I'll Love You From Afar🤍

Punishment

Tw- whipping.....
Devi's pov......
The sound of horses walking on the cobblestoned streets filled the dead quiet court, only a few could be seen, only a few servants who fed the horses hay and watered them could be seen. My men and I got down from the horses, the place was too quiet, our hands were placed on the hilt of swords, incase of any attack. My men and I had gotten back from patrolling the Eastern borders, there were rumours of beast like men who hunt at night. I removed my gloves, halting a passing maid
"Where is everyone" she straightened her brown dress.
"At the forest, milord" the gears turned in my head but I knew not why everyone would be at the forest.
"Why" I asked and she came closer, the best gossip of the kingdom could always be heard from the maids
"The former lady in waiting for the Queen is to be punished for theft." My eyes flew open, Aviva was probably running around the forest with arrows pointed at her
"Theft" the maid nodded " Yes milord, she stole your fiancées heirloom" I instantly knew it was a lie against Aviva, she isn't like that, Esmeralda lied like she always did when she didn't like someone.
I mounted my stallion, racing as fast as I could to the forest, where was Diana  why had she refused to help someone who had served her blinded for years. My black Cape flew with the wind, I kept pressing on, I had thought nothing about the laws of punishing in liariah but I thought them as barbaric immediately I imagined a red head running in the forest. I rode to the forest, seeing almost every noble surrounding the forest, i saw Esmeralda and Diana laughing about something. I jumped off my horse when I saw Zenon's hunting white horse march out with other the riders. I stormed to the herd and ripped Aviva's pale and almost lifeless body from Zenon's Arms, here I was publicly defying the king of liariah infront of the nobles and influential merchants because of battered maid. I held her cold eyes, looking at the king, my friend in his eyes, I knew everyone here knew Aviva was innocent. I walked away from everyone's eyes, mounting my horse, Aviva's blood coated my hands, her body becoming pale with the amounts of blood leaving her body.
I checked her pulse, it was weakened and her breathing was somewhat irregular.
"Stay in there Avi" my heart tugged painfully, the idea of loosing her seemed painful.
I rode faster than I ever did in my life back to the castle, I yelled before I got the the courtyard, shouting for the court physicians. My horse caused a panic amongst the servants as I barrelling through. The court physicians were at the foot of the stairs, I dismounted and handed Aviva to them.
I watched them Carry her deep into the castle before I turned glaring at the three horses marching in. I waited till the trio dismounted, Esmeralda and Diana leaving once they saw my stance leaving me and Zenon glaring at each other.

I closed the door behind me "you have done the unforgivable to Aviva." I said not even sitting down, my blood was boiling as I remembered Aviva's tattered dress, her blistered foot and the blood.
"She stole from your Engaged Devi, why have you refused to see sense" I banged my fist on the table "you and I know that is a lie concocted by Esmeralda, you and I know Aviva is innocent." By the guilt that flashed in his I knew he knew that she was innocent, he purposely refused to prove her innocence.
"She stole from a noble" I raised my hands exasperated
"She is innocent Zenon, why do You refuse to believe. You know Aviva " Aviva is the most beautiful soul to exist, pure and rare to find
"I do not know a theiving maid such as she." I tugged my gloves off, slamming them on the table.
"You would defy me Devi, all for a woman" I looked at the man, I had known since we were in nappies, the man who I had watched become a good king, suddenly he was not my friend he was repulsing and vile but yet he was a man who was like my brother. I swallowed the lump, saying sorry to Aviva in my heart.
"No" Zenon looked pleased, I turned on my heel wanting to leave his presence.
"You know she has to go through one more punishment." I felt my body be doused in a bucket of pain, I closed my eyes
"Yes." I said I walked out, my feet taking me to the physicians Chambers
I saw Aviva's wound covered with a green herbs and her feet covered in paste. I walked over to the bed, her hair matte with sweat, the twigs and sticks in the red nest, the brown dirt patches on her luscious skin. I felt like I had done her wrong, I probably have, I wronged her, she was innocent yet I could not fight for her. I left the room when I saw her stirring awake, I peeked at her as she silently bored her eyes out, it was painful seeing her without that peaceful smile of hers.

I went back to my Chambers broken hearted and I saw Esmeralda on my bed.
"Get out" I said, My voice hardened, my father was the one who promised the Marriage to the Dukedom but he was dead and I saw no reason to remain engaged to someone as evil as she
"Pack your bags and leave Liariah" she rolled her eyes
"I came for marriage Devi" . She said
" I annulled the engagement between us." I had written the letter at the Eastern border and sent it with a rider with my seal.
"You cannot Just break off the engagement"
"I can " my voice was monotone, ignoring her hysterics, I laid on the bed watching her pace.
"All for a measly maid." I looked her
"Yes" I said in my head
"No" was what I said "You bore me Esmeralda" i stood up from my bed and opened the door ushering her out. I slid down the door, exhausted with the day already.

I watched Aviva through the Window and she silently stared at moon.
"She hasn't spoken since she awoke." I looked at the quiet woman on the bed wiping a few tears from her face. She must have felt betrayed, I watched her till I saw the subtle rise and fall of chest. The next morning I summoned the courage to visit her, I opened the door, seeing her with the Samara trying to feed her a bowl of soup. I collected the bowl and dismissed her, leaving Avi and I alone.
"Aviva" I knew she wouldn't answer, her grey eyes looked into my Amber ones. I sat beside feeding her the soup in silence, there was nothing I could say or do that ease her pain.
I fed her the last spoon when seven knights burst in and fear washed over Aviva face.
"I swear I am innocent, I promise general." I heard her voice, it sounded croaky because of the tears in her eyes.
I closed my eyes but heard as they cuffed her "General" even if Avi was going through this punishment alone, she needed to know that she wasn't getting betrayed. And so I punched the Knight who had tugged the cuffs harshly making her fall. They pulled her gently where all the nobles had taken their seats watching her as she was forced to the ground infront of the punisher who held a whip. She shouted and screamed begging for the slightest amount of mercy, Aviva was innocent yet she was treated without mercy. I turned my back when I heard the crashing down of a whip and a haunted scream.

Fifty whips, with each I heard her loud cry, with each I heard her begging for her innocence the night air was cold and I saw the nobles pleased with her punishment. I walked to her where, the restraints were being loosed by another Knight who looked just as me, perhaps Aviva had been nice to him or he was repulsed as I have by this.
I removed my jacket covering her dignity as the clothes seemed tattered and rag like. I thought her strong because not once did she loose consciousness, she remained awake through the whipping process. The gashes on her back bled in my arms
I held Avi in my arms, her body stained with blood, she was covered with mud, her feet blistered and the skin of her back scarred, her knees bruised and her face blotchy . I broke off my engagement with Esmeralda but the injustice had already been done, Aviva was punished unfairly. I looked at the tears on her brown dress, refusing to watch her as she cried into my tunic.
Her sobs quietly stopped and her body slowly became cold in my arms
"Avi" I called out, begging her to please live...