Page 133 of A Kingdom's Heart
“I don’t care what I’ve done!” I shouted back, my voice breaking. “I did what was right!”
The crack of his hand against my cheek was so sharp it echoed. My head snapped to the side, but I didn’t move otherwise. I didn’t even touch the sting. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me fall.
His breathing was harsh, uneven. “Guards,” he barked. “Seize this traitor.”
“Father, no!” I cried, stepping forward, but his hand shot out and gripped my arm, holding me back.
Two guards moved toward William. He didn’t resist. His body
was limp, his face pale, his eyes barely open. They grabbed him by the arms, dragging him across the dirt toward the mouth of the cave.
“Please!” I screamed, thrashing against my father’s hold. “Stop! Don’t touch him!”
He didn’t listen.
The guards hauled William outside. I could see his blood leaving a trail behind him, dark against the sand. They reached the carriage waiting near the shore, the same one we had taken when we left for Valebran.
My father turned to me then, his expression full of fury and something worse: disappointment. His grip on my arm tightened until it hurt.
“You will never see him again,” he said, his voice shaking with restrained anger. “Not as long as you live.”
“What are you going to do?” I said, my voice breaking on the last word.
He looked at me as if I had asked whether the sun would rise. “There is no light punishment for this,” he said. “He will be taken back to the castle. He will be healed enough to stand, and then he will be executed on the breaking wheel.”
My breath caught. The breaking wheel. Executed. Not only did he want to kill him, but he wanted to torture him first. My eyes widened in horror. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No, you
you can’t.”
“Yes, I can. I am the king.” he said, his tone like stone. “He will be healed first so he can feel every bit of it. And then he will die. You will watch it happen and learn to never disobey me again.”
The tears blurred my sight. I could hardly breathe. “Please,” I begged, my voice cracking. “Please don’t do this.”
He ignored me completely. “And after that,” he said, his voice quieter but cruel, “you will face your punishment too. Then you will return to Valebran and become Lorenzo’s queen. As planned.”
Before I could say another word, his hand shot out. His fingers wrapped tightly around my arm. I tried to pull back, but his grip only tightened.
“Father, stop, please!” I cried.
He didn’t answer. Without another word, he dragged me toward the carriage. My feet stumbled across the dirt, my body fighting him even as the guards forced William inside. William didn’t resist. His head hung low, blood dripping down his side. His eyes were half-closed, barely conscious.
“William!” I screamed, trying to reach for him.
My father yanked me back before I could touch him. “Enough!”
he shouted, his voice echoing across the beach. “You have shamed your family, your crown, and your people.”
Tears streamed down my chest. “Please,” I said one last time.
“Don’t do this. Spare him. I’ll go back to Valebran and be Lorenzo’s queen–”
“You made your choice, Iris,” he cut me off. “Now you will live with it.”
He pushed me toward the carriage, and before I could resist, the door slammed shut behind us.
CHAPTER FIFTY SIX
IRIS/WILLIAM
