Estevan
"Did he say?" I asked the jailer.
"He's confessed, but he hasn't said anything more than that" I shook my head in understanding of the jailer's words, Walter was already in pieces, he knew he was condemned by the evidence even if he continued to deny it, but he still hadn't handed over Councillor Marcelo and that annoyed me.
With two toenails missing and his body drenched in sweat, he still stood firm as he cried quietly, suffering in silence and keeping his sins to himself.
I took the pliers from the man's hand and walked towards him, stopping in front of him.
"This is deplorable Lord Walter and only two of your nails have been pulled out, I think they've been kind to you so far" I said calmly and he looked at me as if to implicate me, he closed his eyes in fear, the cloth in his mouth.
"Look at me Walter" I asked, but to no avail, I bent down in front of him and lifted his face so that he could look into my eyes, he opened his eyes and stared at me "Don't you have the courage to look into the eyes of someone you tried to kill? I find that funny, because until yesterday you ate at my table and sat down with me to discuss Olimper"
I let go of his face.
"You're already a dead man, why don't you spare yourself the suffering and tell me who I can help?"
I took the blindfold off his mouth and he spat in my face, I wiped his disgusting saliva off with my hand, he looked at me with anger that I didn't understand, but I knew there was a lot to dig out.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" I asked and he continued in silence.
I brought the pliers close to his finger and saw his whole body tremble, I pulled hard on his nail and he cried out in pain, more crying, I looked into his eyes.
"You're not ready to talk yet?"
"I did it all by myself!" he shouted.
"I know you didn't, your conversation was overheard with someone else so we know you had an accomplice!" I said "Listen to me here Walter, if you keep lying and your nails run out, I'll have to start pulling my fingers out, who helped you?"
"Nobody helped me!"
"I'll say it again, who helped you?" I said louder, looking into his eyes.
"Nobody helped me!"
"Who helped you Walter?" I screamed in his face like a madman and quickly moved the pliers closer to his fingernail.
"No, please!" he begged as I pulled out another of his nails.
His body trembled even more and his cries echoed off the worn walls of the cell.
"Damn you!" He said "We hate you"
"You who?" I asked as I stared into his eyes.
"You'll have to kill half the council" he said, taking me by surprise "King Octavian will kill you!"
"I should have known it had his finger in it," I said, annoyed with myself for not having thought of it before.
Otavio had wanted to kill me for a long time and he was doing it quietly inside my own castle.
"When did he pay you and who are you? Start talking, because I'm thinking of sparing your life."
Walter's eyes seemed to light up with the hope I gave him and so he began to speak name by name, figures, plans until his entire confession had been written down by the scribe in the corner.
At the end his eyes looked exhausted, he was worn out by the pain and the loss of blood. I touched his shoulder.
"Good work Walter" I said, touching my shoulder and standing up, looking at the jailer, I said "Get him a big plate of food".
I looked at Walter for a moment.
"This will be his last meal!" I turned and walked out of the cell
"You promised!" shouted the man, to whom I didn't listen.
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Alexia
There was a heavy atmosphere at sunrise, I kissed Estevan's back and he held my hands over his shoulder.
"I'll wait for you downstairs!" I was just about to start getting ready when he walked out of the door.
I knew that today couldn't be any different, but I still wasn't looking forward to seeing men being hung up in front of the square, but that's what was going to happen.
After yesterday's interrogations, several men had been condemned, it seemed like a clean sweep of the council of Olimper who was at the forefront, always listening, always on the affairs of the kingdom to the point where the castle seemed quieter than usual.
People no longer spoke aloud, only whispers and speculations since the councilor's arrest, leaving a funereal air. The skies were overcast, Silver lay in the throne room, but the day had already begun.
I got on my horse and lined up next to Estevan, Acácio and Soraya were in front, hundreds of people in front of the castle after the dawn announcement, moving a crowd quickly.
"They look furious," I said to Estevan.
"They are, with the men who tried to kill me," said Estevan. The gates opened and we stepped out into the crowd, which was slowly making way for us to pass through. Everyone seemed to want to touch me, which made me feel very uncomfortable. They referred to me as the lady of fire and the savior, just as I seemed to idolize Estevan for the same reasons, but the touches made me uncomfortable, even with the guards around us, one hand or another would reach out and touch my skin, making me feel strange.
When we reached the square, we got off the horse and there was a stage set up for the circus of horrors from which six ropes were hanging.
I looked at them in distress as I imagined the men I saw walking down the aisles hanging from them and soon they appeared, fruit, vegetables and objects were being attacked on them as they announced their crimes, I looked closely at each of their faces, there was fear.
With the rope around my neck, I took a firm hold of Estevan's hand. Although I didn't like what was happening, it wasn't like the viscountess I'd been in front of, our silly fight in which she'd been punished didn't seem to compare to trying to kill someone.
Estevan might no longer be alive, so I kept my eyes open until the lock on the floor was lost and they fell, being hanged. The scene was horrible and caused a bad sensation throughout my body, but this was a moment when I understood a little that things like this would be common to be in power.
Treason, contempt and threats all had to be eliminated or no crown would be saved.