The Fall of Vequera

Chapter thirty-five | Vasily

TW MENTIONS OF: DETAILED TORTURE, EXECUTION, HOMOPHOBIA, RELIGIOUS TRAUMA, MURDER, ATTEMPTED SUICIDE(?)

LOCATION: ARCADIOS, VEQUERA

YEAR: 621 C.E

FIVE MONTHS LATER...

HOW DOES ONE KEEP THEIR FAITH IN AEYAR?

He felt as though he would be damned for the thought even grazing his mind. But a sinner would not worry of the wraith of a god? Was he a sinner? Or merely just a flawed man? The king consort wondered about those questions daily. He'd been asking those questions for the past five months, and his prayers had gone unanswered. Like they always did. He prayed for Valia to return but nothing came of it. He prayed and prayed for saints and Aeyar to help him find the strength to get through even the best of days. "On the day of Mary, let her bare witness to our prayers and devotions." The Koridar spoke loudly. They were in the city square but as the sun glared down at them, Vasily thought about the two men standing in front of him and of their crimes.

He knew what they had done was not truly a crime but with a closed mouth, he watched as rope was thrown over their necks. And as it was tightened, his nails dug into the flesh of his palm and Isabella moved from where she stood.

There was a lever on the side of the Gallow they stood on. Under the men were trap doors that would open at the pull of the lever. This was not a normal celebration. The men's execution date had landed on the same day of Mary. The start of fall. Nikolai was standing on the other side of him with a tight jaw.

The fate of lovers. They were caught in the act. Two commoners laying in their own bed disturbed by the swords of Aeyar. Stripped away from the other in a bloody attempt at freedom. A love that caused their deaths. Queen Isabella looked bored as she waited for Koridar to give her the signal to pull. The old man didn't. He shook his head.

The men had their hands tied behind their backs and their legs tied together. So, they would not move. Bruises decorated their bodies, they had been tortured since they stepped foot from their home. People had thrown things at them as they were being dragged to their prison cells. Separate from one another. The swords of Aeyar had cut out their tongues, so they would not scream. It was brutal. He desperately wanted to look away but he could not.

"Let this be a warning to you all. That this sickness will not be tolerated. You are no better than those sick and disgusting creatures in the west. Anyone else caught will be hung, drawn, quartered for all to see."

When he finished speaking, the crowd still remained silent as the lever was pulled. The men fell to their deaths. Their bodies thrashed around for ten long minutes before they fell motionless. A crack filled the air as their necks dislocated. That was when Vasily looked away, unclenching his fists. He glanced around into the crowd, seeing many different emotions: rage, pity, grief.

Chaos broke out and the crowd began to scatter. The guards around Vasily began to guide him, Nikolai, and the queen away quickly as possible. People broke out in fights all around them. The Koridar was pulled in the opposite direction, his sword guiding him back to safety. Vasily's sworn guard walked beside him, throwing people out of the way. Hands began to grab at him and his clothing.

"Down with the queen!" Someone began to shout.

"Murderer!"

"Off with her head!"

They began to target the queen but she was further away from the crowds, almost to the carriage. Something was thrown right at Nikolai's head, causing him to stumble a little before being pushed into the carriage by his guard. Vasily fell right next to him. His heartbeat pounded against his chest as the carriage started to move. Nikolai let out a hiss of pain as his hand went to his head and blood came back to his hand. The blood dripped down the side of his face. "Filthy barbarians." He cursed, saying words that Vasily began to tune out as the carriage sped away. He could still hear things being thrown at the carriage. Nikolai glared at his mother who remained silent. "This is your fault." He sneered. His eyes held so much hatred for his mother, it sent a chill down Vasily's spine.