The good thing about the king's return was the renewal of the queen's free period while he attended court, something Santana could appreciate even with Samuel present. The downside was that he still felt the need to call on his wife during the night from time to time, even though Santana was told he had more than a few women willing to share his bed. Matthew said it was because he hoped to have more than one son, but wasn't as desperate as he had been. Santana was able to get over his visits, the idea of watching Brittany struggle through another birth was nerve wracking, but she vowed should that happen she would stay at her side.

Though as the season grew warmer it didn't happen and soon Archibald was back to his old ways of never venturing to his queen's section of the castle. Santana appreciated that greatly, but couldn't understand it for the life of her, especially since she knew if Brittany was hers to have when she pleased the idea of other women would be incredibly absurd.

Aside from the king's waning interest, the weather, and the prince's size, little else changed.

And that, oddly, was a pretty severe problem.

Shelby was never far since she had found a place as the king's personal servant and from time to time Santana did see her and Azimio in intense conversation, though she never bothered to guess what it was about. Archibald had somehow managed to maintain his truce with the South after imposing a set of rather strict laws meant to suppress another uprising. This resulted in Lord Schuester resigning his position as castellan and taking up arms with those in the South still incensed by the crown's past misdeeds and those that were pushed too far by the new laws. The title was given to Lord Motta instead, and Lord Schuester left the lands to find others to join his rebellion since the North and West remained hostile territory.

More importantly the council knew this.

They most of all had not changed, meaning that the king left every council meeting looking furious. His grey eyes transmitted his desire to take his anger out on Brittany, but instead he would stomp around with Matthew, Shelby and Karofsky at his heels, looking sulky.

To make matters worse, for Archibald anyway, it turned out the rest of the kingdom shared in the council's view, so even in court, more often than not, it was Brittany who was addressed. When the king would make an angry comment about it even the commoners would look at him with distaste and readdress their plea to him. It always meant they didn't get whatever it was they requested, but Santana felt that those who came knew that already and merely used the experience to tell others of his ineptitude.

However, even with Archibald's ever waning popularity and Shelby and Azimio's camaraderie, Santana remained calm. Instead of worrying over schemes and trying to figure out how the king planned to move she merely enjoyed the time she had with the queen and the prince in the garden.

The snow had melted away, but the leaves and flowers had yet to return, the season of rebirth was upon them and soon there would be blossoming plants all around. Brittany could hardly wait and her excitement made Santana eager as well, if only because she wanted to see that special smile that came over the other woman when she was surrounded by nature.

Until then Santana contentedly stood back and watched Brittany show her son around the barren area, pointing out where everything would be once the last of the cold slipped away.

"Do you think he understands?" Santana asked the queen softly as she brought the boy to the pond's edge.

Brittany smiled brightly at her, "I don't think he understands my exact words, but I think he knows my meaning."

She chuckled, "How can he?"

"I don't know, I suppose the same way I did when I first came here. Matthew talked a lot, but I didn't understand a word he said. At the same time I understood that he was telling me important things and that I should listen even if I didn't comprehend. I got his meanings more and more as time went on, as I am sure Samuel will."

"You misinterpreted his flower," she grumbled in fake irritation.

Partially fake.

"What flower?" the blonde asked, her brow knitting in confusion.

"The one he tried to name for you, and you thought it was a gift and kissed him for it."

Her confused expression did not lift, "That must have been some time ago. Did Matthew tell you that?"

"Yes."

"Oh, then it is probably true, though I don't remember it."

For some indefinable reason that made her feel better.

With a sigh she sat next to the queen, "It's probably for the best."

"Don't tell me that made you jealous," Brittany snorted, though her expression was light.

"No," and even Santana didn't believe her own answer.

"Well, madam, you hardly have a leg to stand on since Matthew informed me that you had a rather long fling with the blacksmith's apprentice."

If she had been drinking something at the time, now would have been the moment she spat it all out and choked. Lacking that, she merely sat with her mouth hanging open and blood rushing to her face making her feel like someone had lit it ablaze.

"I didn't- I mean, I did, but it wasn't like you'd think… Well, it was, but-"

"Glad you clarified that for me."

"It was before we were…"

"I know, it was before we were together."

"And it meant nothing."

"I assumed as much," she said lightly, letting Samuel play with her hands.

"Then why do you seem upset?" Santana asked lightly.

"I'm not, but whenever I think of you with someone else it makes me grumpy," Brittany pouted, as if the truth of it irritated even her.

"There was never a reason for you to be jealous of him," she said softly, "Besides, I was only using him to try and run from what I felt for you."

The admission was one she had never planned to make in her lifetime, but it was something she felt her lover needed to hear.

This time the queen's face held light amusement, "How exactly was he supposed to do that?"

"I don't know, I merely thought that if I was with him often enough I would stop feeling the way I did about you."

"Did you succeed for any portion of time?" she asked nonchalantly, though Santana knew her well enough to know she was more than a little interested in the answer.

"There were moments when I thought I had. Then I would see you again and realize how wrong I was."

Brittany seemed rather sated by the answer and held Samuel a little higher as he reached out for the still frozen water in the pond.

"His name is Noah, right? Though I am aware he prefers Puck."

Santana was a little surprised Brittany knew his real name, but then again they had both grown up in the castle, so it honestly wasn't that unusual.

"Yes."

Her eyes brightened with recognition, "I haven't seen him as much since I married Artie, but he was always kind to me whenever we saw each other as children."

"He is to me as well, even when I treated him as I did."

"After Matthew told me what was once between you I couldn't be truly angry at him, especially since he was the one who led me to you when Azimio had stolen you away. That and… I know that I hardly have room to be jealous of you and someone else," she said sadly, her eyes darkening before she looked out over the ice.

"It's different," Santana said quickly, "when it's someone you choose. I'm not envious of what you and the king have, because there is nothing to be envious of. I do wish I could be in his position, to be able to have you openly and have no one question us, but that has nothing to do with how I feel about the two of you."

Brittany smiled without turning from the pond, "I wish you could have me openly as well."

Santana considered expanding on the fantasies she'd had concerning that, but instead voiced the question that had been bouncing around in her mind, "How did the issue of Puck and I even come up?"

"Matthew asked me if I had seen you with any other servants; when he asked he managed to let it slip that he knew you were with someone and that he was surprised it wasn't Puck because of you two… having been so intimate."

"Why didn't you ask me about it, then?"

"I knew the person he suspected of having your affections was me and that I had nothing to be threatened by."

"But it still made you jealous," Santana said, eyebrow raised.

"Incredibly so," she admitted with a sigh, "which is why I said nothing."

"Sometimes I don't understand you at all," the smaller woman laughed, and even the queen smiled at that.

"Well, it makes sense to me," she huffed, though there was a playful glint in her eyes.

In that moment Santana desperately wanted to kiss her but was aware of their surroundings, so instead she gave her lover a tender smile as she looked into the eyes she wanted to never stop seeing. And as it turned out that was an incredibly wise decision, in the blink of an eye there was a presence behind them, one only announced by the telltale crunch of the sparse remaining patches of snow.

Turning, Santana looked up into the sunken, haunted eyes of Shelby and she felt her heart twist, but she didn't know why. Maybe it was guilt, or just the after effects of having almost being caught doing something inappropriate, either way the feeling made her scramble to her feet.

Brittany, less concerned with her arrival, stood and looked the woman over as if she could find some visual reason for the woman to be there.

"Yes?" the queen asked coolly.

"The king requests that you join him at the stables."

Santana and Brittany shot each other questioning glances, "The stables?" the queen asked.

"Yes, m'lady, the prince is to come, too," she said, and with that she turned to leave.

Curious as to what this was even about, the two of them left the garden and met with the king at the stables, but to their surprise it was not a simple affair. A royal carriage, one that was vastly different than the one she had ridden in with Brittany back before Samuel was born, was waiting there. It was larger, far more lavish, and surrounded by several armored guards on equally armored horses. Karofsky was at the front, adorned with the best and brightest armor that clearly marked him as the leader. When the king spotted them he went immediately to Brittany's side while Santana slipped to Matthew's.

"What is all this about?"

"The guards or the procession as a whole?" Matthew asked.

"Both."

"The king is not the most popular man at the moment, so he seeks to reconnect with his subjects by riding amongst them. However, as I said, he is not exactly popular at the moment, thus the guards."

Santana frowned at the explanation, it hardly seemed that, with all that had happened, the citizens outside the castle walls would be swayed by the sight of their ruler prancing around with his guards. Then again this was the man who felt he could win his queen's heart by taking her out into the woods before returning home to leave the pregnant woman alone for the winter season to clean the mess he had made all so he could go create another.

Actually, now that she thought about it the situation made a great deal of sense.

So instead of questioning it further she waited patiently to be told where to sit and planted herself opposite the king and queen in the carriage when Matthew signaled her to sit there. She was not unaware of the envious look Shelby gave her when she and Matthew were instructed to sit in the back to be kept out of sight. This particular carriage was clearly meant to display the royals since the servant's section was completely sealed save for a small hole which she was sure was meant to let in air.

Karofsky barked orders and soon they were on their way from the castle to the streets beyond. The couple before her sat silently, Archibald watching the passing scenery and Brittany looking over at her son. Admittedly that wasn't all she was looking at, but Santana wasn't going to draw attention to the fact. Instead she held Samuel so he too could look out the window, though the action hardly pleased him as it put him in the eye line of his father and that always made him gear up to cry.

Upon hearing him whimper the king scowled and he focused his attentions back out to the passing road, "I suppose that's my fault for leaving him with you so long," he grumbled.

"Perhaps it is your beard. It is rather… intimidating," Brittany said kindly.

Archibald stroked his hideous chin hair thoughtfully, "I suppose, it is rather daunting."

Santana was half tempted to laugh since she had apparently been the only one to detect how insincere the queen's statement was.

The king's thoughtful demeanor morphed into one of forced joy as the first of his subjects came into view. He waved jovially at them and Brittany leaned towards the opposite window and did the same. Something that quite quickly infuriated him and it wasn't hard to see why.

As the carriage passed, crowds did indeed form and cheer. On the side the queen was on. They waved, spoke words of adulation, gave shouted pleas for the battles to end and thanked her for their winter furs. Even Samuel was cheered for and wished good will. Archibald on the other hand seemed to be looking out into another world full of nothing but scowling faces and the occasional, partially hidden, rude gesture. Santana suspected they were people who had lost a loved one in all the fighting on one side or the other since all the territories had been one united land before, with families spreading out to the far corners of the kingdom, never suspecting they may have to fight each other.

They had hardly made it out of the inner circle of the city before the king slouched back, irritation etched on his face as he glared at his wife.

Santana knew behind those stony grey eyes were thoughts of such extreme cruelty and hate that it would make her sick to know them. Samuel seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because he began to cry loudly. She knew singing would calm him, but it was something that was deeply personal and meaningful between Brittany, Samuel and herself and she was not willing to let Archibald hear her song. As a result his cries turned to full on wails that bounced in the small space making everyone wince.

Brittany seemed to know the reason for her inaction and reached out for the screaming child, Santana easily handed him over, and as his mother hummed a soft tune his cries died down. She smiled at him and he smiled back as he always did, a small laugh coming from him when she tickled him lightly. The scene made the smaller woman smile and when the queen's eyes met hers they shared a quiet moment of happiness that excluded the king entirely. But of course that didn't last.

"You see, this is what I wish the people could see," Archibald spat, "Here you are, a supposedly intelligent leader yet you don't let servants care for the prince, and when you do it's your servant and she can't even calm the boy when he cries. It's a wonder I didn't come home to find the place in flames."

"She handles him quite well," Brittany said simply, as if she could not overlook the insult passed to Santana.

"She is your handmaid, she shouldn't handle him at all!" he snapped, "And neither should you! You are a queen for heaven's sake! What are you, too good for the traditions of our land? Did your people enjoy doing menial tasks when they had the means and the right to have others to do it for them?!"

"Raising a king is not a menial task."

Archibald looked like he would have smacked her clean out of the carriage had it been his right, instead he turned back to the window that still showed him scowling faces.

More so now that his shouting had made it out of the window.

Santana watched his jaw jump as he ground his teeth and she could practically feel the hate roll off him in waves. The king's continued frustration was still satisfying to see, but she knew it would stop eventually, no delusion could help her picture Archibald clawing helplessly at them forever.

It took eight days for Santana to find out how right she had been.

On the morning of that day she woke in Brittany's arms and had kissed her lovingly before going to her morning meal.

The first sign that something was wrong should have been Matthew's absence. But since it wasn't unusual to find him missing from a meal she thought nothing of it.

After eating, she returned to Brittany and, with the aid of other servants, had her and the prince ready to greet the king.

At that time she became aware something was wrong, because the now beardless king was not with his normal entourage. He was with Matthew, Shelby and Azimio. Matthew looked about as alarmed as she felt, Azimio seemed smug, and Shelby, as always, kept her eyes on Samuel.

Not understanding the meaning behind the new arrangement she merely followed her queen, Samuel secure in her arms, until they reached the royal dining hall and Samuel was passed to his mother. The meal went by with no further changes and when it was over Santana was more than a little pleased to escape Azimio's lingering gaze, however, that was not what the king had in mind.

"My lady," he called softly as Brittany stood to leave, and she turned to him inquisitively. "Your presence is requested in court today."

Santana did not like the way he said it, like he knew something that would make them both flee if they knew as well. The queen seemed to sense it also, but nodded her compliance anyway and everyone exited the dining hall.

The walk to the council room had never felt so long and ominous as it did at that moment, especially with Azimio walking right behind their group the entire time.

When they finally entered the room it became quite evident that the council members had not expected the crowd they had received. Once the surprised chatter died down Jowls shuffled in his seat to get a good look at the new arrivals.

"What is the meaning of this?" the old man asked with a long suffering sigh.

"Of what?" the king asked innocently.

"Archibald, do not play us for idiots! We have important matters to discuss, so please explain why you have brought so many with you, when only you are needed."

"My lords, Matthew is always with me, and Azimio is my new personal guard," he said calmly as he walked around the two men in question.

Santana looked at Matthew to try and get a hint as to what it was about, but the man seemed as lost as the councilmen.

Moving to Shelby's side the king went on, "This wench is to watch over the prince since my queen's servant will no longer be able to."

Brittany's eyes sharpened at those words and she looked like she might speak out, but remained silent.

"And why do you feel the need to inform us of this?" Jowls asked slowly, looking like he was at the end of his patience.

"Because, gentlemen, my lovely wife has decided to commit treason and as such I fully intend for the council to have her thrown in the dungeon immediately with her wretched servant. I have made sure to have someone nearby to care for my son in the absence of his mother or his surrogate. This woman seems to prefer caring for him than tending to me and honestly with this face I prefer it that way as well, so I have given the wench her desired post."

It wasn't only Jowls who seemed completely irate with his rambling. "What are you blathering on about?" a man at the far right asked, his anger having reached its limit.

"I am speaking of adultery!" the king shouted back, "My queen has been carrying on an illicit affair with her lady in waiting!"

Santana felt her heart skip several beats before it suddenly started beating far too fast.

The room was silent for a long time before anyone made a sound, and when someone did it was a heavy yawn.

"And do you have any proof?" Jowls asked, looking bored.

Archibald seemed taken aback by the disinterest the council was showing, but quickly pulled himself together as he shoved Shelby forward.

"This woman saw them together in the gardens," he announced.

Jowls looked over at her, "Is this true?"

"I did, m'lord, they were kissing each other on the mouth, by the pond, in the gardens."

Santana's face twisted in confusion, because she hadn't touched Brittany in any inappropriate way in the gardens since Azimio started lurking around. Then she wondered if it had been him, if Azimio had seen something he ought not have and relayed the message to Shelby. However, that made less than no sense since he could have told the king himself…

A man at the far back shrugged slightly, "My wife kisses our dog more in one day than she has ever kissed me in my life, should I accuse her of bestiality?" he chuckled.

Shelby looked as worried as the king over their disbelief, "I also saw them naked together in bed doing things only reserved for a man and his wife."

"With what?" Lord Jacob snorted, "Are you also suggesting the young lady grew a cock?"

"N-no, I-" she stuttered, her story faltering.

"My lords, it hardly matters how it happened," Archibald interrupted, "the point is that it did, and she wasn't the only one who witnessed it. Azimio saw them naked atop each other in the stables."

Azimio nodded his thick head in agreement with the statement, but made no move to give an actual testimony.

Santana's confusion tripled, because never in all their trysts had she and Brittany ever so much as kissed in the stables.

Then it clicked.

Then the sordid random tales made sense.

They were fabricated, every one was false. It was suddenly violently plain what was happening; Shelby wanted to care for Samuel, Azimio needed something to endear him to the king, and the king needed something that could knock the queen from her secure position. Everyone got what they wanted in the deal, which meant that she and Brittany were in the worst possible danger.

They had conspired to make up a story that just so happened to be true.

When she looked to Brittany and saw her expression was completely blank she knew that the queen had worked this out as well. And given how calm she seemed Santana also knew that she had expected this outcome.

Jowls looked over the people before him and sighed again, "I cannot condemn the queen based on the vague story of those who clearly serve you."

Archibald's face went hard and his grey eyes held a tempest, "What you cannot do is ignore the testimony of two witnesses of my wife's infidelity!"

"Sire," Lord Jacob ventured, "We can if what you are requesting is your wife's death or incarceration. If we were inclined to execute her, which we are not by the way, the impact of such actions could quite negatively sway the solid truce your father has built with the natives overseas."

"My wife defiles our wedding bed and you are willing to let it slide because you fear what her worthless father might think? The man is king of nothing! And if it worries you so the son you constantly insisted I have means that there is no breach of trusts, his family line is secure."

"Unless the queen wishes to confess to her crime I am afraid I cannot allow you to harm her," Jowls said.

"And am I just to allow her to continue flaunting her body to every slave that passes through these ports?! She should be punished!"

"And what of your infidelity?" Lord Jacob asked coolly.

"There is no proof of any such thing," he grumbled.

At those words Santana's eyes found Matthew's again and she saw a look she knew all too well. Of course he could attest to the king's many affairs and probably had a numbered list of every woman he had taken out of wedlock, but he was afraid of what it would mean and it was written all over his face. She knew that she was seeing how she must have looked to Tina when she found her with the king in the stables, the shame and pain of watching someone be hurt while having the power to stop it, if even for a moment. Knowing that feeling, she couldn't even be upset when he looked away from her without saying a word.

Santana watched the back and forth between the king and the council with bated breath, feeling a wonderful lightness in her chest at the fact that they were unwilling to put any credence in the king's claims. Cautiously she looked to see if Brittany's face had lightened at all, but unfortunately her lover's expression was graver than ever, and she understood why a heartbeat before it happened.

The king took a bold step forward and pointed in her direction, "If you will not allow me the proper retaliation that I am owed then you must at the least give me her servant. This cannot stand! It is treason and I have brought forth witnesses of the act! By your own law there must be repercussions and I will not allow-"

"Yes, yes, we hear you," Jowls interrupted before turning to Brittany, "My lady, I am sorry, but he is correct. With these accusations we cannot leave him without recourse. I can assure you I have many capable servants in my employ and would be more than happy to replace this one."

Brittany didn't respond, she merely looked from Artie to Jowls with a calm expression. Santana felt chills run up and down her spine as she realized she was being sentenced to death for a crime no one actually believed she had committed.

A large hand clamped down on her shoulder and she saw that Azimio had manage to slip up behind her, he held her in place as if there was somewhere she could run if she wanted to, but she didn't want to. There was nowhere she wanted to go if Brittany wasn't there.

Shelby took the opportunity to take Samuel from her and the child looked back at her with his eyes wide as if he couldn't possibly understand why he was being let go. Brittany saw the exchange and for the first time Santana saw a deep sadness cross her features, she knew this was hard for the other woman to see, but she wanted to convey that it was alright. That she had never honestly expected to die a natural death, that she was at peace with it all.

The queen took a deep breath and turned to address the council, "My lords, I thank you for your confidence in me, and please believe me when I say your faith in my integrity makes me so very happy, however, it is misplaced. Because it is as they say. I have been carrying on an illicit affair with my lady in waiting, for quite some time in fact."

The room fell deathly silent, even Azimio, Shelby and Archibald looked stunned by her confession.

But Santana wasn't, she once again saw what was happening and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She couldn't stop Brittany from condemning herself to the same fate, because the queen couldn't keep the council from killing her lover. The thought broke Santana's heart in so many ways, because she knew how badly she wanted to live and take care of Samuel, to make sure the baby's kind heart wasn't corrupted by his father. Because she was the one who had sold Brittany the story of them reaching a ripe, old age, but only now was she seeing what she was sure the queen had seen all along; that there could never be a happy end to their tale.

"H-highness, are you aware of what you are saying?" Jowls asked, looking stunned.

"Yes, I am admitting to acts of sex with a woman outside my husband's knowledge."

"Bu- you- why?" he finally asked.

"Why confess? Or are you asking why I did it? I will tell you that I confessed to clear my conscious as you had all put so much stock in my honor, and I did it at all because my husband is rather lacking in that area. Santana is far better at pleasing a woman."

At this Archibald's face went brick red and a murderous look came over his face, Jowls gaped at her, his face a mask of pure shock and Lord Jacob looked exponentially more interested in the conversation.

"And you aren't confessing this under some sort of duress?" Jowls asked.

He was offering her a way out, because he knew that if she stuck with her story it would mean she would be subject to the king's wrath, but Santana already understood that she was not going to back down.

Knowing all that, she realized that everything that was happening was irrelevant. No matter what was said from that moment on, her fate was sealed, there was no way out. Azimio and Shelby had won and Brittany was in the process of handing the king total victory. Nothing that was happening mattered, because regardless of the outcome she was going to die.

The notion didn't scare her like it always had in the past, she could see everything with the clarity of someone who had nothing to lose.

So when Brittany made another jab at Archibald's manhood, one Santana hadn't heard yet must have been good, because it made Jowls blanch, she could easily see the anger overflow in the king's eyes. She knew, council or not, he was going to strike his wife as hard as he could, and as a woman condemned she had no trouble knowing what she was going to do about it.

In the heated exchange Azimio's grip had loosened making it an easy task to slip away from him, and in the process she managed to yank his dirk out of its sheath. The knife was heavier than she had anticipated, but it didn't slow her down enough to be caught by the angry guard's desperate grasp. And Archibald's single-minded determination to advance on Brittany meant that he didn't see her dashing for him until the blade had already slipped into his side.

The room exploded into sound as the king screamed, the council leapt to their feet and Azimio roared after her. That told her she had little time to do what she would, the blade had pierced through to his stomach at an angle and she could tell that it was too shallow a wound to kill him on its own, so she pulled the knife out and swung again for his neck, but before the blade could reach his throat the large guard hauled her off her feet and threw her bodily across the room.

He threw her as easily as he would a rag doll and she hit the wall hard before crumpling to the floor. Like the last time Azimio had gotten his hands on her everything got quiet except for specific sounds such as Brittany shouting her name and baby Samuel's cries. She couldn't quite recall why she was on the floor or why her head hurt so much, but Brittany was shouting her name and all she knew was that she needed to stand and show she was okay. With a pained groan, she mustered her strength and stood only to find herself yanked off her feet and dragged away, out of the council room, through the royal hall and to the servants winding stairwells. From the inhuman grip she could tell it was Azimio that had her, she considered struggling, but decided that there was no point.

Soon she was in a part of the castle that not even she recognized, but she gathered from the way she was being dragged down endless flights of stairs that it was the dungeons. When she found she was right she wasn't exactly surprised, but she was when she spotted Karofsky sitting at the opening of the hall that held the cells. She had assumed he would have resumed his old role of understeward, but apparently Azimio had negotiated something else for the man that had taken his position.

"Open a cell," he demanded without so much as a greeting to the other man.

Karofsky looked at her with alarm and confusion before scrambling to do as he was told and once the rusty door was opened she was thrown in the cell with all the care that he had used to chuck her against the wall.

This time she tasted blood when her face connected with the floor and she glared in the direction she suspected he was in. Since she still couldn't see straight she could only assume he had seen it when she heard his footsteps march off.

"Let her speak to no one," Azimio ordered as he marched away.

Bruised and bloodied, she crawled into a corner and curled into herself, forcing her eyes to close and her body to relax. She couldn't quite remember what had just happened, but she knew it was bad, she was in trouble and whatever it was had made Brittany scream her name… but no matter how she tried she couldn't think why.

Instead of pushing the issue she let herself drift to sleep, because maybe then everything would make sense.

When Santana woke much later there was a brief moment where she thought she dreamt everything that had happened during the day, but a splitting headache and a cold, unforgiving stone floor told her otherwise before her eyes had even focused.

Sitting up, she looked over herself and saw that she was covered in dried blood, a lump on her head and the cut on her lip told her not all of it was the king's. She tried to get up, but her head swam and she wobbled a bit before collapsing on the floor.

"You shouldn't attempt to stand," said a soft voice just outside her cell.

Startled, she squinted into the darkness only able to just make out the outline of Matthew's form, "Am I going mad or are you really here?" she asked, because why would Karofsky allow anyone near her?

"I am here," he said turning in the chair she could now see he was reclined in.

"Why?"

He hung his head before rubbing his brow, "Because they are currently holding a trial for the queen and it is something I cannot bear to watch."

Brittany.

She had forgotten that Brittany had thrown herself into the middle of this. She felt her heart race and it made her dizzy once more.

"She won't be harmed, will she?" Santana asked, her words thick with fear.

"If she continues to profess that you two were lovers then she will suffer the same fate as you."

"Which is?"

He rubbed his head again, "Beheading."

The stark finality of the word stole her air, "Oh," she said, not knowing what else to say.

There was a suffocating silence between them for a long while before he looked up to her and asked, "Is it true? I mean really true?"

"That we are lovers? Yes."

A sardonic chuckle escaped him, "All my knowledge and somehow I didn't see that. Now, looking back, it is rather obvious."

"I suppose," she answered absently, more concerned with what was happening with Brittany than anything.

"I thought you a more cautious woman than this," he sighed, his voice suddenly breaking a little.

Surprised by the unexpected emotion, she responded quickly and truthfully, "I love her."

"What does that have to do with anything, Santana?!" he snapped and she jumped at the sound even more shocked by his apparent anger than the question, "You can love her without endangering your life to bed her!"

"I tried that path. I didn't fare so well," she said sadly, looking to the floor, because the pain in his eyes reminded her too much of the very real consequences she was to face. More importantly of what Brittany would face.

Hope was held within her that the queen would see reason, that she would think of Samuel and accept the council's offer for leniency, that she would let Santana face her fate on her own. She wished it while knowing how unlikely it was.

Matthew stood, the force of the action knocking his chair to the floor, as he began to pace frantically.

"I cannot believe you would do something so foolish! And in plain sight!"

"We were never in plain sight, they made up what they saw... this would have happened whether I had bedded her or not," Santana said softly, looking down at the grime covered floor, wishing she could hold Brittany again.

Here, faced with imminent demise, she wanted to see her queen; to see Samuel. Separated from all those things she now realized how much they meant to her, she isn't surprised that she ached to be with her lover, it did surprise her, however, to know that her heart yearned for Samuel, for his laugh and unconditional love.

She idly realized Matthew was still talking.

Looking up to him, she raised her eyebrows lazily; suddenly she was so tired, so broken and bone weary, because this was the end of her journey.

"Are you listening to me? There is nothing I can do for you!"

Her head ached from his shouting and all of the abuse it had suffered, with a scowl she prepared to ask when she had ever asked him to help her, then she saw he still had that look. The same one from before that bespoke inner turmoil and grief, because there was something he could do, and since it could very well not work or cost him his life, he was afraid to do it.

"I don't want you to do anything, Matthew," she said wearily, her words coming slowly as she slumped back to the hard floor, eager for sleep to take her from all that troubled her. "Be safe, keep your course and help others like you helped me."

Having absolved him of all responsibility, she allowed herself to sleep again.

She had no idea how much time had passed when her eyes opened again, the dungeon lacked windows, or even notable amounts of light so when there was a loud banging noise she sat up suddenly, disoriented and afraid. Quickly she looked around for Matthew, but found he and his chair were gone. Sitting up, she winced as her body protested having been laid down on the stone floor for so long.

From down the hall she could hear grunts and muttered curses, she was ready to lie back down since the comings and goings of the jailer were of no concern to her, until a familiar voice reached her ears.

It was hardly more than a sigh, but it was loud enough to reach Santana's ears and she knew right away it was Brittany. Suddenly she was wide awake and she moved as close to her cell door as she could manage to try and catch a glimpse of her, but the other end of the hall was too far out of sight.

"Keep dem separated, king's orders."

The voice had been Azimio and she could only assume Brittany had been handed off to Karofsky. There was the clanking of chains and a yelp of pain from Brittany before heavy footfalls signaled someone's departure.

The silence that fell afterwards was deafening, Santana considered calling out to her, but knew if Brittany was indeed there she would respond and Karofsky would probably smack her for it. Still she fought with the idea that this may well be the last chance she had to hear her voice. Before she could come to a decision heavy footfalls, accompanied by the clamor of chains, started once more, curiously though they came closer instead of farther away. And then with no warning Brittany was before her, Karofsky holding her gently by the arm. Their eyes locked and an endless stream of confessions, apologies and adulations were silently exchanged, because words couldn't even begin to scratch the surface of what needed to be said. Once more Santana attempted to get to her feet and, even though she had slept for what felt like a fortnight, stumbled back onto the floor, landing painfully.

"Santana!" Brittany cried out as she struggled to be free of her bonds.

Karofsky forced her to hold still, but not with the spiteful slap Santana would have expected, he was completely calm as he unlocked her shackles and then proceeded to unlock the door.

He moved his hand to guide her inside, but that proved wholly unnecessary when Brittany dashed in and scooped Santana into her arms, holding her tightly. Santana returned the embrace, but kept her eyes on Karofsky as he closed the cell door again, his eyes carefully avoiding hers.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but why?" she couldn't keep herself from asking.

Even when he answered he did not meet her gaze, "I have favor to repay," he said quietly in his thick rumbling accent, and with that he walked away.

Frowning, she tried to remember a single time she had ever done him a favor, her memory came up blank until she remembered their conversation one morning before the queen's room. It hadn't been a favor by any means, but it was something that meant enough to him to grant her this precious moment. So instead of worrying over it further she turned her face into the soft skin of Brittany's neck and held her for all she was worth.

"I thought I would never see you again," Santana whispered softly.

"I thought the same," her voice was small and weak and her body trembled violently in the smaller woman's strong grasp.

"I love you, mi reina," she said, because she knew these were her last moments to say it.

A small chuckle left her, "And I love you, though I am no one's queen any longer."

"You will always be my queen."

Brittany didn't respond right away, but the hug she was given did get tighter, her body ached from the force of it, but she wouldn't dare ask her to stop. Gathering her strength, Santana managed to sit up and properly face the woman she loved so dearly, those blue eyes held barely contained tears and when she leaned forward to kiss her they finally fell.

Leaning back, Santana smiled sadly, "You knew this would happen, from long ago."

She nodded, wiping determinedly at her face, "I did," she sobbed.

"Why did you give yourself over to them?" Santana asked, trying not to sound as exasperated as she felt, "You could have escaped with your life, the council was on your side."

"I don't want a life that is bought with your death."

"Even for Samuel? I know how you love him and wish to raise him, couldn't you have done it for him?" she pleaded wondering if Brittany changed her mind if it would be possible for the council to reverse their decision.

"I can stand tall through many things, but watching you be executed is not one. The me who could watch that happen and still breathe is not who I would want to raise my son, in that regard even Shelby is better."

"Was it always your plan to come with me?"

With another swift nod she wiped at more tears, Santana reached over and took her hands away and stroked her cheek gently. There was no use in her fighting the tears and she really wanted to touch Brittany as much as she could.

"I never saw a way out for me that didn't include you dying, so yes. That's why…" she paused, a pained look overcoming her as a shuddering sob wracked her body, "That's why I wanted to send you away so badly, because it was the only way for you to escape, but I was so selfish I kept you here."

With the admission a fresh wave of tears ran down her face, Santana gave a genuine smile as she leaned forward and kissed her several times to calm her.

"I meant it when I said you couldn't have made me leave, I hoped for the future I spoke of, but I have always known in some way this would be my end whether I loved you or not. I'm glad that at the least I am not to be sent off to die thinking of what could have been between us."

"I'm sorry," Brittany whimpered as she pulled Santana close, and hid her face in the smaller woman's bloody shirt, "I failed you so badly. I should have sent you away no matter what. I knew he would have harmed you regardless of the state things were in when he returned. I knew it, but I let myself believe we could make it through. A knight should know better," she sobbed again and Santana could feel her hot tears drenching her blood stained shirt once more, "I'm so, so sorry."

Feeling the grief pouring from her, Santana knew this was going to be her last chance to do the thing she had promised herself she would. Even though she was scared herself, she was going to have to be strong enough to carry both their burdens. This time she would be the knight for her queen and this time she would not fail.

Tilting Brittany's head up to meet her eyes she wiped her face clean of blood and tears, "Don't cry, you have been the best ruler the kingdom has ever seen. I admire everything about you, because you kept your heart in the midst of this cruelty and made everyone else remember theirs. Don't you dare regret my fate, because if I had the choice to do everything differently I would choose to love you over and over again."

Brittany curled up closer to her, "Is it okay for a knight to admit she's scared?"

Brushing her hair from her face, Santana smiled at her, "Yes, and you are still so very brave."

Her aching body protested once again as her queen held her tighter, "Then I would like to amend that and say that I am terrified."

"And that is okay as well," she replied, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

In the cell time didn't pass normally, or at least Santana couldn't tell if it did or not. It could have been an evening or a moon's turn since there was no window to the world outside. Karofsky would come and go, occasionally sliding meals through the bars, though she wasn't sure how many they were being given a day so she couldn't even use it to gauge the passage of time.

All she did was sit and comfort Brittany, they talked little, but when they did Santana assured her that no matter what happened they would be together.

Even at the end.

An end she dreaded more than anything now that it involved more than just herself, but she held strong and kept back the tears she wanted to shed. She wanted to cry for her life, for Brittany's, for Samuel and the life he would lead with no one but Shelby and Archibald to show the way. There were so many things she regretted in her life, though few of those things were under her control and none of them involved Brittany. In the end no matter how she wanted to scream and wail over her jaded past and bleak, short future she merely held her lover tight and reassured her.

It even gave her a sense of pride to hold Brittany as the other woman wept openly in her arms, she was being the knight she had always promised to be, and with every passing heartbeat her resolve not to break strengthened.

A fact that kept her from breaking down when Karofsky appeared before them without food, but shackles in his hand. She knew what it meant before he even said a word.

"It is time," Karofsky said quietly as he opened the cell.

He stepped in to place the bindings on the queen's hands and when he moved to her she whispered softly, "If you can, take her first."

The large man stilled at the request, though he nodded a moment later as he lifted them both to follow him out where she saw several guards waiting to escort them out. One stepped forward, yanking her roughly from Karofsky's grasp, however, when another attempted to take Brittany from his custody he just glared the man back into his place.

They left the dungeons to be lead up the endless stairs and out into the blinding light of day, where, in the distance, Santana could hear an uproar coming from the main courtyard. The sound prompted Brittany to look back at her, fear all over her face, and Santana held her gaze sending her love, because it was all she could offer.

Luckily when they were actually brought to the courtyard the blonde's eyes had returned forward, because even Santana's mask of calm broke at the re-erected executioner's block surrounded by, what looked like, every citizen in the castle and the town beyond. The wealthy and poor alike were crowded together to see what would become of their queen, some seemed enraged while most looked excited or even glad and she could only guess what the king had told them about what happened. The entirety of the castle's fighting force was needed to keep the subjects in line as every person wanted to scramble for a better position.

Looking higher up she saw Archibald sitting in the shaded area by the execution block slumped in his chair while glaring hotly towards them. He looked pale and ill and Santana was glad of it, her wound hadn't managed to kill him, but if it took some of his joy from killing his wife then it was completely worth the trouble. To his right sat baby Samuel who, despite Shelby's best efforts, was crying at the top of his lungs, she was sure because his mouth was open all the way and his feet were kicking in that way they did when he was running out of air. She was more than a little glad the crowd below was so loud they drowned out the actual sound of his cries, because they would have broken Brittany's heart all over again. To the left of the king stood Matthew, his head bowed, it seemed to Santana as if he couldn't bear to look at them any longer, like it was far too painful to even consider.

Then, on the block, there was Azimio.

He stood with a black hood and a long handled axe that gleamed menacingly, she could see nothing of him but his eyes, yet she still knew he couldn't have been happier to be the one to bring them death.

On the wall overlooking the castle grounds stood Puck, his eyes somber, though he didn't look away. He seemed to know there was nothing he could do, yet every muscle in his body was tense as if he were one step away from trying anyway. Santana sent him a placating look to try to get through to him that there was truly nothing to be gained from the effort, he would only die with them. She wasn't sure if he got the message, but he did turn around to look out over the vast plains behind him.

It was then she noticed he was standing next to two crosses that she was quite sure hadn't been there before. For a moment she wondered what purpose they could serve until she glanced back at the king's wicked glare and understood that he had no intention of letting his revenge end in their demise, he intended to display them for all to see for some time afterwards.

The sight made her shudder and she genuinely hoped that for once Brittany wouldn't be able to figure something out. A sharp pain shot through her arm when the guard holding her yanked her forward and dragged her next to Karofsky and Brittany who stood waiting along the stairway that would take them to Azimio's blade.

Brittany's eyes found hers, they were still wide and panicked and she could tell the blonde was quite close to crying again.

Since they were already sentenced to death Santana saw no reason to restrain herself so she reached out and held the frightened blue gaze with steady eyes, because her queen needed it. She needed Santana to be strong for once and she would be, even though everything inside her was screaming.

"Don't look at him, don't look at anyone but me. Remember that I love you, mi reina, and even death won't stop it from being true," she said in a rush and kissed her briefly before the guard holding her yanked her back making a sound of disgust.

Karofsky merely stood as if he had not heard the whole exchange, even though a few in the crowd had seen the kiss and exploded into even more indistinguishable sound.

Whatever their feelings on the display Santana was content to have shared her first public kiss with her lover. Her feeling of accomplishment was dashed, however, when the king weakly waved for them to be brought forward.

The guard holding Santana moved, but Karofsky used that daunting glare again, making the man still instantly, and guided Brittany in front of him. Santana felt her insides squirm as the consequences of her actions were being realized, she had asked him to take her first because she knew it was all she could offer her queen. The only gift she could give in this mess that had been made was to keep Brittany from having to watch her die, Santana would take that burden even though it was making her nauseous to see the blonde get closer and closer to Azimio who was almost aquiver with anticipation.

The crowd's cheers became louder and Brittany seemed more distraught than ever, but she remembered to focus on the only face that was calm. Santana held her gaze and smiled at her lovingly. When the king motioned for silence, which he only partially received, and asked Brittany for her final words she said nothing, she didn't even look his way, she merely kept her focus on the woman who held her heart.

Archibald scoffed at her indifference and waved his hand dismissively for Azimio to get on with it. Karofsky gently guided her to kneel and Santana watched with steady, dry eyes, noting how even with the grime of the dungeon coating her dress and fear apparent on her face she looked the most beautiful she ever had. Her hair practically glowed in the sunlight and her eyes were a shade of blue that would have made the ocean jealous.

And it hit Santana that this must be what it's like to watch a star die, to watch it burn brightest before it goes out.

Once she was made to kneel before the block, her neck on display for the thirsty blade Santana saw that she was still holding back her tears. Something Santana was having to do as well, with all her might, their eyes remained locked as Azimio aligned the axe with her neck and as he reared back Santana could only say 'I love you, mi reina'. Words mouthed into silence, but they were heard, she could see in the way those blue eyes calmed that she heard.

Then the axe fell.

The sound of her death was lost under the cheers of the crowd and, as much as Santana despised them for their easily swayed loyalty, she was glad for it. Closing her eyes she allowed the tears she had been holding back to fall, because there was no one to be brave for, there was no one to help.

When she finally opened her eyes again the world didn't seem so bright and noises didn't reach her ears right, it seemed easier to hear the thrumming of her heart in her own ears than anything that was being shouted to her from below.

She didn't watch as Puck removed Brittany's body from the block, as a matter of fact she kept her eyes firmly on the ground as the guard that held her yanked her forward and to her final destination. Her eyes only lifted when the muted voice of the king reached her ears.

"Any final words?" he asked, as if he not only didn't care, but hadn't even wanted to ask in the first place.

His grey eyes were hard and hateful, and obviously Samuel's continued cries were testing his patience. Looking him over, she allowed herself to sneer, because there was nothing he could do to hurt her any longer, in giving her death he had given her freedom. Although she could let her last words be poisonous hate towards him and his kingdom she didn't bother, standing before him she felt he wasn't worth it, all she had ever wanted to say to him had already been said by the blade she had shoved through his side.

A strong breeze blew over the courtyard and she turned her face into it, an unfortunate action since it lead her to see Puck still tying Brittany's lifeless body to the cross upon the wall. His face was covered in tears he wasn't even trying to hide and when their eyes met his dropped almost immediately as more fell. She realized that this just so happened to be the view she had been afforded on her fist night at the castle, in fact it had been on this very structure, something she would have found amusing if it wasn't so cruel.

The king repeated his question as if she hadn't heard, she didn't acknowledge him though this time it wasn't just because she didn't care to; in the distance she saw horsemen, a cavalry unit from the look of them. Her position allowed her to see several banners, but she only recognized one. It was the white and black of the West.

She almost laughed at their egregious timing but didn't, because since the entirety of castle Abrams military force was overseeing the king's safety and controlling the crowd none of them had seen, there were no guards in the tall watchtower to sound the alarm. It did not escape her understanding that were she to point it out she could very well have her execution postponed to give her a chance at escape or possibly even be rescued if the mounted riders were also superb fighters, but that was the last thing she would ever want. Not now, not with Brittany gone from the world.

Puck's attentions were drawn to the distant movement as well, he looked from them to Santana and instantly understood, he turned away positioning himself to block the view from the king who could have easily seen them too if he had bothered to turn his head.

On the other hand Matthew had noticed, his body was tense and alert as he watched the hordes of horses come over the ridge and dip out of view into the valley below. He moved closer to the king, ready to alert him to the danger, but Santana couldn't have that.

The guard that had taken hold of her was trying to push her to kneel when she stood straight, deciding now she knew what her last words would be.

"Memento vitae."

The king frowned at her as if she had lost her mind, but Matthew paused, because Santana was looking directly at him. Her words were meant for no one but him and he knew it, he knew what she meant.

When his hands fell to his side and he gave a fleeting glance past Puck to the last of the cavalry as they vanished into the hidden crevices of the land, she knew he had received her message.

It was with true contentment that she knelt before Azimio.

The screams of the crowd and the thick smell and feel of blood washed away as she placed her head on the block and closed her eyes. Because in her mind she wasn't before the king waiting for his hateful guard to end her life.

She was in the observatory warm and safe, across from Brittany, the look of sunlight on golden curls, reflecting the color to her face and lighting the curves of her body.

She was running her fingers through her lover's soft hair and earning the smile that would always stay in her memory.

When the axe fell Santana's face held an expression of true contentment.

A/N: Trust my tiny paw and stay with me, I know how it looks. Just hold on tight, I can lead you out of the dark forest.