back almost embracing him.

But…

I was also already behind him. What made me do that? I can't understand. I only knew that my heart was beating so fast that my feet moved on their own and my mind was clouded. I remembered killing the men in white robes, cracking their necks with my hands but…

Blood! Why is there blood?

The whole battle stopped… the rain stopped.

And the sound of drops of blood silenced the other noises.

No sound, no movement. Just the sound of drops of blood falling echoed on the battlefield. Whose blood is this?

I looked at the man before me. At the last second, the Duke pulled the Princess to his chest protecting her while a sword reached me, piercing my body through my stomach. So… it was my blood.

I was stunned. More than the pain in my skin, more than tiredness and anger, I felt disappointment.

"Miss Lucia!" I heard the cries from Irina from afar. Then I blacked out.

** **

I remember the plot of the novel. There was not a lot about the background of the villainess, the focus was the amazing life of the protagonists. Their achievements and adventures, how they slew dragons and captured monsters, how they saved villages from corrupt officials and bandits. How they fought together to bring down the King who tried to kill the Duke and his sister for the power of the seal.

The story also talked about their impressive and everlasting love, a love that began at first sight. Since the moment she laid her eyes on him, and his eyes laid on her. It was evident from the way she looked at him, it was more than a simple like, it was more than reverence and respect, more than awe and idolatry.

He liked her strength, her ambition, and guts, very different from the noble young girls from the capital. She was free and beautiful. She was admired by her knights and her people, as she had gained the loyalty, the true loyalty of her soldiers.

The book was plagued with those stories, words of romance, love, fidelity, and noble deeds from the two of them, but lying behind, was the cruel and wicked villainess. The book forgot to mention her life as the unworthy daughter that the Count of Reid sold for the convenience of her family and the kingdom. It was never mentioned how she was an orphan tormented by a curse and the need for blood that since young restricted her from forming a true connection to other people, except Irina.

The way her father looked at her was as if she was a monster, a disgusting monster, the way her stepmother looked at her was with contempt, the way her stepsister looked at her was with mockery. She didn't understand why she couldn't just go out and be herself, Irina prevented her constantly and she knew Irina was doing it for her wellbeing.

The book only focused on the love of the main characters, never on the broken heart of the rightful wife. It never mentioned that since the moment she met the Duke, she understood that he was her way out of that sorrowful life, he became her only light. However, he chose Rebecca. Even now, he chose Rebecca.

I am destined to be a villainess, to go the same path?

No!