She was wheeled onto the raised stage of the gallows by two guards that each carried a lifeless arm, just as they had rehearsed at dawn in preparation for today. The wheels were cleverly hidden under her skirts. Her eyelids were pried open with the help of tar - a temporary solution for a permanent problem.
So far, our play was going smoothly, just as planned.
The crowd barbarically cheered on from below as she was positioned next to Marcellus. As much as public executions were a common and socially acceptable form of punishment, I could never will myself to see it as entertainment.
The nooses were tightened around the necks. From where I stood with Ash, I could see Marcellus moving his lips, although I could not make out his last words.
Nor did I care to.
I just needed this fiasco to end.
The bags were thrown over their faces. The executioner took his place next to the gallows, ready to pull the lever. I turned my face away and buried my nose into Ash's chest as he gave the man a firm nod.
It all happened so quick. I peeked from the side to see Marcellus' legs flailing and kicking - but only momentarily before they dropped stiffly like Lady Arabella's.
The crowd went ballistic. Their celebration of death made me nauseous, but the relief from the executions being carried out smoothly kept me balanced.
It was over.
It was really over.
I stared as they collected the bodies, carting them off to an unmarked grave where their lives will be completely forgotten.
Lady Arabella's suicide and faked hanging would remain our secret forever.
And with that last lie, we sealed the burial of the generation before us.
We bid farewell to their tainted history, secured by the promise of a cleaner future.
I took Ash's comforting hand into mine and gazed into his eyes as they piercingly mirrored the bright sky above us. Only, in contrast, not a single cloud of doubt overcast those pools of blue today. As he looked into my own eyes, I knew that we both were confident in creating a better tomorrow.
Together.