*Summary: A kitsune betrayed, a civil war, prejudice, genocide, and a second chance. Can Prince Carter save his beloved friend or is she destined to die for the greater good?*

Villianess: Princess Ayesha, the eldest kitsune sister, former heir to the throne, and founding leader of the rebel alliance. She was forced into a loveless marriage and died in the first timeline.

Male Lead: Prince Roebuck, heir to the throne of the human empire and most handsome man alive. He follows his father's footsteps in prejudices and favors himself a savior of lives.

Female Lead: Princess Denisha, youngest kitsune sister, albino in color and quite the beauty. She betrays her country in order to secure her place as Roebuck's only wife.

Second Male Lead: Prince Carter, illegible child of the king and forgotten son. He spent his days fawning over Ayesha and helping her from the sidelines. Was devastated by her death and plans to fix her future.

Requested by: MariaAthenaKYu

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"Burn the witch!"

"Traitor to the country!"

"Death to those hateful beasts."

I was running out of time as I ran down the empty hallways of the castle. The sky was red and filled with the smoke clouds of the burning pyre below. I could hear the agonized screams of the ones who invaded the country to fight for their rights. It came so fast and swiftly, but their country was betrayed by the newly crowned queen of ours. She sold out her own people for power, how could one do something like that? The king watched their burnings with a cruel smirk on his face while spewing some nonsense about no one will ever defy his rule again.

"Let it be known to all you filthy beasts that I am not someone to be trifled with! Death to your race and death to your children, so that we will never have to deal with your kind again!"

The cheering of the people I once thought as allies and comrades filled my ears. I had to hurry before things got too late. Several guards tried to block my path, but I slashed and hacked my way through them. Eventually, as I ascended the staircase towards the magician's laboratory, I happen to gaze upon the face of the one whom I loved approaching a pyre bigger than the ones that the others were subjected too. All the burnt bodies were strewed on the ground as the guards brought her up to be tied and gagged. Her eyes narrowed at the man whom she was forced to wed with contempt and ire.

Princess Ayesha had once been a strong woman that could take on any man before her. She had lead the armies of her people to our country to break the truce and free her people. However, due to years of proper planning and preparation, her army was quickly slaughtered and the rebels captured. They beheaded her father and killed the rest of the royal family sans her sister. That's when they realized that it was that sister, who married my brother, was the one who betrayed them all. Her charm and wit was buried under false niceness and sweet words. She wasn't loyal to her own people and relished in the chance to have her sister killed. This was a moment of pure triumph on both ends because my brother hated that Ayesha was the only woman he couldn't tame.

"Before we send you into the flames of hell, I shall ask you one more time wench." The king's eyes reflected the fire. "Submit to me...or die."

There was silence for a moment as the kingdom waited with bated breath. I paused in my steps as my heart pounded in my chest. The one whom I loved gave him a glare before her lips gave her answer.

"I would rather die for my country than die for yours."

The king looked absolutely furious before he turned to the executioner. "So be it! Kill her!"

I couldn't watch more as an approached the lab. That's when my mind fed me a terrible question that I had not considered as I escaped from the murders.

Where had the queen gone?

My question was answered in the most horrific way. There, awaiting me in the darkness of the room, was Queen Denisha. Her ivory locks was straight and glossed, her icy blue eyes gentle and sweet, and her ears no where to be found. A dress of high class elegance, a string of pearls around her neck, and silver slippers on her feet made an outfit fit for someone like her. In her hands was the very device I needed to change the world; the hourglass full of starry sand.

"And just where...or should I say, when do you think you're going?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm masked with sweetness.

My mouth went dry before I mustered the courage to speak. "Give me the hourglass Denisha."

"Not until you tell me why you are up here when you should be with your brother down there, watching the last remaining rebels of  your country die."

"Don't you mean your former country?" I poked, seeing a twitch in her eye. "The one where you were the youngest of the litter, the one where you were not considered the heir, the one where they treated you like a simple prize rather than a woman of power?"

"Quiet...shut your mouth at once!" Her voice was now sharp as she clenched the hourglass. "I am a queen now, and I demand respect from someone like you, illegitimate spawn!"

My breathing was even, but I would let her see. I had to get her to release the hourglass somehow. My ears picked up the screams of agony from my beloved as her sister's smile grew.

"Now that she is gone, there will be no one left to compete with. I shall be Roebuck's only bride and no one shall question my heritage to those filthy beasts ever again!" Her face grew more deranged as she spoke. "I shall rule by his side and never live in those woods again!"

"Those woods held your people, the ones who were mercilessly slaughtered by paranoid humans that you tricked! That my brother wanted to hunt for sport and leisure! The very fact that you deny your own heritage to watch them all die is very telling of what kind of person you are." I approached her slowly as she started to shake with anger. "Roebuck will see the truth once he sees that his child will be born with a tail and ears of the beasts you so callously slaughtered."

The queen screamed in fury, her ears and tails popping out along with her claws. Her humanoid face morphed into something beastial that brought out her inner nastiness. She raked them across my chest, drawing blood and making me grunt. The other hand latched onto my throat, attempting to crush my windpipe as her eyes glowed dangerously.

"If you love them so much, along with my brutish sister, you should join them all in the afterlife!" Her hand tightened more as I began to choke. "Any last words Carter?"

My body was begging for oxygen, but my lips curled into a small smile. Her face faltered a bit before sudden realization hit her. In my hand was the hourglass....and it was turned upside-down.

"In the next life, I shall get my revenge against you and my brother for every one of those you killed...including your sister."

Her screams filled my ears as I felt myself drift off into a slumber. I felt my body slowly disappearing as I slipped into the time stream.

This time around, everything will be different.
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"Carter? Carter wake up!"
"My precious son, are you alright?"
"Guards! Arrest that beast and throw her into the dungeon!"

A small boy opened his eyes as he found himself in a garden surrounded by servants. His dusty brown eyes looked to see a woman with red hair weeping over his body while a man with dark brown hair was barking orders to men in armor. On the other side of him, his older brother was frantically pressed a cloth against his forehead to stop the bleeding of a cut. That's when it hit him; he was back at the first meeting of the Beastman clan and the Kingdom of Aeras!

His father, King Radcliffe, had arranged this meeting to present a truce between the kingdoms. In actuality, he wanted to use the opportunity to hunt the beasts to showcase them as trophies on his wall and take over their territories. His terrible brother would be only worse as the years went on and impose taxes, brutal murders, and other horrifying crimes against them. All because they realized that they would be overpowered should the beast decide to wage war on them.

Speaking of them, his eyes caught the shaking figure of his beloved Princess Ayesha. Unlike her delicate, deceitful sister, she was much more stronger and honest. Her hands were calloused from brutal fights. Her hair cut in a manner befitting of a male. Her figure was littered with scars and well defined muscles. She did not bother with hiding her featured to fit in, showing her red ears and fluffy tail. Her emerald eyes were narrowed with irritation and remorse. The guards were quickly approaching her, cornering her by a hedge.

"No! Stop this at once!" The boy's voice rang out, surprising everyone around them. This was the first time that he had ever spoken up, or even spoken at all! Prince Carter was a timid, shy young boy that never spoke due to everyone else acting like he didn't exist. He was born out of illegitimacy, so they didn't think he was a real prince. Despite that, Queen Latricia loved him like her own son Roebuck and the two grew up with each other.

So to not only hear him speak up for the first time, but to get up and shield the Beastman princess made his family shocked.

"Carter! She was the one who pushed you!" Roebuck tried to coax his brother away from Ayesha.

"N-N-No! You provoked her by calling her names!" Carter pointed at his brother. "You called her nasty names and tried to push her into the fountain! The only reason you don't have a scratch on your face is because I took the fall for you."

The Queen turned to her son, who was strangely stunned. "You didn't tell us that! You said she attacked you first and then went on to Carter!"

"How dare you lie about our potential allies!" The king grabbed Roebuck and yanked him upwards. "We are trying to get them on our side, not cause an unnecessary war!" He turned to Ayesha, whose face hadn't changed. "I apologize for anything my foolish son has said to you and for falsely accusing you. I do hope your father will be willing to forgive us."

"Believe me, that's the least of your concern." Ayesha crossed her arms. "I would not be satisfied until I see him punished for his words."

Carter was amazed by her brazenness and that made him blush. The king had no choice but to drag Roebuck out of the gardens as the queen followed. There was silence for a moment before Ayesha turned to Carter.

"I apologize for harming you. Sometimes I don't know my own strength." Her hands brushed against his face. "Thank you for standing up for me. If you hadn't spoke out, I would-"

His hands grasped her own, making her pause. In the other life, she was thrown in the dungeons, her father was forced to sign the treaty due to blackmail, and she was ostracized by her people. Now, with justice served, Carter felt happier that he was able to save her this time and prevent any further damage for the future.

"Princess Ayesha, I do hope you join me for tea in the parlor. I want to start over and get to know you more." He placed his hands with hers, making her stiffen. "That is...if you want to."

"Uh...sure? That's fine, I guess." Her grip tightened on my hand, making it crack. "You have a training ground around here somewhere? I think I would rather train."

Carter shrugged. "That's fine too. It would be cool to see you in action again."

"Again? You act as if you have meant me before."

He just gave her a smile as he walked with her. "Maybe I have...once in another lifetime."
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This story took way too long and I do apologize for the long delay. I decided to keep it vague in the end whether or not Carter succeeded in saving Ayesha. Perhaps, in the near future, I shall return to this story line once again.

In the meantime, we have reached another milestone point! Like last time, when the Villianess characters had their tea party, I want to do another special regarding the characters all meeting themselves.

I'll leave it up the the viewers. Would you like to see the male leads meeting or the heroines meeting?

Have a fantastic day/afternoon/evening and the next chapter will not take this long again.