The Lost Princess of Winterspring

16: FREEDOM V

"Stay where you are. I cannot let them do this to my family!" She pulled his arms and enchanted another spell that turned Mathilda into a Leviathan. "If the fight seems one-sided, I want you to run through the forest and hide and know that I love you forever." It seems to be a farewell statement; she must've known that she wouldn't win this fight. One monster versus over 10 guards and a Divine Knight? That is preposterous!

She screamed her lungs out and ran into her family. Once she arrived, she swayed her massive hands to the guard who was beating her brother. The guard flew and hit his body to the tree. She then once again screamed at the guards but the guards seemed nonchalant by her sudden entrance.

Almost all leviathans looked the same and their sizes are comparable. The only different thing that Mathilda's Leviathan has is that it has a headdress with an emerald in the middle of it acting as an eye. She breathes heavily and would not leave her eye to the Divine Knight who was standing in front of her arms crossed on his chest.

If Mathilda isn't mistaken, the Divine Knight in front of her is Ivor Trygve Divine 14 Elite Warrior. Ivor took his step forward to the monster and smiled at it.

"You must know these nimphians to even bet your life in the line." He said cockily. He instructed his guards to lower their weapons. The monster's eyes turned red in rage.

"MATHILDA!!" Someone screamed behind the guards. When Mathilda was about to glance over, Ivor was gone in her sight. She looked back and saw him holding his sword with a stain of her blood. hen she realized she was already been struck, she heard the guards simultaneously enchanting the curse where she can no longer turn back into her nimphian form.

Pavtir iv e vial

She fell to the ground with the sight of her family being also dragged down. She hates the feeling of helplessness. When she thought everything was already settled, that she and her daughter can live peacefully again in the mountains, Fates decided to once again intervene. Fate must've hated her and her clan to repeatedly put them into excruciating pain. She looked over to Malaya who is now standing behind the trees in horror.

She has to save her mom! Malaya had thought but by the sight of her mom bleeding and was easily defeated by a Divine Knight, she trembled in fear. She had already doubted herself. If her mom was defeated then what can she do? Mathilda was right, this is not her fight. Tears ran down her face when she decided that it is time for her to escape. And when she was about to run, she knocked down herself making a sound that Ivor could hear.

Ivor looked over to the tree where Malaya was hiding and saw the little girl who was wearing a black hood. Malaya ran as fast as she can with the last glimpse of her mother.

"Get the child!" Three of the guards were instructed to catch Malaya.

---

The sun was already up when Malaya woke up from her sleep. She has not realized that she fell asleep all she could remember is that she was trying to run away from the guards who were chasing her after they put down her mother. They must've put her to sleep while she was running away. After her realization, she looked around and finally noticed that her hands were locked. She was in a carriage with metal bars fit for criminals.

She looks everywhere to find her mom and when she looked back, she saw the leviathan that was still sleeping in a cage-like hers. She became anxious, what will happen to both of them now?

As they arrive in Clearcrest City, a big gate in the entrance opened their doors for the incoming carriage. She can't help but be in awe since it's her first time being in a city full of nimphians. There were stores that sell fruits, food, clothes, and other essentials in one street, and on the other are cafes and restaurants. But when the carriage started to walk their way in the center plaza, these nimphians gave way and went to the side of the street and glared at them.

"They should be killed!"

"Hang the monster!"

"What they did is unforgivable!"

"Can you believe it? They burned the whole town of Carcassone!"

They all shouted; accusing their family of something they didn't do. Her mom was right about how the world doesn't see them as innocent when they too were a victim. She looked down, "this must be how it should end."

The carriage stopped in the middle of the plaza. The guards went to Mathilda's cage and carried it to the side of the stage. Before they let her out, they enchanted a spell where Mathilda went back to her nimphian form. By this, nimphians gathered around the plaza and were screaming and shouting words at the 2 of the other nimphians who started to throw fruits at her mother.

Mathilda was worn out like she lost a lot of blood on the way to Clearcrest--she couldn't even stand on her own. She was dressed in a plain white dress and her hair was hiding her tired face. Malaya's heart began to throb. She cupped her mouth and she began to cry at the sight of her mother.

The guards opened Mathilda's cage and pulled her up to the stage. The commotion became more intense when Duke Saturn Gareth III showed himself in a black carriage alongside the royal guards. He jumped off his carriage and the crowd gave way to the Duke. His walk was a proud one, his chin up, he was wearing navy blue long sleeves, gold padding, reward pins on his right chest, and a red ribbon from his left shoulders all the way to the right side of his stomach. He was being escorted by his royal guards as he makes his way to the stage.

Once he arrived, the crowd was obliged to be silent.

"You are all gathered here to witness the execution of Mathilda Voera who burned the town of Carcassone and attack the guards of Clearcrest! The guards bring forth the gallows!"

The guards brought forth the gallows and positions Mathilda's head in the rope. Her hands were tied behind her hands only then, she woke up. She looked confused by all the people who were shouting at her. She was so scared that tears rapidly escaped her eyes. Her lips were chapped from all the blood she lost but she still has the energy to look for her daughter.

When she saw her, she smiled at her daughter and her last words were, "I love you," and the trap door opened making Mathilda's body hang until she died from asphyxiation.

"NO!" Malaya finally shouted. She has been constraining herself but this made her lose her sanity. She was enraged, like a wild beast in a cage, she wanted to kill everyone who has witnessed her mother's death. But most especially the one who ordered her execution, that stupid-fat-duke Saturn Gareth III.

Duke Saturn looked over to the child and whispered something to the royal guard beside him. The guard bowed his head and ordered that the child be restrained and bring forward to the stage. They tied her hands behind her back and carried her to the center of the stage beside her hanging mother. She looked at her crying while cursing under her breath the ancient words, egamir kafilda evima ur seka ami .

This will be the last time you'll see me cry.

The duke kicked her back, "What in the world are you speaking of?" He pulled her hair to exhibit the child to the crowd, "The child is for auction of a young slave. The lowest bid will be 20 Kugh," The crowd grew uproar as the bidding of slaves has finally started. They have been waiting for an auction all year-round since the past year, the King visited their city and the auctions for slaves have been postponed.

Malaya couldn't even hear the crowd, she had her eyes focus on her mother and all the things that had happened to her. Her resentment grew far more each time she stayed being held down by the dirty hands of the duke. She wanted to kill him where he is right now but she can't. She can't because she's weak. She couldn't save her mother, her father, and her clan because she's weak.

"3,000 Kugh!" At last, a woman who was wearing a green suit and armor bid the now-highest bid in the auction.

"Going once? Going twice? The slave goes to Aleria Wolfheart!" Aleria went to the stage to get Malaya. She smiled at her but Malaya could only give her venomous little eyes.

"Aww what an angry cat, you are cute, I like you!" She pulled Malaya out of the stage and went back to her carriage. As they have finally settled down their seats, she crossed her legs and examine her newfound slave, Malaya.

"Funny, your name is Malaya which means freedom but you are being sold as a slave. How ironic."

"If you think it's funny then, by all means, laugh for me."