She had no recollections of time nor place, and her mind was at a blank when sunlight shone right in her pupils through the cell's small square. She rubbed her head and looked around, to realize that she was in a dark prison cell of the castle. 

Steadying herself by the grimy wall, she slowly stood up. The floor was cold and unyielding, and the room was less than immaculately clean. Mice scurried in a corner, making her wince in disgust. She turned around, to find that big metal bars jailed her from the world outside. 

How did she end up in here?

Oh, right.

The memories collided over one another like children running over each other for candy. She went to the ball, saw Seunghyun and Jiyeon together, confronted Seunghyun, and got taken away upon Jiyeon's order.

That sounded about it.

She sighed, sinking to the floor. Tears threatened to fall and she bit them back. Her heart felt like it was buried under  layers of snow in the middle of the winter. She loved, and she lost. She dared, and she was punished. She hoped, and she was confronted. This was her consequence for going against what has been set in stone for centuries: princes don't fall in love with witches.

What now?

She almost laughed at the question. How was she going to get herself out of this mess? 

Wiping a drop of tear, she thought about how to get out of there. Once she did, she would pack up and go where no one would find her. That is, if she was going to make it out.

She grabbed the metal bars, and silently focused. Her hands slowly glowed to a golden color, and the spell was almost complete when she heard footsteps from outside. She stopped and sat back as if she wasn't trying to escape.

A group of knights stood before her cell. One of them took out a key and opened the cell for her. The rest went in and grabbed her by the arms roughly and escorted her out. Her hands were binded, and a sword was held to her back as they commanded for her to walk.

She walked with the knights following right behind along the dark and uninviting halls of the cells, up the stairs to reach the surface level of the castle. They wordlessly led her across corridors and through halls full of curious gazes.

Where were they taking her? She asked herself. What was going on? She began to feel anxious the farther she went, and couldn't help but feel like something was coming.

She was led out a huge round area, with the castle's walls surrounding it. Built in the walls was a balcony meant for the royalties. On top of the walls there were more knights. In the north a huge gate stood as the exit of the castle.

And right there, in the middle of this area, was a big podium with stairs. At the end of the podium there was a rope with a head-sized loop swaying in the morning breeze.

Then it dawned on her.

On the balcony were the King and Queen and Jiyeon and of course, Seunghyun, by her side. They all watched as she was escorted out to the base of the podium.

"Park Bom," The King suddenly spoke, "guilty of evil use of witchcraft and attempt to seduce Prince Seunghyun. You are convicted of treason and therefore is sentenced to execution. Do you have anything to say?"

Yes. Yes she did.

She looked over at Jiyeon and then Seunghyun. Even from here she could sense the magic and smelled the spell on him. She wanted to almost smile in pity of Jiyeon, but was too overwhelmed by the possibility of her own demise to speak.

Spells can't control a person's emotions and mind forever. The true persona would break through sooner or later. 

Part of her wanted to blame it on the spell, but another part of her couldn't help from shattering to pieces when she watched him standing there looking quite satisfied when she was about to die.

She turned, not wanting to cry and show her weakness during her last moments. She was led up the wooden staircase onto the podium and in front of the rope. She looked straight forward, to see the huge trees with overhanging branches just outside the castle walls. The sun was up, casting golden marmalade rays that danced on her face. The wind gently caressed her hair as if comforting her to accept her fate. The fate of a witch who fell in love with a Prince.

A knight out the rope around her neck, and she closed her eyes as she started chanting under her breath. This was it. The moment. The end. The finale of a story that was both hopeful and sorrowful. She said sorry to her mother and father, and mused that she was going to join them anytime soon.

The knight pulled the lever, the dreadful heavy sound opened a square platform underneath her. She was hanging, struggling for breath as the rope pulled on her life relentlessly. She choked, tears coming out of her eyes as her visions blurred and her breaths coming in short gasps.

Was this the end?

No.

She thought.

It wouldn't.

"Rise." She whispered desperately.

------------------------------------------------------

The ground suddenly shook violently, causing the knights and the royalties to be alarmed. A flock of ravens circled up in the sky and filled the air with their loud noises. A grumbling sound could be heard outside the walls, and somebody yelled out.

"Monsters!"

Two ginormous trees was suddenly moving, swaying and wobbling unsteadily as their branches swung around. An inhumane shierk came from them, and one of the trees suddenly wrapped wrapped it's branch around a knight and throwing him off the walls of the castle.

"They're attacking us." Somebody else yelled.

She was about to run out of breath from the rope when the flock of ravens swooped down and pecked on the rope, cutting it and freeing her. The knights were frantically running around to deal with the two trees, and now the ravens were flying around and attacking them with their beaks and claws. The tree branches swung around everywhere and taking knights left and right, while the ravens circled like hungry predators.

She coughed, and laid there gasping for air. She slowly got on her hands and feet and ran weakly towards the gate. 

"Seize her!" She heard the King ordered, and several knights appeared to apprehend her. But the trees used their branches to whip the knights out of the way.

She reached the gate amiss the chaos, pounding on it desperately. It was locked.

Out of nowhere, she heard horse's hooves nearby and turned. She saw Siwon appearing on horseback pushing knights out of the way as he used his sword to switch the gate's lever. The gate slowly lift up and creaked loudly.

Siwon wasted no time in riding his horse over to her nd extending her his hand.

"Come on!"

She took it and he pulled her up to the horse. Moments later they were out the castle out of sight as the castle fought to regain order.

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I'M REALLY SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING RECENTLY T.T I WAS BUSY WITH SCHOOL AND FINALLY GOT A CHANCE WHEN SPRING BREAK CAME. SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LACK OF PROGRESS.

ON THE OTHER SIDE, THIS STORY WILL COME TO AN END. IT IS MUCH SHORTER THAN MY OTHER STORIES BUT I DONT WANT TO DRAG IT OUT. THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING IT AND LEAVING KIND COMMENTS. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I KNOW THIS WAS FAR FROM PERFECT BUT YOU GUYS MOTIVATED ME TO CONTINUE. THANK YOU.

CHECK OUT MORE FROM ME IN THE FUTURE.

SEE YA SOON IN THE FINALE!