((Contains material of an adult nature.))
June, 1617
Felipe's enquiries in the city of Iska had taken effect by noon of the next day, and in accordance with the swift brutality of the legal system in Valentia, seven of the higher-ranked government ministers were arrested in short order, accused of inciting rebellion by means of neglect and cruelty to the people. But even Felipe was surprised by the speed with which the loyal men of Nasir's new government moved to deal with the traitors. By early evening, word had been spread, and a solemn crowd had gathered outside the gates of the palace in Iska for the public executions. The gates were opened to allow the people to see the seven men, stripped of their finery, standing in a line, hands bound, waiting in varying degrees of fear for the beheadings that were their punishment.
The herald opened his lungs to declare the arrival of the king as the palace doors opened. "All reverence to Nasir, first of his name, King of Valentia!"
Nasir stepped out, flanked by a royal retinue of guards and Horse Lords, and raised a hand to the crowd of people hoping to get their first look at their new king. He then settled himself on a couch that had been provided for him, and gestured for Felipe to sit with him. Everyone else was seated or stood nearby. Though he appeared rested, the king had a grave expression on his face at the unpleasant business they were about to witness. While his heart urged him to give these men mercy, he knew that he needed to make an example of them so that others would think twice before doing the same.
The Chief Justice - newly appointed that afternoon, and grim-faced - held up his hands for silence and began to intone the crimes of the men who stood before their king.
Felipe, his hand still anxiously on his sword hilt, spoke without moving his lips. "Is public beheading without trial really necessary?" he asked as quietly as possible. This wasn't the way things were done in Pomerania ....but then, it was quite close to the way things were done in Carib up until a year ago.
"I do not like it any more than you, cousin, but it is the way of things here. What would you have me do' Throw them in prison until they rot' Exile them so that they can conspire with our enemies and incite war" I cannot appear weak, not with our enemies circling, like vultures. Do not forget what they did to the women and children of the harem, who were under the king's protection. Did they show them any mercy' No, it is a harsh punishment, but others will think twice before attempting to do the same," Nasir explained.
"I do not mean to criticize," Felipe demurred quietly. "It is simply ....out of my experience."
There were a good forty or fifty men in the prison, too, though it seemed likely that many of them would be released with hefty fines and all property confiscated. This would be an abject lesson in the price of betrayal against the secular state. The men who were found guilty of heresy would be burned, by Church law. In comparison, a quick beheading was nothing.
"If it is any comfort, I take no pleasure in it," Nasir assured his cousin quietly. He would have preferred to have shown mercy and thrown the men in prison, but he could not afford his enemies to mistake mercy for weakness. "No one will fault you if you choose not to watch."
Felipe didn't appear to move, but his jawline stiffened. "I will not shame you by looking away," he promised.
The Chief Justice finished the roll of crimes, silence ringing in the square for a long moment. The executioners looked to their king, waiting for his signal to do their work as the prisoners knelt, heads bowed.
Privately, Nasir's thoughts traveled briefly to Safiya, glad she was not there to witness such brutality as this. He promised himself he would not tell her of it either, in hopes of not burdening or sullying her with such things.
"I promise you it will be quick," Nasir assured his cousin quietly. "It is a merciful death compared to some." He offered the executioners a single nod to indicate they should carry out their duty.
With no sign that the king was inclined to give any of the men a last reprieve, the executioners turned back to the prisoners. Seven scimitars rose, glinting in the beginnings of the sunset. Seven men tensed, some closing their eyes, some mouthing prayers to the Goddess. Seven blades fell, and seven heads, too, and the silence still stretched out as bodies toppled into pools of blood.
"Justice is done," the Chief Justice intoned, turning to bow to the king. Beyond the gates, the gathered crowd bowed with him, a low murmur of bloodthirsty approval passing among them.
The king watched the executions with a sober expression, the paleness of his face the only indication that he found it disturbing. It was savage and some might even say barbaric, but at least, it was over quickly. Nasir murmured a prayer to the Goddess that his enemies might find some peace in the afterlife that they had not found in life.
Beside him, his royal cousin had paled at the swift executions, but Felipe had, thankfully, witnessed a few back home. He had to admit, it was a far cleaner beheading here than the axe back in Pomerania. Maybe they should look into importing a couple of Valentia's executioners sometime. But he didn't speak, simply waiting to follow Nasir's lead.
There was nothing more to be done here. He wished his first appearance in front of his people would have been a more memorable and happy event, but it could not be helped. He had not asked for any of this, but he knew what was expected of him, and he would do the best he could for his people's sake. He rose to his feet, raising a hand once again in greeting, a nod to his Chief Justice, before turning to withdraw back behind the palace gates, where he could pause to take a breath.
Cheers followed him back into the palace, blessings on his health, his blood, his honor, called out by a crowd that were quickly coming to embrace their new king, pleased to have a young man in place of the old miser who had steadily grown worse over the years. Felipe walked at Nasir's shoulder as the doors closed. "That went surprisingly smoothly," he commented in a mild tone. "Your next appearance should be kinder."
"As far as executions go," Nasir remarked, obviously repulsed by the whole business, but the thought of what had been done to the women in the harem was far worse. He sighed, still surrounded by guards, but at liberty to speak freely together. "One of my brothers should have been king," he told Felipe quietly, though his cousin knew that already.
"In better times, they might have been," Felipe said philosophically. "But here and now, you are the king, and you are gripping the snake firmly." He considered his cousin for a moment. Nasir might be older than him, but it seemed that Felipe had more in the way of education in ruling than Nasir had ever expected to need. "Goddess forbid it should ever happen, but I might someday find myself where you are," he said in a low tone. "Third sons are never raised to expect preferment, but we exist to make certain the law is obeyed."
"It is a heavy burden to bear," Nasir replied sympathetically, though he was the one bearing that burden at the moment. In the end, the king was responsible for making such decisions, even if those decisions were based on what his advisers had told him. "An example has been made. Now, perhaps we can move on."
June, 1617
Felipe's enquiries in the city of Iska had taken effect by noon of the next day, and in accordance with the swift brutality of the legal system in Valentia, seven of the higher-ranked government ministers were arrested in short order, accused of inciting rebellion by means of neglect and cruelty to the people. But even Felipe was surprised by the speed with which the loyal men of Nasir's new government moved to deal with the traitors. By early evening, word had been spread, and a solemn crowd had gathered outside the gates of the palace in Iska for the public executions. The gates were opened to allow the people to see the seven men, stripped of their finery, standing in a line, hands bound, waiting in varying degrees of fear for the beheadings that were their punishment.
The herald opened his lungs to declare the arrival of the king as the palace doors opened. "All reverence to Nasir, first of his name, King of Valentia!"
Nasir stepped out, flanked by a royal retinue of guards and Horse Lords, and raised a hand to the crowd of people hoping to get their first look at their new king. He then settled himself on a couch that had been provided for him, and gestured for Felipe to sit with him. Everyone else was seated or stood nearby. Though he appeared rested, the king had a grave expression on his face at the unpleasant business they were about to witness. While his heart urged him to give these men mercy, he knew that he needed to make an example of them so that others would think twice before doing the same.
The Chief Justice - newly appointed that afternoon, and grim-faced - held up his hands for silence and began to intone the crimes of the men who stood before their king.
Felipe, his hand still anxiously on his sword hilt, spoke without moving his lips. "Is public beheading without trial really necessary?" he asked as quietly as possible. This wasn't the way things were done in Pomerania ....but then, it was quite close to the way things were done in Carib up until a year ago.
"I do not like it any more than you, cousin, but it is the way of things here. What would you have me do' Throw them in prison until they rot' Exile them so that they can conspire with our enemies and incite war" I cannot appear weak, not with our enemies circling, like vultures. Do not forget what they did to the women and children of the harem, who were under the king's protection. Did they show them any mercy' No, it is a harsh punishment, but others will think twice before attempting to do the same," Nasir explained.
"I do not mean to criticize," Felipe demurred quietly. "It is simply ....out of my experience."
There were a good forty or fifty men in the prison, too, though it seemed likely that many of them would be released with hefty fines and all property confiscated. This would be an abject lesson in the price of betrayal against the secular state. The men who were found guilty of heresy would be burned, by Church law. In comparison, a quick beheading was nothing.
"If it is any comfort, I take no pleasure in it," Nasir assured his cousin quietly. He would have preferred to have shown mercy and thrown the men in prison, but he could not afford his enemies to mistake mercy for weakness. "No one will fault you if you choose not to watch."
Felipe didn't appear to move, but his jawline stiffened. "I will not shame you by looking away," he promised.
The Chief Justice finished the roll of crimes, silence ringing in the square for a long moment. The executioners looked to their king, waiting for his signal to do their work as the prisoners knelt, heads bowed.
Privately, Nasir's thoughts traveled briefly to Safiya, glad she was not there to witness such brutality as this. He promised himself he would not tell her of it either, in hopes of not burdening or sullying her with such things.
"I promise you it will be quick," Nasir assured his cousin quietly. "It is a merciful death compared to some." He offered the executioners a single nod to indicate they should carry out their duty.
With no sign that the king was inclined to give any of the men a last reprieve, the executioners turned back to the prisoners. Seven scimitars rose, glinting in the beginnings of the sunset. Seven men tensed, some closing their eyes, some mouthing prayers to the Goddess. Seven blades fell, and seven heads, too, and the silence still stretched out as bodies toppled into pools of blood.
"Justice is done," the Chief Justice intoned, turning to bow to the king. Beyond the gates, the gathered crowd bowed with him, a low murmur of bloodthirsty approval passing among them.
The king watched the executions with a sober expression, the paleness of his face the only indication that he found it disturbing. It was savage and some might even say barbaric, but at least, it was over quickly. Nasir murmured a prayer to the Goddess that his enemies might find some peace in the afterlife that they had not found in life.
Beside him, his royal cousin had paled at the swift executions, but Felipe had, thankfully, witnessed a few back home. He had to admit, it was a far cleaner beheading here than the axe back in Pomerania. Maybe they should look into importing a couple of Valentia's executioners sometime. But he didn't speak, simply waiting to follow Nasir's lead.
There was nothing more to be done here. He wished his first appearance in front of his people would have been a more memorable and happy event, but it could not be helped. He had not asked for any of this, but he knew what was expected of him, and he would do the best he could for his people's sake. He rose to his feet, raising a hand once again in greeting, a nod to his Chief Justice, before turning to withdraw back behind the palace gates, where he could pause to take a breath.
Cheers followed him back into the palace, blessings on his health, his blood, his honor, called out by a crowd that were quickly coming to embrace their new king, pleased to have a young man in place of the old miser who had steadily grown worse over the years. Felipe walked at Nasir's shoulder as the doors closed. "That went surprisingly smoothly," he commented in a mild tone. "Your next appearance should be kinder."
"As far as executions go," Nasir remarked, obviously repulsed by the whole business, but the thought of what had been done to the women in the harem was far worse. He sighed, still surrounded by guards, but at liberty to speak freely together. "One of my brothers should have been king," he told Felipe quietly, though his cousin knew that already.
"In better times, they might have been," Felipe said philosophically. "But here and now, you are the king, and you are gripping the snake firmly." He considered his cousin for a moment. Nasir might be older than him, but it seemed that Felipe had more in the way of education in ruling than Nasir had ever expected to need. "Goddess forbid it should ever happen, but I might someday find myself where you are," he said in a low tone. "Third sons are never raised to expect preferment, but we exist to make certain the law is obeyed."
"It is a heavy burden to bear," Nasir replied sympathetically, though he was the one bearing that burden at the moment. In the end, the king was responsible for making such decisions, even if those decisions were based on what his advisers had told him. "An example has been made. Now, perhaps we can move on."