an impossible crime

    She needed to be left alone with her thoughts. The whole day was dedicated to working out the kinks in Liam's already-sound strategy. She was sure the man was already insulted enough with his plans having to be looked over by someone who is still in training, and even more insulting since this apprentice was the least respected one in the castle.

    "She's not fit to be a strategist."
    "She doesn't belong here."
    "She doesn't even deserve to be the strategists' predecessor."

    Lya felt tears burn in her eyes while she pulled her coat tighter around herself, avoiding the gazes of some students passing by her in the hallway. A foot suddenly stuck out; she almost tripped over it, and heard the two laugh among themselves as they left. Was it really worth her time to climb up the ranks as a strategist? She was horrible in other tasks, be it sowing, crafting, cooking, fighting, even charting, and even then, she had the least difficulties with reading maps outlining the forces of the kingdoms against them, reading the weaknesses and strengths of certain soldiers and people themselves, and even though she had some trouble whipping up strategies, she was the best of the best among the apprentices.

    Yet, her not belonging in this kingdom really hit her hard. There were a few people in the army that warmed up to her easily, but Lya had distanced herself away from them, too, in order to save herself the trouble of more pain and disappointment should they suddenly change their minds about her. Even then, Kevin would always find her in the most hidden areas, Ginger would 'bump' into her during mealtime and drag her off for sword practice, Dakota would always bring her favorite sweets from the market and share them, and even Liam, despite his pride and status in the army, would drop by and comment on some of her analyses.

    They always look like they have good intentions, but Lya knew better than that. It was a shame they thought she was that desparate enough to make friends to cling to every good word they said about her. 

    They're all liars. She slipped past Kevin, as he had opened the door to the next room while he and Dakota stepped out, ducked her head as Ginger barrelled past her and caught up with the other two. 

    They were smiling.
    They were laughing.
    They hadn't noticed her at all, even when she had just walked past them.

    Of course, that didn't surprise her at all. Lya pulled her hood over her head and made her way down to the grand hall of the abandoned castle the army was now occupying. A surprise they had let such an lowly-regarded apprentice go along with them on their expedition; this was most likely a way to get rid of her, either in the middle of the battlefield or in the middle of the night, where excuses can be made at the snap of the finger. 

    Lya was so consumed in her horribly overwhelming thoughts that she had not noticed what she had just stumbled over. She landed roughly on her knees, staying there as she waited for imaginary bullies to leave. When there was no noise, she lifted her hood and looked around. There was an unmistakeable scent of blood. Come to think of it, she had felt herself hit against something soft. The apprentice scrambled up to her feet and looked beneath her.

    It was a girl. She was probably the same age as her, lying down crookedly on the floor. Blood had pooled beneath her and stained her knights' clothes and the stone floor, and even more blood was oozing out from some hidden wound. Lya took a step back, feeling chills run through her spine and a sour taste reach her tongue.

    Why does she feel like she knows this girl? They had never talked before, she knew that, and had only seen glimpses of her whenever she had to stand beside the master strategist, announcing his plan to everyone.

    She fights like a madman, to keep herself alive in the midst of battle while protecting her friends and the small kingdom.
    She has terrible moments of impulsiveness, making the worst decisions under pressure.
    She's always seen around Liam, flitting by as she followed the man with a small smile on her face and love in her eyes. Lya drew in a sharp breath, realizing in horror that she knew the dead person more than she believed to have thought.

    Ruby is dead.
    Ruby is dead, and there was no one else here in the grand hall except a girl that everyone hated.
    Ruby was loved; Dakota would mention her in conversations, mentioning how the knight would meet up with her in the early mornings to pick flowers for someone.
    Ginger would always be seen dueling the girl just before Lya entered the training grounds.
    Kevin was always mentioning to Lya at least once a week about her, boasting about how Ruby had fallen to the same trick.
    Even Olliver, a healer-in-training, would talk about her. That same smile on his face, that same look in his eyes that anyone could tell that he had met the most beautiful person in his life, and no one can take her from him.

    Everyone loved her, and now, Lya felt like she could have loved her as well.

    But she's no one. Ruby didn't even know her.

    All she was was the perfect scapegoat for the criminal to pin the blame on for her death. As if on cue, a scream sounded behind her. Lya turned, noting by the clothes of the woman that she was a lower-classed footsoldier, looking at the apprentice in horror. "By the gods!" she sobbed. "Y-you monster!"

    Lya didn't bother to stop her from running out of the hall, instead opting to look back at Ruby. She was recently killed, judging by the warmth still left in her body. She knelt down, running her hands along the girl to find any wounds. 
    A bloodied knife and a necklace. Multiple stab wounds in her side, covered by her cape.

    The apprentice slid the knife back under the dead knight and stuffed the necklace into her pocket, pulling the hood of her cloak back over her head as she made her way through the wide-open doors of the castle.

    If everyone wanted to convict her of an impossible crime, let them do it. She's not going to bother to stop them.