Chapter 50

The crowd was alive with shouting and laughter, a raucous pulse that seemed to fill the space in front of the castle with a festive vibration, and there was no doubt those that had gathered that early morning had come for one reason, and one reason alone; they wanted to see the spilling of blood.

Kit stood next to her mother on the dais, the same place she’d occupied for the better part of the last two weeks, though the pleasant feeling associated with greeting those who’d come to be a part of her Choosing was long gone, replaced with a dread that threatened to overwhelm her. Had it not been for the encouraging glances of her Representatives positioned right in front, below the dais, she might’ve shriveled up and lost all of her nerve. It also helped to know that her father, Avinia, and Isla were behind her, and though she could not see them, they were giving her every ounce of their support. Her cousins had been quite helpful as she’d spent most of the day before arranging her thoughts on paper. Her grandmother had also smiled her encouragement when Kit took her place, so she thought perhaps she’d be able to get through this, even though the thought of seeing Jecob standing before her in chains made her shutter.

Eli was so far away from her, she could hardly see him. He was assigned one of the worst duties imaginable. Though it would be up to the ax man, Jowl, to actually make the blow, Eli would be in charge of positioning Jecob and insuring the executioner could do his job. Kit rose up on her tiptoes to see over the heads of her guardsmen assembled near the chopping block, and she caught a glimpse of the stout, well-muscled man. The gray covering he wore obstructed his face, but she’d seen Jowl enough times in the hallways of the castle to recognize him. He was always nice enough to her, and she believed Eli even counted the ruddy fellow as a friend, but even the sight of him without his get up sent shivers down Kit’s spine. She had the same sensation now. Kit was ready for this to be over with.

The crowd stretched so far back she couldn’t even see the road because of the number of bodies standing on it. Villagers even filled all the space on the other side of the tree line, across the lane, back as far as she could see. There had to be close to ten thousand people present. She imagined some of them had come from far away provinces, traveling all night. It was beyond her to think anyone would go to so much trouble to see a man lose his head, but then, the spectacle of the situation had to be the driving force for some. She couldn’t remember the last time a Representative had been accused of such a travesty. She was certain Jecobian’s name would go down in history, whether he walked away from here this day or was carried out in two or more pieces.

Her mother was dressed in a deep royal purple that looked almost black. Her hair was swept up on top of her head, surrounded by her largest crown, the one she wore when she wanted to remind everyone of her position. Kit, on the other hand, had chosen to wear a pink gown so light it was almost white. Her hair was up because she didn’t want to upset her mother, but her tiara was small and dainty, and she hoped to represent grace and peace to the people standing before her. It was a gamble, and she wasn’t sure how they would react to the striking difference between the woman in power and the girl preparing herself to take over someday, but she hoped her kindness and innocence would be a persuading factor.

Nerves began to get the best of her as Kit surveyed the crowd. She took a few deep breaths, wondering if she could just fade away, back into the councilwomen behind her, disappearing into the castle, but then her mother began to speak, and the crowd quieted in a wave from front to back. Kit fought the panic and turned her attention to the Representatives. She met Cassius’s eyes, and he nodded at her. The raging inferno within her died only slightly, but it was enough for her to focus. She remembered Eli’s words from the day before, squared her shoulders, and tipped up her head.

“Ladies and men of Yewforia, hear me!” the queen demanded. “You have been assembled here today to bear witness to the meting out of punishment. A serious crime has been committed against the crown! Today, I, your queen, Rona, Empress of All the Lands East of the Galacial Mountains and Queen of the Provinces South of the Compazional Sea, will seek your assistance in determining the fate of a criminal, not because I cannot perform this task myself but because your Princess, my daughter, Katrinetta, has asked that we bring this villain before you so that his fate is determined not just by the crown but by all of the citizens of the realm against whom he has committed this grievous act!” There was a roar from the crowd as the queen paused for dramatic effect, and Kit’s eyes wandered back to her supporters, landing on Jate this time. He sucked his bottom lip in slightly, tipping his forehead to her, a sure sign that he was with her, and she nodded her thanks as her mother continued.

“As some of you may have heard, our fine physician, Armant, has discovered that one of the Representatives dared to present himself to the princess as an eligible suitor when he, in fact, suffers from a horrible affliction—tingo!” The crowd seemed to inhale all at once, and then there was another round of shouting. This time, Kit could distinctly hear dozens, maybe hundreds, of people calling for his head. “Should the princess have been contaminated, not only could she have suffered terribly and lost her life, she would’ve no longer been able to fulfill her duties of providing an heir to the realm, thus threatening our bloodline and our queendom’s very existence!”

“Kill him! Off with his head!” the crowd shouted, and Kit fought against balling her hands into fists. They hadn’t even heard her yet, and the queen already had them seeking blood. She looked at her mother, questioning when it would be her turn, but the impassioned expression on Rona’s face let her know it wouldn’t come yet.

“Bring him out!” the queen shouted, gesturing wildly with her arm in a wide flourish.