Empress of Blood and Stone

Her name was Vinea vi Vystrya. A name that rolled off the tongues of most and was known throughout the lands of Gradnea. The sole daughter and most beloved child of Duke Raoul vi Vystrya and Duchess Remena von Vandrova vi Vystrya, the youngest daughter of a foreign monarch. She had two brothers, the older one being Adiran vi Vystrya, engaged to the princess, and the younger one was Felix vi Vystrya.

The Vystrya House was one of the houses in power in the empire of Mikhaln, third in power after House Mikhaln, the Imperial Family, and House Astase of Duke Astase, a branch family of House Mikhaln. It was a house of both civil servants and knights. A house of true value within the lands of Gradnea.

So why was she here? Kneeling in front of the pathetic plebeians who, no matter what she did, always took that woman’s side. No matter if she befriended her, helped her, steered clear of her, ignored her. No matter what!

And yet here she was again, pressed on some charge that was put against her related to that woman. And her punishment? Death.

In front of her stood her parents, too disgusted to even look at her. Just here for the appearance. Her beheader was her younger brother, her older one was with her parents. How cruel did this woman want to be, to make her hate her baby brother for killing her when all he was doing was following orders? She knew he was crying. In the crowd, she could spot her best friend, far from his family, and even her dear servant stood there. In this time, only those three had cared for her, believed her when she had testified against her crimes.

Other spat and swore at her. They cursed her and made jokes about her. They wished her hell and they wished her the worst of it. There was a wizard from the Imperial Magicians there, he didn’t say anything. But his face wore a look that screamed: “I told you”. He didn’t look happy. In all, there were only seven people not happy with her execution. Only three shed tears for her.

That wretched woman stood watching from the Empress’s seat, crying alligator tears, sobbing into her husband’s chest. Vinea didn’t even know what she had done wrong this time. But this time, she had befriended the woman and raised her social status, even acquainted her with the Emperor, gotten her married to him. But now, this was how she repaid her. By framing her for something. She didn’t remember what? Had it been attempted murder of the royal family, or was it stepping on her favorite flower? That had happened before, executed because of it.

She took a final glance at the people she loved dearly and the hated woman who stole everything from her, before closing her eyes and letting the sword swing down. She welcomed her death, once again.