Less than a week after Kyle rejected Riliane, there was still nothing. No reports from Mariam, nothing from the soldiers, no reassurance from the servants. Kyle hadn't sent any more notice after the letter, leaving nothing for Riliane to go by. She hated being left in the dark.
Finally, when Riliane was with Allen and Elluka, Mariam returned to the palace, out of breath and twitching nervously. "There was nothing," she told the princess softly. "I looked everywhere, asked everyone. No one knows who this girl is."
"Ugh!" Riliane screamed in frustration. "Why?! Why did he do this to me!? Why did he reject me?!" Infuriated, she slammed the box of Kyle's gifts onto the floor, yanking on her hair violently and letting out grunts of rage.
When she finally looked up, breathing heavily, she burst out, "I could've given him everything! Why did he pick her over me? What does she have that I don't?!"
It wasn't fair. Riliane had everything; she was young, beautiful, wealthy, and she loved him. He'd loved her as well, at least until this green-haired girl came along! She deserved him, not some stupid puke-coloured slut who'd probably only seduced him to get to his money and fortune!
Minis, having heard the commotion, hurried into the room, bowing low when she noticed Riliane's beet red face and her heavy breathing. "Is everything alright, Your Highness?"
Riliane couldn't let the minister see her like this. "Yes," she said, calming herself. "That green-haired girl. I want her dead." She wouldn't stand to see Kyle with another girl, a girl who was trying to manipulate him!
"I'm sorry, Princess, we don't know who she is," Mariam said softly, trying to shield herself from Riliane's wrath. "We've scoured Aecid, where Kyle saw her. She's nowhere to be found."
This couldn't happen. Now it was about more than just her personal lust for Kyle; oh, no, now this was about her title! Her authority! The ministry would take advantage of this weakness, everyone would see her as a little girl who couldn't obtain what she wanted even after their parents had arranged it! And Kyle couldn't be with this other girl. The girl was a liar, out to see Riliane's downfall. Out to challenge her authority!
If she let anyone see her as weak, or unable to get what she wanted, they would take advantage of her. She needed to have all power or else they would overtake her. Riliane wasn't going to let that happen.
"Fine. Fine," she said, voice flat as she swallowed hard. "Then I want you to kill every single green-haired woman or child in the country of Elphegort! Don't stop until they're all dead."
That'd show them. They couldn't mess with her now - no one could mess with her now if she showed them the lengths she was willing to go to to keep her power. Now no one could manipulate her.
"But...Your Highness, are you sure that's alright to do?" Mariam asked in shock. "That's an awfully severe action; are you sure it's fine?"
"Well, since we don't exactly know her...ah, sure! Killing them all is fine!" Riliane knew if the ministry saw her take advice from a servant, she'd be done for. "Minis, prepare the troops at once! Kill all the green-haired woman!"
"That is ridiculous!" Elluka burst out, unable to contain her anger.
"Excuse me?" Riliane asked. Even now, people dared to challenge her?! They really must underestimate her just because she's "young and naïve."
"Actually, Your Highness, I think it may be impossible to follow your order," Minis told her. "The forest between the two countries makes it impossible to invade."
She wasn't fooled; she knew what he was doing! He was trying to trick her into changing her answer, to get her to resign and look weak. He knew that if she followed through with this that people would listen to her, and he didn't want that. He wanted her power to himself.
"Well, burn the forest then," Riliane ordered with newfound fury. The ministers wanted her to fall. The mage wanted her to fall. Even Mariam might want her to fall. She had to go through with this - not only was her title at stake, so was her status and respect, and her relationship with Kyle! After this, she'd have whatever she wanted; no one would dare go against her. She wouldn't have to worry anymore.
"You insipid girl!" Elluka cried. "You're bitter because Kyle chose her over you! Well, no wonder! You're selfish, arrogant, and don't think of anyone else! Do you know how many people you are ordering to be slaughtered? Do you ever think of anyone besides yourself?!"
Riliane was furious. "Execute her," she said angrily, pointing to Elluka.
"You know what? Fine," Elluka said, standing up. "I resign." She gritted her teeth, and marched out of the room where Riliane seethed.
"Allen! Kill her!" Riliane cried, tears forming behind her eyes. What would it take for people to finally listen to her? "Minis, stay here! I need to speak with you."
Minis nodded in fear and repeatedly blinked.
"Now," Riliane said, "I want you to prepare the troops for the invasion of Elphegort. Burn the Forest of Bewilderment if you have to; I don't care. Just make sure every green-haired female is dead. I want to be sure I've killed the right one."
"Yes, Your Highness," Minis said, bowing low as he left the room.
Riliane smirked. The world was now hers.
Two days later, Riliane spoke with Ney in the Servants' Quarters after hearing that the maid held some covert information.
"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Riliane asked impatiently. She hated being here; it made her feel so...common.
Ney sighed. "Well...I'm not really supposed to tell you," she said hesitantly. When Riliane groaned, she continued, "But you know Allen's been keeping things from the rest of us, right?"
Riliane stood up straighter. Allen, her most trusted and loyal servant, was keeping things from her? Who could she trust around here, anyway?
"What are you talking about?" she asked, a part of her hoping Ney was wrong. Hm, that was strange. Riliane knew she would have to execute him if he were hiding things, and she'd never felt remorse before. So why did it seem as if she did now?
"Allen's been sneaking out," Ney finally admitted. "One night, I caught him when trying to climb out the window. When I asked him what he was doing, he gave me a vague answer and said 'Nothing', so I pressed on, and finally he confessed he was meeting someone."
"Who?" Riliane barked, her voice sharp. She was so stupid. She'd trusted someone, and now he'd betrayed her.
"I don't know," Ney said slowly. "But...I think he's going out to meet that green-haired girl. You saw the way he looked at her, right? And he was speaking to her before he rode home in the carriage. I didn't see her face, but I know it was her."
"What!" Riliane shouted, enraged at Allen's betrayal.
"I'm sorry," Ney said, lowering her eyes. "I know he knows where she is, I see the look on his face when he sneaks back in. He's definitely going to see her. Her name's Michaela, you know."
Riliane forced herself to calm down, not wanting to show Ney her weakness. "Okay," she said. "Thank you. It's always nice to find out who I can really trust around here."
Ney looked a bit uncomfortable. "About what I said...please make it confidential."
Suddenly, the door opened and Allen walked in. "Your Highness," he said, surprise lacing his voice. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing in the Servants' Quarters?"
As Ney exited, Riliane pursed her lips and ordered Allen to sit. "What business is it of yours?" she asked.
"I'm sorry," Allen said, noticing he'd upset the princess. "I didn't mean to intrude."
Riliane huffed. "No matter," she said. "Where have you been?"
"Oh, out," Allen told her, his voice distant.
"Out where?" Riliane asked in annoyance. She wasn't going to let Allen play games with her.
"Just...shopping." Allen shrugged. "Why?"
"Hmm. That wouldn't happen to be in the city of Aecid, would it?" she said, her voice low and demanding.
"Well, yes," Allen admitted. "But I always go shopping there, and there's never been a problem before."
"What exactly were you buying?" Riliane questioned. She noticed how Allen was being as vague as humanly possible.
"Just spring onions," Allen told her, wondering where the princess was going on this one.
"Oh, yeah?" Riliane asked. She was furious. "Well, what kind, and are they still alive?"
Allen looked at her in apparent confusion. "Your Highness, what exactly do you mean?"
"Is the Daughter of Green still alive?" Riliane demanded. No more playing around. "Tell me. Now."
"I-"
"The Daughter of Green...is named Michaela, right? It's the first I've heard of her. Allen...what a pity, I never expected you would betray me." Riliane's tone remained flat as she forced herself to believe the truth. She should have him executed for treason, lying to royalty, and betrayal.
But she couldn't. She didn't have the nerve, and for that, she was weak.
Riliane sighed. "But I can't hate you," she admitted. "So I'm giving you another chance." She took out a piece of parchment and wrote down her request before placing it in another glass bottle and handing it to him.
When Allen opened the bottle and read the message, she could sense his dismay. A pang of jealousy shot through her, and she barked, "Dismissed. Now," as Allen silently exited the room, not glancing back.
Two days later, after the Daughter of Green was confirmed dead, a sense of peace had come over Riliane, despite the nagging feeling that kept poking at her sides over Allen's betrayal. It'd just been a moment of weakness for him, right? Right?
She was with Ney and Chartette in the Heavenly Yard, finally being able to relax after the many sleepless nights she'd suffered, knowing that Kyle was in love with someone else. For once, she was happy - pleased with the simple comfort of just not hurting anymore.
"So, you should definitely read it," Chartette rambled on as she realized Riliane hadn't been listening.
"Sorry, what?" Riliane asked, snapping back to the present. "What book?"
Chartette just laughed. "The Saga of Vengeance. It's really good; it's about someone who is on a journey to get revenge on those that have wronged them."
"Ah, so that's why you're always leaving the palace," Riliane joked. "I always wondered where you disappeared to."
"Hey, Ney leaves the palace a lot, too," Chartette countered. "I wonder where she's going."
"Usually just to meet friends," Ney said timidly.
"Yeah, you're right," Riliane said. It was true; both Chartette and Ney did leave the palace quite often. "So, are they boys you're seeing?"
Ney chuckled and then sighed wistfully. "I wish," she said, looking up to the sky. "Nope, I'm just going to look around, survey the area. The usual."
"You survey the area?" Chartette asked, giggling a bit. "That's the lamest thing I've ever heard."
"Oh, and you go to the library," Ney said in a joking manner. "So I wouldn't be talking if I were you."
"Ladies, calm down," Riliane interrupted, clearly trying to suppress her own laughter. "We should just enjoy the moment."
That was when the Levin church bells rang, signaling that it was three o'clock.
"Ah, it's tea time," Riliane remarked, smiling brightly as Allen brought her a beautiful plate of brioche. She knew he wouldn't have ever forgotten.
After the assassination attempt on Minis, Riliane convened with the other ministers in the Hall of Sounds to discuss the ongoing war in Elphegort and the shortage of soldiers due to the prolonged issues. She was bored; why should she care? If Elphegort wanted to fight back, keep letting them for as long as possible.
But she knew she had to come up with a solution of some sorts to satisfy the prying ministry. "Well, what about Gast Venom's mercenaries?" she asked, recalling Allen's report from the Freesis Mansion.
"That could work," one of the ministers agreed. "What are they called again?"
"I think the Venom Mercenary Group," Riliane said.
"Well, that's certainly outright," another minister mumbled under their breath.
"So, are we hiring them or not?" Riliane asked, impatient with the ministers' discussion. She was tired of talking about this, and longed for her snack.
One by one, the ministers agreed on hiring the mercenaries, and Riliane smiled, relieved that she would finally get to leave this hall. These incessant ministers were distracting her.
With the Venom Mercenary Group hired, Riliane met with Gast Venom in the Hall of Mirrors. She was a beautiful woman, with long purple hair and bright eyes, although not what Riliane had been expecting.
"Thank you for hiring us, Your Highness," Gast said, bowing low and showing his gratitude to her. "I promise, we will not let you down."
Riliane was taken aback by his deep voice, and realized that Gast was not a woman, but a man. "Oh," she said, "I seem to have mistaken the 'Demon of Asmodean' for a woman due to his face. You really do have beautiful bone structure."
Gast just laughed at the princess's comment. "I see you have learned that you should not judge a person solely based on their appearance," he said.
"That is true," Riliane agreed. "You also shouldn't judge solely based on past records, either. I know you were defeated by Leonhart, but that was in the past, and I look forward to your prowess since Leonhart's...passing."
She then turned to Allen. "Give Gast a tour of the palace," she ordered, exiting the room and leaving the two alone.
Later, Riliane stood in the Heavenly Yard as Allen served her cake at three o'clock. She watched the sunset, thinking to herself. Something was wrong - something was going to happen, and soon. The sky seemed to tell all, and it worried her because of the nudging feeling in her stomach. The ministers might overrule her. The country might go broke. The Daughter of Green may have actually escaped. Fears flooded her mind as she began, her tongue seemingly numb.
"You know, the sunset gives messages," she mused, taking a bite out of her cake. "I'm one of the few that can read it."
Allen looked at her with interest, seemingly surprised that she was relaying this to him.
She glanced up at the sky, noting the streaks that seemed to come together to join into one. Some were lighter, some were darker, and they all rallied around a beautiful cloud in the center. The cloud seemed larger than life, glowing a beautiful yellow colour with tiny specks of black peeking out of the folds. It appeared invincible, as if it could scatter the stratus clouds quickly, but when looked at closely, the streaks were more powerful, overwhelming the center cloud. Small puffs protected the yellow centerpiece, however as time stretched on, the different stratus clouds pushed them away, leaving the center completely defenseless. She shivered at the thought.
There was only one conclusion.
Riliane felt a wave of fear shoot down her spine as she stared straight ahead. Softly, she said, "The sky foretells an apocalypse."
When she first heard of the Lucifenian Revolution, Riliane was frankly quite bored. She attended the war meeting in the Hall of Sounds, but didn't think there was anything to really worry about. Yes, they may be slightly short on soldiers due to the ongoing conflict in Elphegort, and yes, they may be at war with two countries at once, but Riliane had always gotten her way before. What was going to change now?
As the meeting dragged on, Riliane couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the ministry - had they been the ones behind this? Were they trying to scare her into stepping down? Well, it wasn't going to work because Riliane was not going to give in to anything.
"Based on the number of troops we have at our disposal now, we should be able to hold off the revolutionaries for a while," Minis said. "And the war in Elphegort will surely end soon; we will then have those troops as well. For the moment, the resistance seems to be quite minor, making simple demands for more food and resources. If they persist, we will assist them, but they should be able to be stopped soon enough."
This confirmed Riliane's suspicions - the ministers were definitely in on something or the conflict wouldn't have been able to be resolved so quickly. Besides, wasn't it a bit suspicious that Minis had been the one to come up with an answer? "So, does that mean this is over?" Riliane asked, bored of sitting in one place for so long.
When Minis nodded, she continued, "I'm hungry. Allen, what's today's snack?"
"Cinnamon rolls," Allen replied, bowing and retrieving her snack. Riliane smiled, and took a bite as she dismissed the meeting.
0-0
The next week when Riliane attended the war meeting, she was beginning to feel a bit uneasy. The Lucifenian troops had been easily defeated in the last three battles with many more casualties on her side than on the insurgents'. Minis was panicking, shuddering with fear, which also made Riliane worried. If the Prime Minister was this distraught, then how could he be setting her up?
Brushing the horrible thought that she could lose out of her mind, Riliane turned to the shaking minister. "Don't worry," she stressed, "we're not going to lose. The revolutionaries are eventually going to get tired, the troops from Elphegort are coming back, and besides all that, we have the Kingdom of Marlon to rely on. King Kyle wouldn't abandon me if we ask for assistance."
She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince the minister or herself.
"Your Highness, your snack," Allen said, bowing low as he presented a platter of pastries to her.
It looked delicious, but Riliane couldn't eat. Would Kyle really abandon her? He'd rejected her and she had had his beloved killed. But he wouldn't leave her. He wouldn't send her to her death...right?
"No," she told the servant. "Take it away. I've lost my appetite."
-0-
The week after that, Riliane sat upon her throne in the Hall of Sounds as the ministers reported the current standings of Lucifenia, trying her hardest not to show weakness in front of the ministry. She couldn't have them thinking she was weak - not now, or they would surely leave her.
"Your Highness, the war isn't looking too good for us right now," Minis admitted. "The troops still haven't returned from Elphegort, and the soldiers are quickly falling after being at war with the green country."
"Anything else?" Riliane said, attempting to keep her voice steady. There had to be some good news, after all, she'd received a letter from Kyle, but it hadn't been opened yet.
"The Elphegort and resistance armies have merged," Minis continued. "They're working together now, and are battling soldiers from either side of the country."
"And? What about Kyle?" Riliane demanded. He wouldn't leave her. He wouldn't.
"King Kyle has refused to send troops to defend Lucifenia," Minis told her. "He says that you are on your own."
At this, Riliane shook, her hands trembling and heart racing. If Kyle, her betrothed for nine years could do this to her, there was no telling what the others would do. How could he do this to her? Without Marlon's assistance, it was over for her.
0-0
The fourth week, Riliane was terrified. The Hall of Sounds war meeting had very few attendants as most of the ministers had either fled or were attempting to. This washed away any suspicions Riliane had that the ministers were trying to deceive her - no, this was happening. This was real.
Minis was trembling as he stood up, slowly reporting the status to Riliane. "They're approaching," he said. "The revolutionaries are almost at the palace, and many servants and ministers have already fled. The troops are almost nonexistent, and neither Marlon nor Beelzenia have offered any support. We're on our own."
Riliane had heard enough. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't.
Silently, she stood up from her throne and exited the room, retiring to her chambers. Maybe if she pinched herself hard enough, she'd wake up and realize this was all a dream. Kyle couldn't have left her. Her troops couldn't have fallen.
She was going to be overthrown. She was weak.
As she reached her room, Riliane was suddenly enraged. What had she done wrong?! She had done everything she could to make people listen to her, to follow her! And they still went against her, they were still challenging her authority. Why was this happening to her? It hadn't happened to her mother, so why her?
Why had Kyle rejected her? She'd given him everything, she'd loved him. They could've been the most powerful leaders in the world, but he'd still chosen Michaela over her! Imagine: a simple peasant girl over her, the princess of Lucifenia! Why? The blue prince had chosen her mother, so why not her?
Allen interrupted her thoughts with a gentle knock on the door, and Riliane sighed. "Enter," she said tiredly. When she saw it was Allen, she brightened a little.
"Your Highness," Allen said, bowing low. "Would you like brioche or something less sweet?"
This calmed Riliane's nerves. "Ah, brioche," she said, relaxing in her chair. Everything was going to be alright.
Allen nodded, bowed again, and then went to retrieve her snack, leaving Riliane alone with her thoughts.
-0-
As the revolutionaries finally began to storm the palace, Riliane sat in her room eating her snacks, unnerved despite the commotion downstairs. Swallowing her last bite of cinnamon roll, Allen collected the plates and started to head back to the kitchen.
"More brioche, m'lady?" he asked, turning to look at her.
"Yes," Riliane said curtly. The noise downstairs were starting to become louder, closer. She could hear voices now and began to realize - this was real. Before it'd always felt like such a dream, but now she had to face the reality. They had surrounded the castle, and were coming for her. It was only a matter of time before they found and captured her.
As Allen returned with the brioche, Riliane got up the nerve to ask the question that had been tugging at her conscious mind. She had to know. Had to hear reassurance from someone - even if it was false.
"Am I going to be killed?" she finally asked weakly.
When Allen didn't reply, she realized the truth. "They're never going to forgive me, are they?" she continued, coming to the harsh conclusion. "They're never going to forget the awful things I've done. The taxes, the Green War, the killing of the green-haired women. They won't forgive me."
Attempting to continue eating, Riliane brought a forkful of brioche up to her mouth, but her hand gave out and she dropped the fork, doing the one thing she'd sworn never to do: she broke down. It didn't matter anyway, now that she was going to die, right?
Death. The prospect seemed so dark and foreign to her, it was impossible to fathom. Death. She was going to die.
"I'm scared, Allen!" she burst out, her voice cracking through her sobs. "I know I deserve it, but I'm only fourteen, and I don't want to die! I-I'm scared!"
Fighting back another round of tears, Riliane made one last request. "Allen, will you hold my hand?"
When Allen complied, Riliane felt herself immediately become calmer. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and confessed, "All I wanted was to be strong like my mother. She was always loved and respected, and I wanted that. But I failed, Allen, I failed. I couldn't do it. I couldn't be like her."
Allen hesitantly put his hand on her shoulder, and Riliane tensed slightly before relaxing her muscles.
"You know, I always felt I was alone," Riliane admitted. "But Allen, you...are the last one by my side. You have done everything for me, even now." She sniffled and swallowed hard. "And for that, I thank you. Thank you, Allen."
"Riliane," he said, finally addressing her by her first name. Riliane looked up in surprise, but didn't chastise him for it. "Will you grant me one wish?"
Riliane was surprised he'd ask her this now, but a part of her didn't really blame him. He'd served her all her life; he was bound to want some form of compensation. Nodding her head, she was taken aback once more when he smiled at her kindly.
"Switch clothes with me," he told her, his voice urgent.
For Riliane, this was unexpected. She'd never heard of a last request being a clothes swap. Still, she decided to comply and ordered him to turn around while she changed. When she had taken off her dress, she neatly laid it on the floor behind her, picking up Allen's clothes and quickly stepping into them.
When the two turned around, Riliane was surprised at Allen's likeness to herself. "Wow, my dress suits you well," she teased, a sudden burst of laughter coming over her. This must have been his plan - distract her and make her laugh before her death. Even now, he did everything he could for her. "It's like we're twins."
When Allen smiled, Riliane continued, "You know, I've never really understood why some people would prefer to dress this way, but these shabby-looking clothes are surprisingly comfortable."
"You'll be able to escape with them," Allen replied. "It'll be easier if you aren't wearing a dress."
Riliane was confused. Escape? What was he talking about?
Noticing Riliane's confusion, Allen clarified, "You can escape the palace on Josephine."
Riliane was surprised and warmed by his act of affection, but she knew it wouldn't work. Shaking her head, she replied, "That wouldn't work. They'll send out a search team for me - you know that."
Allen shrugged. "Not if they see the 'princess' is still here."
Riliane was even more touched, the sudden warmth what she'd been missing for most of her life. However, the plan still wouldn't work. "You'll be exposed eventually, Allen. Thank you for trying, but there's no way out of this. I have to face the truth." With those words, tears filled her eyes again and she blinked back the betraying drops of liquid.
Suddenly, Allen embraced her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. Shocked, Riliane originally began to pull away, but then relaxed into his grip, resting her head on his shoulder.
"There's something I have to tell you," Allen said once they pulled away.
Riliane looked at him in confusion. Besides Michaela, she hadn't thought that Allen hid anything from her.
"They're not going to recognize me," Allen told her. "They won't ever notice you got away. They'll think you're me because they won't know any different...because we're twins."
Riliane's heart raced. Twins? Allen was her twin?
Sudden guilt rushed through her. How horrible she'd been to him; ordering him around, and forcing him to do her bidding. Why was he doing this for her? Why didn't he want to see her dead like everyone else after the way she'd treated him?
"Why are you doing this for me?" she asked, breaking down again. "You could just run now, keep the secret and no one has to know. Why are you choosing to get killed for me?"
"Riliane...you have been an evil girl," Allen confessed, speaking softly. "But if you are an evil girl, then your evil blood also flows through me." He stopped to take in her facial expressions, noting the way she looked at him in admiration. "If you are the Daughter of Evil, then I am the Servant of Evil. So, it doesn't matter."
Allen approached Riliane, brushing away a tear that had trickled down her cheek. "I will take your place here while you live on."
Riliane couldn't let him do that. Not after everything he'd already done for her - he didn't deserve to die, no, she did.
"But I don't want that!" she sobbed, clutching at him. He patted her hair and then released her, leaving the room.
Riliane ran after him, but he was too quick for her. He shut the door before she could get out, and she heard the click of the lock.
"Let me out!" she screamed, pounding on the door. "Allen!"
"When we were younger," Allen said, his voice in a faraway land. "Our mother used to lock us in our room when we did bad things and got in trouble. Do you remember, Riliane?"
Riliane couldn't recall the details exactly, but a faint memory emerged out of the haziness. It was of her and Allen as young children in each other's arms.
"And we used to just cry in each other's arms," Allen continued. "And eventually, our mother would forgive us, but not until after we'd already snuck out. Now, you know what to do."
"Please, tell me more," Riliane begged. She couldn't bear not knowing her past, especially now that she knew she had a brother. "I've always felt like something was missing. Tell me! Please!"
Allen didn't answer, and she heard him sigh and turn away. Then she panicked, realizing what he was about to do. She couldn't let him die. Not for her, a girl who so clearly didn't deserve it.
"No! Allen! Don't leave me!" Riliane cried, banging on the door as he walked away. "Let me out! Allen! Allen!"
When there was no reply, Riliane sighed in defeat, slumping against a table. Her eyes rested upon the secret passageway. Could she? Could she really?
"...but not until after we'd already snuck out. Now, you know what to do."
Slowly, Riliane got up and walked over to the entrance, opening its' door. Swallowing hard, she snuck one last glance at her room, at her door where she'd let Allen walk to his death. She hated herself. She hated herself for what she'd done. She hated herself for what she was going to do.
Before she could change her mind, Riliane slipped into the entranceway and quickly shut the door behind her. Breathing heavily, she hurried down the halls, ignoring her imploring conscience. There was time to dwell over that later, and without a doubt, she definitely would.
When the tunnel reached its' end, Riliane finally saw how big the masses truly were. They were enraged, shouting defamatory language and holding up swords and arrows in an attempt to threaten who they thought was the princess. Turning away, Riliane realized they couldn't see her and headed towards the stables.
That was when she encountered a girl in red armor, and from the way she presented herself, clearly one of the revolutionary leaders. She had bright red hair...recognizable bright red hair...
"Please, just one hundred more coins..."
"You're already five hundred coins in debt. Take her away!"
"I will get you one day for this, Your Highness!"
If looks could kill, she'd be dead.
Riliane realized with a start it was the girl that had sworn revenge upon her. A flash of fear pulsed through her veins when the girl looked at her with recognition.
"Allen?" she asked in surprise.
Right. She was still wearing Allen's clothes. "Y-yes," Riliane gulped, attempting to lower her voice and hoping the girl fell for it.
The girl looked around her at the angry mob. "Go quick," she commanded. "I'm glad you finally came to your senses and decided to flee."
Riliane nodded and scurried away, horribly relieved that she hadn't been exposed. Quickly, she made her way to the stables and mounted Josephine, riding through the forest to the port where she'd been less than a year ago, watching the sunset.
"The sun is always alone, isn't it? Just like...me."
Allen had come to find her. Allen had always come to find her, Riliane realized as tears filled her eyes. He'd always been there for her.
But now he was gone, and he'd never come to find her again.
Riliane blinked back hot tears behind her eyelids, and scribbled out a wish on the piece of parchment she always carried with her.
If we were to be reborn, it'd be nice if we were twins again.
Then she placed it in her little glass bottle, closed her eyes, and tried to forget any of this had ever happened.
-0-
Three days later, Riliane was tired. Her hair was dirty, and she barely had any resolve to live, let alone eat or move. She'd basically laid in the same position for the past seventy-two hours, and slept for most of the day, clutching the little glass bottle close to her chest. She couldn't let anyone steal it. After all, it was the only thing she had left of Allen.
But that day, when the church bells rang two o'clock, Riliane realized. "Her" execution was to be three o'clock today, a tidbit she'd picked up from two passing travelers coming to see the public death of the princess.
She had to be there. She refused to miss the last sighting she'd ever have of Allen.
Urgently, Riliane mounted Josephine, despite her fatigue and weakness due to lack of food, and quickly rode to the town square near the church. Tears blurred her eyesight, but still she pressed on. It was the least she could do for her twin, and she had to see him.
The clock read 2:58 when Riliane finally arrived. Panicking, she dismounted quickly and noticed the mob of people gathering as Allen was dragged onto the stage. She barely heard the jeering and criticism as she saw his limp body, dirty and weak.
When the Levin church bells rang three o'clock, Riliane couldn't help herself. She pushed her way through the crowd of people, not caring if she elbowed someone or at the annoyed murmurs she received as she shoved someone out of the way. She had to see Allen one last time.
"Any last words?" the girl with the red hair asked as Allen was roughly pushed into the guillotine.
This was when Riliane reached the front. She looked up at Allen urgently, meeting his eyes and he only smiled at her reassuringly.
No. She couldn't do this. She couldn't let him do this. It was...it was uncouth, it was horrible, it was everything she'd tried not to be but failed so miserably...
But she couldn't force herself to move. Her body seemed frozen, mouth glued shut. Even as the red-haired girl prepared the execution, as the crowd grew louder, as Kyle stepped on stage.
Not even when it finally came.
Riliane made eye contact with Allen one last time before his final words.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
"Oh, it's tea time!"
"No!" Riliane cried out, tears streaking down her cheeks as the guillotine's unyielding blade bore down on Allen's neck. "No, no, no!"
But it was over. Riliane stood there, staring at the stage as the crowd disbanded, not believing he was dead. He couldn't be dead, he just couldn't. Loyal, sweet Allen, her secret twin brother. This didn't happen. It didn't.
But as time wore on, and Allen's corpse was dragged off the stage, Riliane had to admit it was over. She couldn't live in denial forever.
And that was when it hit her. She'd been wrong. This really was all her fault because she'd been wrong. All those people she'd killed hadn't been working with the ministry. Hell, maybe the ministry hadn't even been plotting against her in the first place! She'd been so afraid of being manipulated that she'd turned corrupt. She'd wanted people to respect her and follow her, so she thought she needed to force them to.
She realized why her mother was so loved. Her mother was a kind and gentle ruler, and they'd naturally followed her because they truly thought she was one who deserved to be followed.
Riliane hadn't deserved it.
Those people she'd had executed hadn't deserved it. The green-haired females she'd slaughtered hadn't deserved it. Leonhart, Captain of the Royal Guard, hadn't deserved it. And Allen certainly hadn't deserved it.
This was all because of her own selfish pride. She'd been so paranoid they were "challenging her authority" that she'd killed them all. She'd killed Allen.
Numb with guilt, Riliane turned away, slowly walking back to Josephine, not even noticing when someone was calling her name.
"Hey! Allen! Allen!" the red-haired girl called, running up to her. "Allen, are you listening to me?"
Riliane turned around. "Oh, sorry," she said quietly. She didn't hate the girl before her. How could she when Riliane so obviously deserved death?
"Here," the girl said, pressing a small hand mirror in to Riliane's hand. She avoided eye contact by looking down. "He would've wanted you to have this."
Shocked, Riliane was unable to reply until long after the girl had already turned away. He would've wanted her to have this? That meant...that the girl knew? The girl knew it had been Allen up there, and had allowed him to be executed anyway?
New rage coursed through Riliane's blood as she looked around furiously for the red-haired girl. When she couldn't find her, Riliane sighed, realizing the situation was futile. Even if the girl had known, the whole thing was still her fault to begin with, and she couldn't blame anyone else for that.
Defeated, Riliane turned back to where Josephine was, only to find that the horse was gone. She panicked and looked around frantically for her beloved horse, but Josephine was nowhere to be found.
There was only one thing left to do. Riliane forced her eyes to stay open after the days of no food or real water, and took off into the forest. She wandered blindly for what seemed like hours, unsure of where she was or what direction she was heading.
Finally, seeing a port town in the near distance, Riliane collapsed, her muscles giving out and rendering her unable to even sit up. It was a horrible feeling - to be weak, but Riliane was too tired and hungry to care. She'd lived her entire life in comfort and luxury, and had never had to experience such a thing as true hunger before. And oh, it hurt. Her body ached from the lack of food or water. Her mind ached from the conflicting thoughts each trying to force their way to the surface, almost as if she had two consciences. Her heart hurt from the realization and guilt of killing those thousands of people, and of letting Allen die before her. How could she? Was she really that horrible a person that she would let her own twin die for crimes she'd committed? She was. Yes, she was. She deserved to die, not him. She did because she was terrible, spoiled, selfish, evil...
-0-
With this, Riliane's eyes finally closed and all she could see was black.