The now prisoner queen was lead to a cell with her eyes lowered to the ground. She heard the swinging of the doors opening, and then a rough shove on her back, as she fell into the cell with the sound of a door locking behind her.
Gabrielle didn't know what she should do. But as her father told her when you didn't know what you were suppose to do, you must pray. She placed her hands together and lowered her head, closing her eyes.
"Gods among the heavens, and above the stars. I may be queen, but I am but a coal compared to your glory. This plain dirty peace of coal beseeches your purity and wisdom to protect my children, family, and people. Let me die if the fates will it, but I beg the tapestry of fate be changed, so that those that I love may live."
"You are the last mortal in this world that the Gods would consider a pebble." Came a familiar motherly voice. Gabrielle gasped, and looked to her side to see Miss Goose in the cell next to her. She quickly scrambled to her feet and rushed over, pressing her herself against the bars separating her from the other woman.
"Oh, Miss Goose, praise the Gods you still live." The fae tried to give a weak smile, but it quickly faded. She shook her head.
"No, my queen. You should not be happy to see me, because I have failed you. I didn't protect you from Alisha. Now, you are here like like a rose among the thorns." Tears started to trickle down her face. "I can't help you know. Asura has cast a spell that blocks all magic in the castle, but hers. I am useless.
"No," protested the queen. "No one should not feel like you failed. What comforts me is that I am not alone now...before-" She froze, as her throat tightened.
"Before Alisha has you killed." finished the fae for her. Gabrielle looked down, answering the question without words. She felt a hand on hers and looked up to see her old friend staring at her through the bars.
"Gabrielle, I want you to know this. No matter what happens out there, no matter what Alisha says about you, you will not be forgotten. You have shown bravery and love that is fitting of a solider. No, matter what happens out there you will be remembered as the beloved Swan Queen...and even more. To me you will be remembered as the greatest Godchild I ever had no matter how long I live."
The prisoner queen couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She felt the fae's hand tighten around hers'.
"Do not cry, yet. Your fate is not yet sealed. Your death is one of many fates that may await you.
"But Asura..." She whispered.
"Asura is not loyal to Alisha or anyone. She belongs to neither good or evil. She is a chaos fae ;who is only on her own side. Gabrielle slowly raised her head, and Miss Goose used her fingers to wipe away the tears on her Goddaughter's face.
"And more importantly, no fae is above the Gods. And no God is above the Fates. I am not telling you what to expect, but have hope. Even if you die, Alisha is not going to get away with this. That I can promise you."
Gabrielle was about to say something when the sounds of heavy boots marching came toward their cells making both women look up and their hearts drop. One was wearing the heavy clothes of an executioner. The queen was frozen as the doors of her cell open and she was cuffed. She just stared blankly ahead. The door to Miss Goose's cell open, and she was similarly cuffed.
She felt herself jerked, as she was lead out of the cell with guards, and Miss Goose following behind her. The queen wasn't spared any dignity as she was pushed and prodded along the halls like a cattle. Jeers and laughs of the guards and servants followed in her wake. Gabrielle kept reminding herself that these were her friends. They were just under a spell. She should feel sorry for them, not herself, and pray the spell would be broken soon for them.
But tears couldn't help, but come trickling down her face.
Finally, she was lead out to the only area of the palace she had never been at.
The execution arena.
It was a half circle area with a stage with a guillotine, and was cut off from the rest of the outside by a tall wooden fence made of logs, and a giant, heavy gate.
Adrian had spared showing the soft hearted queen such a place, but she knew and heard of it. But there was one thing there that she knew Adrian didn't have in his usual executions.
A crowd. A large, jeering, and angry crowd of servants and courtiers from around the palace. She knew her husband was cruel, but he was not needlessly sadistic. He never used executions for entertainment. She heard the chants of the crowd; Vulture queen, whore, slut, bitch, and a numerous amount of fowl things.
But it barely reached her ears. Her entire focus was on the stage where the sharp blade of the guillotine was awaiting her head, and her family watching in horror. While tears still continued to run down her face, she now held her head up.
It was the smallest amount of dignity she allowed herself. She saw the smirking smile of Alisha as she was lead before her, with Asura at her side. The chaos fae was smiling herself.
She was lead before the imposter queen, and without prompt she bowed, clearly pleasing her, so called, mother-in-law.
"Now let us begin with the death of the Vulture Queen!" She probably announced throwing her hands up in the air. The spellbound crowd began to chant, more and more, and louder with each verse. Alisha looked as though the crowd was cheering for her return, and not because this was just a spell.
She motioned for the crowd to silence itself, and she returned her attention back to her victim.
"Now tell me who is the father of your children." Gabrielle paused, as the lie caught in her throat. Finally, she managed, but weakly.
"I don't know."
The crowd jeered again, as more names rang out. Gabrielle had to force herself to remember they were under a spell. But it got harder and harder to believe with the cruelty of their words. Then Alisha started to read out a list of noblemen, and even a few women, and asked Gabrielle if she had slept with any of them. She answered yes to every question, with the crowd condemning her with every answer. It was clear from Alisha's face that she was enjoying every drop of despair she could wring from the her.
Finally, Alisha seemed satisfied.
"Is everyone ready to see the Vulture queen lose her head!" The crowd responded with an enthusiastic shouts of yes'.
"Now, you will see your true queen restored to her rightful place." Howls and cheers came from the bewitched people. But Gabrielle could barely hear them as she was forced to walk toward the guillotine The blade almost looked like it was becoming sharper with every step.
Then before her head could be lowered...
the blade fell.
Gabrielle jumped back and looked up, to see an arrow had pierced the rope of the blade, and was now embedded in the wood. Gasping she, and the rest of the crowd looked up to see none other than the queen's guards on top of the walls, and among the ones holding the arrow was Kianda.
"Alisha!" The captain of the guards announced, as a banging on the gates was heard, something heavy was pounding against it.
"Under my authority as captain of the Queen's Guard, I place you under arrest for upsurging the throne and attempted murder of a the Queen." Before Alisha could reply, a loud bang was heard and then the chipping of wood pieces, and finally the loud crunch as a wooden ramming rod came through and pouring through came everyone from well dressed nobles too workers, peasants, and even those in the most tattered of robes.
The entire kingdom had come together to save their Swan Queen.
The started to charge the crowds, with chants to release the queen. Panic went over Alisha's face as she turned toward her fae accomplice.
"What are you waiting for put a spell over them." At this the chaos fae smirk.
"And why should I do that? Aren't you the true queen? Surely the public would love its queen, wouldn't it?"
"We had a deal!" She screeched as the peasants got closer. "You were suppose to help me take the throne back."
"And that I did. I got you out of the prison, but helping you out the whole way was never part of the deal. It is now your job to put the crowd to rest. After all you are queen, aren't you." Alisha glanced out to the fighting crowed as the citizen's supporting the Swan Queen came through the now barged open gate, overwhelming her own forces, and coming closer and closer to the stage.
"I can't stop them!"
"Hmm...why is that?" Asura thoughtfully rubbed her chin, calmly. Then she smiled, "Aw, I see because doing your reign you did nothing for them, but spend their tax money, and never showed any love toward them. While the "Vulture" queen has spent since the first day of her reign helping the people of the kingdom and earning their love. Why you may be the rightful queen by title, but the public has little care for that.
"Gabrielle earned the title of queen through her love towards her people while you only won it through deceit."
Alisha looked around, and gritted her teeth. "If I can't become queen I will still have my revenge!" With that she produced the Soul Blade that Asura had given her from underneath her cloak and charged toward the still cuffed prisoner queen. She turned the girl around, and with one vicious motion stabbed her in the heart.
She heard the screaming of her chained family, and then the crowd, as she watched her victim fall.
The swan had its wings clipped.
But the satisfaction of the victory did not last. The mob had now made their way to the stage. They went berserk in rage against the former queen and surrounded her, forcing her down and beating her out of grief and anger over their queen, while others surrounded the fallen Queen Gabrielle.
Alisha screamed in pain, as she was now at the mercy of the mob, who was showing no mercy in the attack on their precious Swan Queen, but suddenly a blast knocked them away. Alisha hastily sat up to see Asura walking toward her.
"You help me now?" She screamed at her.
"You still have to fulfill your half of the bargain, You owe me your heart." With a mad look, Alisha stretched her hands out.
"Take it, bitch!" With a smirk, Alisha shoot out tendrils toward the doomed woman's chest
that pierced her heart.
Alisha now realized that Asura was more literal about taking her heart than when she took her son's heart.
Even if she had killed Gabrielle Asura would have killed her. She was about to cry out one more declaration of defiance when the heart was ripped from her chest.
-
Asura smirked as she looked at the bloody human heart in her hands, shaking her head with amusement. She adjusted her sari with her free hand, and looked toward the corpse of the mortal.
"Humans, you never fail to amuse me."
With that and a laugh she vanished, so did her magic.
Gabrielle laid as she clutched her heart where it had been stabbed. Pain blocked out everything, even the words of crowd gathering around her. But a familiar figure pushed through the crowd, Miss Goose.
She was now free of her shackles, and bending over and placing her hands over the open wound, where a light blue glow surrounded it. Instantly, she felt the pain reside, but suddenly a look of fear spread across the fae's face.
"Oh, no...it was a Soul Dagger." The color drained from her Godmother's face.
"What...does that mean."
"It means, your majesty, that the dagger just didn't pierce your body. It pierced your spiritual heart. I can't save your life." With the pain gone, Gabrielle began to notice things around her, and saw Kianda above her. She began to work out what to do.
"Where are my children?" She weakly got out. Kianda got on her knees before her and squeezed her hand.
"They are safe and close by." Relief filled the dying girl's heart.
"And my husband?"
"He is on his way, your majesty, and should be along in around two hours." Gabrielle then looked up at the fae who was now crying.
"Miss Goose...can you keep me alive long enough for me to see my husband?" Stiffing a tear, she nodded.
"That is the least I can do...for the Swan Queen."
Gabrielle waited as her children came before her. Helios rushed to her side, followed by his sister at a slower pace. Fear lite his little face, as he saw his mother wounded.
"Mommy...you are hurt...but Miss Goose is going to heal you right." Gabrielle now had to tell her children that she was dying, and now they were going to have to watch their mother die. She had to be calm. She gently smiled, and took a hand to her son's cheek.
"Helios...I am not going to be around much longer. But I will be okay." At this Atropos rushed.
"You are dying. I can heal you." Gabrielle sadly shook her head.
"Honey, it is my soul that has been damaged not my body. I am sorry, but you can't." At this Atropos started to cry, the first time Gabrielle had ever seen her cry.
Her small fists pounded the stage.
"It is not fair! I was cursed with this power, but I can't use it save my own mommy. What was the point!" She cried, as she gave into despair.
"No, Atropos." Came the whisper of her mother. "The Gods gave the blessing to you for a reason. It might not be to heal me, but you can use it for good. Promise me, both of you, that you will grow up to be a good prince and princess."
"But how can we do it without you, Mommy!" Helios wailed. The mother weakly smiled.
"Because I will be with you. No, matter where you go, how far, or how close I will be with you. Whenever you are alone, feeling sad, or angry remember I am watching. And remember no matter what I am loving you both." Now the sounds of weeping didn't come from just the children, or the mother, but the whole crowd was now weeping over the fate of their beloved Swan Queen as news of her dying spirit spread across the crowd into the city.
She slowly raised her hands to take each of her crying children's hands into hers. She began to sing...slowly, but softly and beautifully as ever.
"There's a spot in my heart,
Which no colleen may own.
There's a depth in my soul,
Never sounded or known;
There's a place in my mem'ry,
My life, that you fill,
No other can take it,
No one ever will."
Her children's tears didn't stop at her words, but she could feel them easing into her.
"ure, I love the dear silver
That shines in your hair,
And the brow that's all furrowed,
And wrinkled with care.
I kiss the dear fingers,
So toil-worn for me,
Oh, Gods bless you and keep you,
Mother Machree.
Ev'ry sorrow or care
In the dear days gone by,
Was made bright by the light
Of the smile in your eye,
Like a candle that's set
In the window at night,
Your fond love has cheered me
And guided me right."
Her children, laid beside her, head on each of her breasts, as they closed their eyes and listened to their mother's final lullaby.
"Make way for the king!" A voice came through. Gabrielle opened her weakened eyes, but couldn't find the strength to raise her head, but her twins were able too. Her little son rushed toward his father.
"Mommy's dying!" He cried. "Daddy, you gotta save her." Instead of answering his son he turned his attention to Miss Goose.
"Why can't you heal her?" He demanded, as he marched over to where his wife lay dying. Miss Goose began to explain the situation. It was clear that Adrian was out of his element and unsure at what to do.
"There is nothing you can do." A pause was in the air.
"Actually...but-"
"But what?" Demanded the King. Miss Goose flinched at his harsh tone, and broke eye contact with him.
"Gabrielle has two hearts, and only one is damaged. But only one damaged heart is enough to kill her. Only a God can repair a damage heart. A powerful fae can remove the heart and place it in another like a corpse, or another human as Asura did. But I am not powerful enough to do such. If I put it in another being it would just come right back into her"
"But there is something you can do. Out with it, woman!" It was clear that Adrian was at his wit's end as his eyes darted frantically between his wife and the fae.
"I can move the heart into a living vessel...that is empty, but the damaged heart would eventually kill the person."
"In other words me." The silence answered the king's question. Adrian didn't say a word as he got down on the floor beside Gabrielle. She gasped and turned toward her husband.
"Adrian, no, you can't do this!"
"Queen Gabrielle, as your king and husband I use my authority to tell you to do as I say and listen. Look around you. You will see everyone from a beggar to a duke that came to rescue you. You brought the people together in a way no monarch ever has. I am just another general king. In the end the kingdom can replace the King of War, but not the Swan Queen." His eyes lowered.
Then he wiped the tears from his queen's cheek, and placed a kiss on her lips.
"Do it now!" He commanded the Fae.
A white glow came from Gabrielle's chest and out materialized a red glowing energy with a blackness in it; The damaged heart. Adrian's heart. Gabrielle felt the energy being restored in her body with the removal of the damaged piece, and the heart moved over her and then slowly descended into her husband's body.
Adrian gave out a hiss of pain and clutched his chest. Gabrielle sat up and moved to his side along with their children.
"Adrian! Adrian! Adrian!" She screamed, feeling panic and helpless. What had it been for to become a wife, a mother, a queen, only to lose one of the people she had come to love the most. If Adrian had never sought her he would still be alive.
It was all her fault.
"Adrian-" She held her dying husband to her breast.
"No, it will not end like this." She looked over to see the determined face of Atropos, as she came over to her father's side and placed her hand's over his chest.
"What are you doing?" Whispered her mother.
"Reversing the damage. Fixing his heart." A golden glow came from her father's chest as she said this.
"You can't!" protested Miss Goose "Only a God can heal a damaged heart"
Suddenly, a bright flash emerged from Adrian blinding the room for an entire moment.
When Gabrielle's eyes finally adjusted she felt her husband move, and sat as though he was no longer in pain. His ice blue eyes had an expression in them she had never seen.
"Impossible..." Whispered the Fae, "Only a God should be able to do that."
But Gabrielle wasn't listening as her husband turned to her, and took his hands into his.
"Gabrielle, I love you."