"I'm giving you one minute to think about it. You do know the consequences if you say..." she stopped, twirling her hair around her finger and continued, "..no, right?" her voice sounded like a sharp knife preparing to stab her to death. The girl hesitated to give her answer, one minute wasn't enough for it; it was the matter of life and death. Did she want to sacrifice her best friend who was her first and might be only friend or her kind who ignored her for being different?

"I..," the girl said but stopped before finishing her answer but the queen didn't give, "You have five seconds left, yes or no?" she reminded her the time left and asked her servant. The queen was enjoying it, seeing someone suffer in front of her is happiness to the queen, one's sorrow is after all one's happiness. "5..4..3..2..," she counted but before she could say one the girl quickly say yes. Eyes, lips and hands were shaking, she grabbed her skirt; gripped strongly in her hands, full of anger and hatred.

The queen raised her left eyebrow, "Yes, what?" she asked, eyes eager to hear the answer. She couldn't wait to hear the respond. "I'll tell you everything that I know," the brown haired girl answered, eyes trembling with fear as she stared at the floor; she wouldn't dare to look at the queen's wicked eyes. "That you know?" the queen questioned her , it wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. "Y..yes, your royal highness," the maid stuttered with anxiety.

The queen wasn't happy to her answer, rage of furry rise inside of her but she didn't let her bad side slipped through her nice queen act. Her slender fingers went to her lips and closed her eyes, "Did you mean.." she paused, thinking for the right word to scare the maid. Soon, she opened her eyes and searched for the girl's eyes, "Everything that I want to know?" she resumed her sentence, voice cold, almost heard like a hiss.

The maid was wrong to lift her face, her eyes met the wicked queen's unwelcoming stare, her evil look haunted her and she did not know if she could ever forget cold tone the queen used. She got chills running through her spine and felt chilly air blew around her. She quickly looked down, "Of course, everything you need to know," she replied, almost sounded like a cry. She gave up, that was all she can do now, sacrificing her own friend.

She felt guilty and horrible inside of her, she chose her kind but not her friend. She gave her friend's life away. Her kind may not know about the choice she made but she couldn't bear to hear their cries from the forest. The queen will make her life miserable too. Her instincts were telling that she was wrong, she should have choose her best friend. She should have sacrifice her life instead but she couldn't. She still wanted to live and to die happily; not in a suffering way.

"Good, now go. I will call you, later," the queen smiled darkly. Everything was going according to her plan. Nothing will stand in her way but if there is, she will crush it and no mercy will be given. She was excited for the future; to hear her victory from her enemies. She couldn't wait to hear the girl's death, she had the perfect pawn to use. Soon, every kingdom will bow down to her reign of terror and obey all her commands. The 15 year old queen was thrilled about her future.

The main nodded her head and made her way to the door but before she could twist the door knob, the queen spoke again, "Remember, you must not tell a single soul about this," she reminded the maid. "If you do, death awaits you," the queen continued cruelly and smiled to herself; she knew the girl was trembling of horror. The maid's eyes widen, 'Death,' the word echoes in her mind, the queen was continuously threatening her life.

She glanced over her shoulder and looked at the queen, grinning happily at her, she nodded; she wasn't able to say yes, her voice was stuck at . She also feared that if she say something, it might sound like a cry, a plead or a beg for mercy. "Now go," the queen commanded her. She quickly left the room before the queen could say another word. She was scared but the queen had trapped her in this cruel fate. There was no exit, all she can do now is to give in. Even tears won't save her now, no one can save her.

Krystal looked at her saviour, young , short brown hair, wearing a commoner's clothes but a silver gallant sword on his left hand pointing at one of the thief's neck, "Leave the boy alone," his husky voice said to the thieves. He gritted his teeth and