"We're soul mates," he says. "We are forever. Our kind of love cannot be destroyed."
― Stacey Jay, Juliet Immortal

It's amazing, she thought, how one moment your life is perfect and the next one everything is being stripped away from you; and the only thing that's left of your beautiful, beautiful, life are the broken pieces that were left after they teared everything you held dear apart.

"Countess Anna," the judge said and the court made silence to hear his words, "For the crimes of seduction, homosexuality, heresy and witchcraft, I hereby sentence you to death by burning," his voice didn't tremble as he sentenced the end a woman's life, he looked at Anna with a limitless disgust.

There was a collective gasp, followed by whispers. It was no secret that the private life of Countess Anna had been the talk of the kingdom for the past weeks and every person in the kingdom had been eager to see how the dalliance between the Countess and the Queen would end.

Anna remained in silence while she heard all kinds of demeaning words directed towards her. The blonde woman simply held her eyes locked with the judge's, nothing he would say or do would make her feel ashamed of what she felt and what she did.

She loved Queen Maria, with all her heart. She had fallen in love with the Queen's haunted soul and beautiful mind, and it didn't matter that the soul came in a female body - in a perfect female body. Her heart had been taken by the Queen's coffee eyes the first time Anna set eyes on them and her body had been bewitched the first time she heard the Queen talk. It didn't have to do with religion, it didn't have to do with politics; it had to do with two kindred spirits that had found comfort in each others arms.

Countess Anna had been as a blue blood, her parents were the King and Queen of a northern kingdom. In an attempt to save what was left of their kingdom, they married their second child to the Count of Cassidy, a rich who took no interest in loving his wife. Her parents had not come to the trial, cutting ties with the Countess as soon as they heard the crimes that were held against her. Her husband had left her alone too, not that it had surprised her - she wouldn't have attended to the trial had he been the one sitting on the accused's chair.

The only person who Anna wanted at the trial was Queen Maria. But, she had been sent to a monastery in her country of origin the moment they have been caught sharing a kiss. A simple kiss that changed Anna's world forever, for what she felt in that lips lock was more than what she had ever felt in her entire life. She left joy, and ecstasy and fulfilment, but she also felt pain and misery; she left as someone new, and as if she had kissed Maria in the past - it was then when she realised that Maria was her soulmate, and that she would never let her go.

Like Countess Anna, Queen Maria had been born to a wealthy family, but her mother was consumed by the need of climbing the social ladder. And so, Maria had been betrothed to King Leopold, a man twice her age and three times a widower. A vile and selfish man who had no respect for anyone but his daughter, a man who didn't stop at anything to get what he desired. That was why the sentence had not come by surprise to Anna, she was aware of Leopold's nature, and she knew what would be of her fate the moment they had been discovered.

"Your excellency, if I may - " Anna's advocate started talking but was quickly interrupted by the man wearing the pompous white wig.

"You may not. It is stated by both the Bible and the Law that a woman should not lay with a woman, that a woman should not lay with anyone who's not her husband, and that nobody should lay with the King's wife," he enumerated few of the laws that Anna had broken by falling in love with the Queen.

"But, Countess Anna is a princess of the Kingdom of Livonia,"

"And the King and Queen of Livonia have expressed their disgust towards their daughter's action and stated that they will fully support any decision taken by the Palace of Justice," he replied, and proceeded to stand up and leave the courtroom.

Anna remained seated while she saw the man who had sentenced her to burn leave the room. The crowd that had gathered to hear his verdict left shortly after, and as the room started to empty, Anna's advocate let his body drop in the chair next to hers.

"I'm sorry," he said weakly and laid his forehead against the table that was in front of them.

"It's alright, August," she replied placing a hand on his shoulder, "We were going against the King, did you honestly expect we would win this one?" the fallen Countess gave him a weak smile. August had been her only true friend ever since she moved to this kingdom, he had been the only one to stay by her side after the accusations. "I'll be fine,"

"You'll be death before sunset, Anna,"

"I rather die in love than life alone, August," Anna replied, placing a hand over his.

"Then so be it," her friend answered, not quite satisfied with Anna's conformity with the verdict but realising that there was nothing they could do about it, "I truly hope you get to be happy in your next life,"

"And I hope you don't have to wait so long to be happy," she replied kindly, "Move away, August. Meet someone and fall in love, life is wonderful when you have someone to share it. Promise me you'll try,"

He nodded at her and promised he'd try, and then let the guards take away the best woman he had ever met in his life.

Countess Anna was burned in the main square at twilight that day, in front of everyone who wanted see the show. The King was one of the spectators, he sat on a platform made just for him, with a sadistic smile on his face. His eyes never left the flames, as they consumed the only person whom his wife had loved. And he knew, he knew that now it was all over. He knew hat he had finally broken everything his wife loved and that she'd never find love again.

The countess didn't beg for mercy, nor forgiveness as she left her life leave her body. The only thing that came out of her mouth were screams of pain while the flames destroyed her body. But after a while, even those sounds faded away, and Anna decided to welcome Death as an old friend. She rested her head against the wooden pole to which she was tied to and closed her eyes, and let her mind wander to a world where she and the Queen could finally be together.

For she knew that souls mate forever.

Some notes:

Cover art is made by Kayryn, who was awesome enough to let me use it - the link to the tumblr is on my profile!

Only Anna/Emma and Maria/Regina will be reincarnating.

In my mind, Anna is from Northern Europe - Livonia was what is now the Baltic countries. Maria is from a wealthy Spanish family and Leopold is the King of England.

I'm not a native speaker, if anyone feel like being my Beta for this three-chapter story, let me now. If you don't feel like being my beta, but you find a mistake (which I'm sure there are) let me know on a review or PM and I'll change it!