It was early in the morning. People gathered in the plaza to watch Duchess Scarlet receive her punishment. The execution required people to come was part of the tradition. It was done to show people the strictness of Panthera’s laws and to make people think twice before committing a crime.
Inside the palace, Michelle Scarlet’s parents were kneeling and bowing down before Rion and Odette’s feet, begging for forgiveness for their daughter. They had always lived with pride, walking with their heads high and their chests puffed. Today, they knelt and even bowed down until their foreheads touched the floor.
“We beg your mercy, Your Majesty. Please forgive Michell. We will pay for whatever it takes to save her life. Please don’t punish her.” Michelle’s mother clasped her hands together while weeping bitterly. She was grieving her daughter’s fate.
