The Marriage Contest

Chapter Seven - This Is It

Chapter Seven - This Is It

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Now they're testin' the trap and it chills my spine 11 more minutes to go
And the trap and the rope aw they work just fine got 10 more minutes to go
Well I'm waitin' on the pardon that'll set me free with 9 more minutes to go
But this is for real so forget about me got 8 more minutes to go
With my feet on the trap and my head on the noose got 5 more minutes to go
Won't somebody come and cut me loose with 4 more minutes to go
I can see the mountains I can see the skies with 3 more minutes to go
And it's to darn pretty for a man that don't wanna die 2 more minutes to go
I can see the buzzards I can hear the crows 1 more minute to go
And now I'm swingin' and here I go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!

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I woke up to the sound of the clock striking ten. I had two hours to live. The first thing that my mind flashed back to was the kiss with Prince Andrew. There weren't words to describe it. I'm sure the only reason he kissed me was because he felt sorry for me. Then again, it was a long kiss. Longer than one would have been if he had only been doing it because he was sorry for me. It couldn't be something more could it? He couldn't have feelings for me, could he? Of course not, Belinda! Why even ask that question? Why would the prince have feelings for you? I'm just a peasant. All he kissed me for was to make me feel better about dying. That's it. Even if the prince had feelings for me it wouldn't work out because a royal and a peasant together is forbidden.

Somewhere, down deep inside of me, I knew that if the prince had feelings for me he would find a way for us to be together. He has changed. When we first met he was rude and mean, like any prince or king is. Now he was telling me he was sorry and was trying to defend me. He had feelings that he didn't have when we first met.

I wanted him back down here, badly. I wanted him to hold me again. I wanted him to touch me again. I wanted him to kiss me again. I knew he couldn't during the day. There were too many people. I didn't care I wanted him down here. I wanted him.

I could never have him though. I'm not good enough for him. He's too good for me. This won't work. I couldn't work.

"Miss Melrose." I looked to the bars of the cell to see one of the officers then looked up at the clock to see that somehow it was already eleven.

"Is it time to go already?" I asked though I didn't really want to hear the answer.
"Almost. We have to have a little preparation." He unlocked the cell and came in. He pulled a key from his pocket. He unlocked the cuffs on my feet and said, "We will have to keep the handcuffs on your arms. Just because of safety precautions." Safety precautions? Yeah right. They only did it so I can't use my hands to get away from them since I don't have cuffs on my feet.

"We are also going to have to put your hair up. That way the rope -"

"I know why. I don't want to hear you say it," I cut him off. He nodded and came around to the back of me to start putting up my hair. I know he's done this before, he's brought people out from an execution many times before. Many, many times before I was even born.

"How many times?" I asked quietly.

"How many times what?" He asked.

"How many times," I paused, trying to muster up enough strength to finish my sentence, "have you brought someone out to be executed?"

He sighed and said, "Too many to count."

"If you had to guess, what would the number be?"