"This is just the beginning of your punishment." The King's every word hit the men hard, especially when they knew they had no way out of it. "There is still more to come, and you will have to accept whatever they are."
The ministers now had no choice but to accept all the punishment the King bestowed upon them silently. It was fruitless to protest, for it was impossible to change their King's mind once he had decided upon it. The only silver lining in this misery was that he had only decided to punish them, not kill them for what they had done.
The ministers had not only tricked the people of money, but they had also falsified the records, showing themselves to be honest and upright. This was a crime as good as treason, and the perfect punishment was sending them to the guillotine directly. But their King had shown mercy on them, allowing them to live.
