It was the annual debutante ball for the girls that just came to age. We were all going to be sixteen this year. Some already are and some will be soon.

It was an exciting occasion for us youngling. We were going to meet others of high society. Others we should respect and earn their respect from. For me especially it would be my first real contact with the outside world. I was very weak and was constantly sick which lead to me having only few friends. Two of my friends wouldn’t be here tonight because they were still too young. But Lacey would be here. I was glad to have someone to talk to at least.

We first did a dance for the king and queen as it was tradition. I hoped my dancing was all right. I wasn’t the best dancer there was. Lacey always told me I needed to work on it. But Jessy and Beth said I would do fine. The last thing I wanted was to humiliate my family in front of all of these people.

After the dance I looked for Lacey. I did not know anybody else but her and my immediate family. I always admired her she was gorgeous and good at talking to others. Like now, she was talking to girls I’ve never seen. I wanted to greet her. I was a bit nervous to be honest. But my father would like me to socialize with other girls my age. I walked up to her. I greeted her. It did not feel good talking to all these girls. And Lacey was being very distant towards me.

I was trying to talk and behave like my etiquette teacher told me. But I felt so small next to girls that were a bit smaller than me considering I was pretty tall for my age.

I did not know what happened but my drink spilled into Lacey’s dress. Considering it was white, it was ruined.

The surrounding girls started to look at me like I was dirt. Jelling at me. Accusing me of being jealous. Vicious with ill intend towards my friend. The commotions attracted a lot of attentions. Some much even that my father came and send me home. My introduction to society could possibly not be worse than it was.

––

It happend again and again. Not long after 'I was a spoiled child.', 'I had not had the right education for I had no mother to guild me.', 'A jealous little girl standing in the way of my poorer and less noble of blood childhood friend love life.'

I lost everything in the last two years.

––

All I could was pray. Nobody was listening to me. Nobody that believed me. My father tried but after so many mistakes even he was in doubt, but he still tried to help me even if he was disappointed in me.

I tried to refuse going to any occasion. But as the daughter of a duke I had no say in the matter.

How many nights I cried myself to sleep were far too many to count.

––

“Please, brother…” I pleaded him not to leave me. I just wanted him to believe me. I cried and pleaded till I had no voice and tears left. But he never listened to a word I spoke. He was the last person I saw before the trail started.

––

“Ann Orellion, you will be deprived of your family name by this degree in my hand. From now on you will be considered as a commoner. In the following trail you will have that status. Now let’s begin the trail.”

It was all fake. The 'prove' they had. The testimonies, lies. But nobody believed me.

––

I had to wait in a cold and dirty cell till the day they would decapitate me. I hoped for anything to save me. To get me out of this situation, my brother, father, anybody to be honest. But nobody came. I prayed and prayed. It was the only thing keeping me sane. But even the gods had no ears for me. Even then I prayed till I lost consciousness many times.

A month passed. They pulled me out of my cell early in the morning. I was just confused. My deprived body of food couldn’t follow the guards. I hadn’t had a decent meal since they imprisoned me.

I was the center in this whole ordeal. Eyes on every side of the deck with the guillotine in the center. I don’t know what lies they spread about me but the masses were yelling with anger and throwing anything at hand at me.

I had nothing to say at this point. Nothing to feel. It felt just numb. The king was speaking some words but I heard none of his formal talk. He then asked if I had any last words.

“Let the gods burn the sinners with lightning.” I just spoke out of annoyance. I was pissed, sad, afraid... A lot to be honest. I wasn't thinking.

It was not something that I expected but a lightning beam came from the sky and hit Lacey.

She started to scream. Then she hit the ground. Sparks flew from her when suddenly her dress caught fire. She was on fire! They tried to stop it, but they couldn’t stop the flames.

I was speechless to be honest. Someone in the crowd started yelling the gods deemed me innocent and that the crown prince's fiancée was a sinner that should burn. The nobles around the royal couple were freaking out. Some tried to run from the commotion and others tried to stop the flames and others tried to calm the masses. I was scared. I did not know what was happening. Why the gods suddenly spoke in my defense. In my own panic, my eyes locked in those of the young Duke Gaïl.

He looked so calm. He hit the gong the announcer used moments ago. Duke Gaïl hit it so hard that it echoed through the whole square.

“Shut up. All of you.” He spoke firm. I could understand that he was one of the most respected military officers this country had to offer.

“Can you stop the flames with holy water, Dorian?” Duke Gaïl asked the High Priest.

“No, Duke.” The High priest whispered.

“Then there is nothing we can do.”

“How can you say that! She is our Holy Maiden! The future mother of our nation.” Sir Henry spoke in distress. Even the crown prince did not spoke up in defense for his lover. He was heartbroken. There were tears in his eyes. He was powerless in this. The gods had made a decision above his, something that has not happened in centuries.

“What do you want to do? Go against a divine decision?”

“The gods must be wrong! Lacy was our nations treasure. One that was so kind that she was loved by the gods!” A new beam came from the sky and hit Lacey again. The crowed that was left started screaming in surprise.

“Are you stupid? The gods hit her twice with lightning and are burning her in flames at this moment! If it was a mistake we could stop the fire with Holy water, but we can’t. Following miss Ann word, your Holy Maiden is deemed a sinner by the gods.”

“Maybe that woman used magic?”

“You pulled out her magic core right out of her body 2 months ago and smashed it right in front of her. On top of that laughed and beat her up till she could barely breathe remember?” The reminder of losing the only joyful thing I had in my loneliest moments was like a stab in my heart. The way they did was unheard of and barbaric. Magic was suppressed by shackles on each limb was the norm.

The cruel depiction made the masses whisper. The disgusted faces were not few.

The following action soon happened. My bonds were removed under the instruction of Duke Gaïl. Lacey body turned into ashes that the wind took with them.

I should be happy for my innocence was proven. But I felt nothing. It was all too much. I saw my father crying of relieve and a lot of whispers form spectators that wanted me death no more than an hour ago.

––

The next thing I know I’m cleaned and put in new clothes. I was sitting a room with the king, his son, his ministers, my brother and my father. It was a room full.

“Do you know what you have caused?!” It was sir Henry one of Lacey’s delusional followers that spoke first, even before the king. “You’ve killed her, you witch!”

“The gods have spoken.” I was tired pleading my innocents. I hadn't slept for months, nor a proper meal. But he still kept going with his tirade of my guild.

“You did something. I know you did!”

“She was a sinner. They listened to my prayer to prove my innocence, and they-“

Before I could say another word, he hit me. It was so hard my body fell out the chair into the table next to me. I hit the flowers in the vase. I think my luck is just so bad because the vase shattered in pieces and sliced my neck. Even if I escaped the guillotine, I still got my neck cut deep enough.

I saw Lord Gaïl kick sir Henry away from me. He came next to me and applied pressure on my neck.

“Get a healer!” he yelled.

Panic. It was funny that a room full of the most well respected leads this country had to offer were panicking. Perhaps it wasn't funny but in a moment of absolute no clarity in my brain it was. Was I panicking too? I should have. But I didn't. I could finally rest after two years of hell.

“No. It’s okay, Lord Gaïl.” I spoke with the little energie I had. My hand trying to tell him to remove the pressure on my neck.

“How can you say that!?”

“There are some homeless kids behind the Rao Tower. I have some money at the bank of Fell on the name of Hilda Ust. The identification letter is between my Ferren book’s at my father's city house.”

“I already got them a home. Every one of them, Ann.”

“You did?”

“Ronny and Ceci, and the twins, Marcus... all of them. When they imprisoned you, I got them jobs and places to live.”

“Thank you. Then can you donate the money to the orphanage? Sally, she...”

“I will. F*ck!" He cursed multiple times. "What I heard about you always conflicted with the things I saw you do. I always saw you do nice things for others.”

I smiled at that.

“I knew that I couldn’t stop them trying to execute you, but I did try to make it less painful. I knew you were innocent. How you took care of those homeless kids… How could you be evil? It just didn’t make sense.”

“Thank you for believing me. You can let go now, Lord Gaïl.” I lightly tried pushed his hand again. Soon my eyes turned heavy. And my mind sleepy.