The Villianess story: A 100 ways to kill your husband
Chapter 391: The fall of a pillar

Chapter 391: The fall of a pillar

The temperature plummeted, and Helen and Galen started to gnash their teeth. The ice froze the wheel, the wood got incredibly brittle and lost control.

The entire road was now covered in ice, and the carriage lost balance. "Steady the reins," Helen screamed, also shivering. The horse galloped, and Galen pulled as hard as he could, but it was for nought. "Brace yourself," Galen warned after losing complete control and then the carriage crashed straight into a tree.

Due to the ice, it shattered completely. They were injured, with ice bites on the tips of their fingers. The barrels burst open with Ivana crawling out alongside. "What happened. " The duchess groaned, grabbing her head, which was spinning.

The snow was still falling, and it seemed they were caught up in a blizzard of some sort. "Why is there ice all over?" She asked again. The snow was very cold and fine.

Galen managed to get off the carriage, then helped Helen off too. "Are we trapped in some barrier?" Helen asked. Galen didn’t have the answer and he was equally puzzled. The sounds of horses drew closer, and the knights were still after them.

"We have to hide." Nicholas’s voice drew everyone’s attention. The Duke managed to get up and grabbed his wife’s hand. "We need to run." He repeated, maybe they could hide in the forest. Ivana was still anxious but followed her husband’s instructions.

They tried running, but the ice was slippery. Nicholas and Ivana were in front.

Helen went wide when she realised the ice was growing on their legs, holding them in place. A scream left Ivana’s lips before she could think. They tried breaking the ice, but it was useless.

"Someone should make it stop." She said in a panic. A soft laugh rang, drawing their attention to a blizzard ahead.

"It is useless," a sweet voice chimed. They were stuck in a spot and had no choice but to watch the lone figure approach them.

Soft horse hooves echoed, with grunts. The figure was getting clearer by the second. On a white horse sat a lady whom one can describe as a goddess

Pale skin, Snow White hair and blue eyes. She was like an ice goddess. "It is over, this is your end." Callista chimed. The knights’ horses appeared at every corner and the Darkhavens were cornered

The soldier was surprised to see the priest. "Your holiness," they greeted. Callista was confined to the title of holy lady after Abrielle, the first holy lady, by Queen Eleanor.

The cold bit into the Duke and Duchess, but their failure to escape was colder. Callista cast them a death glare. "Arrest them," Callista commanded.

******

Abrielle was sitting in front of a mirror, Evelyn’s fingers were weaving through her hair as the maid styled the princess’s hair. The cloud rumbled, raindrops clinging to the window.

"It’s a cold morning." Abrielle signed. A meow rang, lazy Yuki, who had been lying on the bed all day, stretched and jumped off the bed, working towards the princess..

"We have to enjoy the weather before the summer comes," Evelyn mentioned. Abrielle’s mind was drifting. She wondered if Cedric had taken action, if Fiona’s letter had gotten to him

.

She has done her best and the rest was left for them. The door burst open, jolting everyone including Yuki who jumped over the princess’s lap

It was Jubilee, "Your Highness," the maid gasped then bowed again. Jubilee rang into the room. "The traitors have been identified," Jubilee said excitedly.

Abrielle’s eyes went wide, and she got on her feet, unable to contain herself. Fiona had done it. "Who are they ?"

Jubilee ran closer to explain. "The Darkhaven family. Everyone was talking about it at the market." Jubilee chimed in excitedly. She was out running some errands when she heard the news about how the Darkhaven family attempted to run by hiding in barrels.

Abrielle was amused when she heard the story. It was funny, but regardless, she was happy that they caught the Darkhaven family.

*******

Just as Abrielle had predicted the Darkhaven family was selling information. Lucian was able to force the information out of them after a thorough interrogation. Although their motive wasn’t strong, there was enough evidence tying the Darkhaven family to traitors.

They were able to get control of the information network by fishing out the spies, and the tide of the war turned. Every family member of the Darkhaven family, except Rudeus and his wife Fiona, was spared from execution.

Although the reason wasn’t made public, many thought it was because Rudeus had cut ties with his family. No one could guess it was because Fiona was the one who leaked everything.

It was the end of the Darkhaven family and the first time in centuries a pillar family was going to fall.

The loud roar echoed from a distance, Ivana’s legs were sore. She could barely move her numb limb. Not everyone was going to be excited for their own execution.

"Move," a soldier barked at her. She didn’t budge until she was pushed falling on her face. Her entire body, including her heart, was sore. After the interrogation, Nicholas blamed her as the mastermind, sentencing her to face the capital punishment of a public execution. A very shameful way to die.

Ivana didn’t cry or scream when she fell on her face. She wished she could just stay down like this. " Stop lying on the floor." The soldier barked, and pain spread across her back as the whip lashed into her skin.

She gritted her teeth, but she didn’t cry or scream. Her entire body was in pain from several bruises and it felt like she was already dead. Why didn’t they just behead? The chain was tugged. Forcing her to stand up. Even the sand hurt under her feet

The roar got louder at the end of the dark tunnel. The bright light touched her and curses and stones started raining on her knocking her to the ground

Hatred filled their voice as they thought of their sons and heroes fighting a war as a result of one family’s greed