^^What I imagine the royal cloak to look like^^

"Death is the wish of some, the relief of many, and the end of all."

Chapter 48

River's POV

The soft whisper of fingers swept across my cheek as my eyes fluttered open. The fuzzy image of a smiling Alastair filled my vision as I squinted and blinked with a hiss. My eyes burnt and felt crusty around the edges from my previous crying and the ray of sunlight filtering in through the window wasn't helping.

"No," I pouted, pulling the covers over my head and shutting myself from the light.

Laughter broke from Alastair's throat as he laid outside the covers, beside me as I stole all the covers and cocooned myself amidst the thick cushioning.

"Love, it's time to wake up," he breathed through a fit of laughter as he began pulled the blanket off of me.

"No," I screeched through muffled sheets as I attempted to fight against him yet ultimately lost as he yanked the blanket off my pouting form and kissed me on the nose.

"Good morning, love."

I merely huffed, ignoring his pleasantry and turning over.

He let out a breath and began running his fingers down my spine, "It's an important day today. Father has called us to the square for the hanging. If you feel uncomfortable going I can always..."

My eyes widened, thoughts drowning out his words as realization hit me.

The hanging. That's today?

I jumped up, startling Alastair as his eyes briefly widened before reaching for me.

"There's nothing for you to be worried about, love." He stated as he pulled me closer by my hips until our toes almost touched. "If you feel uncomfortable watching you can always turn away or bury yourself in my cloak-"

"Cloak?"

"Yes, it's a custom for the royal family to come dressed in a black cloak with the royal seal embroidered on the chest to every hanging. It's to represent the sadness of the nation for having to kill their own and to represent the sin we have now lifted from him by redeeming him through death."

"I'm am going to be wearing one?"

He was silent for a few moments, "We haven't had our mating ceremony yet, love, so officially you aren't considered part of the royal family yet. You wouldn't be allowed to wear one."

"Oh." I didn't quite know what else to say. That meant officially, I wasn't Alastair's mate yet. That didn't sit well with me.

We'd attempted to have a mating ceremony quite a number of months ago but because of my father's surprise appearance and my own inner anxiety, it hadn't been completed. I regretted that. I regretted not going through with it.

If I had, I would officially be his mate right now.

The soft feel of gentle fingers against my chin, lifting me up pulled me from my thoughts as Alastair ran a gentle hand through my hair.

"That doesn't make you any less of my mate," his eyes bore into mine, "Mating ceremony or not you're still my mate."

I nodded.

Was I? Without a mating ceremony, what tied him to me?

Just then, he stood up and lifted himself from the bed.

"I am going to go dress. You should as well, love." He nodded towards my wardrobe as he made his way towards his.

I lifted myself from the bed as I watched his shuffling from the corner of my eye. He pulled out a handsome attire as I watched him pulled a long, black cloak from within, besides a similar cloak of similar embroidery but of smaller length.

My eyes widened as I sighted it beside Alastair's.

Was that one meant for me?

I almost felt like laughing humorlessly.

Of course, he had expected us to have fully mated by now. After all, it's already been over six months since we've met. Most mates complete their mating in the first month, if not week.

What is wrong with me?

A soft hand landed on my shoulder, causing me to jump.

"River, you have been staring in my direction for the past several minutes instead of getting dressed. Is there something wrong?" Alastair stood, fully dressed in front of me, one hand on my shoulder as his eyes narrowed in concern.

"No, I am just..."

"Is it about yesterday?"

My eyes widened.

"N-no, I-"

"Because there is nothing to be concerned about," Alastair interrupted, "I would never allow any harm to come upon you," he flinched, "never again."

I nodded slowly, eyeing the dark cloth wrapped around his shoulders and down his sides. He followed my eyes.

"It is quite annoying to walk in," he sighed, "but it will play well to hide you from what we are about to see." His eyes wandered to my wardrobe behind me as he reached in and began searching through the clothing.

"Here," he pulled a few articles out and handed them to me, "I have quickened the search for you. Why don't you put these on as I go inform the kitchen that we've awoken."

I nodded.

"You're quite silent today," he noted as he laid a soft kiss on my forehead.

I was silent as I watched him give me a last small smile before closing the door behind him.

It was silent for a few moments, me just contemplating as I peered at the door, clothes still bundled in my arms before sighing and beginning to unclothe.

I feared what I was to see today. To be forced to witness the death of an innocent man whose only crime was mate biting his own mate. If it were hundreds of years earlier, when all shifted, no one would pay any mind to the accustomed mating way. However, now with all the laws in place, mate biting meant one shifted. Committing the forbidden ceremony long lost within recent generations by using their wolf's canines to implant half their soul within their mate, declaring them officially theirs.

An act I had almost done.

I shivered at the prospect. If that were to happen not even Alastair, the heir himself could save me. There was no way to hide a mating mark.

"Goddess," I hissed out as my fingers dug harshly into my scalp, dropping the clothing to the ground with a soft thump.

My eyes peered down at the clothes to the ground as I dropped to my knees, picking the fallen clothes. I sat, half dressed as my robe laid on the floor beside the fallen clothes as I continued to dress but instead in a sitting position.

I did not want to go, but I didn't have a choice in the matter. All had to be present during a public hanging, even the marketplace was shut down a public hanging. Peasants and nobles alike were to be present and I was no exception. I one by one dressed, tying the last knot on my shirt as I huffed, crossed my legs as I watched the door, waiting for Alastair's return.

I waited, sitting on the cold flooring for minutes, silently watching the door before the knob turned and Alastair walked in. He eyed my form on the ground with a raised brow. I awaited the question that was bound to come but it didn't, rather he reached a hand to me, lifting me from the ground and leading me downstairs.

"I asked them to make those pastries you seem to like," he mentioned as we entered the dining room.

I nodded in response, taking a seat on the left side of the table beside Isaiah who was casually munching on an apple.

"Good morning," he smiled pleasantly as Derek raised a hand on across from him.

"Good morning," I responded with a returning smile to both.

The table was silent as I fiddled in my seat. Derek continued eating his loaf of bread as Isaiah watched me through the corner of his eye.

Is it always this tense before a hanging?

"Have you ever been to a hanging before, River?" Isaiah asked just as he finished his apple.

I shook my head.

"He wasn't of age during the last hanging," Alastair spoke up. "He was around...fourteen at the time."

"Oh, that's right," Isaiah let out a gasp, "I keep forgetting how much younger than us you are."

My cheeks heated as I bowed my head.

I am not that much younger.

"Only seventeen, huh," Derek commented across the table, "you really did rob the cradle."

Alastair's eyes narrowed, "he is of age."

"Barely," Derek scoffed, "by only a year."

"So that makes you two about six years apart doesn't it?" A third voice questioned as Hyde made himself present, taking a seat beside Derek.

Derek jumped slightly, sending a scowl in Hyde's direction and scooting slightly opposite Hyde as if to make as much space between the two as he could.

Isaiah raised a brow but said nothing as he reached for a second apple from the bowl between the two.

"Yes," Alastair seemed sick of the conversation as he reached for an apple as well.

"You like 'em young, huh?" Hyde's mouth pulled to a tilted smirk, "You always have."

My eyes widened as my breath got caught in my throat.

"Enough!" Alastair's voice rose as the apple in his hand crunched harshly beneath his tightened grip and its juices leaked across the table.

The table grew silent as a maid hurried to clean up the mess as Alastair dropped the deformed apple to the table with a harsh thump.

It was then that Michael and Keith walked into the dining room, both wearing matching black cloaks to Alastair's. Michael raised a brow as he took a seat beside Hyde and Keith by Alastair.

"What? Did the funeral start already? Did I miss the hanging?" Michael commented as he eyed Alastair to which Alastair sent him a pointed look.

"What? Too soon?"

Alastair scoffed just as a maid set a tray of pastries in front of him.

"So River," Michael turned away from Alastair and smiled in my direction, "this is going to be your first hanging, isn't it?"

I nodded.

"Don't worry, we've all been there. If it becomes too much for you to see you can always turn your head away, but just don't make it too obvious or you might get lectured by His Highness."

I nodded just as Alastair pressed a pastry to my lips and I opened my mouth. Just as I felt the second pastry brush against my lip, a man dressed in black rushed in.

"Your Majesty, it is time."

Alastair nodded, lifting himself from his chair and extending a hand to me to which I took. Everyone stood from the table and ventured out the entryway to the courtyard to where a carriage waited. We all piled into the carriage as the air thickened. I could feel the tension piling in the air and it was making me sick, nausea swirling in my stomach just as the carriage stopped and we were all directed into the town square to where a stage sat with a tall, wooden beam resting on top with a thick rope dangling off it, swinging in a way that caused my legs to tremble. Someone was to be swinging off that rope shortly. Someone was soon to be on that stage, for all to see as he took his last breath in front of strangers and family alike.

Alastair must have noticed my shaking legs, seconds from giving way because within seconds I felt myself being lifted from the ground and into the arms of my mate, cradled against his silken cloak. I peered up at his face, though it was barely visible beneath the dark hood in which shaded him from the beating sun.

The audience grew silent, watching us through widened eyes as the royal family made their way to their designated seats, followed by their council, consisting of Hyde, Isaiah, Derek, and a few of His Highness' trusted advisors. It was like a sea of black as our entourage walked down the plain of civilians, all dressed in browns and grays.

We took a seat in the front row, just in front of the noblemen with their wives and children of age. The children scattered away from us, hiding against their mother's chests as the men bowed their heads.

It felt forced, artificial and I wanted nothing more than to hide beneath Alastair's cloak and imagine myself elsewhere.

Anywhere but here.

Alastair and his father took a seat in the center as everyone branched out around us in a protective, black shell. I sat in Alastair's lap, head resting against his chest as I attempted to drown out the scenery around us. All eyes seemed to be on me, brows raised at my presence in Alastair's lap. We hadn't completed our mating ceremony so the civilians weren't aware that Alastair had taken a mate, only the noblemen who had been at our opening party.

I felt myself begin to shake as the familiar brown-eyed man was led onto the stage by men in black masks, each holding his arms behind him in a tightened grip as chains held his feet close together.

My heart raced anxiously in my chest as a small blond sat by the foot of the stage, hands cupped around her mouth as tears ran down her face. Men and women sat by her side, arms encasing her as she trembled against their embrace.

"They make the family sit in the front row and watch," Alastair whispered into my ear as I watched the poor girl.

"Why?" I crawled closer to see his face.

"It is part of the punishment." His eyes seemed distant, unattached as his eyes turned from mine to the man on the stage.

I guess that was truly the only way to watch such a horrid display, by detaching yourself.

I laid my head on his shoulder as I watched the men in dark masks drop the rope down to the man's neck. My body began to shake, heart quickening in acknowledgment of what was to come.

Alastair must have misinterpreted my shaking as he wrapped his cloak around my shaking form and pulled me closer, kissing me softly on the head.

Though amidst the hysteria in my head, I barely felt his lips, barely processed his gentle touch against my arm in hopes of calming me.

I couldn't help but feel for the man on the stage, to put myself in his shoes.

That could be me.

And just like that my breath caught in my throat, tears clouding my vision as the noose tightened around the man's neck as he was raised into the air, legs dangling, mouth widening as he let out a silent scream but all that sounded was the high-pitched shriek of his mate across the stage, fighting against the hold of those around her as she kicked and screamed, eyes turning a bright yellow as her wolf fought to save its only half.

Though none seemed to care, nor realize as all eyes remained on the stage, watching as the man watched his mate through tear-stained eyes, legs kicking just as anxiously as hers in an attempt to free himself. And just as he opened his mouth to utter a single word, his body grew limp and all that could be heard was the blood-curling scream of his mate as she crumbled to the ground.