Pt. 3 - The Sentencing
A huge thank you to anyone reading :) I’m so grateful for all the support and I’m excited to keep going with this story!
TW: mild violence, death threats, near-death experience, reference to war crimes, choking
@ihaveacrushonjester
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Bennett took a deep breath and looked up at the king, trying to look braver than he felt.
He had known this war would probably kill him. He had envisioned it a thousand times. A sword through his armor, a volley of arrows maybe. With the way things had been going, he even thought it might’ve been one of his own soldiers putting a blade to his neck while he slept.
At first, the notion terrified him and he was vigilantly on guard during battle. But eventually he grew weary, and at times he had even selfishly hoped for death, knowing that the pain and bloodshed of war would continue without him, but wanting to be free of it himself. He became bolder in his fighting style, often leaving himself exposed, but he hadn’t realized the enemy only wanted him alive.
He realized it now, as he knelt bound at the kings feet, waiting to hear his death sentence.
“I know the pain of war well. God knows Baramont has faced more than its fair share even before now,” the king sighed. “But this conflict has taken a greater toll on our kingdom than all of those wars combined. We had decades of peace with Lianhar. It should have never come to this.” He paused and shook his head.
“Prince Bennett, when you were a child living in this castle, I treated you like you were family. Now, you kneel before me, a man, accused of murdering my people in cold blood. Not only soldiers. No…. that would at least be expected in a time of war. Perhaps even forgivable….” The king’s voice filled with a growing rage.
“But your soldiers crossed that line. When you started to lose, your men burned villages in retaliation. Razed crop fields. Killed innocent men, women, and children. Probably took liberties I won’t dare utter. This is simply unforgivable.”
Bennett stayed silent but stared at the floor, jaw clenched. “Bennett, do you have anything to say in response to this accusation?”
“He’s right. I’m a monster,” Bennett thought to himself. “I deserve to drown in the blood I’ve allowed to be spilled.”
After a moment’s pause, he spoke. “I accept responsibility for the accusations levied against me, Your Highness.” He heard a sob from Aurelia. He couldn’t bare to look at her, didn’t deserve to gaze upon her face.
“I was the commander of the regiment that committed those crimes. I deeply regret that they occurred and I-“ his own voice began to catch. “I know I can never bring back what’s been lost. I-… I never meant-”
“That’s enough,” the king interjected coldly. “It doesn’t matter what you meant or regret. I’ve heard enough to pass your sentence.”
Bennett nodded. He was ready for this all to be over.
“You know you must die for these crimes, don’t you?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Bennett kept his head down, too ashamed to face the man he once thought of as a second father.
“Good. But you must also know that a quick execution is a mercy... One not afforded to war criminals.”
Hearing those words, Bennet felt his stomach drop in fear. He should’ve expected it. He knew he deserved a drawn-out punishment.
But he also knew he had always been weak and pathetic. Even as he tried desparately to be brave, it felt hard to breathe. He barely registered the cheers and taunts coming from the audience.
“You will eventually die for your crimes. But it will not be today. You will be kept as a prisoner and tortured until I decide you’ve suffered enough to even start atoning for your crimes. You will also be a warning to other neighboring kingdoms – they’ll know what awaits them if they go to war with Baramont.”
Bennett had started to count in his head, trying to slow his breathing, tune out the room around him. He knew his own suffering was a small price to pay if it meant the end of the war. He needed to focus on that.
The king continued,“If you were a lone actor, we could leave your sentence at that. But you represent Lianhar, and your father the king deserves to be punished as well. You may have led your regiment, but he was the one who incited this war in the first place.”
Bennett finally glanced up from the floor, looking up at the king in fear and confusion.
“In order to truly punish your father and kingdom, make them suffer as we have, we cannot just kill soldiers can we? Innocents died on our side. And justice is justice.”
Bennett paled. “No, please, Your Highness. Please let this end with me, add to my debts. Punish me more! Don’t hurt Lianhar’s civilians, I beg of you.” Bennett looked at the king, apprehension in his eyes. This was supposed to be over. This damn war needed to be over.
“Don’t worry Prince Bennett, I’m not as cruel as the rulers of Lianhar. I’m not talking about civilians. I found a way to punish your father and kingdom without involving them. As punishment for this war, your royal bloodline will end with you and with Gabriel.” The king beckoned to the guards near the doors. “Bring Prince Gabriel in.”
They had Gabriel? “Wait. NO! No, oh god no.” Bennett struggled against the hands holding him down on his knees. They were prepared for him to fight at the news. “You can’t do this! He’s not a soldier! This can’t be happening…”
But as the doors opened and Bennett’s guard shoved him around to watch, Bennett saw his worst nightmare unfolding before him.
His little brother, his kind-hearted, intelligent, better-than-he’d-ever-be little brother, was being shoved forward by a guard. His hands were shackled together tightly in front of him and a white blindfold covered his eyes.
“Gabriel!” He tried to go towards his brother, but he was still being held down.
“Bennett?!” his brother’s voice cracked. Bennett fought harder, but only earned himself a kick to the stomach.
“Your Highness, please, have mercy. Gabriel had nothing to do with this war. He wanted peace, none of this was his fault.”
“That’s exactly why he must be punished as well. It’s not his fault, I’m well aware. Gabriel, I am sorry you must be involved. But we need peace and retribution. And Lianhar needs to learn its lesson. Besides, Bennett, did your men stop to think about how many of my people just wanted peace when they were slaughtering them?”
Gabriel was silent as he was finally forced down near his brother, but Bennett could see that he was trembling. He so badly wanted to go to him, apologize and beg for his forgiveness, but he was still being restrained. He realized with growing horror that he couldn’t fix this. The tears that had had managed to hold back came all at once. Sobs wracked his body. “Gabriel, I’m- I’m so sorry. Your Highness, just punish me, please.”
In desperation, he glanced at Aurelia, who looked as stricken as he was. “Please,” he begged through tears. He saw her stand and reach for her father’s arm, but he turned to her and whispered something to her angrily. She sat back down, looking sorrowful.
The king nodded to the knight standing near Gabriel. “The punishment, as we discussed.”
They were starting his punishment already? Bennett began to panic.
The knight near Gabriel grabbed the prince’s dark curls in his fist and pulled him up so that he was standing. Gabriel whimpered and tried to pull away to no avail. He was still blindfolded, and he flinched when he felt guards grab both of his arms. The shackles holding his wrists were unlocked, but his arms were immediately wrenched behind his back and reshackled. He looked around blindly, trying to understand what was happening to him.
“Benne-“
His frightened whisper was cut off as the knight suddenly wrapped his hands around his throat. Gabriel struggled but the hands only tightened as he was lifted onto his toes. He opened his mouth, trying desperately to breathe, but finding no air.
“Noooooooo,” Bennett moaned, his voice breaking on a sob. He was held back by two guards now - he was powerless. “Please stop, please let him breathe. Plea-ease, I’ll do anything.”
Seconds felt like an eternity. He wasn’t stopping. Time ticked by and he wasn’t stopping. Bennett could vaguely hear jeers from the crowd, this was hell. Gabriel was twitching, barely struggling anymore. They were going to kill him here and now. This had to be a nightmare. Please, let this be a nightmare.
“Enough,” the king ordered. Immediately, Gabriel was released and crumpled to the floor. For a split second, Bennett was sure he was dead, but then he started taking gasping, ragged breaths.
“That’s enough for today. Guards, escort our prisoners to the dungeons and clean them up. They need to be ready for our banquet tomorrow. They’ll be the entertainment for the night.”
Bennett didn’t have a chance to check on his brother before he was dragged away. He was filled with relief that his brother was still alive, but he couldn’t shake the horrible thought that it was selfish to want him to live through this too.
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