3.2

(farway memories)

The World is not your fairy tale, It is a harsh place. Full of suffering, betrayal and vultures. Decruella after losing everything, walked through the ruins. The mansion and the fortification surrounding it were destroyed. As far as one's eye could reach, there was no living soul. The settlement surrounding the mansion was also raged. But, unlike her mind, there was peace outside.

Amid the remnants of the mansion, Decreulla found her night refuge beneath a canopy of broken stone and cracked timber, the remnants of what was once the gate of the imposing stronghold.

Exhausted she sat there, her eyes red, her face showing the sorrowful state of hers. Her once-bright eyes were now empty, like a pond that had run dry showing despair and remorse.

The night was cold, tranquil and dark, Except for the few glowing cinders of burned wooden houses in the distance that occasionally cracked a popping sound.

His eyes and her body felt heavy. She wished all it to be a bad dream, to find her family alive, to get scolded by her parents once again. She closed her eyelids hoping for a miracle when she woke up again, if not, then let her never wake up again. She sought solace in an eternal slumber.

................

(Fades)

The World is not your fairy tale, It is a harsh place. Full of suffering, betrayal and vultures. There is no such thing as a prince on an albino horse.

A group dressed in odd ragged clothes descended upon the ruined settlement and rummaged through each deceased person's body lying around. Taking whatever they pleased, they broke into now-desolate houses to loot. Taking the valuable while desecrating and mocking the dead, they showed why these people were called the lowest of all the scums in the world. 

Amongst them, there were a pair of twin girls, adorning looted jewellery above their usual rags making a contrasting impromptu fashion that was transcending boundaries of space and time. If one squinted hard enough, they looked like a pair of elite models. One of the twins found Decreulla huddled at her previous night shelter location. 

"Oe Oe Look Here, what I have found"

"Kid? Is she alive?"

One of the twins gently nudged Decruella's motionless figure with her leg while shouting over her head.

"Are you alive, little bugger?" 

The other twin giggled behind at her sister's behaviour.

Decreula opens her eyes staring at the odd pair. Her hopes dashed as she recalled the horrific events of the previous night. Tears swelled, she couldn't help but cry as loud as she could.

"Ah... Stop crying. you twerp. What are you a 9 year old." annoyed by the sudden wailing the garrulous twin retorted.

"It is one of those annoying ones"

The reticent twin looked at her sister tilting her head as if asking for more clarification.

"You know..those who are orphaned in war." 

The quiet one nodded in understanding.

 "Listen... I know you might have lost some of your parents but could you please cry a bit silently." The active twin barked at Decruella. While the other one searched for something inside the bag she was carrying.

"Oe What you both doing with her!" A dwarf with one missing eye rushed to the scene. He was one of their fellow grave-looter but unlike the two twins was showing a lot more concern towards the crying girl.

"Scram away Cyclops! This is our loot." Spoke to the extrovert twin, ready to confront him.

"Loot? She is alive." The old man tries to close the distance.

(Bang)

A fire was shot near his feet, freezing him on the spot. The introverted twin was aiming a handheld pistol at the old looter.

"Back off, or the next one goes through your head."

"Tsk.. ***es, you will end up breaking her like the last one. It is better to sell her as a slave. We can share the profit..."

(Clicks)

Hearing the sound of the tigger retrigger old man gave up and turned and walked straight back from the Direction he came from.

---

(On the path towards the merchant city of Dandelion.)

"My name is Dima, this is Leti. Say hello Leti."

"Hellow"(cold)

"What's your name?" Dima looked back at the girl whom they found in their previous scavenger hunt. 

Her hantied by a rope she was being dragged by the twins, though instead of resisting it seemed as if their prey had already given up hope and was submissively following the path the rope took her.

"Isn't she, just like you, leti?"

"Noy"

"You don't have to be that stubborn."

"Noy"

"Don't start that annoying thing again."

"Noy"

"Fkor su, how much do we have to travel to sell all this loot? I wish to buy a kurkadann."

"Noy too costly"

"What even with all this?" She shows her hand adorned with recently acquired numerous rings."

Leti nods her head in dismay.

Years passed decruella became closer with the twins, after one point they left the grave-digging, crossed the border and registered themselves as an adventure group in Eurosa, which was a relatively peaceful state. Thought they left the war behind, But the war followed them.

***

(present-day)

Inside a dark cellar, sat a woman, her cheeks were hollow, her eyes sunken, and her once vibrant energy had faded to a mere flicker. Clothes hung loosely on her skeletal frame, a stark reminder of her enduring struggle against hunger.

Is she finally going to die in such a miserable state? She has already lost the count of how many times she lost consciousness. Inside that dark cellar, she was like that lone flickering candle, that was at its end.

Mother, Father, daemon, Dima, Leti and Nigel, and now Kathryn... they took everything from her... The kings of Acen & Eurosa. Anger flared within her whenever she recounted the horrible event that happened to her in past. How they became pawn in this checkerboards of ugly politics.

The feeling she was going through was somewhat similar, she recounted the menacing face of the elf. She recalled the despair, the sorrow and the hopelessness.

She recalled the time she lost everything once again. She recalled the smiling faces of Dima & Leti in their last moments.

She recalled the confident face of Kathyrn-Sama, her fierceness, and her compassion for her subjects. 

(A distant memory)

Somewhere amid a battlefield, a young Kathryn Avenguard held a completely bruised body of an old man who was missing an arm and had a hole in his abdomen. Kathryn's dress was soaked with blood as she knelt beside the lifeless body of that man, who took his last breath a few moments ago.

Behind her stood Decrulla, in her usual maid attire standing over someone who was constantly crying and begging for mercy.

Ignoring the foul cries of the despicable soul, she placed her hand over the old man's body who was giving a serene smile.

"Do you wish to die now? You pathetic excuse of a butler, don't you go dying on me. Are you listening? Damn you, you are a big liar. You promised me you be there with me when I destroy this rotten world." Screamed a young Kathryn.

Decruella again finds herself in the darkness, she recalls Kathryn's hatred for her foolish sister. She recalled Kathryn's madness for that *bastard's son. How her lady became entirely a different person when it came to those two. But Decruella knew better from her experiences, whom to blame. 

She recalled how she was banished by her mistress to this pitch dark cellar to die after she tried to warn her about the prince to dissuade her from self-harming.

"....Don't show me your ugly mug ever again...Lock her up."

Is she finally going to die in such a pathetic state? She has already lost the count of how many times she asked this question to herself. Why does every she touches suffer? 

Kathryn-Sama you were the most Hippocratic lady yourself. Was it a way of passing the lie which that old dying man told you?

Decruella closed her eyes and reminisce when she took oath of loyalty and promise, her lady made to her.

"Decra, I hope you be there with us when we will finally be victorious." 

She could see the light coming to take her away. Brightness surrounded her, was she going to heaven? No, she has too many regrets remaining.

The next thing she heard was the voice of a young rookie maid standing at the now-open cellar's door.

"Miss D.. Draculla. I mean Decruella.  The Princess has summoned you." 

Decruella smiling, slowly stood up from the spot on which she was lying for days. 

"Eek..." The young maid jumped sideway to avoid collision and bit staggering decruella rushed to the exit and the room's exit like the mad zealot she was.

***

Decreulla Sigford after cleaning herself, and changing into her head-maid attire was standing in front of her mistress room. She knocked on the door, which was promptly responded to by a stern voice that raised her heartbeat. 

"Come in."

She slowly opens the door. While wearing a plain old red mask with no pattern or no craving on it.

"Your humble servant greets you, my lady."