I waited and waited, but nothing came. The princess was staring at me, pure hatred in her unsettling blue eyes. Everyone held their breaths as they anticipated the order that will be the end of my life. Why she was stalling was anyone guess. She sat down in her seat and fake Kalen strode over to her side. He leaned down as she whispered something into his ear and a smirk spread over his lips. I willed it all to be over.

I let my eyes dance over the audience, people I once knew. My ‘friends’ from other noble families, people who I had thought I could count on. I spared my parents for last and let my gaze linger there. My mother seemed satisfied, yet anxious. I had no doubt she was eager to get this done with. My death couldn’t come too soon for her. Then there was my father… or the man I knew as my father. Did he even know I wasn’t his own flesh and blood? Did he know how deep my mother’s betrayal really went? He seemed somewhat saddened, but self-justified. He really believed that he was doing the right thing.

Even as I watched them, I couldn’t bring myself to hate them. Hating them would only put me on the same level as them. I didn’t want to ever be associated to their name ever again. If by some miracle I survived, I would never introduce myself as an Eleanor again. Death seemed like a good way to leave that life as well.

I scanned the crowd further, hoping to catch the eyes of my brother to share a goodbye with him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Tears welled up in my eyes and I forced them back. I didn’t want to cry, but not being able to see him one last time might be the thing to send me over the edge. I closed my eyes and tried to even my breathing out. It would all be fine. I just needed to show these people that I was stronger than they thought I was.

My hope was diminishing. The only thing that had kept me together for so long, as I waited to be taken to my death, was the thought of Andreas showing up and saving me. But now even that seemed too farfetched. I would die without having seen even his face one last time. At least I had been able to see Kalen before I died. I would have that memory to carry me to whatever was beyond this world.

There was commotion on the other side of the royal box. Princess Elisa turned her head toward it, a sly grin spreading over her lips. “It appears that my father would like to do the honors of burning you himself,” she said, addressing me. My hands balled into fists. They just needed to continue stalling. That’s all. The longer they stalled the more time it would give Andreas to get here. I had to hold on to that hope.

“So this is the witch you have been talking about,” the king said as he took his seat. Elisa smiled proudly.

“Yes, Father, my first sentencing,” she replied proudly.

“She’s been here since last night?”

Elisa nodded, the same smug look still on her face.

“Then why is she still alive?” the king demanded in a harsh tone, shocking everyone. Elisa’s face dropped. He cut her off before she was able to defend herself. “You should know above anyone else how dangerous these people can be! If you are to be the future queen you have to learn to deal with them swiftly! Do I make myself clear?”

She dropped her gaze in shame. “Yes, Father. I understand.”

He nodded briskly and turned his attention back to me. “Without further ado, let the witch burn!” he announced maliciously, a smirk of satisfaction crossing his features. He was as cruel as people made him out to be. His hatred for my kind was not as exaggerated as I had hoped.

A man in my peripheral vision walked closer, a burning torch in his hand. This was it. In mere minutes I would be set aflame and I would be dead. My heart was pounding in my chest. All the anticipation had lead up to this. My final hours had passed. I was entering my final minutes. I closed my eyes to give some inclination that I was in control of myself. I stayed by my vow: these people would not see me cry, no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much pain the flames would cause. They would not get the impression that I was weak or that I feared my end, even when in reality both were true. I was terrified.

The man stood before me, locking his gaze with mine. I searched for some kind of humanity in his dull brown eyes, but found none. He was a hollow shell. He had no empathy for me. How someone could be that heartless when ending another person’s life was beyond rationality. He gave a small smile when he dropped the torch to the wood surrounding me. It ignited quickly, but the fire burned slowly. It would take a few minutes before it reached me.

I sucked in a deep breath.