The morning of the execution, Theseus woke up feeling sick. He couldn't tell if it was because of his guilt or the sickness slowly killing him.
It didn't matter though. The execution was happening whether he felt sick or not.
So he started getting ready. He would have to dress rather princely due to the fact that the execution would be a public event.
And he did. He dressed well enough for it to be suitable. Then, he waited. Wilbur and Techno would get him from his room, and from there the three of them would make their way to the central Arctic kingdom.
There hadn't been an execution in many years. But the rules of the kingdom stated that treason or assassination was punishable by death. Which was exactly what the man who attempted to kill him earned.
Techno had found out the mans name through his interrogation. George. And that was all they did know. What Theseus' family knew, anyways. Theseus knew that this was the third attempted assassination by the same person in the shadows. His family did not.
He was dragged out of his thoughts from a knock on his door. Presumably his brothers. He got up and opened the door for them.
Techno and Wilbur were dressed similarly to how Theseus was. Well enough for it to be appropriate.
"The carriage is waiting." Techno said calmly.
Today was one of the few days Techno wore his hair in a braid, and Wilbur's outfit was more put together than usual. Probably because it was a public event.
Theseus nodded, stepped outside his room and closed the door behind him. Techno turned and began leading them to the entrance of the palace- and to the carriage.
The walk was quiet. The only sound was the echoing of their footsteps. Until they were in the carriage and it was moving. Theseus realized their father was no where to be seen the whole time they walked there.
"Wheres dad?" He asked, looking out the window.
"Already there. He went early to make preparations." Techno muttered, before looking at Theseus and titling his head. "Are you ok? You look pale."
It was true. He is pale. He'd only been getting paler with each day that passed. "I'm fine, Techno. Just nervous." Techno furrowed his eyebrows, and obviously didn't believe him. He didn't say anything else though.
The rest of the ride was quiet. With Theseus looking out the window, Wilbur sleeping and Techno staring aimlessly at the walls.
And after half an hour, they were there. Theseus, Wilbur, Techno and Phil would be off to the side on a elevated platform. Higher than the execution's stage.
There was already a crown forming at the base of the stage in question. A wooden, simple looking thing. Simply there to do its job. But there was one thing on it. The sort of thing people used to be locked in and booed with tomatoes.
Except, today, it would be used to keep George in place as he was decapitated by the excecutioner.
Theseus didn't like seeing the stage and the crowd; knowing he had a hand in the man's fate. So he looked away from it. He looked away and spaced out.
Until there was shouting and booing from the crowd. Looking back at the stage, he saw George being dragged over to the stage by the dungeon guards. George was thrown into the contraption on the stage then locked into it.
The booing continued until the excecutioner came form the same area George came from. The person lifted a finger to their lips so that the crowd would quiet down. In their other hand, was an axe. It shone in the sun as they walked onto the stage, and next to George.
They put both hands onto the axe and raised their arms. Ready to bring it down.
Suddenly, there was a person running towards the podium with a sword in hand. They were cloaked and dressed in dark clothing. Nothing recognizable about them. Nothing except for the finger they were missing. There were shocked gasps and murmurs from the crowd.
Theseus realized that this was an attempt to the save George from being executed. It couldn't be anything else but that.
The excecutioner realized too, apparently, because he swung the axe down. Straight through the George's neck.
Theseus shut his eyes tightly. He didn't need to see it. But he did hear it- the dull thump of the axe going into the wood after going through the man's neck.
But there were other noises.
The shouts of an angry man and a shocked crowd.
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Hello!
Thank you for 1k reads <333
4 more until the final chapters
(1 letter, and three normal chapters)
Also, this chapter was changed from my original idea. George wasn't originally gonna die- but i changed my mind.
Also this took a ridiculous amount of time because i got sick. And then this chapter and the golden flower one were giving me hell to write.
Anyways,
Have a wonderful day!
-Lav