Criminal

In all the fairy tales my mother used to tell me as a child, there was always a moment of doubt that the conflict would leave our heroes slain, or bested. We always saw it coming it was obvious, no matter how hard the writers had tried to hide it. But it wouldn't be a child's tale if there wasn't a happy ending. The heroes always won.

One problem, I am not a hero.

I could hear his footsteps coming down the hall. Each sobering step echoed in the small corridor and twisted my stomach in to knots. My heart thudded in my chest, and the ringing in my ears drowned out all except the sound of heavy boots smacking stone. Idril was unfazed. She suspected it was our daily meal being brought to us. But these footfalls were different; heavier, and they sat on my life. Slowly crushing it, until I was finally silenced.

"Elessar?" I barely heard her call over the ringing in my ears. "Are you okay?" Time had slowed considerably, and my heart jumped to my throat.

"I'm not a hero." I muttered. She didn't understand, I didn't expect her to.

"What? What do you mean? Elessar? What's the matter with you?" She started shaking my shoulders, trying to rid my face of it's void expression.

The door opened with such force it slammed into the wall. The king stood in front of us. We hadn't seen him in three months, the highly decorated 'dungeon' had become somewhat a paradise to us. We forgot our troubles-like the fact that we were to be executed-and just enjoyed each other.

Not that that's bad. It was actually great. Like one of those honeymoons my mother had always talked about. At first we made plans for an escape. Realizing we would never succeed, we began getting to know each other better, playing little question games, then breaking down to full live stories. It was hard for me at first, trusting another person. But she was worth it. I wouldn't and never will bare my soul to anyone else, as I had to her. Once we knew every detail of each' others lives, we moved onto learning every detail of each other's bodies. My three months in the palace dungeon were by far, the best three months of my life. While simultaneously being the last...

But back to the day I died.

"How are you two holding up?" The king asked rhetorically. "Lately, all of the guards have been begging to be post outside your door. It seems as though they all wish to listen to some strange sounds... I can assume what those sounds are, quite easily. I mean, you two won't even get dressed for the king." I should punch him. I'm going to die anyway...

"Judging by the amount of grey in your hair, you won't be king much longer." Idril retorted and smirked. I'm rubbing off on her... And it suits her. Oh the things I would do if she talked like that when the king wasn't here. Or I could do it anyway... I'm going to die.

The king scoffed and I swear I saw him roll his eyes. "You'll want clothes on for this. It's a bit nippy in the town square. I'll wait outside while you change." He threw two sets of clothes on the ground and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"It's today." She mumbled. "That's why you were frozen for those few moments. It's our execution day... How did you know?"

"It was more of a well educated guess..." I smirked halfheartedly, trying to ease her fear. "I hadn't heard footsteps like the kings in our time here. I assumed he was coming to get us. Well, actually I assumed he was only coming for me." She looked quizzically into my eyes.

"Why only you?"

"I assumed your father had a heart." I smiled as she giggled at the joke. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck and held me close.

"I don't want to lose you, I don't want to die." She cried softly.

"I know." I whispered back, putting my arms around her waist and squeezing tightly.

"I haven't known you long enough." She laughed humorlessly through the tears. "I'm a princess, I ought to live happily ever after. That's all I've dreamed of since I was little. We didn't even get a wedding."

"Well, we... I suppose, I was too stubborn to admit to loving you until our last few days of freedom... So technically now would be about the time to start planning." I tried to make another joke but my grief demanded to be felt.

"It would be gorgeous." She whispered, still hugging me and still in tears. "You would look so dashing all dressed up. I'm sure of it."

"And the second I saw you in your dress, your beauty would block out the world. Just the two of us." My voice broke, and gave away my moment of weakness. My mother had always looked forward to me marrying. She new I would allow her to go all out, and she would make everything perfect. But now.. Now I've ruined everything. I sentenced myself to death, and am bringing the girl I love with me. And I can't stop it. There's nothing I can do but watch as my whole world crumbles, and any hope I once had is snatched away.

She pulled back an stared into my tear filled eyes. Then kissed me one last time. All I could taste was salt.

~*~*~

At some point Idril and I had managed to almost compose ourselves and get dressed. Then we were shackled and began the march to our imminent demise.

A crowd had gathered outside the palace gates. Their faces were a mix of disbelief, horror, and grief. They all screamed and hollered about how this was wrong. I tuned them out. The only thing that mattered in this world to me, was one thing.

Idril.

I stared at her, trying to convey all of my feelings. I love her. I never knew what love was until I met her. She is absolutely astounding. She's funny, witty, strong, caring, and can put up with me. She'd be a great queen if her father would just keel over already.

All jokes aside, I hope she knows I love her. I would give anything to stay with her until the end of time.

Look at me, being sappy. I'm a criminal, I'm supposed to be rugged and tough. But instead, my last moments in this world are being spent droning on about love in a pathetic attempt at a soliloquy... Or would it be a monologue?

"Elessar?" Idril called, her voice quivering.

"Yeah?" I answered, my voice sounding no sturdier.

"I don't mind dying. As long as I am by your side." She smiled at me. The smile didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm sorry I brought you into this. Princesses shouldn't have to be beheaded in their own kingdom, next to a criminal."

"If the only truly wrong deed the criminal committed was stealing the princesses heart, I'm sure she wouldn't mind." She laughed halfheartedly and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"Are we still talking about me?"

"Of course."

"Oh... Well I think you forgot that I kind of committed a major act of treason by plotting to overthrow the monarchy with brute force..." She laughed a little harder and I couldn't help but smile.

"I remember you gathering an army to protected a town from their insane king that was prepared to burn a whole town to the ground... With a dragon."

"... To find me. See I'm just trouble, a bad influence... My mother must never have taught me manners." She genuinely giggled. I genuinely smiled.

"She must have skipped the 'Don't Overthrow Monarchy's' section when teaching you how to be a proper young royal."

"Must have." I agreed and smiled once again.

"You two are the bravest souls I've had the pleasure of meeting." The guard holding Idril's shackles suddenly uttered. "You're staring death in the face and have decided to start cracking jokes."

"I like to believe my humor is a coping method, besides what else is there to do. I don't want to die sad, especially at the hands of an evil king." I retorted with a shrug.

"Ditto." My eyebrows knit in confusion and I looked over at Idril.

"Bless you?" I said in confusion.

"No, ditto." She laughed again. "The humans use it as a term of agreement, it's as if you're saying 'yeah me too' but in a much more impressive fashion."

"Ditto." I tasted the word. "Nope I don't like it. Those humans are strange and so is their language." I said and tripped up the stairs. Stairs?

"Oh... I guess we've arrived." Idril muttered.

"Well that wasn't impressive at all. That walk should have taken ten years... Or we should have gotten to shake death's hands... That was... Well, that was just a normal walk, except with some heavy wrist accessories."

An unimpressed guard snorted then shoved us forward. "Just stand on the x and shut up already."

"Someone had a big plate of rude for second breakfast this morning." I snorted back at him. I looked over at Idril, and saw worry clouding her eyes.

"I'm scared." She whispered.

"I love you." I said as we were given new neck jewelry to wear.

"I love you too." She stretched to grab my hand from her x. I met her in the middle.

I should be totally honest, at least once before I die. "I'm scared."

The seconds slowed to the speed of years.

"Me too."

Tick.

I started into her eyes.

The guard reached for the lever.

Hey... He looks familiar.

Goodbye Idril.

Tock.