The dragon and the rose

Chapter XXI

I

The men who were on the list were executed on the following three days, some of them on the first day, a few on the second and Lord Silva, the former Asturian ambassador to England on the third with one other man. Meanwhile, Constanza had figured that one of these men must have been the one who had poisoned James but she did not tell him this theory of hers. He had given them every information he could thus his services were needed no longer but he was still not sent to his promised palace. This bothered and aggravated him but he decided to wait before voicing his frustration to the princess.

Princess Claudia, who had a romance with the traitor's son, heard about the executions a day or two before they happened. She tried to prevent them, at least that of Lord Silva, but all her pleas were in vain; neither her father the king nor Constanza was willing to change their minds and their decision. On the third day, after the majority of the men had been executed, she visited Constanza's chambers again as a last desperate attempt in which not even she believed but she felt it her duty to go to her sister and try to convince her to spare this one man's life anyways.

Princess Constanza was not irritated by this visit, even though this was the second time her sister came to her, she was merely sorry for her and felt a mite of guilt too for, even if she was reluctant to admit it, for her own happiness she was sacrificing all the people she loved the most.

"You, out of all people, Constanza, know that I love him and that he is innocent. I can swear on everything that is holy to me that he did not know about any of his father's deeds, that he wouldn't have done the same thing, that he has never and will never betray the crown." Claudia's voice cracked but she held up her head high, blinking away a few tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes.

Constanza shook her head silently, the sight of her sister's sorrow making her heart ache. Yet another sister sacrificed, yet another sister's wish that meant nothing to her. But it was not her fault, she thought, life was unjust already and she was just trying to act as justly as she could to balance it. James was an awful man who did not even try to hide his true self and Lord Silva was a bad man as well though he had fooled her. They both deserved what they got but her sisters, they did not do anything and still, it was they who were actually affected.

"I am sorry, Claudia, I cannot do anything."

"You are sacrificing an innocent to get what you want!" Claudia whispered furiously, her voice having a sharp tinge and Constanza could feel a big lump growing in her throat.

"I have spoken with father and he did not even think about punishing Lord Silva's family. It was one man I was after and only one man will die today." Stated Constanza gravely and then she added.

"Arturo has some relatives in France, they offered to take him and his siblings under their guardianship. It will be a new beginning for him, Claudia, in a land where they don't know what his father has done." She swallowed.

Claudia shook her head, looked at the floor, trying not to burst into sobs but then she looked back into Constanza's pure green eyes, one silent tear rolling down her cheek.

"I know that it is not your fault, Constanza, but I still cannot bear to see you right now." She said and then she left.

Constanza threw herself onto the nearest chair and started crying as well, hoping that she would regain her courage from this deed she deemed very cowardly.

Claudia ran into the gardens, to the spot where she always met with Arturo, waited for him a few minutes and when he arrived, she kissed him while she could, shivering under the blazing sun. And when he left, she suddenly felt cold in the unbearable heat, everything around her grey and morose when in reality, she was surrounded by the brightest of flowers. She was alone, again, but being alone felt much worse when a part of you was also terribly missing.