"The violence and injustice of the rulers of mankind is an ancient evil, for which, I am afraid, the nature of human affairs can scarce admit a remedy."

                     ~Adam Smith

Chapter 49

River's POV

My ears rang, throat grew dry as her voice eventually turned to a muted gasp. Her eyes glazed over before falling to the ground in a resounding thump. I jumped in Alastair's lap, leaning forward while my breath thickened.

A couple people ran to her aid, wrapping her in the light shawls off their backs as she laid unconscious against an older woman's chest. The woman eyes shone in torment, brushing the girl's sweat-sticking hair from her face.

The crowd seemed to hold their breaths, watching the scene unfold before their eyes. Newly of age children watched through widened eyes, some turning away while others merely watched like that of a young child at a circus.

Those older didn't seem as dumb-stricken but merely peered at the girl through eyes of pity. Not that of remorse or sorrow for the poor man who had just been killed before them but of pity for the girl for having been associated with him.

My eyes roamed the crowd, soaking in all the expressions of those around me. Their expressions left me shocked and utterly confused. How could one watch such a scene and feel nothing of it? It seemed only the young ones truly felt the same unnerving shiver that ran down my spine.

How could they not find this frightful?

A man was just killed for nothing more than performing a ritual long done in the past. Were they truly so deluded into thinking this was normal? That this was okay?

It was not.

My eyes returned to that of the dead man dangling above the stage. I couldn't help the strained sob that escaped my throat as I cupped my mouth.

The poor man.

My eyes then went to the passed out girl by the stage, face almost as pale as the corpse of her love. And it was then that my eyes landed on that of the elderly woman. Though what I hadn't expected were for her dark, glassed-over eyes to be on mine as well. I froze, breath caught as I remained frozen in place beneath her narrowed eyes. It was then her mouth opened, my eyes widened as her voice filled the tense air.

"For how long will this continue?" Her scratchy, high-pitched voice demanded, "How long will you continue to restrain us, to kill us, until you are satisfied?"

A warm, hair-prickling breathe swept across the back my neck as Alastair's arms tightened around me. A low growl escaped his throat as the crowd held their breath along with me.

"And to who do you think you are," His Highness barked from beside Alastair, "that you can refer to your prince in such a manner?"

Prince?

And it was then, in the middle of two opposing forces that I realized that the eyes in which I thought were directed at me were really at the face behind me, Alastair.

Not me.

I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved or more unnerved that it was directed at my mate.

"Will the prince continue this slaughtering once he becomes king?" The elderly woman continued, unafraid of His Highness' deadly glare on her brittle form.

My head pivoted towards Alastair, turning slightly in his lap to see his reaction. His eyes pulled from the older woman just as I turned, looking down at me with a questioning glance, head turn to the side.

Just as I went to open my mouth a much louder voice growled behind Alastair.

"That's enough," His Highness' voice rose an authoritative voice masking his demeanor as he turned to the black-masked men by the stage, "take her away," he said with the flip of a palm in her direction.

My eyes widened, head immediately turning in the direction of the women as a sea of black wafted in her direction like a herd of panthers to an injured prey.

"No," I breathed out, eyes in a flurry to Alastair's hooded face as the men dragged the elderly woman away.

She went quietly, no fight ensuing her capture.

Just like the brown-eyed man.

My eyes went immediately to the stage and back to the woman whose eyes never left Alastair's, however as I sat on his lap, it almost felt as if those dark, wise eyes were focused on me and I couldn't help as a cold shiver ran down my spine.

"You can't," I choked out as my hands squeezed around Alastair's cloaked arms.

Alastair remained silent, making no move to answer me nor react to the scene.

Why? Why isn't he doing anything? Is he going to allow this to happen?

My heart raced like a seizing butterfly against my chest.

"You can't," my voice rose, hands gripping Alastair's arm tighter as I turned to face him. "You can't let them do that her. She's just an old woman, asking questions that are bothering her. Maybe-"

And it was then that I realized that the whispering had stopped and the entire crowd was focusing solely on me, watching me raise my voice to Alastair.

"You are excused Alastair," His Highness' voice came out tight, through his teeth, "take your mate back to the palace."

Alastair nodded, standing from his seat and gripping me tightly to his chest as he cut through the crowds of whispering men and women towards the waiting carriage.

"Why are we leaving?" I asked as Alastair bent down into the carriage, placing me into his lap as the carriage took off.

"My father did not want our presence there any longer," he sighed as he looked from the window down at me. "I know you well enough to know it wasn't your intention, but raising your voice to me in public could be considered to some as treason."

"...What?"

"Thankfully I'm not king yet so it can be annulled by my father."

"And if you were king?" My voice grew tight.

He was silent.

"I'm not," was all he said as he turned to peer out the window. He clearly wanted to drop it so that's what I did as peered down at my hands.

If we had, had a mating ceremony and he was made king would he have had to kill me? Would he have?

My mind flashed to our previous conversation in his room.

If that was so, he would have killed me the second he had found out my secret, but he hadn't. He promised that he would not allow any harm to come to me.

That doesn't sound like the words of one who would throw his mate on the butcher's block.

But that's only because he's aware that none know of it. If it were made public like what had just happened, would he be forced to?

I didn't want to think about it.

It won't ever happen so there's no need to stress myself out over such a thought. That's all it is. A thought.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

It had been close to an hour since we had gotten back to the palace. One hour full of me attempting to reason with Alastair on the situation, but he wouldn't listen. He'd merely write off my words as stress enticed since this was my first hanging. Stating that my thoughts were usual for those unused to witnessing judgment.

He honestly saw no wrong in dragging away that woman merely because she had spoken up.

Wasn't it the job of a ruler to listen to his people? What was the purpose of a ruler with clogged ears?

"River," Alastair sighed, combing his fingers through his hair as he's done continually since we had gotten back, "sometimes as a ruler you have to what is meant to retain order. Whether or not you personally view it as nice. A ruler is meant to be respected not loved."

"That's not true," I spoke up, "An unloved ruler is the worst kind-"

"People betray those they love not those they fear," Alastair interrupted, "if you let one slip up, allow one to speak up against you, it'll lead to others taking a step farther. It can lead to a rebellion-" Alastair cut short, biting his lip.

"Is that what this is?" I attempted to suppress my disbelief but it still leaked into my words, "You're afraid of a rebellion? The laws against shifting...you're going to keep them."

I couldn't believe the words that were escaping my mouth. He was going to rule just like his father. With an iron fist and heart of ice.

"River-"

"No," I interrupted, lifting a hand, "I can't believe you would say that," my voice grew harsh, "that you would think...Is that what your father taught you? To rule like him? Do you truly want to be a ruler as hated as your father is? To suppress your people in small cages, suffocating them, in hopes of strangling respect out of them? That's not how you gain respect, Alastair," Alastair's eyes widened beneath my heated ones, "You don't force respect. You earn it, along with trust."

His eyes narrowed as the last word escaped my mouth.

"How can I gain the trust of my people when my own mate won't trust me?" He demanded.

My eyes widened, my breath caught in my throat as we both grew silent.

And it was then as we stood muted in the living room that the door to the palace flew open. Michael made his presence known as he screamed 'I'm home' as he pranced in, Keith mere centimeters behind him, followed by Derek and Isaiah.

"Wow, cutie," Michael grinned, smacking me on the back as he took a seat across from us.

I stood awkwardly, not quite sure what he was all excited about.

"That was quite a show back there," Michael continued, "I didn't think I'd ever see the say where you'd raise your voice to him like that and in front of practically the entire nation to top it off!"

My cheeks grew hot, hands clamping up as Alastair visibly tensed beside me.

Michael's grin dropped as he looked between us two.

"What's wrong?"

Derek tapped Michael on the forehead as he passed him to take a seat beside Keith, "Idiot, what he did was practically considered treason."

Michael snorted as he through a decorative pillow at Derek, almost hitting him square in the face if not for Isaiah catching it. Isaiah sent him a glare, as came up to me and took my hand.

"It's okay, we talked it over with His Highness and he's letting it go," Isaiah tried calming me.

"On condition that there isn't a repeat," Derek continued off to which Isaiah sent him a glare.

A repeat? He is my mate. I shouldn't feel threatened for trial for speaking up to my own mate.

I frowned.

"On a more comical note," Michael chirped, "you won't believe what happened after you two left."

Was another person dragged away?

"Fiona showed up."

Oh, even better.

"Piss ass drunk," Keith interjected, falling forward in laughter.

Michael elbowed him in the stomach with a pout, "Hey, I was wanted to say that part."

Keith attempted to apologize to his upset mate but he was laughing so hard that any words that escaped came out incoherent.

"Anyways," Michael drawled, "turns out she had missed the entire hanging and," Michael held up a hand, "get this, this entire month she had been staying at a brothel."

I choked on air.

"She even had the audacity to claim that she had fallen for a prostitute there," Michael exclaimed.

This whole month? I didn't even realize her lack of existence.

"Is that why Hyde isn't here?" I asked.

Isaiah nodded, stepping away to sit beside Derek on the long couch.

"He had to drag her away to the nearest quiet corner. Goddess only knows what else she would have spouted in her condition," Isaiah exasperated.

So I guess someone else was dragged away in the end.

"What's going to happen to her?" Is she going to be punished?

"What do you mean?" Derek asked.

"Isn't it bad to miss the hanging?" Isn't she going to go to trial?

"I guess," Derek rubbed his chin, "but her father's on His Highness' council so I highly doubt anything will happen to her."

Isn't that...unfair?

"Corruption at its finest," Isaiah mumbled beneath his breath.

"That needs to be changed," I managed, turning my head to direct my statement at Alastair.

Alastair shook his head as his mouth opened.

"He's just a prince, River," Keith injected, "he doesn't have the power to change anything."

"When he's king he will," my voice hardened as my eyes remained on Alastair.

"You mean when you agree to mate with him, he will," a harsh voice cut in as His Highness entered the living room, interrupting our conversation and raising the tension level in the already tense room.

My teeth locked tightly as I watched him stand in the center of the room, eyes locked on mine like a lion to its next kill.

"Father-" Alastair spoke up, finally deciding to speak.

"But Goddess only knows how long he will live if he were to," he let out a brief, forced laugh, "Even as a prince he disrespects you. What will happen when you become king, Alastair? If you don't rein him in, one day that mouth of his will get him killed and I won't be in power any longer to pardon him. A king can't pardon his own mate. You know that Alastair."

Alastair let out a low growl, fists tightening by his side as he pulled me harshly to his chest.

"We will mate, I will become king, and he will be by my side forever."

"You mean, for as long as this lasts," His Highness waved at our bodies, pressed against one another. "Until he speaks up again and gets you both in trouble."

"He won't-"

"Then what was today?" His Highness interrupted.

Alastair tensed along with me.

It seemed that I was excused on the account of treason yet, amidst that, in front of the blazing eyes of His Highness, I couldn't help but feel like I was on trial.