A Taste Of Their Own Medicine

TALIA'S POV

I thought he would act a little smarter in front of the council and my mate, but he apparently can't get any smarter than he was a few hours ago. I really hope that none of us inherited his stupidity.

"How many times will I be punished for that crime? How much more torture do I have to endure before you're satisfied?" He yells out loud, his voice cracking with emotion and fear. I see Evan's jaws clench with annoyance.

"You condemn me for locking up my daughter but none of you cared when her notorious mother disrespected and humiliated me in the most hurtful ways! Don't your laws apply equally to all?" My so-called father carries on shouting.

The entire council regards him with contempt and disgust.

"And how exactly did her mother humiliate you?" One of the council members questions.

"She wouldn't obey me as her mate or husband. She trained to fight against my will and even challenged me into a match when I could no longer stand her immodest behaviour." He answers with a bit of confidence that shows he really doesn't know better. "Your Highness, I complained to your father that my wife was disrespectful and was training in sword fighting without my consent. But he chose not to punish her because she was a friend of his Queen." He adds, now addressing a very angry Evan who looks like he is about to stand and break the man's every bone.

"Your foolishness is quite remarkable." Evan comments and the council members laugh out loud. He however doesn't smile the slightest. "Women of my Kingdom are not slaves of their husbands, least of all morons like yourself!" He snaps and my father literally jumps back.

"No man has the right to dictate to a woman what she can or cannot do. Every person is equal to another, regardless of their gender or marital status." He adds, his forbidding tone making everyone's mouth fall open.

My father visibly shakes as Evan focuses his unnerving glare on him. "You tortured a child that hadn't done you any harm at all and apparently you don't seem to regret it, yet. So I have decided that you should be put through the same exact experience for a year, see how much you like living in darkness and starving to death!"

My father gasps out loud in shock while the council nods and smiles in approval. I too fail to resist the smile that spreads across my lips. He may be my father but he got exactly what his stupid and selfish attitude deserved.

"Your Highness . . . please . . . that's too harsh! You have punished me enough already." He shamelessly cries in a weak and hoarse voice.

I wonder why he is so terrified of going through the same appalling experience he had put Taylor through. Didn't he act proud of what he did he did just a few hours ago?

"Your case is decided." Evan declares and my father falls to his knees, crying like a big, old baby.

"I am . . . so sorry! I will accept any other punishment you choose. Please -" He pleads, bowing his head as low as he can and letting tears flow out.

"Take him out of my face," Evan orders the soldiers in the room. They instantly grab him by his sleeves and drag him out of the room. The former Queen and Rose are left looking even more horrified than they looked at the start.

I already talked with Evan about Rose's fate. She isn't a righteous character, but her deeds don't deserve a harsh punishment as her biggest sin was being too foolish. She has been unusually quiet and stands far away from the former Queen. I was expecting her to be raving in a situation like this. But she has been silent like a changed person.

The former Queen on the other hand starts pleading for mercy even before the beta reads out the long list of her crimes.

"Your Highness . . . I am your mother, you can't judge me like a stranger. You're a great King because . . . because I raised you well. Surely you can't hate me like I didn't bring you to this world!" She stutters.

"Right, you're my awful mother. For that reason, I won't have your head cut off." Evan answers with a devilish smirk. "I would like you to spend the rest of your days in our Kingdom's prison. Unless you would like me to send you back to Red Moon pack as a slave." He adds.

Her eyes go wide. I thought by now she wouldn't be surprised by a harsh judgement from him. But it looks like she takes time to get used to change.

Most of the councilmen also seem astounded. They had of course thought he was going to judge her differently. But he gave her what she deserved without a hint of regret in his firm voice.

"Evan? Have you lost your mind?!" She screams at him.

"Take her away." He orders the three soldiers that have just walked in again. She attempts to fight back as they seize her and drag her out of the room too.

I sigh in relief because I can now rest knowing that neither she nor our father will have the chance to hurt my family again.

Tears fall from Rose's eyes as she looks around the room at the many eyes glaring at her. Her fear and embarrassment are so evident on her pale face.

She is of course not accused of doing her best to seduce my mate which would have been an embarrassing crime to be accused of in front of a council of old men. She was desperate for his affection and it is what caused her to end up here. Now she doesn't look at Evan because her heart was broken and she learned that he had used her. I wish she hadn't been so selfish because we would have been friends.

"Miss Rose Anders, you're accused of conspiring with the former Queen in a plot to force our future Queen to leave this Kingdom and marry Prince Miles of Red Moon Pack. That is an act of treason!" The former King's beta snaps and the rest of the council nod their heads in agreement. More tears stream down Rose's fat cheeks.

"How do you plead?" The beta asks

in a cold tone but Rose only shrugs her shoulders and remains silent.

"I will take that as guilty." The Beta concludes. Rose painfully shuts her eyes as she starts sobbing. Most of the council members frown in annoyance.

"If she was conspiring with the former Queen then she should get an equal punishment." One of the council members suggest. A few others approve of his idea before they all focus their eyes on me and Evan. My mate makes the final decision. He can of course overrule the council.

"She did acknowledge her mistakes which means she is capable of changing into a better person. It would be unfair if we fail to acknowledge the good in her. Besides, she was manipulated by the former Queen." I argue.

The council murmurs amongst themselves but I can hear every word they say. Some are reconsidering their stand but they fail to agree.

"I believe our King ruled the other two cases well and fairly. We should let him decide this one too." The oldest of the councilmen suggests out loud. The others immediately nod.

Rose opens her wet eyes and looks at Evan for the first time since we walked in here.

"I am assuming that so far you have learned your lesson so I am setting you free. You however have three days to pack up and leave my Kingdom." He says and the whole room fills with silence.

He once again managed to shock the council with an unexpected decision. It's what he and I had agreed on, to not punish Rose anymore than we have done already. But banish her so we won't have to deal with her dramatic personality ever again.

"You may leave," I say to her but she appears too dumbfounded to move. I wonder why she doesn't look happy with the decision. She appears lost and indecisive for a long while before turning and rushing out of the room.

Maybe we should also consider letting her stay within our Kingdom but away from the palace. Being banished from the place you think is your home can devastating. Life can never be the same again. Not to mention the cost of starting again a new.

I will have to speak to my mate later and see if he will let her stay in our Kingdom so she doesn't end up a slave of our neighbouring packs.

* * * * *

EVAN'S POV

I had expected my father to be moody after I sent his ex-wife to our pack prison for life. But he appears even more relaxed now than he has been for the last three weeks. I imagine without the mate bond she no longer means anything to him.

He began seeing her for who she really is after that mate bond was broken. Now he worries more about my mate and her brother than he worries about his former wife. He has in fact been treating the little boy like his own grandchild. So the boy now gets whatever he wants for dinner and every other meal.

"Your brother is quite smart and passionate for a thirteen-year-old. I am impressed by how eager and fast he is at learning new skills. Not to mention how incredibly disciplined he is." He praises and Michael claps for himself while grinning mischievously. Talia playfully and gently pinches his smooth cheeks causing him to giggle.

He is a lot smarter than most boys of his age. But I am afraid it's the rough life of slavery that forced his young brain to mature quicker because his survival depended on it. At least he seems happy here and his body is clearly recovering from all the years of starvation and mistreatment.

A young servant suddenly bangs the door as she rushes into the room huffing. The look of shock on her face is unnerving.

"Your Majesty, something happened!" She gasps after halting a step away from my seat. "You need to . . . come see." She adds in a shaky voice.

She could be a very dramatic person or something very astounding did really happen.

"Tell me what it is," I order.

She hesitates for a while before revealing what has gone wrong. "Rose Andrey committed suicide! We just found her body hanging from the roof of her room. She used a rope to hang herself."

Talia's spoon drops from her grasp while my father lets out an audible gasp. I give myself a whole minute to take in the shock and think of the best way to handle the news.

"Does anyone know why she did it?" My father asks and once again the young servant hesitates to answer.

"When she returned back here she said that . . . marrying your son was the good dream she had. But . . . he broke her heart. She looked quite devastated and she wouldn't stop crying. So we left her in her room thinking that she would somehow calm down on her own. When I went back to check on her I found . . . her cold body dangling from the ceiling." She stammers looking down at the floor.

My fingers tighten around the cup of tea I am holding. My heart is throbbing hard and fast and it is affecting my breathing. But I refuse to think that it's my fault that she hangs herself.