Emmelyn still remembered clearly the face of the wicked woman who was responsible for so many bad things that happened in her life. She saw Ellena's face in her nightmares and it always made her feel disgusted and angry when she woke up.

She had fewer nightmares after she was reunited with her husband and had Harlow back in her life. However, they were not really gone. She still saw Ellena in her dreams at night, laughing wickedly at her and agitating her.

She didn't tell Mars about those nightmares but she believed he knew about it. He didn't bring them up because he was waiting for Emmelyn to tell him first. However, he took the time to ask her what she think should be a good punishment for Ellena's crimes.

When they had the conversation, Emmelyn was sure she wanted to see Ellena dead. And even until today, she thought she wanted the wicked woman to be beheaded in the town square.

However, when the jail door was opened and she stepped inside, Emmelyn's heart sank. She almost didn't recognize Ellena.

She gasped in surprise and the sound made the woman crouching in the corner of the prison cell look up. Her eyes bulged when she saw Emmelyn stand at the doorway.

Mars also didn't recognize Ellena. The woman who grew up with him now looked so frail and thin. Half her head was almost bald because she kept pulling her hair when she was depressed. They could see chunks of her beautiful black hair were scattered on the prison stone floor.

Kira raised a brow and looked at Ellena with hatred evident in her eyes. So, this was the wicked woman who had made Emmelyn's life suffer?

She was so ugly, on the outside as well as on the inside. How could someone like this dream of marrying the crown prince?

"Y-you...?" Ellena's voice croaked when she saw Emmelyn. "You are still alive...!!?"

Her eyes were instantly filled with glints of hatred and Ellena tried hard to stand up by holding on to the rails behind her. Mars immediately moved to the front of his wife, in a reflex move to protect her.

"Ellena, watch your mouth," he scolded the woman. "This  is the queen you are talking to."

Ellena scoffed. It was like she suddenly got newfound energy when she realized the woman she hated to the core apparently was still alive, and now Emmelyn came here to see her in this wretched prison.

Ellena was wondering for a long time why she was left to rot in this cell without any clarity. Wouldn't Mars want her dead after she tried to kill his father? Didn't he also think Ellena was responsible for framing Emmelyn and the attempted murder of Queen Elara?

So, why didn't he just give her the punishment already? Was it because he couldn't bear to kill his childhood friend? Did he still have some feelings for her? Even if it was only a feeling of friendship, Ellena didn't mind.

She wanted to live. She wanted Mars to forgive her and maybe... give her a second chance. She was just desperate. She did all those because she loved him. So much. Surely he would someday understand... right?

However, after months of no clarity and no news from the outside, Ellena finally gave up on those thoughts and realized she would really rot in jail. Even Mars didn't want to see her and listen to her explanation.

Ellena was also not allowed to see her father and his wife. No, she did beg to see them, she bribed the guards with her ring. She still kept some jewelry on her body after she was arrested. She used a ring to bribe two guards to send a letter to Duke Preston.

She was begging her father to find ways to let her out of the prison, rebel if necessary. However, the guards came back to her, saying the duke didn't want to see her. Her letters were ripped and thrown into the trash.

Ellena didn't believe him at first. However, after months of not hearing Duke Preston's news, she finally realized maybe the man really had disowned her. That stupid filthy cunning old man!

He only wanted Ellena when he thought his daughter could be useful to his family if she could marry the crown prince. However, now that she was in this situation, Duke Preston immediately washed his hands off her case and cut all ties.

This realization was what finally broke Ellena. She plucked her hair in frustration and she cried for days. She didn't want to eat. She wanted to kill herself, but there was nothing to use in this cell to end her life.

She couldn't hang herself, also there were no sharp objects to hurt her or shed blood. She tried to kill herself by not eating, but in the end, she was not that strong. After two days of hunger, she ravaged the food served to her like a starving wolf.

The only way to really kill herself was if she struck her head to the prison wall as hard as she could and break her skull. However, she finally realized she was not that brave.

After a half-hearted attempt, she only hurt her head and blood squirted out of her temple, but she didn't die. It was so damn painful.

Mr. Vitas treated her wound and she was nursed back to life. From the old physician, finally, Ellena heard that the king was away to a country far away across the ocean. That's why he had not seen her in prison.

This gave Ellena hope. So, maybe Marss needed to do something before he could see her and they could have their talk. That's why Ellena was not killed. This rejuvenated hope in her heart and Ellena waited patiently until Mars came.

She really missed him and wanted to talk to him.

And finally, the day came that the king returned from his long journey and he went to prison to visit Ellena.

However, he brought Emmelyn with him???

Ellena was furious. Anger suddenly filled her chest. This flame gave her strength to stand up and walk toward Emmelyn with hatred evident in her bloodshot eyes.

"I should have killed you with my own hands...!!!" She gritted her teeth. Her face had lost its beauty. There was no trace of youth nor beauty on her. And this made Emmelyn feel shocked.

She thought Ellena would still look as despicable and arrogant as she was last year. With her beautiful face smiling wickedly and her nose lifted high, looking down on Emmelyn and all other women around her.

This was not how she saw Ellena in her nightmares. This Ellena reminded her of wicked old witches she read in books. Oh, how far had this woman fallen from grace...

"After all this time, you are still as charming as ever," Emmelyn said with a flat tone. She winced at the sight of Ellena. "You didn't kill me, but you did so many heinous crimes that even death does not suffice to be your punishment."

Ellena pursed her lips. She was so ashamed of her condition. Emmelyn came to see her wearing such a beautiful dress, and she was holding Mars' hands. They looked so in love together.

While Ellena... she was wearing these ugly clothes that looked more like rags and, even though she didn't have a mirror to see her reflection, she could tell that she must look really horrible.

She couldn't compare to Emmelyn. She had fallen so far...

In the past, she could see herself as a woman of higher status than Emmelyn. She was the prime minister's 'adopted daughter'. She always wore beautiful dresses and so many people were at her beck and call.

Now.. she looked no different than an old beggar on the streets of Kingstown.

This made Ellena feel so frustrated and angry. This was all Emmelyn's fault.

If Emmelyn didn't come to Draec, Ellena would have the man of her dreams. She would return to Draec with the knowledge that she broke his curse. Mars would marry her and she would be his wife completely and give birth to his heirs. 

She would no longer be his wife in name, as he asked her eight years ago. She would be his real wife, and they would live happily ever after.

But all her dreams shattered to a million little pieces because this wretched princess from the conquered kingdom suddenly came and took everything that was supposed to be Ellena's.

Emmelyn made Ellena had to take extra measures to get Mars to marry her. She was forced to kill Queen Elara so she could frame Emmelyn and kick her out of Mars' life.

Emmelyn was the reason why Ellena did all the unthinkable... to get the man she loved to marry her.

It had always been Emmelyn's fault.

She should have just died with her family when Wintermere was attacked. 

Why was it so hard to kill her? Why was Emmelyn like a weed who was so annoying and hard to destroy? She always came back.

"I HATE YOU!! I HATE YOU..!!" Ellena charged toward Emmelyn and swung her hand to hit her. But Mars was faster. He grabbed Ellena's wrist and gripped it hard.

"Don't you dare touch my wife with your filthy hands..." he said coldly. Then, he tossed Ellena to the corner of the prison floor.

The woman cried and hugged her knees in pain. Emmelyn gasped and looked at her husband. She mouthed her thank you.

"Now that you have seen Ellena, tell me what do you want me to do with her?" Mars asked Emmelyn. "Do you want her to stay here for the rest of her life and rot in jail? Or do you want me to parade her all over Kingstown to make an example? Or do you want her beheaded on the square tomorrow?"

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From Missrealitybites:

If you were Emmelyn, what do you want to do to Ellena? Of those three options above, which one do you want to see? Or, do you have different ideas? Let me know! XD

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