" What had been the purpose of my too-short like? I had been a daughter, a sister, a friend. Was that enough? My mother always said the most important thing in life was to love and be loved. I had done both.
“Come along.” I felt the guard nudge me forward.
“Wait.” I steadied myself enough to slip my feet out of my shoes, stepping onto the dewy grass, which felt soft and prickly at the same time. I needed to feel the grass beneath my feet one last time.
“I want to run,” Jamie said, is voice rising hopefully. “Please.”
“No running,” the guard responded sternly.
“Please let him,” Mary pleaded. “He’s been ill his whole life, until now.”
I heard the second guard shuffle his feet and whisper something to the first. I wished I could see their faces. “All right,” the first guard reluctantly agreed. “Three minutes. We’ll take off your blindfold so you don’t trip,” he added gruffly.
I couldn’t see Jamie, but I heard the patter of his feet, the joy in his voice as he cried out in happiness. Moved, the soldiers let him play for much longer than three minutes. And for once in his life, Jamie got to run outside like a normal boy, as the rain fell harder and the Tower chimed the hour of our execution. "

― Galaxy Craze , The Last Princess (Last Princess, #1)