Princess Of Redemption

Ester

Chester Lavendale never expected me to impale him with a sword. Neither did I. But steps needed to be taken for the betterment of the kingdom.

"Ester..."He groaned as blood trickled out of his mouth. It felt strange seeing him like this, and I might not get over the guilt of killing him for the rest of my life, but I would never choose my feelings over the welfare of the people.

Chester wrapped his fingers around the blade. His soft brown eyes weren't filled with the hatred or betrayal that I thought they would be. Instead, my father-in-law looked up at me with regret.

"What... did I do that... was so wrong, my dear Ester?"

Hearing my name from his dying lips made memories of my stay in the palace flash through my mind. How the king allowed the marriage between Sirius and I, even though I was of low-ranking nobility. He never took advantage of his position as king to talk down to me. In fact, from the outside, it was clear to everyone that Chester treated me like his own daughter.

I always thought that if Chester were to remarry, his wife would be one lucky woman being showered with his love and consideration. And yet, I couldn't look past his atrocious acts.

I averted my gaze, focusing on the sword in my hand. "Your sins are too many to count, King Lavendale," I muttered just loud enough for him to hear.

To my surprise, he smiled. As his hands released the sword, they spread open like the wings of a majestic bird. The crown fell from his head, chestnut brown hair sliding free of its confines.

"Then go ahead, Ester," he said. "I trust your judgement more than anyone else."

Such a statement made the guilt in my heart even more prominent. Tears started to pool at the corner of my eyes. "Rest in peace, King Lavendale."

Before I could hesitate further, I plunged the weapon given to me by Sirius deeper into the king's chest. Before long, there was no more life in his gaze.

The year was 2022.

This was the Nightveil kingdom, a place well known for its advancement in technology and the laws that were preserved throughout the century.

The main group in charge of maintaining order in our cities were the knights. Each squadron of knights had their own special abilities that were useful in specific situations. Thanks to our technology, we were able to develop armors best suited for their style of combat. Not to mention, there were rumors that we were blessed with strong magic. Those rumors were true.

When I was twenty-three, I was married into the royal family. Many of the distinguished noblemen and women were against it, but none of them would dare object when the king publicly gave his approval.

The royal family resided on a massive estate on a mountain that looked over the skyscrapers. When I was a little girl, I fantasized about climbing that mountain and gazing down at the city. Now that I was twenty-seven, that fantasy had become a reality.

The skyscrapers' lights lit up the capital city in the dark of night.

Chester's body slid off the sword and plummeted to the ground with a heavy thud. Two of Sirius' men entered the study and dragged his body away while I stared out the window in a daze.

Someone whistled from the door. "Nice going, Ester! They don't call you the Star of Nightveil for nothing."

A woman in a black suit entered the room. Melissa, a close comrade, had black hair that was always kept in either a braid or a ponytail. She was a beautiful and well-established woman that everyone thought for sure would end up getting engaged to Sirius instead. However, she showed no interest in dating the crown prince.

Melissa wrapped her arms around me from behind and rested her head on my shoulder.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "I said you did a good job, so why does your face look so glum?"

I shook my head and faked a smile. "It's nothing. After this, we have a lot more to do."

She followed me into the hallway while praising our team and how efficiently we carried out a successful coup. Just like hers, my wavy brown hair was held tightly in a high ponytail. Unlike her, I wore khaki pants and a long-sleeved black shirt. My boots were made by the very same designer that worked for the king and prince.

These halls were usually beautiful, especially in the night when they were well lit up, but it was hard to find the beauty in the interior when the walls were stained in blood.

Someone started a fire in the courtyard. The flames reached high enough to reflect in my eyes as I made my way to the throne room.

"I would make a perfect treasurer," Melissa stated, caressing her chin. "Of course I would be fair and never take advantage of my role. And you will be our beautiful queen."

I found it difficult to smile even when she complimented me. I lifted my hand, ready to touch the wooden door when someone called out my name.

"Ester! Ester Hermonia, you wench!"

Anna Lavendale, Sirius' younger sister, was pushed to the ground by two of the guards working with us. Her hair draped around her face in golden waves, yet it wasn't enough to hide the hatred in her eyes. "I want you to look at me, Ester. Why did you do this? Why did you join my brother? I thought we were friends."

The fear and desperation in her voice shook my resolve. I bite my lip. "It's nothing against you, Anna. I know you might never forgive me, but I still consider you a friend-"

She spat into my face. With one swift movement I wiped it off. Anna hated me now, and although it bothered me, I couldn't blame her. I was the villain in her story, and I wasn't planning on apologizing.

"Hey, don't you think that's a little too far?"

Anna looked up as Melissa stood before her.

"Your father is the one who caused the mountain to fall on the civilians in Tetherfield County. Remember the flood that killed more than six hundred people? King Chester's dragon was the one who caused it. Where was the money that the city needed to recuperate from the natural disaster a year ago? He used it all to satisfy his greed." Melissa's smile grew wide. "It's almost like he's a completely useless ruler! The Nightveil Kingdom would strive better under Sirius."

Anna chuckled. "You wanna be under my brother so bad that you're willing to lick his boots."

Melissa kicked her in the face.

"Melissa, stop!" I yelled. "Don't you think you're taking things too far? She'll come around eventually."

She lowered her leg and flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "Humph. Take her to the underground dungeon. When she gets a taste of the real world, maybe then she'll learn some manners. Make sure to chain her, we don't know if she is capable of shifting into a dragon yet."

The men nodded their heads and dragged Anna away by the elbows. Anna glared at me, the imprint of Melissa's shoe turned her right cheek pink. "You're just like your grandmother, Ester. People like you are the virus that break down society."

And just like that my best friend was gone.

Melissa spun around with a smile. "Go on inside," she said. "I'll stand guard in case anyone who's loyal to the past king tries to make a move."

"Good idea." Not like there was anything else I could do out here. Melissa knew how to defend herself and once the news spread that Chester was dead, the rebellion would be named a success.

I pushed the door open and entered.

The throne room was one of the most gorgeous places on the estate. Glass walls exposed the chaos going on outside, as well as the stars. My legs carried me down a long and dark purple carpet with golden accents that went straight to the golden throne.

There, a man in armor stood with his fingers dancing on the armrest. His black hair was a symbol of his lineage. Those with black hair were thought to be born with strong dragon blood, yet Sirius could barely raise his own body temperature for extended periods of time. Others were disappointed that the next heir couldn't shift.

Not me. I loved my husband no matter what. Come hellfire or hailstorm, I'll always have his back.

"Your highness." I knelt down on one knee and lowered my head. "The king has been dealt with. What is the next step?"

Sirius looked at me with cold green eyes. "I see... so father is dead." He shook his head. "If only he had listened to me then it wouldn't have come to this. Rise, why are you kneeling? The future queen shouldn't be seen in such a manner."

I smiled, blushing when I realized that he was right.

The sky brightened with the first rays of sunlight. Sirius swiftly descended the steps and stood in front of me. He held me by the waist and planted a kiss on my lips.

I kissed him back with all the energy I had stored up from the fight. The thought of spending the rest of our lives together was what kept me going. One day we will write the wrongs of the people who came before us and create a kingdom where everything is fair.

Sirius broke our kiss and braced his head against mine. "I could have never asked for a better wife than you," he whispered.

"Please, Sirius, I don't deserve the praise. I only did what I was supposed to. Did you call the Prime Minister?"

He sighed. "Not yet. I wanted to have a moment of peace with you before having to take care of official duties."

I nodded, my heart pounding. He probably wanted to make sure I was alright. In all my life, I've never found a man as thoughtful and loving as this.

An image of Chester Lavendale popped inside my head. I willed it away until it disappeared.

"My one true love, I need to ask you something." Sirius' deep voice turned from tender to serious. "If you had to choose between me and the wellbeing of the kingdom, which one would you choose?"

Was this a trick question? After all, how could my selfish feelings matter more than the civilians?

I gave him my honest answer. "The kingdom. Not because I don't love you, but because my loyalty is to the people."

"Hmm..." He held me tighter with one arm. I released a breath of relief I didn't know I was holding. He didn't seem offended. Good.

"That's too bad." Sirius chuckled. "You see, I can't have that."

Scorching pain that I had never felt before spread through my abdomen. I tasted something metallic in my mouth.

When I glanced down, I realized that Sirius had impaled me with his sword.