"Son."
Henry nearly flinched when King Philip patted his back. He searched the king's eyes and nodded at him.
"You did well," King Philip complimented, smiling warmly.
Henry stood on the balcony with Philip, Fayre, and Lady Haley. They overlooked the bloodied lawn, but Henry's attention was particularly drawn to the tree where the archer he'd shot down had been hiding out. His bow felt heavy at his side as he reeled from the last-minute decision he had made: to kill the hidden man or spare his life so they could all interrogate him.
In that moment, it'd felt easier to merely take his life as a punishment for what his group had repeatedly done to Elouise and Eldon. But Udolf called out from behind, urging him not to. And King Philip had agreed. So, Henry begrudgingly lowered his aim and shot the archer in the side instead. Haley then did the same to the second hidden archer to their right.
The men were captured. Then Henry watched Udolf step out below and speak with them. A moment passed before Udolf turned and took off running back inside. Henry had wanted to go with him, but Fayre kept him still, saying they needed to ensure there were no more hiding around.
That had been half an hour ago.
Henry thought it was safe to say all threats had been eliminated. Still, they waited. They waited despite the horrifying shouts of protests echoing throughout the manor. He had no idea where the captured men even were now. His best assumption was that they had been let go without their knowledge. Because why would Udolf keep these men imprisoned when he wanted to be on Inferum cantivat's good side?
Henry was the first to hear the shuffling behind them, and he turned, finding Elouise and Eldon walking toward them. He alerted the others and met his friends halfway.
Elouise was frantic. The color on her face had almost entirely blanched and she kept fidding with the jewels on her skirt.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked her, though he turned his gaze to Eldon midway.
Neither of them had to say anything. Henry received his answer when Udolf called from below. The three of them rushed to the railing of the balcony. Everyone else joined them. And they stayed silent for the announcement.
Someone was then dragged out of the manor with a sack over their head. They were kicking up their legs and attempting to throw punches in every direction. This struggle hardly did them any good once their arms were pulled behind them and their wrists were tied together.
Udolf threw his head back and shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand. Smirking up at them, he said, "Follow me into the city where I shall punish the fool who dared to defy the royal family of Aristol."
Henry furrowed his brows. "Is that Arnold?"
"Yes," Eldon plainly answered.
King Philip shook his head. "He is going to kill that mongrel in front of everyone, isn't he?"
Whenever criminals were punished by the Aristol monarchy, it was usually done in private to prevent children from witnessing such events. For Caelum, depending on the crime committed, a public display was unfortunately ideal. However, Henry wouldn't be surprised if Victor disregarded how big or small the crimes were and simply humiliated everyone he sentenced to a hanging or beheading.
As they headed downstairs to meet with Udolf and follow him, Elouise pulled Henry behind, allowing everyone else to walk ahead of them.
Elouise leaned into him and asked, "Do you still deny that you care for Haven?"
Henry sighed. Haven. He'd nearly gone more than an hour without her popping into his thoughts again. Elouise didn't need to know that, though. "I am not denying anything. I feel... empathetic toward her. She clearly had a miserable life growing up. How could I not relate to that?" Of course, his rough childhood didn't lead him into joining a group of psychotic criminals. But to each their own.
"Henry, be serious."
"How am I not being serious?"
They halted briefly, turning toward one another. Elouise began to play with her hair and Henry was mesmerized by her delicate movements. Then he started to recall that she—his childhood friend who used to make "remedies" for any sick stray cat she encountered—was considered the savior of her kingdom. He thought about how that title meant she'd been possibly blessed by angels. Despite the horrors it brought, the dangers she now faced, and the fact that Henry still wasn't sure what an "angel" was, it was a holy cause. It was heavenly. No other word could describe Elouise better.
"Udolf is going to kill her," Elouise whispered, shattering Henry's serenity. Her words certainly hadn't sounded heavenly.
He blinked hard, wondering if he'd heard her correctly. "I... I don't understand?"
"Apparently, Arnold was an Interloper who was banished a few years ago. That is when he joined I.C. and came to the castle disguised a nobleman. Udolf said he was going to kill Arnold to show his people what happens when they go against him. Then he mentioned he was going to use Haven to send a message to I.C. And, and that... he was going to do so by..." Elouise averted her eyes.
Henry took a step back, too astonished for words. Yet this is what he'd feared would happen to her. Last night, when she'd been taken, his first assumption was that Udolf would kill her. He'd eventually convinced himself not to worry about it. Not to worry about her.
Because it didn't matter. She didn't matter.
What a fool he had been.
"Eldon and I had hoped to speak with Udolf privately," Elouise continued, "and convince him not to hurt her. We didn't reach him in time."
"No," he breathed, shaking his head, trying, and failing to ignore how erratic his heartbeat had become. "I cannot let anything happen to her, El. She saved my life."
"I know. The only thing we can do now is stop Udolf in front of everyone."
"How do we do that?"
They heard offensive hollers from down the trail and, for a second, Henry thought he'd quit breathing altogether. Elouise gripped his arm and tugged him forward. They ran to catch up with everyone else.
Just behind the main square was a wooden gibbet with a crate underneath in the center of a wooden platform. A crowd immediately—and eagerly, it seemed—gathered around, muttering to each other.
Udolf ordered them to make room for King Philip and Elouise upfront. While King Philip and Haley wandered to their spots without hesitation, Elouise hid behind Henry and shook her head when Udolf glanced questioningly at her.
"I do not care if he deserves it," she whispered to Henry, "I'd rather not witness Arnold's death." Then she turned her head away and shut her eyes.
Eldon and Fayre moved to stand beside them. Henry idly searched the crowd for Lord Berney. It felt strange not seeing him by King Philip's side. He examined every single face he saw. Most of the people seemed excited by what was about to occur, as if it had been too long since the last execution. Others were simply lost and confused, especially when Arnold was dragged onto the stage.
Henry felt a lump in his throat. No other prisoner was in sight. He took that as a good sign...
For now, anyway.
Without saying a word, Udolf snatched the sack off Arnold's head, causing the former trainee to gasp for air and look up wildly at everyone. His light-colored hair—sticky with sweat—was plastered against his forehead, and his lips were colorless and chapped.
"A-Arnold?" a woman shrieked from the crowd.
All heads turned her way.
Her gray hair was coarse and tied back and really the only thing Henry saw as she pushed through everyone to get to the front. She would have climbed up had Udolf's guards not run over in time to hold her back. She fought against them until she started to choke on her sobs and fell onto her knees.
Arnold huffed, long and irritated. "Relax, Mother," he blandly said to her. "You'll be fine."
Henry squinted at him. He couldn't decide whether Arnold was putting on a façade... or if he truly didn't care. Then again, it didn't surprise Henry that someone like Arnold would act so brave before facing his death. Especially in front of such a large crowd.
Elouise buried her face in Henry's back, mumbling, "I can't... I can't do this."
Henry wanted to turn around and comfort her. But then he noticed Eldon getting closer. He watched Eldon gently pull Elouise away from him. Elouise willingly released Henry and embraced Eldon instead, whispering something to him that Eldon merely nodded to as he held her back.
Henry blinked a few times and stared at them for a moment. And despite how awful this whole situation was, he felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards.
"No, no... please, no!" the woman howled.
Henry frowned and looked forward again.
The woman sucked in a harsh breath and pointed accusingly at Udolf. "Why are you doing this? You've already banished him! Isn't that enough?" Her voice cracked with the final word, and she covered her face as a shrill whimper escaped her mouth.
Udolf walked to the edge of the stage and crouched down. "It was enough until he decided to return without my permission."
"He won't do it again!" the woman promised. "He won't!"
"Oh, I know he won't. I'm making sure of that." Then he instructed one of the guards to take the woman away before he signaled to the executioners.
Although woman's screams became distant, they never ceased.
Rather than being strung up like Henry had expected, Arnold was forced onto his knees, held down by one of the men while the other unsheathed his broadsword from his back. Once the second man was ready, the first stepped back.
"Let this be a lesson to all of you," Udolf spoke, glowering at the crowd. "Should you ever think about disobeying me"—he gestured back to Arnold—"then I certainly hope you'll enjoy your fate as he is about to."
And with a snap of his fingers, the sword was brought down.
Henry closed his eyes and winced when the sound of a cracked skull, of sloppy flesh being torn into, reached his ears. The worst part, however, were the applause and roars of satisfaction emitting from the crowd. He peeked an eye open and wished he hadn't.
"Oh, Goddesses," he uttered, turning away, and covering his mouth. He vaguely listened to the men dragging Arnold's body away.
"This is barbarous," Fayre grumbled, judging the crowd with her glare. Henry agreed. His only relief was that Ivy had stayed behind with Gidget. She didn't have to witness this.
Henry swallowed down the bile rising in his throat and glanced toward Eldon and Elouise. Elouise kept her face hidden in Eldon's chest while Eldon held her like he was afraid she would somehow slip through and disappear. Eldon kept gaping at the platform.
Henry forced himself to face forward. Bits of Arnold's head were still lying around. None of the guards cared to clean it up.
Udolf raised his hand, quieting the crowd. "Some of you may know that after his banishment, Arnold was recruited by the ones who call themselves Infernum cantavit." This caused the people to angrily whisper to one another, and Udolf demanded silence again.
He then continued. "I don't think killing Arnold was enough to show them who the stronger clan is, do you?"
"No!" the crowd shouted back.
"We should show them who is truly in charge of the Outlands, shouldn't we?"
"Yes!"
"And what better way to send them a message than to hang one of their dearest members?"
Henry's body went rigid.
No.
No.
No.
"No," he blurted, though it was lost amidst the thunderous cries of approval.
Elouise pulled away from Eldon. And the three of them watched in stunned silence as Haven was dragged onto the platform just as Arnold had been. Her hands were tied behind her, and her head wasn't covered. Everyone jeered at her as they ran closer to the stage, ruthlessly bumping and nudging the trio and Fayre out of their way.
The guards placed Haven in front of the gibbet while one of the executioners prepared the rope. It took some effort, but with assistance from his guards, Udolf eventually got the crowd to settle down.
Udolf walked over to Haven, the corners of his mouth rising and forming a small, playful grin. He said, "This is your fault. If you would've stayed satisfied with what you have for once in your life, you would have never stolen from my people. And we would not be in this position right now."
Haven sneered at him.
"No final words?" he asked.
Much to the crowd's horror, Haven spat at Udolf. Everyone blurted even more curses at her. Udolf, on the other hand, chuckled as he wiped his face dry.
"You'll never change."
"What's there to change?" Haven inquired. "I am who I am, and I will not be ashamed of that."
"Fuck you!" someone shouted at her.
Haven looked at the crowd and smirked at whoever it was. "You aren't my usual type, but sure. Why not?"
Henry narrowed his eyes at her. How could she jest at a time like this?
With the rope ready, the executioners picked Haven up and set her down on the crate.
"We have to do something now," Henry said to his friends.
Fayre gawked at him, then at Elouise and Eldon. "What exactly do you plan to do?"
"I am not letting him kill her," Elouise responded.
"Why not?"
"You know it is wrong, Fay!"
"Oh, shut up, Princess!" a bulky man in front them shouted over his shoulder.
Eldon growled at him, but Henry prevented him from stepping forward and whispered to him, "I'd like nothing more than to hurt him for that. He is not worth our time or strength, though."
"Henry is right," Elouise quietly told Eldon. "It does not bother me, anyway."
Although still clearly heated, Eldon nodded at her and backed down.
Henry stared ahead at Haven. She had the noose around her neck now. The executioners only needed to kick the crate away...
"Let I.C. know that none of them are welcomed here," Udolf told his people, earning himself a cheer.
"I cannot believe they are falling for this," Fayre said under her breath. "If they knew of his involvement with them."
Udolf tapped the crate with the tip of his boot, and Haven squirmed slightly. And Henry couldn't take it anymore.
With his adrenaline pumping through him, he pushed past the bulky man and a few others, yelling, "Stop!"
Before the guards reached him, he scrambled onto the platform and stood, directly facing Udolf with a look he hoped conveyed the anger boiling inside rather than the fear threatening to take over.
"Stop," he repeated, calmer now that the people had gone silent. "You don't have to do this."
Udolf glanced back at Haven and chuckled. "Are you truly defending her?" he asked Henry. "You—the Prince of Occidentis Caelum?"
Henry resisted looking at her, even though he could feel her stare burning into him. "It does not matter who I am. Don't do this to her."
"Don't listen to him, my Lord!" the bulky man demanded. "Kill her!" He threw his fist into the air as he began chanting it, encouraging everyone else to do the same.
Henry desperately turned to his friends. Elouise had gone pale and still once more. Fayre was astonished. And Eldon looked about ready to reach for his sword as he snarled at everyone around them.
Even King Philip looked conflicted by what was happening. But Henry caught the glimmer of frightened recognition King Philip had in his eyes as he stared at Haven.
"I apologize, Prince Henry," Udolf's soft voice appeared from right behind. Henry flinched and whirled back around. "But who would I be if I disappointed such a lovely crowd?"
"You are their leader," Henry urged. "You do not do what they want. You make your own decisions."
"Yes. In this case, I agree with what they want." Udolf turned on his heel. And then he halted when Elouise called him from below. He and Henry glanced down at her.
Elouise was breathing heavily and clutching her skirts. Because of his people's chants, Udolf kneeled at the edge and leaned in to hear her. Henry followed suit.
"Y-you told me that you hope I-I do n-not think less of you for doing this," she started, pausing to steady herself. "Then don't do this. Prove that you are not the monster everyone depicts you as. I... I know you must be better than this. Please be better than this!"
Henry eyed Udolf's face carefully, catching the slight waver in his stern features.
Unfortunately, it disappeared and was replaced with a smirk all too fast.
"Do you really think your opinion matters that much to me?" Udolf rose to his feet, shaking his head and causing a few of his curls to bounce. "I mean you no harm, Your Highness. If you'd prefer not to see this, you may leave now. I can have Merek—"
"No! No, Udolf, I know—"
"You do not know anything about me!" he snapped, the sudden sharpness in his tone making her gasp. And again, for a fleeting moment, he looked guilty before he looked grim.
With that, Udolf rushed back to Haven. Henry jumped up and tried one last time, shouting at Udolf and begging him to show her mercy.
Henry accidentally locked eyes with Haven and froze.
"Goodbye, Hank," she mouthed, smiling kindly—hopelessly.
"No, Haven," he mouthed in return, his vision blurring.
And then the post ignited into flames.
All at once, the crowd's chants died as they instead screamed and swarmed out of there, not caring who they pushed or tripped over. The executioners ran off the stage. Udolf also stumbled away, tripping and falling onto his back.
Henry turned in Elouise's direction. Her intense gaze was narrowed and focused on the gibbet, and alone told him she had done this. He hurried over to Haven and removed the noose from around her neck. He then wrapped his arms around her and carried her away from the burning structure. At a safe distance, he set her down and moved behind her, freeing her wrists. She brought them forward and cradled them, hissing through her teeth.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
She only nodded once.
"Henry!" King Philip called to him.
Henry peered over his shoulder, finding King Philip with Elouise, Fayre, and Eldon behind him.
King Philip waved him over. "Get down here! Let's go!"
Before he could, Udolf stood and pulled Haven away from him. Henry started to go after them, yet he halted when Udolf started to speak to her.
"You were saved this time, but perhaps I wasn't going to actually kill you."
"Perhaps?" Haven scowled at him.
"It was for show, Love. You understand, don't you?"
"Don't call me that."
Udolf grinned over at Henry and, to Haven, said, "Oh. You didn't want the prince to know about that, did you?" Then he dropped the grin from his face and walked away, furiously ordering his guards to put out the flames.
Henry took a few steps back, unable to quit replaying their conversation.
"Henry." Haven followed him. "It was a long time ago. I was bored, and he was there."
Henry held up his hands. "That is none of my concern."
"But Henry—"
"It's fine, Haven. I understand. We all have our pasts."
She stopped moving entirely.
And Henry turned and hopped off the platform, leaving her there as he joined the others and pretended not to notice the indescribable knot in his stomach.