“I am a fool.” 

 

That was Sable Marten’s only thought as she sat on the cold floor of the prison cell. She was imprisoned for treason against the kingdom and for her role in the assassination of several nobles. In the silence, she couldn’t help but to reflect on the actions that led her to this point. 

 

Sable was the youngest of three daughters, but she was quickly tossed aside in favor of her older sisters, who could be married off to high ranking nobles. Since there was no use for Sable, she was neglected by her parents, who were in a loveless marriage, and the servants of the marquisate regarded her with indifferent eyes. Sable, who grew up alone and starved of affection, found solace in the library of their mansion and spent most of her time studying and learning about the kingdom and its territories. Of course, her goal for studying was to be recognized and earn the affection of her father. 

 

Sable’s father was Marquis Marten, a noble of the kingdom who was infamous for his ambitious and cunning nature. While her father was the mastermind behind the plot to overthrow the kingdom, the only person Sable could blame was herself. She foolishly showcased her intellect to her father and mistakenly believed his recognition as affection. In reality, he was just using her to advance his plans. Their recent actions gathered suspicion, but with her help, he was able to avoid capture. 

 

However, she'd been blinded by her own need for recognition. Her father did not love her like she originally thought, but only saw her as a disposable pawn. She realized this too late when she was left behind to die in his place while he escaped. As if that wasn’t cruel enough, the rest of her family turned away when she pleaded for their help. There was nobody left that she could rely on. 

 

After she was captured, she lost the will to fight and quietly confessed her sins. She had then been moved and locked in a prison cell. There she awaited her verdict and in the silence, she could only ruminate in her thoughts. She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her cell. Once she heard them stop, she looked up to see the man who was responsible for capturing her and placing her in the cell, followed by two knights. 

 

Grand Duke Lione, the Guardian of the North. His hair was as dark as night yet his obsidian eyes gleamed in the darkness of the cell. His inscrutable countenance revealed little of his true thoughts. He wore a formal black uniform with the insignia of the Lione household, a pair of fangs biting down on the hilt of a sword, on the left side of the chest. The knights standing behind him wore the same uniform, but unlike the Grand Duke, swords were strapped to their waists. 

 

Grand Duke Lione and his knights were famous throughout the kingdom. As defenders of the North, where many of the beasts lived, the knights underwent harsh training in both body and mind and there were many who agreed that the strength of the Lione Knights were unmatched. Grand Duke Lione, who was the leader of the knights, held the reputation of being the strongest knight in the kingdom. Having seen his ability firsthand, Sable did not hold any doubts of the Grand Duke’s strength. 

 

As she was reminiscing, one of the knights unlocked the cell. The Grand Duke, with long strides, crossed the distance and approached her. He looked down at her, before holding out a vial of clear liquid in his hand. Sable recognized it as a poison. After all, it was the very same poison that was her weapon of choice when she planned the assassination of several nobles at the order of her father. 

 

“It’s time to pay for your crimes, Sable Marten.”

 

His voice held a sharp edge and he carefully watched her for a reaction. Sable stared at him with emotionless eyes and silently accepted the poison from the Grand Duke’s hand. As she held the vial, she noticed that the knights behind him had their hands on the hilt of their swords. They looked ready to cut her down if she tried to harm the Grand Duke, but she paid no heed to their actions. She already lost the will to fight back after her father abandoned her. Besides, what could a sixteen-year old girl like her do to the Grand Duke, who was known as the Guardian of the North? 

 

She quietly chuckled. The actions of the knights seemed silly to her. Her laugh did not go unnoticed by the Grand Duke. He raised a brow at her, but she did not respond to his silent question. She doubted that they would listen to her if she told them that they had nothing to worry about. She swirled the vial of poison in her hand, but after a moment, she paused and glanced up to the Grand Duke. There was something she was curious about. 

 

“...What of that man?” She asked softly. She did not want to call him ‘father’ after abandoning her. The Grand Duke met her eyes and it felt as if he was staring right through her. A small trace of pity flashed in his eye, but it left as quickly as it appeared. After a beat of silence, he responded. 

 

“He can’t hide forever.” 

 

She let out a small hum of agreement at his response. That man was probably hiding away in one of his hideouts, but soon he would meet the same fate as her. He was only able to evade capture for so long with her help and now that she was imprisoned, he could no longer rely on her. Sable didn't have any intention to help him or delay the search, and it was only a matter of time before he would make a careless mistake. 

 

She turned her attention back to the vial and removed the cork. In a swift motion, she tilted her head back and quickly swallowed the contents, much to the surprise of the knights. Even the Grand Duke showed a slight reaction as his eyes shook slightly. Sable let out a humorless laugh at their reactions. 

 

Being abandoned by her father and family shattered the last few hopes in her heart. No one came to her aid and she was forced to face the fact that she was alone in her plight. In the end, what awaited her was the cold embrace of death.

 

Within minutes she felt her body begin to weaken and her vision darken. She looked to the Grand Duke and in a fading voice, she began to speak. 

 

“...May I ask you a favor, Your Grace?” She waited a moment, but was unsure if he responded as the world lurched forward and the light in her eyes grew dimmer. Her body felt heavy and sluggish as if she had been submerged underwater. Unknowingly, she had fallen forward and the Grand Duke caught her in his arms. The knights stepped forward ready to draw their swords, but the Grand Duke gestured for them to stand down. Unable to notice any of this, Sable forced herself to speak again, but her voice was barely a whisper now. “Will you… hold me...?” 

 

She struggled to breathe. 

 

“I do not wish... to be alone...” 

 

She didn't know if he heard her final request. Sable Marten breathed her last and died in the Grand Duke’s arms. 

 

At least, that’s what should have happened. 

 

~~~

 

Sable’s eyes fluttered open in confusion. Her last memory was succumbing to the darkness after drinking the vial of poison. She should’ve been dead, yet here she was lying in a bed. The feeling of the sheets on her skin was too realistic to be a dream. She got up slowly and checked her surroundings. It was her old room. 

 

She frowned as she looked around. In her memories, the room had been lost when the Grand Duke’s knights captured her and burned down the mansion in an attempt to flush out her father. It was impossible that her room somehow remained unscathed, and yet here she was, laying in the bed that was all too familiar to her. 

 

This was the place that she had grown up in for almost all of her life. The room contained little decoration and was furnished with only the necessities that a noble girl like Sable would need. The bed that she was laying in, felt a little too large for a single girl. Next to the bed was a small mahogany dresser with a mantel clock and a glass of water. On the other side of the room, across the bed, was a simple vanity with a mirror and an armoire; both made of the same mahogany as her dresser. On the adjacent wall, there was a window covered by a dark curtain, causing the room to appear darker than it should have been. Without the natural light, the white walls seemed to lose their luster. Simply put, the room was depressing. 

 

The silence was broken by the sound of shuffling sheets, and as Sable moved to get off the bed, she realized that her feet barely reached the floor. Looking around, it wasn’t just the bed, but she noticed that everything in the room seemed bigger. She quickly moved to look at the mirror on her vanity, and her eyes widened when she saw a little girl stare back at her. 

 

Her light skin was almost pale in color, and she appeared too skinny to be considered healthy. As she had seemingly just woken up, her brunette hair hadn't been properly brushed and there were a few loose strands. The blue eyes that examined her were dull and almost lifeless. It was clear that she was no longer the sixteen-year old girl that Sable was familiar with. Instead, she looked much younger.

 

Sable had somehow traveled back in time to the past when she was a child.  

 

Sable stared at her reflection and wanted to laugh at her misfortune, but no sound came out of her dry mouth. With her brow furrowed, she looked around and moved back to the dresser by her bed for a glass of water. With both hands, she cupped the glass and drank, before placing it back on the dresser. The small act helped calm her down and she collected her thoughts. While she had reverted back to a child, she also retained the memories from her future. The events that occurred and her subsequent imprisonment and death felt too vivid to be some kind of illusion that her mind conjured up in her loneliness. 

 

She lowered her head and cupped it in her hands. Whatever the case may be, Sable would make sure that this time she would avoid gathering her father’s attention. This time she would live quietly and not make the hopeless effort of trying to earn her family’s love. Even if it meant that she would have to struggle by herself, it was better than having the false hope that people cared about her. 

 

They made it plenty clear that they wouldn’t miss her anyway.