There was chaos in the palace. Dante had gone wild, attacking everyone and destroying everything he came in contact with. The soldiers quickly sent words to the King, informing him of the situation.
"Why do you have to inform me of everything the monster lets loose? Do I have to repeat the same instructions a thousand times over before it sticks in my memory? Throw him in the damn well and cover it up until he lets go of those demons!" King Edwardo snapped. The soldiers flinched and scurried away.
Queen Adora held her chest with a gasp. "Throw him in the well?"
"It's the only way he'll get back his senses. I don't know why I put up with that nuisance for this long. I give him food, and put a roof on his hideous head, what does he do in return? He injures my workers and destroys my property. How can he be any more worthless?" Edwardo bawled.
"Do not speak of him like that, he is our son! He was unfortunate to be born that way. He didn't ask for it. I feel so ashamed of myself. A mother who cannot protect her child from the cruelty of the world. I can't even believe I let you do this to our only child" Adora mourned. The King stared blandly at her.
"Oh, I see. I'm now the villain in your mother-son relationship? Have I ever stopped you from saving your son? Did I restrict you from showing him, motherly love? For goodness sake, you were the one who said you couldn't stand him" Edwardo retorted.
"It was generated from emotional stress," Adora calmly said.
"Alright, her Majesty. Go ahead and order the guards to let him go. Should I summon them for you?"
"There is no need. No matter how hurt I am, I must remember I am first a queen before a mother. I have so many people looking up to me. How could I jeopardize the life of our people because of my selfish desires? Although I do not support locking him in a well, I think it is the best option we have to tame him. I thought with our level of kindness, he would at least show some gratitude. He still harbors that unruly teenage behavior" Adora sighed.
King Edwardo shook his head with a chuckle. He couldn't say the outcome surprised him. She would whine about being a horrible parent yet chicken out when she was given the chance to do otherwise.
"I think you need to rest, honey," he said softly.
"I do need it. I feel stressed," Adora agreed. He offered a hand, which she gladly took, and led her to the room.
Xander was furious. Nothing could convince him otherwise that Dante had not destroyed the documents on purpose. He didn't know how to explain it to his father.
Storming to where Dante was bounded, he grabbed a soldier's shield and slammed it right across Dante's face.
"You evil bastard! You can fool everyone, but me. I'd be damned if I let you get away with this" Xander yelled, hitting him with the shield again.
Dante let out an animal growl, yanking the chains in an attempt to grab him. Xander staggered back in shock at the same time the chains pulled Dante back.
The soldiers rushed to him. "Please let us handle this, your highness. This cannibal is not worth your time".
Xander glared at the growling man. "He might not be worth it, but I will surely make out time for him today. He must suffer for what he has done," Xander stubbornly insisted.
"The King already asked us to lock him in the abandoned well. I believe that is enough punishment for him," the soldier informed him.
"Enough punishment? Do you think throwing him into a well is punishment? This monster has been thrown into that well a thousand times, what has it changed? He might as well make it his castle." Xander scoffed.
The soldiers could only stare speechlessly. Dante growled again, causing them to stagger back. They weren't sure how long the chains could hold him. His strength was on a whole new level every time he went violent. The meek, gentle Dante who was scared of everything was nowhere to be found.
"You can throw him in the well", Xander started, "but we are going to switch things up a bit".
The soldiers exchanged curious glances.
"Before you throw him in, you are going to fill the well with hot coal," Xander finished. Gasps followed immediately after the statement. "What? Don't you want to have fun?"
"We do, your highness".
"Then get on it".
The soldiers immediately did as instructed. They lighted up furnaces, throwing in wood logs of all sizes. The charcoal was retrieved and emptied into the well. Later, Dante was pulled towards the well by his chains.
"I will kill you. I will destroy all of you," he roared when they got to the well.
"Good luck with that," Xander shot back, delivering a kick that sent him right into the well.
A horrific scream followed and they burst into laughter. They flashed lights inside, watching him roll on the hot coal. They burst into laughter once again, enjoying his anguish.
"What happened? Weren't you planning to kill us a minute ago?" They taunted. "Come on, you can do better, scream a bit louder".
Dante struggled to push himself up the walls. His tattered clothes were completely burned to his skin. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he moaned in pain.
"Where do you think you're going, huh?"
Before Dante could process the question, hot coal came raining down on him.
He screamed, falling back into the first pile. His body dangled around, seeking a means of escape.
"No one is going to hear you, no matter how loud you scream. Reserve your energy, you'll need it to survive the night. Left to me, I'd leave you in here forever because this is where you belong." Xander spat.
They pulled the lid over the well, leaving him to suffer his uncanny fate.