My Once Handsome Husband - Chapter 228
Delany and Ian both spent the next day mostly sleeping. Delaney knew her friend wanted to be well enough to be outside the following day so she tried to get a lot of rest too so he would have her energy to pull from. She didn’t know yet if she wanted to go. She’d never seen someone be hanged and it sounded horrible.
The morning Anna and Luna would meet their ends came with the sky full of clouds and more snow falling. It was so bitter cold outside Delaney sent servants to their home to bring back their cloaks and Ian’s too. They were going to need them if they were going to be standing in the courtyard.
The castle was full of whispering and gossiping from all the nobles and servants alike. Delaney heard them but made sure not to let herself get involved. They were so close to the end of their time at the castle. They just needed to make it a bit longer without any trouble. Ian was almost strong enough to be moved back to the City house without causing damage to his wounds.
Dressed in a dark gown, Delaney left her room in search of Vincent. She knew Ian was still sleeping so she didn’t want to bother him but she also hated being alone in the castle. It never felt safe.
She walked down the long great hall and the nobles waiting there whispered and watched her. When she came to the doors to the throne room the guards didn’t hesitate to open them for her and a servant announced her to the room beyond. Delaney was surprised to see though that the room was all but empty.
Not seeing her husband or the King and Queen, she went to the door on the side of the room that she had been in before when Ilona was with them. A servant opened it and announced her. Walking in, she found Vincent standing by a window looking out and Daniel sitting with his head in his hands.
Delaney walked to Vincent’s side and he slipped an arm around her waist. She looked outside to see what he was watching and felt a chill sweep over her. Down below in the courtyard a wooden platform had been built with a wooden arch over it. She could see there were holes cut in the floor and closed with a door that would fall away when a lever was pulled.
“They’ve finished the gallows,” she whispered to her husband.
Vincent nodded, “They have. People are already starting to gather outside.”
Delaney looked again and saw he was right. Around the edge of the yard, trying to use the ledge of the wall to protect them from the snow, dozens of people had already gathered and were waiting for the structure to be put to use.
“Where’s Sophia?”
“She’s saying goodbye to her sister,” Vincent sighed, “Danny said she’s been with her for hours.”
“In the tower? But it must be freezing up there.”
“I’m sure it is but she wanted to speak to her again before it was too late. I think she’s wanting Anna to show some remorse for the things she did but that’s useless. The woman doesn’t care.”
Just then from a tall tower, a bell began to ring, announcing it was time for the women to be brought out. Delaney and Vincent turned to look at Daniel who was stricken and pale.
“I have to go find my wife,” he said with a hoarse voice before walking out the door and leaving them alone.
“We should go get Ian,” Vincent sighed, “I know he wants to see Anna hanged after she almost killed him. I hope he’s strong enough.”
“Alright,” Delaney nodded, and together they went off to find their pirate friend.
Ian was waiting for them when they got to his room. He’d managed to get dressed and Delaney helped him into his cloak. He was still weak and tired. He had to sit down and catch his breath for a moment. At last though, they were ready to head down to join the others.
Delaney walked with her husband and her friend although she still didn’t know if she wanted to watch the hanging. For now, she would go with them because she didn’t want to be left alone.
Ian walked with a look of determination although he was pale and tired looking. They had to stop a few times so he could lean against the wall and catch his breath. Even as he did so, Delaney felt the wound on her hand growing warmer and knew he was drawing some of her energy. She began to feel more tired and leaned heavier on Vincent as they walked.
At last, they stepped out into the courtyard and felt the cold air biting at their skin. Delaney pulled her cloak tighter around her and shivered against the wind. Fat flakes of snow continued to fall down and had covered the platform of the gallows with a fine dusting.
The courtyard was packed full of people. Both nobles and servants were standing together, waiting to see the witch and the princess brought forward. As Delaney listened to the people around her talking, she realized Anna and had made herself hated by most everyone. People were telling each other tales of the cruel princess’s treatment of them and how they hated her. No one knew the exact truth of the witch’s involvement but they knew better than to ask.
They trusted that if their King had ruled these women needed to die then they must deserve it.
The crowd grew loud and booed when guards came through a pair of doors, leading Anna and Luna with their wrists bound together. Delaney saw they both looked like they had been allowed to wash and dress in plain white gowns. They wouldn’t look filthy when they met their ends. She imagined that was a kindness from the Queen.
The women were lead up the steps of the gallows and onto the trap doors. Luna looked a bit frightened but Anna sneered at the crowd and rolled her eyes which only made them louder. Delaney stood between Ian and Vincent towards the back of the crowd but they still had a good view.
Suddenly cheers came from one side of the courtyard and she turned to see Daniel walking out with Sophia on his arm. The King nodded to his people but didn’t smile. His face was grim and it matched his wife’s whose face was tearstained with puffy red eyelids.
Together they walked up the steps until they were standing on the platform too. There were two levers side by side and Delaney was shocked when she saw the royals take a place behind them.
“Oh my God,” she whispered to her husband, “They’re going to do it!”
Vincent looked on in shock too.
Cloth sacks were placed over the heads of the women and the nooses were lowered down around their necks. Suddenly Delaney’s stomach turned and she knew she couldn’t watch this. She whispered to Vincent that she would be inside and made her way quickly through the crowd as Daniel announced why these women would be put to death.
The crowd was in an uproar and Delaney was beginning to panic as she couldn’t get through. She shoved through men and women. She could see the doors now. She just needed to get to them!
It was too late though. Suddenly there was a loud banging noise and when she turned, she saw Daniel and Sophia standing each with their hands on a lever and their eyes closed. Sophia was sobbing and Daniel looked like he might be close to that as well. They had pulled the levers and killed the women themselves.
–
Delaney stood pressed to the cold stone wall and waiting for her husband. The crowd was slowly filing out of the courtyard back to the warmth and safety the castle brought them. Delaney tried to keep her eyes down, not wanting to chance seeing the dead bodies.
The crowd was all but gone when Delaney caught sight of Ian and Vincent making their way slowly towards her. Ian wore a smirk on his exhausted face. Delaney hurried forward and Vincent pulled her into his arms. Tears were hot on her cheeks. She wasn’t upset that the women were gone but experiencing something like that upset her.
“I’m going to get back to my room,” Ian informed them quietly as he looked between them, “I’m exhausted.”
“Alright we’ll be right behind you,” Vincent said.
Once Ian was gone the rest of the crowd was gone too. Delaney stood alone with Vincent in the snow.
“I want to go home now,” she whispered.
“I do as well,” he sighed, “Let’s leave here.”
He took her on his arm and they were just turning to go when something caught Delaney’s eye. They turned back towards the gallows and were surprised to see the curly-haired witch Helena going scurrying towards the bodies. They watched in shock as the woman pulled a long silver blade from the folds of her skit. She held a small bucket in the other hand.
The couple stood dumbfounded as they watched the witch use the blade to cut the wrist on the first body and collect the blood in the bucket before doing the same to the second body. Then she hurried back towards the castle and disappeared inside, leaving no trace she had ever been there.
No trace but the drops of blood on the fresh snow.