Rosebriar

Chapter Fourteen: Unforgivable

Emma

          I fell to the hard dusty ground with Derick in my arms. As tears streamed down my face, I looked up to see the healer coming over. Seeing as I was in front of the whole kingdom, I had two options. The first was to be strong and take control, and the second was to cry about the situation and show my emotional side.

          As the healer came over and bent over Derick, taking in to account his wound, he looked at me and said, “My queen, I believe she has just missed his heart. He will be fine as long as I can suppress the bleeding.”

          Giving him a nod of my head, I said, “Thank you, Nathaniel. I greatly appreciate it. If you could, please, have Leo help you take him up? I have some matters I need to attend to.”

          He looked me over warily, but did as he was told and called Leo over to help him move Derick. As they picked him up, he let out a moan in agony. I laid my hand across his forehead and wiped the perspiration that had gathered. “I will be along shortly, my love. I need you to be strong for me now.” I kissed his head and turned an icy stare to the female opposite me.

          Why she had not tried to run, I have no idea, but there she stood, the sword dripping blood from where she had stabbed my husband. My eyes glazed over as an uncontrollable rage consumed me.

          She moved her eyes from Derick and saw me approaching her. Immediately broken from her own trance, she dropped the sword and ran.

          “Guards, arrest her!” I shouted as she ran towards the gates of the arena. She was just gaining the entrance when she was accosted. “Release me!” she shouted. “I’ll have you know that I am a princess in these here lands, and I will not be treated as a commoner.”

          Enraged that she even had the audacity to speak in such a manner, I marched over to where the guards held her. Stopping just short of her, I ran my eyes across her clothing. She was covered in dirt and filth from head to toe.

          “Hmph,” I retorted, “no princess I know would dare to dress like that, especially when one is going to be present in the company of one’s subjects.”

          Turning my back to her I continued to speak, “And as far as I am concerned, there was no royal wedding or one person to witness it. Which prince, pray tell, was daft enough to marry you?”

          I turned towards my brother-in-laws and spied the one I was looking for. Daren sat to the back of the group, his head in his lap. I hoped he knew that retribution was in store for him also.

          “Seeing as no prince has claimed you, and you cannot prove otherwise, I suggest you find another story, Braylene.” I looked over my shoulder to see tears coursing down her face as she stared at Daren, followed by Benjamin’s dead body in the arena.

          Walking closely up to her I whispered in her ear, “See what you have caused out of your greed? A man’s death, another’s soon to be severe punishment, my husband’s life or death injury,” I then chuckled lowly, “and your own demise. I pray that God will have mercy on your soul, Braylene, for I will show none.”

          Stepping away from her, I looked down at my dress that was covered in my husband’s blood. A single tear fell down my face as I looked at her again, and addressed the guards.

          “Take her to the prison cells where she will remain until I can decide her sentencing.”

          The first guard stammered as he said, “I mean no disrespect, my queen, but is it not the king’s duty to hand out sentencing?”