It was a bleak and bitter morning, just like any other in Anielle, yet as sixteen year old Elide walked through the street she could feel that something was terribly wrong. Despite the heavy feeling in her chest Elide continued walking on the nearly empty street save for the milkman who was going about his day as usual.
It had been difficult for her, in the past few years, to adjust to this new life, far away from her home but she had survived. It was exactly two years ago on this very day that her parents had been wrongfully accused and executed for treason against their own home, their own kingdom that they loved so much. She was too young to do anything about it then and she was too young to do anything about it now but she had no choice. It was either prove her parents’ innocence and get her rightful place in her hometown or rot in this filthy cold town. Why she was up so early she didn’t know. Maybe it was the same heavy feeling which was keeping her more alert than usual which had woken her up, drenched in her own sweat despite the bone-chilling cold. Or maybe it was the stress and the nerves for what was to be done today which had woken her.
As she walked through the streets with her head held high and true purpose filling her, nobody could say that she was as young as she was. Nobody knew or cared anyways. As Elide took her final steps towards the house the horrible feeling in her gut grew stronger. Slowly she loosened her grip on the letter she was holding and knocked on the door. Everything that she knew about her life back home and every bit of evidence that she could find to prove her parents’ innocence was in that letter. A middle aged woman, a maid by her appearance, opened the door. Elide told her the purpose of her visit and the maid quickly ushered her in and shut the door. The maid led her to the hall where three men sat, discussing something of great importance judging by their grave expressions. As soon as she entered they all stopped talking and looked at her all at once almost as if they had practiced it. They gave her a mysterious grim look, as if they knew something she didn’t. They intimidated her and they knew it but she had to do this. She was sure of it because she realised that the heavy feeling which was weighing her down was nothing but the burden of the secret she carried.
Her parents knew what was coming before it did and had passed on the burden to her but not before making her swear never to reveal it. It was this oath which had delayed her journey towards home. It was this oath which had made her collect other evidence to prove their innocence. She wished from the bottom of her heart that the evidence she collected would be enough so that she does not have to break her promise to her parents. But if it came to that, she had prepared herself, convinced herself that there was no other way. She didn’t know who these men were, not really. All she knew was that her parents had told her to go to this very house in case anything ever went wrong, as if they knew it would. She did not have a good feeling about these men but seeing no choice slowly she handed the letter to the man sitting closest to her.
The three men read the letter slowly as if taking every word in. Judging by their solemn expression Elide started to prepare herself to reveal the secret that could change her entire life for good...or for bad, but she had to take the chance. The men lifted their heads to look at her and Elide opened her mouth to speak; but they gestured to her to wait as they rose. They asked Elide to follow them. With unsure trembling steps she started walking behind them. They led her to a dimly lit room with no windows and thick walls as if to block sound. One of the men told her to wait there. With silent steps the men left. Elide turned from the door to examine the room as she waited. She didn’t feel the man entering the room until he was right behind her. She turned around. It was the same man who had accused her parents and destroyed her entire life within minutes standing in front of her with a gun in his hands. “The secret can never be revealed” and the sound of a gunshot was the last thing Elide heard as her world turned black.
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