4. The Princess's Tears

At the Village of Riverside - 8:00 AM (Day-5)

Elena rode into the village with her guards. Unlike Marcus, she hadn't announced her arrival. She hoped maybe she could make this less terrifying somehow.

But as soon as the villagers saw the royal carriage, panic spread. People started running, grabbing their children, hiding in their homes.

"Please, don't run!" Elena called out. "I... I don't want to hurt anyone!"

But they didn't believe her. Why would they? She was royal. She was here to kill. That's all they knew.

Elena's heart shattered as she watched a mother push her daughter through a window to help her escape. These people were terrified because of her family. Because of their horrible tradition.

"Your Highness, we need to select targets," her guard captain said. "The king commanded you to make kills today."

Elena closed her eyes. "I know. I know."

She looked around the village square. About fifty people stood there, forced out by the guards. All of them looked at her with fear and hatred.

Her eyes landed on an old man who could barely stand. He was coughing badly, clearly sick.

"Him," Elena pointed, her voice breaking. "He's suffering. It would be... mercy."

The guards brought the old man forward. He looked at Elena with cloudy eyes.

"Thank you, Your Highness," he whispered. "I've been dying slowly for months. This is kinder."

Elena's hands shook as she raised her dagger. "I'm so sorry."

She made it quick. The old man died with something like relief on his face. But Elena felt no relief. Only shame.

"Four," she whispered.

...---...

At the Same Village - 9:00 AM

Elena was supposed to kill more, but she couldn't. She mounted her horse and prepared to leave with only one kill.

"Your Highness, the king ordered multiple kills," the guard captain reminded her.

"I can't. Tell my father I couldn't find suitable targets. Tell him whatever you want. I'm leaving."

As Elena rode away, she heard a woman call out from the crowd.

"Princess! Princess, wait!"

Elena stopped her horse and turned. A middle-aged woman ran forward, her face desperate.

"Please, Your Highness, I heard you only kill criminals in the dungeons sometimes. My village has a man who murdered his wife last month. We've been keeping him locked up, waiting for royal justice. Could you... could you take him instead?"

Elena's heart jumped. "You have a murderer?"

"Yes! His name is Derek. He beat his wife to death in front of their children. We'll bring him to you!"

Elena dismounted. "Bring him."

Twenty minutes later, Derek was dragged forward in chains. He was a large, mean-looking man who glared at everyone.

"You think you're better than me?" Derek spat at Elena. "You're about to kill me in cold blood, just like I killed my wife. We're the same!"

"No," Elena said firmly. "We're not. You killed an innocent woman out of anger. I'm executing a murderer. There's a difference."

She didn't hesitate this time. Derek died quickly.

"Five," Elena said.

But as she rode away, Derek's words haunted her. Was she really any different? She was still taking lives. Still playing god. Still feeding this horrible tradition.

...---...

At the Forest Road - 11:00 AM

Elena took a different route back to the palace. She needed time to think, time away from everyone.

But as she rode through the forest, she heard crying. Children crying.

"Stop," Elena ordered her guards. She followed the sound into the trees.

She found a family hiding there - a mother, father, and three small children. They looked terrified when they saw her royal crest.

"Please!" the mother begged. "Please don't kill us! We're trying to reach my sister's village in the western kingdom. Please, we have children!"

Elena dismounted and approached slowly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

"How can we believe you?" the father said, positioning himself in front of his family. "You're here for the challenge. You need one hundred kills."

Elena pulled out her coin purse and handed it to them. "Take this. It's enough to buy food and passage to the western kingdom. Get out of Valdris. Save your family."

The parents stared at her in shock. "Why... why would you help us?"

"Because this tradition is wrong. Because I hate what I'm being forced to do. Please, just go. Quickly, before my guards tell anyone."

The family grabbed the money and ran deeper into the forest. Elena watched them go, feeling the first bit of hope she'd felt in days.

Maybe she couldn't stop the tradition yet. But she could save some people. She could help families escape.

...---...

At Prince Marcus's Hunting Grounds - 2:00 PM

Marcus had reached a new level of efficiency. He had set up what he called "hunting grounds" in various villages. He would gather groups of people and kill multiple targets at once.

Today's group had twelve people. All of them from poor families. All of them chosen randomly.

"Please, Your Highness, I have a baby at home!" one woman cried.

"Your baby will be fine. Others will raise it," Marcus said coldly. Then he killed her along with the others.

He felt nothing now. The ice in his heart had spread to his entire body. He was a killing machine, focused only on the numbers.

"Twenty-two," Marcus said, cleaning his sword. "I'm ahead of schedule."

One of his guards approached nervously. "Your Highness, some villagers are starting to rebel. They're hiding people, lying about population counts."

Marcus smiled darkly. "Then we burn the villages that rebel. Burn them to the ground. That will teach others not to resist."

"But Your Highness, that will kill many people. Women, children, elderly..."

"Good. They'll count toward my hundred."

The guard stepped back, horrified. But he didn't argue. No one argued with Prince Marcus anymore.

...---...

At the Royal Palace - 8:00 PM

Elena returned to the palace exhausted. She had made only two kills today, and her father was furious.

"TWO? You made TWO kills?" King Aldric shouted at her in the throne room. "Marcus made fifteen today! FIFTEEN! You're embarrassing this family!"

"Father, I can't kill innocent people in large numbers like Marcus. I won't become a monster!"

"You'll become what I tell you to become! You're grounded to the palace for three days. Maybe hunger and isolation will fix your weak heart!"

Elena was dragged to her chambers and locked inside. No food. No visitors except for water once a day.

But she didn't care. At least while she was locked up, she wasn't killing anyone.

...---...

At Elena's Window - 11:00 PM

Elena stared out her window at the kingdom below. Somewhere out there, the family she helped was hopefully reaching safety. That thought gave her strength.

"I will survive this," she whispered to herself. "I'll become queen. And I'll end this nightmare. I promise."

She didn't know how prophetic those words would be. Or how much pain she would endure before she could fulfill that promise.

But for now, she held onto hope.

It was all she had left.

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