Chapter 101: The Day I Died
Chapter 101: The Day I Died
Ruby’s POV
Pain.
That was all I had known for the past few days. As I felt the searing agony tearing through my body, I already knew. The warm drops of blood between my legs confirmed it.
I had lost my baby.
Curled up on the cold stone floor of my cell, I wrapped my arms around my trembling body, trying to keep the shattered pieces of myself from falling apart completely. The prison walls cast endless shadows, stretching like the abyss that had swallowed my child’s fate whole.
I closed my eyes, whispering a final farewell to the child I would never be able to hold. Tears spilled down in silent mourning. The only thing I had left was my dignity. But what did that matter when I had failed as a mother?
The creaking sound of the cell door pulled me from my daze, and I forced myself to sit up, wincing at the sharp pain stabbing through my abdomen. My throat ached, my limbs felt drained of energy. And when I saw who stood there, my heart shattered all over again.
My loyal servant. An innocent woman. Amara.
I looked at the woman. Her wide brown eyes brimming with unshed tears as she gazed at me.
“Oh, Luna,” she whispered, stepping forward.
I raised my hand to stop her from coming any closer to the bars. “Yes, Amara. I’m glad to see you’re safe. But you shouldn’t be here.”
“I had to see you,” she insisted, her hands clenched at her sides. “Leonidas helped me get in.”
At the mention of his name, my gaze flickered past her to where Leonidas stood outside the cell, his face etched with guilt. Beta pleaded, looking utterly defeated and having not slept for days.
“Forgive me, Ruby. I truly mean it.”
“Not at all. You did all that you could, Leonidas,” I replied weakly.
But he shook his head, his fist clenching at his side. “Tsk, I completely failed to do it. If only I had tried harder.”
“Hey, where did that haughty expression of yours go? You don’t owe me your life, Leonidas,” I interjected.
He turned away, his jaw hardening with emotion.
Amara, on the other hand, trembled where she stood. “You look so pale, Luna.”
“Do you, oh my heavens!” Her voice broke, and before she could finish, she rushed forward, kneeling beside me. Her fingers gently wiped the bloodstained fabric of my clothes, her eyes widening in horror. “Luna, what happened?!”
I swallowed hard, my throat burning as I struggled to keep my voice steady.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”
Amara’s breath quickened, shaking her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. “No. This isn’t fair. The king doesn’t even know!”
“He doesn’t deserve to know, and it won’t change anything,” I replied emotionlessly.
Leonidas lost his color, staggering as he searched for support. His eyes darted wildly, unable to believe what he had just heard.
“You lost the baby.”
I nodded once, pressing my hand against my aching stomach.
“Yes.”
The silence in the cell was suffocating. Amara pressed her hands against her mouth, holding back sobs, while Leonidas turned away, gripping his hair as he fought to contain his furious scream.
“Oh God, Ruby, I…”
I shook my head, the corner of my lips curling as if genuinely amused. “Stop begging for my forgiveness. It’s not like you.” He stared at me for a moment before finally exhaling. His lips trembled as he tried to ask,
“Do you still love him?”
The question struck me like a knife, piercing deep into my already bleeding heart. I had spent every moment since being imprisoned trying to hate Killian. Trying to erase him from my heart. Trying to pretend that none of it mattered anymore. But the truth was painful. My feelings had never changed.
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Chapter 101: The Day I Died
“Yes. Foolishly, I still do,” I let out a hollow laugh.
Leonidas closed his eyes as if the words physically hurt him. Amara released a quiet, stifled sob, both hands covering her face. “Then why don’t you tell him the truth? Tell him about the baby, about everything.”
“Because it’s too late, Amara.”
“No,” she insisted, shaking her head as tears fell even harder. “If you choose to stay silent, your fate will be sealed!”
“My dear Amara. Please. Don’t continue this.”
She froze at the tone of my voice, her tears glistening on her cheeks. I gave her hand one final squeeze before letting go.” You have to leave. If they find you here, you’ll be punished too.”
“I don’t care!” she shouted.
“But your Luna does,” I said firmly, my voice unwavering. “Please, don’t make me watch you suffer because of me.”
Amara wiped her tears away, nodding reluctantly. Leonidas stepped forward, his gaze heavy with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher.
“I will get you out. And Ruby, if there’s anything–anything at all-”
“There isn’t. But thank you, for everything.”
I never thought I would see this man show genuine sorrow for someone. At any other time, I might have made a joke about it. His eyes were bloodshot and watery, but he gave me a single nod. Without another word, he took Amara’s arm and led her toward the cell door.
Amara glanced back one last time, her lips trembling.
“Luna…”
“I’ll be fine,” I lied, offering her my best reassuring smile. “Go.”
And with that, she left. The cell door creaked shut, and I was alone once more. I closed my eyes, pressing a hand against my stomach. Empty. Just like my heart.
A few days later, the time had come for me to face my punishment. The cold chains around my wrists bit into my skin as the guards dragged me from my prison cell. My legs ached from days of neglect, but I forced myself to walk with what little dignity I had left. My head was held high, I refused to let them see my fear. If this was the end of my life, I would not meet it on my knees. Because I was innocent.
Outside, the sky was grim, heavy with storm clouds, as if mourning the inevitable. The courtyard was filled with faces some I recognized, many I didn’t. They whispered among themselves, their voices a chaotic hum of judgment and curiosity. And in the midst of it all, standing atop an elevated platform, was Killian. My king. The man who had betrayed me. Yet, in his mind, I was the one who had betrayed him.
His crimson eyes held no warmth, his face a mask of indifference. Gone was the man who once held me in his arms, who whispered wicked promises in the dead of night. This was the ruthless Lycan King, the tyrant feared across the realm. “Ruby Lucienne,” his voice thundered across the courtyard. “You stand accused of treason against the crown. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
I drew in a sharp breath. I could have screamed, pleaded, forced them to listen to the truth. But what was the point? My verdict had been decided long before I set foot in this courtyard. The people who once called me their Luna now saw only a traitor. And Killian Ruwdick–he had already sentenced me in his heart.
“Nothing I say will change your mind,” I finally spoke, summoning what remained of my courage. “You wish to see me as a traitor? Then so be it.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some had expected me to beg. Others had hoped for a confession. But I gave them nothing.
Leonidas, standing to Killian’s right, shifted uneasily. He was my only defender, but even his voice was not enough to sway the King. His fists clenched at his sides as he gazed at me, frustration and regret etched into his expression.
Killian stared at me with lifeless eyes. “You were given everything. A place by my side, my protection, my trust. And you threw it away.”
I forced myself to meet his gaze with all the heartbreak I carried. If only he knew that I had loved him in a way I never should have, and that the betrayal he saw was nothing more than a lie spun by those who wished to see us torn apart. But the lie he had chosen to believe could never be undone.
The executioner stepped forward, a gleaming axe glinting in the summer sun.
“As King, I pass judgment. Ruby Lucienne, for your crimes against the crown, you are sentenced to death.”
The words brought a smile to my lips. I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing myself to grieve for a les ·
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Chapter 101: The Day I Died
would never know, for the dream of a family that had been shattered.
I looked at Killian one last time, searching for something of the man I once knew. But there was nothing.
The executioner raised his blade. The wind howled around me.
And then, eternal darkness.
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