Alois swallowed, and the pain of what he had to do eclipsed the burned skin of his wrists and the pulsing throbs of his head. He tried to speak, but he only managed to give a weak gasp. "Please, please, please," Lily implored him, kissing his cheeks, his bushy brow, the corner of his dry lips, still keeping her arms in place over his vulnerable head and neck. His shoulders slumped, and he held her limply. He could not ask for a few more seconds to feel her trembling body against his shattered one, because it would not be enough. He could hold her here for a million years and know that at the end of it he would never see her again, and it still would not be enough... ****** Lily's husband Alois has the most gruesome job in the Realm- serving as their insane king's loyal, royal executioner. Ostracized for her foreign origins and his bloody work, the couple are deeply in love and complacent with the service they provide to the kingdom. That is, until the king orders the execution of his queen and demands that Lily and Alois divorce so he can marry her. The couple's resistance only intensifies the king's madness as they are separated and Lily is made the new queen. But there are greater things at risk, as Lily seeks an escape and Alois fights to rescue her- the kingdom is unwell all over, and the king is madly determined to cure it.
22 parts