Cinderfella 2: A New Life - 8. Chapter 8

“Miss Thorne.” The judge began. “You are charged with assault on royal members of the family of Blethos. Which alone merits a death penalty. And you are charged with a murder of a citizen of Blethos.”

“What!?” Deena repeated.

“You killed Devon Collins, a guard in the employ of the people of Blethos that was to guard the royal members of the family of Blethos. Which you admitted, attested by Prince Erik or Blethos and by Rollin Wilkins.”

“The guard!?” Deena repeated. “He was nothing! A nobody!!”

The crowd and the judge took a deep breath hearing that.

“I doubt his wife and children would agree.” The judge said sadly and in a little shock. “He had rights! Not only as a guard and a citizen of Blethos but as a human being! You ended a life. You took a man’s life!!”

“He was in my way!” Deena spat.

This was seen as impossible to the judge as he shook his head. “I don’t get it.” He said trying to understand. “Does she hold no life sacred?” He looked up at Seth.

Seth rose. “Only her own, Your Honor.”

“Sit down, you pervert!” She bellowed at Seth. “I don’t care what they say, you are cursed! You were always cursed! You’re a sodomite! Probably taking it up the ass as much as you give it to HIM!” I swear, she had spittle coming out as she pointed at me. She was clearly insane! Not because she didn’t like homosexuals, but she just was!

“SILENCE!!” The judge stood with a shout. Even Deena stopped looking at him in shock. “If you won’t I’ll have you gagged!!” He said leaning over the desk toward her, but they were pretty far apart. Still, he was a little terrifying. “Deena Thorne, as you are clearly not in control of yourself. You deem your worth is more than anyone else; it is the judgment of the court that you are to be put to death as payment for the life of Devon Collins which you admit you took for being in your way. For the protection of all citizens of Blethos and for a threat to the royal family of Blethos as long as she draws breath, this sentence of death is to be carried out immediately!” He picked up the gavel and slammed it down with a loud whack. “It is so ordered!”

Only then did a man come in, dressed in black, the black hood on and a large bladed ax he carried at his side, did Deena’s eyes grow and the reality hit her.

I stood up. “Your Honor, if I may?”

The judge looked up. “Of course, Your Highness.”

“In light of her crime and admission of guilt, shouldn’t her holdings, accounts be awarded to Mr. Collins widow?” I asked. “It will be little compensation to her, but she should be comforted not having to worry about the loss of her husband’s income and the welfare of her children.”

The judge smiled. “It is so ordered.” He pounded his gavel again.

“What!?” Deena balked. “This can’t be happening!” She yelled as a couple of guards took her by the arms and began dragging her away. “This can’t be happening!!”

Seth shook his head. “Only now is she seeing the truth.” He said to me quietly.

“If by her death?” I said equally quietly to Seth. “Yes, she sees that she is going to die.” I nodded. Then sighed. “It’s a pity.” But I looked to Alex, who was looking very sad. I put my hand on his. “It’s almost over.”

Alex looked up, smiled at me with a nod. “I know. I just keep thinking, was there something I could have done?”

Seth shook his head. “I don’t think so, you saw she was clearly unbalanced.”

“Still,” Alex said as Deena was hauled out of the court.

I had seen executions. I hated that they had to happen. Were we playing God? But the law said it was going to happen no matter if I or Seth or anyone else objected. It was the law. In a part of the palace, I never had been to. Death sentences had not been needed in a while. I looked on from a balcony near the execution yard. There was a gallows ready, but in Deena’s case, the wood block with the groove for her neck. The marks on the wood told me it had been used before. Then we saw Deena being hauled, not by two guards, but four! She was fighting for her life! Seth put his arm around me, beside him was Alex as Seth took his father’s hand. Alex had barely enough energy to stand but wasn’t missing this. Nor would allow Seth or me to help him.

“No! No! NOOO!!!” Deena was screaming as she was put in position, chained her arms down in the fitted metal that held her in place as she struggled and the leg cuffs attached. “NO!!”

We watched the executioner raise his ax.

“God have mercy on your soul.” I said as the ax came down with a loud “WHACK!!! And Deena’s head rolled off on the ground. I might have imagined it, but I swear her eyes blinked a few seconds afterward.