Chapter 14 - Justice Long Overdue
Duke Carrow looked as though he had seen a ghost for the second time that afternoon. He stared at Nell, his lips parting in a silent, paralyzed gasp.
“They... they hid her,” Carrow muttered, panic finally breaking through his arrogant facade.
“We found her hiding in the outer mountain villages, protected by loyal loyalists who knew Malrec’s purge was coming,” Rhys stated, stepping up beside Sera and resting a heavy hand on the pommel of his sword. “She gave a full confession to my magistrates two nights ago. She testified to everything: the abuse, the attack, and the fireplace iron you claimed was a weapon of robbery rather than self-defense.”
Carrow’s knees buckled slightly. He looked around the courtyard, realizing that his guards had lowered their weapons, recognizing the undeniable weight of royal authority and absolute proof.
“You cannot touch me,” Carrow snarled, his voice cracking with desperation as he pointed a trembling finger at Rhys. “I am a high lord of the western province! My family holds the trade routes! If you execute me without a formal trial by the council, my allies will revolt!”
“There will be a formal trial,” Rhys replied coldly. “In the capital. Before a jury of your peers and victims. But this time, the testimonies won't be bought with Malrec’s gold.”
Two royal guards stepped forward, grabbing Carrow by the arms and ripping the jeweled signet ring from his finger before snapping heavy iron manacles around his wrists. The heavy, humiliating clank of the chains sounded remarkably similar to the ones Sera had worn in the dark subterranean cells just weeks prior.
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As Carrow was dragged past her, kicking and screaming in furious denial, Sera didn't gloat. She simply watched him go with a quiet, profound sense of closure.
The gallows he had prepared for her were waiting for him instead.
