"Eliot, crush those hands that dared touch the Third Princess."

Eliot signaled the guards to drag those dirty commoners to the one side of the chamber where the tools of torture were placed. Arranged there was a huge wooden block and heavy stone along with metal tools like hammers, knives, among many other things.

​​

"One finger at a time," Cian ordered, not even looking at the place where those men were dragged. Cian sat quietly as he heard those men screaming in pain one after another. All of them were dragged to one place while dealing with their pain, and few of them even passed out.

"Your Highness, we have completed your order," one guard informed.

Cian looked at those men crying in pain. "Pull their eyes out. Those who are unconscious, wake them up and then do it."

The assassins who were awaiting their punishment of getting skinned alive turned even more terrified.

Cian smirked at them as he sat leisurely in his chair. "Don't be scared. What you did with our knights that time, you will also get a taste of it."

"Forgive us, Your Highness!"

"I beg you, give us a public execution!"

"Eliot, what are we waiting for?" Cian interrupted their pleading, his voice cold and commanding. Even the King of Abetha, King Armen, had never shown this kind of cruelty enough to strike fear to the hearts of men.

After saluting to his prince, Eliot looked at the two traitors who were trembling on their knees. He instructed the guards to put them back inside the prison cell as he would deal with them later. He then conducted his prince's order and instructed the torturers who knew what to do. It was not the first time that they had skinned someone alive.

That night, the entire underground prison was filled with blood-curdling screams. Only after those screams disappear did Cian leave the underground prison with Eliot following behind him. Cian stopped at the prison door and said, "You can stay back," before leaving with another knight.

Eliot was yet to arrange for the punishment of those two traitors and Cian wanted him to finish his job as soon as possible; he wanted to ensure that the next day, his knight would be in a better mood. He knew how upset Eliot had become ever since they discovered the betrayal, and it would do him good to personally clean up the tarnish to their pledge of knighthood.

Eliot returned to the underground prison and went to those two traitors. It did not take long for a cage wagon carrying the two to be brought out of the palace, escorted by a brigade of royal knights. Such a scene caused people who were outside at that time to follow the spectacle. They were then brought towards the execution grounds, where the two former knight's acts of betrayal were announced in front of a small crowd.

The young leader of the knights stepped forward as he unsheathed his sword. His glare was pinned on the two shackled criminals kneeling with their heads lowered.

"I won't ask you why you did it as there is no excuse for the crime of treason. But I have been with you two for so many years and I am at fault for not being able to notice the traitors inside you two. I will give you an easy death."

The two men said nothing. Eliot brandished his sword without a tinge of hesitation in his eyes. The next moment, two beheaded bodies remained on the ground, their heads leaving a bloody trail as they rolled. Eliot left the execution grounds without even turning to look at the dead bodies of the former knights who once trained under him.

-------

The next morning, the news of the public execution spread in the entire capital. Not only that, another shocking news made the rounds when the people saw the dead bodies of those assassins hanging on a tree at a hillside where everyone could see them. There was an announcement written on a cloth banner which was posted beside the bloody sight. It was a public announcement from the royal family. Many people gathered around it and read its content. After reading, they understood that it was another punishment meted out on those who oppose the royal family.

As if this much was not enough, the severely injured bodies of those commoners from the marketplace who dared lay a finger on Seren were hung outside of the palace walls with a similar announcement.

It had been made clear that whoever dared say a word against the Third Princess would go through a similar punishment. The entire capital felt terrified with it and everyone could only be careful with their words. Not even in their dreams would they dare curse the Third Princess.

-------

Although there was restlessness outside the palace walls, the entire day passed by peacefully inside the royal palace as the next day was the wedding. Queen Niobe had her hands full making sure that nothing would go wrong, making sure that the wedding would adhere to both the satisfaction of both the kingdoms of Abetha and Megaris. Aside from the servants preparing the venue for the ceremony, the royal tailors were the busiest as they were making a grand bridal gown for the Third Princess in haste.

Seren did not go out to stroll, choosing to remain in her chamber with Martha accompanying her all the time. Earlier, she was invited to have a meal with her father but she declined it. Since this was her last day of freedom before her arranged marriage, she preferred to spend the whole day alone with Martha.

When he heard her response, King Armen didn't insist on it and simply decided to come and personally visit his daughter in her chamber. The next day, Seren was arranged to leave immediately after the wedding ceremony and there would be no time for them to talk. Once she became the Queen of Megaris, he could not come to visit her in her kingdom, and she might not have a chance to return to Abetha. He was not sure when he would be able to see her. Cian too accompanied his father.