Page 136 of A Kingdom's Heart
And today, I would die.
CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN
IRIS
The light poured through my window, soft and golden, but it felt cruel. I had not slept, not even for a heartbeat. My body ached, my eyes burned, and my heart felt like it was being torn apart with every passing second.
I had changed hours ago into a simple white gown covered in small, pink embroidered flowers. My hair was pinned back with a white headband, though my hands had trembled as I put it on. The mirror reflected nothing but red, swollen eyes and a pale, hollow face.
William would die today.
The thought struck me again and again until I could barely breathe. I moved toward the balcony, my legs weak, my hands gripping the frame for balance. The morning air was cool and heavy.
And then I saw it.
The courtyard below was already filled with people. Guards. Servants. Townsfolk gathered by the gates. In the center stood a tall wooden post, and upon it, a wheel. The sight made my stomach twist. My breath caught, a sound escaping my throat before I could stop it.
They were preparing his execution.
A public one.
“No,” I whispered. My hands clutched the railing, my knuckles white. “No, no, no.”
I turned toward the door. Still locked. The guards had sealed it last night. I hit it once, twice, but it didn’t move. My mind raced. I needed to get out. I needed to reach him before they did. God, I couldn’t let him die. I wouldn’t.
Then my eyes landed on the balcony.
I remembered the one in Valebran. The roses, the ledge, the path he had once made for me. My heart hammered in my chest. This one was higher, the fall much worse. But it didn’t matter.
I swung one leg over the railing, gripping the cold stone tightly. The wind tugged at my gown, but I kept climbing, inch by inch, down the far corner where the wall curved and the rocks jutted out thick enough to hold my weight. My hands slipped twice, scraping my palms, but I didn’t stop.
When I was finally close enough to the ground, I took a shaky breath. The distance was still high enough to hurt, but I had no choice.
I jumped.
The air rushed past me. My feet hit the grass hard, and pain shot up my legs. I stumbled forward, gasping, before steadying myself. I was free.
I gathered my skirts and ran. The grass was wet with morning
dew, soaking the hem of my gown, but I didn’t care. Every breath burned my lungs, every step sent a sharp pain through my legs, yet I kept moving.
Two guards stood near the courtyard gates. I bowed my head, my hair falling forward to hide my face, praying they wouldn’t recognize me. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure they could hear it.
They didn’t stop me.
I slipped through the archway and into the castle’s main hall. The corridors were mostly empty, though the sound of distant footsteps echoed somewhere behind me. I moved quickly, keeping close to the walls until I reached the heavy door at the end of the corridor, the one that led below.
The door creaked softly as I opened it. A rush of cold air met me, smelling of damp stone and decay. My pulse quickened. I closed it behind me and descended the narrow staircase, the sound of my steps swallowed by the darkness.
It was colder down there. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of mold and iron. Cobwebs brushed my face as I passed through the narrow corridor lined with barred cells. I whispered his name once, but the sound barely left my lips.
I ran faster. My slippers slid against the rough floor as I searched each cell, peering into the shadows. Some were empty. Others held only broken chains or old straw.
Then, near the end of the corridor, I saw him.
William.
He was slumped against the far wall, shirtless, the faint light from the torch outside his cell brushing across his skin. His head rested to the side, eyes closed, his body still.
