Two unwanted beings slowly approached the Cliff of Judgment.

One of the most trusted Elf servants. And a mere mortal who was unwillingly brought into their world.

All because she fell in love with the Elven Prince.

With their hands chained behind them, they slowly turned around and faced their jury.

The king. His brother. The queen. The king's soldiers. The prince's childhood friend. And lastly but the most painful member of all: the prince.

The prince that once loved a mortal with all of himself. The prince who protected a mortal with every fiber of his being when they first met. The very same prince who didn't fight for the woman he said he loved. The prince who watched as the mortal was imprisoned for something she never wanted, something unexpected.

The prince who kept his mouth closed and his thoughts up until this very moment. The very moment where he could watch the mortal die right before his eyes.

He didn't dare look at her ever since she was arrested. His guilt and the pain of knowing that he would never be allowed to be with her was too much for him to bear. Whenever his eyes met hers, he could only feel her pain from everything that he did.

He betrayed her, leaving her at the hour that she needed him the most. He boldly protested that she didn't mean anything to him, that she assumed too much from him. Not once did he visit her in her cell where she experienced some of the coldest nights of her life. Not once did he defend her and her innocence.

Not once did he keep all the promises he made to her. Everything was mere wordplay for Elven Prince just to get to her heart.

At least, that was what the mortal felt and thought. That was why even though his actions killed her from within, she still understood one very important thing: that she was never and would never be welcomed in their court.

That she would never be with the man - the only man - she ever truly loved.

"Would the mortal named Iya step forward?" the captain of the Royal Guard spoke out, his voice echoed in the air.

Iya held her breath and took a step with her head up high.

The captain added, "And the Prince's former servant, Darfin, stepped forward as well."

Darfin sighed and did what the captain said. Amidst the usual creative brain of his, he ran out of tricks this time. And he did have some trick up his sleeves - which he never ran out of - he didn't dare to use them now.

He has already committed a crime against his own race and disappointed his family. He did not dare to add more to it.

The captain took a good look at the two of them before he brought out the sentence scroll.

As Iya and the Elven Prince, Aien, watched the captain open the scroll, they both clenched their jaws. Their hearts raced and their breaths hitched.

Finally, the scroll reached its limit and the captain began to read, "According to the law of the Elven Court, any mortal who had connections with an Elf, be it a Royal or not, shall be sentenced to death. The same goes for any Elf who would commit the crime on their part. Therefore, Iya the mortal and Darfin the Elf, will not be spared from said punishment."

Iya's hands clenched behind her. Darfin skipped a heartbeat. Aien's eyes widened as he gritted his teeth, preventing a single tear out of his eyes.

"However, due to this specific circumstances, His Majesty, King Qildour, has amended the supposed sentence to the accused," the captain continued.

Iya froze. Darfin grew baffled. Aien held his breath and anticipated.

The captain added, "Seeing that His Highness, Prince Aien, was also involved in the matter. Because of that, the prince shouldn't be spared from punishment. However, since His Majesty's grace is unending, he decided to spare the prince and make changes for the fate of the accused."

Aien slowly turned his head to his father, King Qildour, who kept his eyes onto the mortal and Elf. Aien turned back to them and held his breath.

"The mortal and the traitorous Elf will be exiled to the Mountain of Tall Trees. The Elf will be banished from the Elven Court and forever will be banned from returning. If both persisted to return here once again, the king and the jury will show no mercy and uphold the original arrangement. Written and sealed by the Royal Stamp of Approval, I pass this judgment down as captain, with the permission of His Majesty, King Qildour. Long live the King," the captain closed the scroll right away as soon as he finished.

The rest of the court said in unison, "Long live the King!"

Suddenly, the waterfall below the cliff climbed up through the air. Iya and Darfin immediately turned around and held their ground as the water swirled in the air. Darfin stepped in front of Iya, protecting her from the magnetic force of the waterfall.

The water continued to swirl and swirl until it glowed. Iya and Darfin closed their eyes, looking away from the bright light that came from the swirl. Slowly, the light died down and as they opened their eyes, they were shocked to see a portal.

Both looked at each other, confused. They returned to the portal and saw that it led to a forest.

"Remove their shackles," the captain commanded from behind them.

Iya and Darfin quickly turned around as two guards approached them. The captain followed them with two other guarda with sacks on their backs.

As soon as the chains were removed, the sacks were given to them. The captain then said, "These are some things that you may use for your survival. We don't know how it will help and we don't care the slightest bit. But you should be thankful that the king provided supplies for you both."

Darfin immediately responded, "We will be forever grateful for His Majesty's kindness. I wish him nothing but a richer life and a longer reign."

The captain and the guards gave their salute. But the captain didn't spare Iya the courtesy and respect she should've been given, even just for a moment. Before he completely walked away from them, he glared at her with disgust.

Unfortunately, Iya wasn't someone who backed down so easily. And she never was that sort of person. From the moment she was captured, she was disrespected, hated, belittled, viled, looked down on because she wasn't the same race as they were.

However, she rose above those whilst keeping her sanity and dignity intact. She ignored the whispers, the glares and the insult. She kept her eyes forward and her chin up.

In her mind, if she was destined to die this way, then she would greet death with a brave face. And she faced everything through and through.

Seeing that she wasn't fazed, the captain just gave her a side-eye and walked away.

Meanwhile, back with the Royals, everyone slowly turned around to leave the place. They couldn't wait to be away from the Cliff of Judgment. It wasn't the sort of place that any Elf would want to linger in. It was the place where the guilty were punished for their crimes. And most of the time, things never went smooth during the said punishments.

Everyone was moving. All except one.

The Elven Prince.

Prince Aien.