The King's High Justice

"Very well," she replied. "May I be permitted a few moments to prepare and dress?" she requested.

"Yes, of course,"came Raul's reply. "We will wait outside the door. It is unlocked. You may come out when you are ready."

Constance moved to dress and groom herself, the whole while thinking what a foolish waste of effort those things were, given what the outcome would be in just a few moments. Presently, she threw on her attire and pinned up her hair, a gesture of condescension that she thought would make the axe's work a trifle more convenient. Then she opened the door and stepped out to meet her fate and saw Raul, the jailer, a representative of the king, and a priest. God had not yet granted her a respite from her death sentence, but the axe had not fallen yet, either. The five people climbed the stone stairs, Raul and the jailer in the front, the other two men in the rear, and Constance in the middle. Once they were in the daylight, the sun made her squint, and that cause her headache to pound all the more, albeit that it was still just early morning.

Raul took her hand and led her to the middle of an open area between the castle, the jail and several other structures. Two wood pillars standing about four feet high and spaced about three feet apart were planted in the ground. In front of them sat the chopping block with the axe ominously leaning against it. The jailer produced a cushion that Raul placed between the two pillars and just slightly behind it, and then he directed Lady Constance to kneel upon it. Once she was properly placed, her wrists were affixed with ropes near the tops of the posts. Raul took up a position directly behind her and unwrapped a leather roll that contained two knives. He examined each of them in turn and was satisfied when he saw perfect mirror reflections on the edges of them both.

The official read the charges against Lady Constance and the formally asked her to admit her guilt, but to the consternation of everyone except the official, the lady replied in a halting voice that she was innocent. Raul observed that she was having some difficulty forming her words.

Then the priest entreated her to tell the truth before Almighty God, and again, she stated that she was not guilty. If Raul was suspicious of Lady Constance's guilt before, he was mortified now! She really was going to go to her death proclaiming her innocence. He could feel his stomach fall as he realized that, almost certainly now, he would be committing the sin of shedding innocent blood, but what could he do?

The official motioned for Raul to begin the procedure. He knelt behind Constance and placed the blades against the right and left sides of her neck. She shuddered at their touch. "Be at ease yet a while, my lady," he whispered to her. "These are just the back sides of the blades, and I am allowing them to warm up a trifle before we actually begin the cuttings." Constance relaxed a bit at his words. The official motioned once again to Raul, and he was about to face the sharp edges to her when he saw that she was attempting to speak.

But her mouth and tongue were so dry that no words could come out.

"Wait a measure," he said. "She wants to say something. Can you fetch her a pail of water and a dipper?" he asked the official.

"I don't see why we have to waste any more time with this, because in a minute.." the man began to say, but then he looked at Raul and saw the determined rage in his eyes and wisely changed his tune. "I'll, erm, fetch a little water," he offered.

"Good!" stated Raul, never once blinking at the man. After a measure, the man returned, and Raul set aside the knives and brought a dipper full of the cool water to Lady Constance's parched mouth. She drank it gratefully, took another and said to Raul, "I wanted to thank you, sir, for all of your many kindnesses." Her words broke his heart! In one night, she had become his, and now she was going away by his hand!

"If we might continue now?" suggested the official. Raul once again took his place behind the lady and positioned the knives afresh. In a minute, they were warm enough.

"We begin now, my lady. I wish you Godspeed on your journey, and mercy," he said to her. Indeed, he thought, my God have mercy on all of us for the crime we are about to commit. He flipped the knives over so that the cutting edges were now against her skin. In just a few seconds, faint crimson lines had formed at the point of contact. Even though Raul was applying no pressure, the lady's heartbeat was continually pushing her flesh into the blades and causing a slight cut to form. So close to death now, and still no confession from her! Raul thought. It's maddening! She truly is innocent, but what can I do? He considered his options. He could refuse to continue. He would lose his position, perhaps even his life, but those were of little consequence. What mattered was that Lady Constance would still be put to death by someone else, someone who couldn't care less about her innocence or comfort. No, the situation demanded that he proceed. But what about him? Then, in a moment of clarity, he understood what he must do. He must dispatch Lady Constance. Afterwards, he would return to his cottage, attach a noose to the beam of his ceiling and hang himself. In that manner would he offer up himself as a sacrifice for the sin he was about to commit.

He looked at the faces of the three men who stood by. All of them were watching him, waiting for him to act. He looked at Lady Constance. Her eyes were closed, and it was evident she was reciting a prayer or a hymn. She knew now that God, for whatever reason, would not be sparing her this ordeal. Both Raul and Constance were locked into a morbid pas de deux, the steps of which had been choreographed by forces beyond the control of either of them. She knew she had no choice but to die, and he knew he had no choice but to kill her.

It was time.

Raul summoned up all his willpower. He gripped the knife handles and moved to rock his body back, drawing the exquisitely sharp blades across her flesh and severing her arteries. In mere seconds, it would be done. In this moment, the entirety of Creation was reduced to his hands, her neck, and the two knives. Time itself seemed to stand still, but something began to invade Raul's consciousness. It was a repetitive noise that he thought was his own heartbeat at first. Then he realized that it was coming from somewhere else, from far away, and Raul finally understood that the faint banging sound was caused by someone beating on a shield with a warhammer. The sound got louder and louder with each passing second. He stayed his hands while he tried to come to terms with the meaning of it. Then he looked up and saw the jailer and the priest frantically waving at him and pointing off into the distance, where the captain of the guards was running towards them.

Finally, the captain was within earshot. "Stop!" he shouted, panting and almost out of breath. "Stop! Do not kill her! She is found innocent! The lady is found innocent! The king has so decreed!"

"Oh, thank God!" Raul heard himself say. But Lady Constance had swooned.

Quickly, Raul used the two knives to cut free her wrists, then he threw the knives aside and ripped the black cowl from off his head. He scooped up her body into his arms as if she weighed nothing. "We must get her inside at once!" he cried urgently, and the priest and the jailer rushed to assist him. As they turned to go, Raul took a sideways glance at the official. "Are you sorry we had to wait to fetch the water now?"

"I..." the man began to reply, and then he realized he had no words worth saying.

They got her into a bed and covered her in blankets and furs to retain what little heat remaining in her. It took a half an hour before she finally began to come 'round. Raul never left her side the entire time. She was still a little delirious, and they had her sip stimulants. "Raul, are we both in heaven now?" she asked quietly, not yet comprehending what all had transpired.

"No, my lady," Raul answered, so relieved that she seemed to be recovering. "But, thank God, we are not in hell, either," he added, smiling. Then, ever so gently, he kissed her. "Rest now, love. It's been quite a busy morn."

Part The Fourth: The King's Chambers

Two days later, Raul and Lady Constance were dining with the king in his private chambers, Lady Constance to his right; Raul to his left. It was the first time in Raul's life to be seated level with the salt. Martin, who was serving, had never before seen anyone invited to take a meal with his majesty in his most intimate rooms. Even the monarch's most trusted advisers had never been privileged to enter here. "Actually," said the king, "it was Martin who started me thinking that something was amiss. And so I had him summon Lord Grimsley to the castle. I didn't say why, but when he was brought before me, I talked to him about some trivial procedural matters and then began to dismiss him. But before I did, I said something about tomorrow being the day that Lady Constance was fated to kneel before the block. His whole demeanor changed, and it was right then I knew there was more to this than had been heretofore thought." He took a sip of his wine, which was liberty for Raul and Lady Constance to drink some of theirs.

"Secretly, I'd had the captain of the guards watch over that commoner's cottage, what's her name, Martin? The other one who gave false testimony..."

"Um, June, your majesty."

"... and sure enough, some of Grimsley's men showed up there to have a little visit. None of them knew I already had the woman here in the castle, for her own protection. She broke down first. It seems that Grimsley had threatened the lives of her children if she didn't tell lies about Lady Constance, and she was living in fear. Of course, I made sure she feared not telling me the truth more than fear of Lord Grimsley. The captain of the guards arrested Grimsley the next day.

"Of course, it didn't help that I was confused about the time you were to be executed, Constance. I had thought it was noon, and Martin corrected that error of mine at the very last minute, so you really have him to thank for your life. Well, him and Raul, whose courage in confronting me in the first place brought the matter to the forefront. And his procrastination in carrying out his duties that morning didn't hurt either.

"But most importantly, a miscarriage of justice was prevented, and you will be pleased to know that, effective today, anyone accused of a capital crime will have the right to confront his accusers and summon witnesses of his own in his defense."

They ate and drank in silence for a while. Finally, the king asked, "Tell me, Raul, would you have carried out the execution order?"

"Yes, your highness, I would have. And then I planned to kill myself as an atonement for my own crime of murdering an innocent soul."

"Hmmm," said his majesty. "Well, Lady Constance, it would seem that the realm owes you serious restitution. Tell me what you wish for, and I will do everything in my power to make it come to pass."

"I would like my estates returned to me," she began.

"Of course," said the king. "That much is a given, but is there anything else?"

"If I may, your highness," she said and then leaned toward him to whisper something in his ear.

"Preposterous!" sputtered the sovereign. "Unheard of!"

"Well, sire, you did say that if it was in your power..."

"Oh, very well then," he sighed. "I suppose a monarch ought to be more prudent with his promises, but do you suppose he'll agree to it?"

"I can only hope so, your majesty."

"Well, let us find out. Raul, it seems as though Lady Constance wishes to become your wife."

Raul nearly choked on his wine. "But, sire, she cannot marry me, however much she might desire it, and, erm, however much I might hope! I am only a commoner."

"No longer," said the king. "I will proclaim tomorrow at high noon that all of Lord Grimsley's estates are forfeit to the crown and are given to you. You will be titled." He sighed again. "And I suppose I'll have to find a new executioner."

Constance had left her seat at the table and moved to kneel in front of Raul. "My Lord," she spoke reverently to Raul, "I would be honored to be your wife. You are the bravest, most resourceful, kindest man I have ever known. And ruggedly handsome!"

"I'm hardly handsome," Raul confessed.

"Handsome!" Lady Constance retorted. "I look forward to a lifetime of bliss with you, sir."

"Well, there it is," pronounced the king. "All settled." And then the king stood, which was the signal that their dinner was over and it was time for Raul and Constance to take their leave.

"Thank you, your majesty," said Constance, followed by "Thank you, sire," from Raul. And they backed out of the room, out of his royal presence. The king watched them as they turned around and walked away, all caught up in each other.

Neither his highness nor Martin said anything for several minutes, and then finally the king spoke up.

"Well, Martin," I think it's time to bed. Now, who shall I select for a partner tonight? Oh, I know. How about that new girl? What's her name?" he asked with affected casualness.

"Giselle, sire," said Martin, who was instantly put on guard by the change in the monarch's tone. Where Giselle was concerned, Martin had reason to be.

"Well, go and fetch her and let's see what she looks like," commanded the king. Martin hurried out and returned moments later with a wispy young girl in tow. She was of age, of course, but her timid demeanor made her appear much younger. She's scared to death, the king thought. "Well, young lady," he said. "Welcome to my court. What province and village are you from?" the sovereign asked. Actually, he already knew that information, along with much more. "Well, speak up!"

"Um, I'm sorry, your majesty. I am from the village of Lilling in Grenvielle Province." He noticed a definite trembling in her voice.

"Well," said the king. "And your father sent you here to me to become a part of my retinue. Oh, Martin, is that not also the same village that was your home?" he asked, as though slipping in the question unobtrusively. Martin had a sense of foreboding and knew he had to be very careful how he responded to these questions. His and Giselle's lives were at stake.

"Erm, yes, your highness, it is." So, thought the king, what my spies told me was probably true.

"And did the two of you know each other?" he asked lightly.

Martin sighed quietly. "Yes, your majesty, we did." It was obvious to the both of them that their secret was most likely already known to the king. He decided that the only hope of keeping their heads was total honesty and a plea for mercy. "We were childhood sweethearts," Martin confessed, and added quickly, "although we never consummated our love for each other. Believe me, sire, I was as surprised as anyone when I found out Giselle was coming here. I beg of you, your majesty, do not..."

"Enough, Martin," interrupted the king. "And you, Giselle, do you warrant that what Martin has said is the whole truth?"

"Yes, your majesty," she replied, her head down. She was certain both of them were doomed. She had cried and begged her father not to send her to the king's court, even though she couldn't tell him why. But it was all to no avail.

"And I suppose you expect me to believe that even now nothing carnal has occurred between you and Martin?"

Giselle dropped to her knees. "Yes, your majesty. I am still a virgin, I swear it!" she pleaded.

"If there's no blood on the sheets tonight, then both you and Martin will forfeit your lives. Sad, that would be. You appear to have been raised to be an upright young lady, and Martin has been a faithful servant to me for years now. It would seem that there is only one solution to this problem," he said, and both Martin and Giselle waited for the king's verdict with bated breath.

"Martin?"

"Yes, sire?" he answered hoarsely with his head lowered.

"I have decided that you will marry this girl."

"Sire?" Martin and Giselle both gasped, almost in unison.

"Well, you heard me! Was I not clear? Go and find the priest, wake him up, and tell him I have decreed that he marry the two of you at once. At once, do you understand? Take a fortnight for your honeymoon, Martin, and then return here to your post. And send Oliver in here on your way out. Now, run along, both of you, before I regain my good sense and change my mind."

"But... but, sire, what about Giselle's father, will he not fear something was wrong, and the gift of his daughter's hand was disdained?"

"Oh, Martin, we'll award him some small allotment or medal. Don't worry about it."

"Sire, perhaps you could grant him a waiver from his taxes this year," suggested Martin.

To which the king glared at him and said, "Let's not go overboard here."

And the monarch picked up one of the gold candle stands that flanked the throne, plucked out and discarded the candle and handed the valuable, weighty stand to Martin. "Now, take this and go. A wedding gift," he announced. Giselle was crying tears of relief and gratitude. Martin was speechless. When they came to themselves, they both were effusive with their thanks to the monarch. "Go on," he said, urging them out. "Away with the both of you!" And they left the court, giddy with joy.

Ah, true love, thought the king, watching them go. First Raul and Constance, and now Martin and Giselle. But that I might experience it some fine day.

"You sent for me, sire?" asked Oliver.

"Yes. Go and fetch me one of the girls for the evening."

"Which one would his majesty prefer?"

"It doesn't matter," the king sighed.

Oliver walked to the females' residence, making a decision along the way about whom he would select. The dozen girls occupying their time in various innocent activities looked up when he entered. "Pamela," he said, "I believe he requires your special capacities this evening." A lovely young girl, petite and unassuming, got up and walked to him with a serious expression on her face.

"You poor dear!" one of the girls exclaimed. "You only just recovered from the last time."

"Good luck," some of the other girls offered. "You'll need it!"

"He'll require me to bring him some switches," she observed once they were walking the hallway. "Do we have any freshly cut?"

"Always," replied Oliver, and he picked up three or four on their way to the king's bedchamber. He announced her and gave her entrance and then prudently left the two of them quite alone.

"Your majesty," she said simply.

"Ah, Pamela," said the king, who was genuinely pleased to welcome her to his bed. "I see you've brought some birches. Bring them to me, girl, so I can test them." And she stepped toward her sovereign with her head lowered and handed the bundle of switches to him. He gave each one several practice swishes through the air before settling on one. "This one will do quite nicely, I think. Well," he allowed, "we both know what comes next," and indeed they both did, having participated in this scenario more than a few times. First, the ropes were fastened to both wrists and both ankles, then the opposite ends tied to the bedposts, stretched tightly enough to ensure restraint while in this prone position.

"Are you quite ready, Pamela?" asked his majesty.

Pamela took a deep breath. "Yes, sire," she answered cautiously.

"Right, then. We begin," he announced.

The switch was raised and then brought down with authority. The first stroke landed perfectly, right at the junction of the buttocks and the thighs and left an immediate cruel welt. Pamela was satisfied that her swing had been spot on the mark.

His majesty let out an immediate grunt of pain. "Strike harder, Pamela," he ordered, even as he gasped to take in a breath. "Much harder. We need the tears this evening." It would be a long, horrid and agonizing night, she thought, but her heart went out to him. How sad that my dear king can only find release from the demands of the throne in such a way as this.