Elinor blinked gently. Her thick, curled eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyelids, adding a touch of forlornness to her expression, as if she bore the weight of the world's unpredictable changes.
Lilith watched her with a hint of melancholy.
Elinor had set aside the chess piece, reaching for the slender wooden box on the table and opening it. Inside lay the King's Cane, and a letter that she had written and also stamped with the seal of the ring.
The letter expressed her deep love for Arthur and her willingness to join him in death, pleading with Archbishop John Blackwood to assist in governance and select a worthy successor.
Suddenly, Elinor looked out the window, the overnight snow had ceased.
Bright sunlight pierced through the gloomy clouds, casting a beam of light into the dreary palace chamber.
She murmured, "Had I known this would be the end, why did I bother to work so hard? Better to have traveled far and wide, to gaze upon vast landscapes like a free bird. In this life, I was wrong about all the things…”
Lilith remained silent.
Elinor then asked, "Lilith, if you had the choice, would you still come here?"
Lilith sighed deeply, offering a bitter smile, " It's a fucked-up world. I wish I would never come."
It had been a long time since Elinor had heard such coarse language. Startled, she remembered the time, and suddenly called out, "Archbishop!"
The golden palace walls were covered in pure white snow.
A crowd gathered outside the palace gate.
William stood by with his hand on his sword.
The leader of the group stood tall but did not respond upon hearing her.
Elinor knew he could hear her.
This man was the most cunning in all of Avalon Kingdom.
A saint in appearance, a devil at heart.
As the Archbishop, many respected, and admired him, but they didn’t know beneath his saintly appearance lay a heart brimming with malice. A sword blessed by God and stained with the blood of royalty. With those same hands he turned the pages of the Bible, and with those same hands he wiped out the lives of the entire Elton family, with the bodies of those implicated stacked on top of each other.
He was the one person she couldn't please, no matter how hard she tried.
"You've killed royals, holding power and my life in your hands. I'm not able to bargain with you," Elinor's tear suddenly fell, branding the back of her hand., "In my life, I've used many, but in return, I've been betrayed and schemed against. I owe them nothing…"
She picked up the wine glass on the table slowly, the clear glass reflects the red liquid inside like the devil's seductive kiss.
Her body trembled, her voice quivered, tears welled up in her eyes, but she wasn't in a position to cry, so she just said, word for word, sobbing like blood, "But my sister, she only wanted to save my life. She's a good girl. I beg you, Archbishop, reminding the kindness I showed you when you on the way to the capital, take my life for hers, let her live…"
Who would have thought the seemingly heartless, cold-blooded queen would one day offer her life for her half-sister?
Was it her heartlessness, or had others failed to warm her heart?
The man outside the palace gate stood for a long time.
Finally, a calm word was heard, "Agree."
Such a pleasant voice. Just like a long time ago.
Elinor smiled in relief and decisively drank the wine.
Blood trickled down her lips over her smooth skin, her body no longer able to support itself. Her crown fell to the marble floor with a clear clang, there seems also to be a clanging sound of someone's sword falling to the ground outside the palace gates.
The deep red gem on the crown shattered and scattered. Warm blood down the steps on the cold ground, slowly spreading, reminiscent of the shallow creek she used to play in barefoot as a child.
This golden hall of Avalon became her grave, swallowing her bones, burying her life.
Outside, the sun shone on the snow, melting it bit by bit…
What a long dream this is, where a lifetime of karma is all muddled, with only the sharp pain of the poison distinctly clear.It’s truly hurts, as if thousands of ants are gnawing from her stomach, spreading throughout her body, acutely aware of death's approach.Elinor thinks: Had I known, I would have chosen a less painful way to die.In the dream, something seems to press on her chest, making it hard to breathe, so she coughs, finally managing to open her eyes with great effort. But what she sees next terrifies her.She is completely submerged in water. As she coughs, water rushes into her mouth relentlessly. No wonder she feels breathless; she is about to suffocate!Struggling, Elinor releases a stream of bubbles and frantically swims upwards.Suddenly, a hand encircles her waist, lifting her upwards with force.Finally, Elinor's pale face breaks the water's surface, gasping for fresh air. The hand continues to guide her towards the shoreside.When she sees the man's face, Elinor'
Elinor thought back to the old days, when she returned to the capital at the age of fifteen, she began to disguise herself as a boy, pretending to be a relative of the Clare family in the capital, and followed William around the capital in a crazy way; she met Princess Winona when she was eighteen years old; and then it was when something happened to the Mortfort family.Elinor recalled in a trance that all of her real young years, she had William.With William she was not afraid of anything.William comes from the Mortford family is a famous knight family, and he had stayed in the border for a period of time, with the capital most of the men do not have the high-spirited and vigorous, he is always by her side, love her and protect her.If there is nothing unexpected, they should have gotten married.Only on this day, when she followed William, she met Arthur who also came to look for William.Once upon a time she did not know Arthur's identity.But the first words that came out of Wi
Although Elinor wants to refuse, she looks at his expression and decides to suppress the thought for now, nodding obediently.Arthur tilts his head, observing the two, rubbing his chin between his thumb and forefinger, but the more he looks, the more something seems off.Noticing Arthur's actions, Elinor curves her lips slightly. Arthur's appearance is quite handsome, embodying classic royal charisma. His face is handsome with distinct features. He has deep blue eyes that appear both wise and profound. His eyebrows are thick, naturally arched.Arthur's hair is dark brown, well-kept, slightly wavy, usually neatly styled but still relaxed and natural.Honestly speaking, Arthur is a person with a naturally good temperament. In her memory, she rarely sees him angry. After marrying him, they never argued.The reasons are simple: first, because of Arthur's good nature; second, because the one he truly loves isn't her; third, because she doesn't love him either, she only likes the title and
King Arthur looks at him, speechless at his grand claims for such a young age, but then considering his age, he asks, "Does your father know about your thoughts like this?"William, with a nonchalant demeanour, gracefully rotates his wrist in a circular motion, displaying a sense of effortless finesse. With his body held in a poised and refined manner, he proceeds to respond in a composed and assured tone, affirming, "Undoubtedly, it is within his knowledge. In what manner could I possibly allow the young lady whom I hold in the highest regard to endure even the most minuscule measure of distress or discontent? I have already communicated to my esteemed father, with utmost certainty and conviction, my unwavering decision to enter into the sacred bond of matrimony with the esteemed and virtuous lady, Elinor. Not only did he express his agreement, but he also went on to kindly advise me to treat her in a considerate and respectful manner.”As they approach the grand entrance of Avalon P
"When I was very young, my mother told me that the most noble woman in the world is the queen, and that the palace where she resides is called the Avalon Golden Hall. I asked my mother what the Golden Hall looked like."My mother said she didn't know."Sitting under the leaking roof of a country house, I thought how wonderful it would be if I could transform into a swan flying overhead, to soar to the bustling capital, to see the palace and discover what the Golden Hall looked like."The palace gates were secluded, with only a window on the left slightly ajar.The sky was overcast, the light dim.In the once bustling Avalon Golden Hall, not a single servant was to be seen now.Only Elinor de Clare remained, sitting tall in front of an intricately carved ivory white marble table, moving a queen chess piece across the black board with her slender, pale fingers. Her golden gown spread out long behind her, its complex patterns barely glimmering in the dim light."Later, I indeed reached t