Valander held his own gaze in the mirror. Brown eyes analyzing their own depth. He had ruled this kingdom for eighteen years without having to perform this task. The king's disposition did not usually include condemning someone to death. He had hoped to rule his people with diplomacy, not fear.

But, here I am. Today, I will witness Sir James Lessure's death.

The king adjusted his golden-colored tie before turning from the mirror. He knew guards were waiting for him outside the door. Koman Sutter would be among them. A fact that brought him some comfort. Zakarus had informed him of the plan if things do not go as planned today.

Valander snorted to himself. He trusts my guards as much as I do. Hopefully, we will not need the small Judian unit left behind to defend the palace.

Valander met Henry's eyes. He looked more concerned than usual.

"Do not look like that, my old friend," Valander smiled. "This will go as planned. And, if not, you have the letter to send to my brother."

"It is not that, Your Highness." Henry bowed his head. "It is just odd to be without Princess Amnicity."

"You will need to become used to calling her Suzerain Amnicity," Valander corrected. "Then, soon after that, Queen Amnicity."

The two old friends took a moment to smile at one another.

"She will be the mother of a unified Vetus and Jude," Henry whispered.

Valander nodded, walking towards the door. Henry opened the door to reveal Koman Shaed Sutter waiting on the other side. The koman bowed upon seeing the king.

"I have done as asked," Shaed stated, rising to meet Valander's gaze.

"That is good." Valander nodded, walking past him. Shaed rose and fell into step beside King Valander. "Any signs of unsavory characters thus far?"

"My men have not reported anything to me. I received the last message fifteen minutes ago," Shaed reported. "I have made sure to keep a balance between Vetus guards and Judian soldiers as suggested." Valander nodded. "I will accompany you for the rest of the day and have security placed for the worst case."

Valander's eyes traveled to the Vetusian guards in the hall and then back to Shaed. "Are they placed as previously suggested?" His reduced volume made Shaed lean towards the king.

"Yes, and they know when to take immediate action. We have a communication system in place," Shaed whispered.

Valander nodded before his air became jovial. "So, how are my daughter's sword skills progressing?"

"She shows some promise but requires further practice to become truly proficient. I trust Suzerain Zakarus will make sure her training continues in my absence," Shaed smiled.

"That is good to know during these times of uncertainty," Valander sighed.

The small party descended the steps of the palace to a carriage surrounded by four guards on horses. King Valander and Shaed entered the carriage.

"I will see you on your return," Henry bowed, closing the carriage for the two men. "His Majesty is secured. You may go."

Valander jerked slightly in his seat as the carriage moved forward. The two men did not speak in the carriage. Shaed had his eyes swiveling on a thirty-second rotation, moving from the king, to the left, to the right, and then repeated. The fifteen-minute ride to the prison seemed longer as the two mentally prepared for what was to come. Valander glanced outside his window to see a steady stream of people walking or riding on horseback towards the prison. No one wished to miss the show.

The carriage did not approach the congested main entrance of the prison. Instead, it took a path to the right that led to a door usually used for staff. Shaed had considered this to be the safest way to get the king in the facility. He did not want to risk a large crowd in the current political atmosphere.

"We will move quickly into the building, Your Highness. My men have secured the hallway," Shaed stated. "But, it is probably best if I exit first."

"Very well," Valander nodded. "They have my seat prepared on the balcony?"

Shaed nodded. "Yes, and we have archers ready."

"Good—good," the king sighed.

I will be happy when this is over. Perhaps I will have brandy tonight to celebrate.

A soft smile formed on his lips, thinking of the relaxation that would take place once the spectacle ended. He just needed to preside over this execution. This blood is not on his hands. It is the situation Sir James Lessure made for himself.

Christa, I could use your wisdom right now.

The carriage came to a stop, and Shaed silently exited. Valander followed once he received a short nod from the koman.

If Jude knows how to deal with anything, it is a possible coup from your inner circle. Valander smirked.

Valander followed Shaed through the halls with two soldiers behind him. He could smell the stench of bodily fluids, excrement, and death around him as they walked through the halls. Shaed led them to a set of stairs. Valander made a small gasp for fresh air at the first sign of sunlight before them. The koman motioned for him to stop. Valander watched the koman search the area before motioning the king forward.

He walked to the edge of the balcony. The people below cheered for a moment before falling into a hush on seeing his raised hands. Valander scanned the crowd of about a hundred people that had come for the show.

"My people," Valander announced. "Today is a day for justice. We live in a land-based on tradition and loyalty. This man spat on our traditions. He spoke of wanting the best for Vetus but only wished for the death of the ancient bloodline. He is responsible for the death of Queen Christaline and hurt your future Queen, Princess Amnicity. Bring the prisoner forward."

The crowd began to murmur as a door to the far left opened. James Lessure walked forward with his dark hair hidden underneath a hood. The crowd's soft murmur suddenly changed when someone shouted some obscenity and threw a cabbage at him.

"Traitor!" The crowd screamed as they threw fruits and vegetables.

James stumbled on the steps when a cabbage hit him in the head, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers. The onslaught of food did not stop when he made it to the make-shift stage. A large man holding an ax stood next to a long piece of wood, and a round wicker basket waited patiently for Lessure's head.

"Remove his hood," Valander called from the balcony.

The king watched as James blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden light. His eyes narrowed slightly on seeing the former High General smirk at the crowd.

"Sir James Lessure, you have been found guilty for acts of treason against the crown. Do you have any last words?" Valander called down.

James shuffled his feet slightly while squinting up at the king. He shrugged his shoulders and leaned backward on his heels.

"I am not guilty," he called back to him. "You are not the rightful King of Vetus, and so I have not completed any acts against the crown. Your whore of a daughter is only half-Vetusian and so cannot inherit the crown, especially now that Judian hands have dirtied her. I honestly was doing our people a favor by trying to put more Vetusian in her!"

A soft chuckle filtered through the crowd.

"I spit on your sentence and your line!" James spat upon the ground.

Valander's knuckles turned white as he held onto the edge of the balcony. He could feel his heart racing and a need for the ax to be in his own hand at the moment.

"Kill him!" Valander yelled, turning to walk back to his chair.

"You are no king of Vetus!" James continued, shrugging off the guard who tried to grab his arm. "Look at you! You kill me because I see you for what you are, the destroyer of our traditions. You—"

Valander released a heavy sigh while sitting on his chair. Lessure's final words would be the nonsense that led to his death. The king's eyes scanned the crowd to determine their reaction to his words. They seemed intrigued but not inspired. He did not need to worry about them turning. At least not today.

A sudden movement on the left side of the stage caught Valander's eye. Three men with dark hoods hiding their faces were moving towards the stage. His eyes glanced back to where Lessure had been forced to his knees. The executioner had turned to grab his ax when the arrow hit him in the neck. A guard ran to where the executioner fell to his knees, grasping at his neck. The guard turned to look at Valander while unsheathing his sword.

"It's a coup. Send the men in now," Shaed said somewhere beside him. "Your Highness, we must go."

Valander ignored the men pulling his arms as he rose to his feet. His eyes remained on the guard as he cut James Lessure's hands-free and removed his hood. The king was sure the guard yelled something at him. But, it became unintelligible among the spectators screaming while trying to run away.

My people.

About twenty hooded figures made their way towards the stage. The king winced on seeing two guards easily killed on the way. Ten Judian soldiers ran into the mix. Metals clashing filled Valander's ears. He watched a guard pass James Lessure a brown cape that another person threw on the stage.

"Stop him!" He yelled, pointing towards the stage.

A whizzing sound to his left made the king turn to see an arrow in the ground.

"Your Highness!" One of the guards screamed, pushing Valander to the floor.

Sharp pain in his left shoulder made Valander look. The arrow had almost gone all the way through. His right reached towards it, but suddenly his hand became heavy as his vision began to blur. The pain became numb as his eyes suddenly weighted themselves closed.

Shaed screaming, "Your Highness! Shit—get him out of here, now!" Were the last words he heard before the darkness enveloped him.

Christa, I'm coming. Valander thought before welcoming the darkness.

***

I will now sit in the corner and wait for the cabbage to be thrown at me for this one.  Thank you to everyone for reading.  Please, don't forget to vote and comment... I'm sure there is plenty to say about this one...