Chapter 190

Chapter 190
Augustus's POV

Grok inhaled sharply, his face paling at the severity of the sentence. "Your Majesty! Burning is the most cruel form of execution—you haven't employed it once in your ten-year reign! Please reconsider!"

A bitter smile twisted my lips as I met his horrified gaze. "Precisely because I've never used it, these fools have forgotten proper fear. This execution will serve as a reminder to all—anyone who dares harm my consort and offspring will be reduced to ash in the flames."

Grok looked desperately to Moros for support, but the spymaster's amber eyes merely glittered with cold approval as he spoke in measured tones: "I request the honor of personally overseeing Horace's execution."

Grok shifted tactics, his voice urgent: "Your Majesty, such brutal execution might disturb Lady Lina's recovery and harm the heir. It will also burden her with causing her father's fiery death, damaging her reputation among nobles."

His words gave me pause, anger warring with practical concerns. I didn't want to cause Lina more suffering, yet the need for decisive action burned as fiercely as my protective rage.

The doors opened before I could respond. The chief physician and his team bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, Lady Lina bled but the heir is stabilized through intensive treatment. She needs scheduled potions and complete bed rest—any further incidents could prove fatal."

I shot to my feet, my voice tight with barely controlled emotion. "May I see her?"

The physician nodded gravely. "Yes, but Your Majesty must suppress all draconic emanations and speak gently to avoid emotional distress, or the consequences could be..."

I was already striding past him before he could finish the warning, my need to see Lina alive overriding all other considerations.

The chamber was thick with the bitter scent of medicinal herbs and the lingering shimmer of healing magic as I approached the bed where Lina lay pale and still behind gossamer curtains. The moment our eyes met, I felt something vital within me constrict painfully, making each breath a struggle as the full impact of how close I had come to losing them both crashed over me.

I dismissed the remaining medical attendants with a gesture, then moved to sit carefully on the edge of the bed, my voice emerging as barely more than a whisper. "Are you... are you all right?"

Lina remained silent, tears streaming down her cheeks as her hands remained protectively curved over her abdomen, her green eyes reflecting a mixture of terror and self-recrimination that cut through me like a blade. Assuming she was simply traumatized and seeking comfort, I leaned forward to gently wipe away her tears while searching for a way to distract her from the horror she had endured.

"The fire execution," I said quietly, studying her reaction, "what do you think? Some ministers claim it's too brutal and might damage your reputation."

Her response came in a trembling voice edged with bitter irony that I didn't fully understand: "How could my reputation possibly compare to royal dignity? The nobles need to witness the fate that awaits anyone who dares offend dragon bloodline."

Her words sealed Horace's fate as surely as if she had signed his death warrant herself. "Then fire it shall be. Tomorrow at noon, the entire realm will watch Horace burn to ash in the flames."

Lina closed her eyes as fresh tears spilled over, her whispered "Your Majesty... is wise" carrying a weight of anguish that I attributed to her physical and emotional trauma.

I reached out to caress her cheek, feeling the complex emotions swirling within me as I spoke words that carried deeper meaning than she could possibly understand: "Perhaps this is for the best... it brings us closer together."

In the depths of my mind, I recognized the terrible symmetry of our situations—I had murdered my father and brother to claim the throne, and she had just condemned her own father to death. We were truly matched in our capacity for necessary cruelty, both bearing the weight of blood-family betrayal, both forever changed by the choices that survival had demanded.

I placed my hand gently over the slight swell of her abdomen through the thin blanket, my voice softening with genuine tenderness. "The child is strong, and your bond with him runs deep. Bring him safely into this world, and I'll give you both everything you could ever desire."

Lina's throat worked soundlessly as if she were choking on broken glass, her tears falling faster as she turned her face away from me in what I interpreted as overwhelming emotion. Concerned for her fragile state, I carefully gathered her into my arms, holding her against my chest while murmuring reassurances.

"Don't be afraid," I whispered into her hair, breathing in her familiar scent beneath the medicinal odors. "It's over now. From this day forward, no one will ever be able to hurt you or our child again."