4 Stranger Friend's Death (1)

". . . P-pardon?"

I stammered as I could feel my heart beating a lot faster than it should be. I was still taken back as I held my breath.

I began to look closely at him and couldn't see what his eyes looked like because of the helmet covering his whole face.

Despite that, I could feel the intimidating aura around him. It was suffocating as I started to feel sick.

My heart was racing as I shivered in fear.

'. . . Why on earth is this needed if the Kingdom is still in a peaceful condition?'

"Every Directive Knight was instructed to do this every day."

The knight answered me, straight to the core of my question.

". . . Directive Knights?"

I subconsciously muttered as I was confused by a foreign word.

'. . . The knights that are wearing their white armor are called. . . Directive Knights? It sounds similar to Directive Order.'

"We only observe the condition and activities of the citizens to ensure their safety. It is our responsibility."

I turned my head and gazed downwards after he finished his explanation.

It was like I found my shoes more interesting than looking or talking to him any further and because I was stunned by the information I received.

The carriage ride was calming and quiet.

Throughout the journey, none of us say anything for a conversation. More precisely, nobody wants to continue what we left off.

It continues until the path to our destination has become a swarm of people.

'. . . Are we going to arrive soon?'

Just like my assumption, the carriage's slowly but surely came to a stop.

The door opened to reveal the coachman trying to escort me out.

I carefully stood up from the seat before I genuinely thanked him. After that, I grabbed his hand that he gave before exiting the carriage.

I took a look around the place. From my observation, it seems that nobles or royalty like me got their own special path and place for watching the execution.

I suddenly feel a chill spreading through my body when I imagine the event.

'. . . It is quite frightening that I'm going to watch an execution.'

"Your Highness, please follow me."

The Directive Knight exclaimed.

I looked in his direction and saw him standing in front of me. When he saw me noticing him, he turned his back and started to walk.

That's when I thought of something.

'. . . I have never asked for their names. All of them sound and look the same with that heavy armor. Even if I knew their names, I wouldn't be able to tell who they were. It was strange indeed."

Nonetheless, I stopped thinking and decided to walk behind him.

'For now. I just need to follow him as he says.'

When the building was in sight, I already expected what it would be. It is an outdoor building. That means the execution will be held outside.

I entered it with the guidance of the Directive Knight through the bright hall that leads to another path and walking up the stairs.

'I'm going to watch from the top?'

As a Princess, they must have also set an unapproachable place for me.

Every noble that is unfamiliar to me was also present and in their respective seats as their distance between my seats was a bit far.

Not surprisingly, it was not just them. Most of the citizens are also here to watch the public execution.

When the knights that were guiding me stopped, I halted on my track as well and raised my brow in confusion.

I wasn't sure what was happening right now.

When I turned my head to the side, I froze at an unwanted sight.

My eyes are wide with fear. My heart was hardly beating at all. In an instant, I thought my heart would explode.

There is one unconscious man tied up into a large wooden stake.

'It was downright merciless.'

I immediately realized this wasn't a joke and truly am attending a real deal of public execution.

Frightened by the sight, I took a sudden intake of breath before I stumbled myself backward.

I continued to have my shoulders shook in fear as I imagined the man was on trial with this so many people surrounded him.

". . . T-this is. . ."

"Everyone who violates the Directive Order, will atone for their sins. The only way for them to regain pureness is death by burning."

As if the devil spoke to himself, the knight spoke without emotions while still looking at the tied man in the center.

I observe the tied man on the wood. With that, I realized something.

". . . Is he unconscious the whole time?"

"Yes, he is. By the law of Directive Order, Thou that violates the order will be executed by burning. In addition to the order, we will make the sinner unconscious in the near-execution therefore they won't be feeling any pain when the fire lights up and burns their body."

After hearing the emotionless explanation, I couldn't say anything back as I kept my mouth shut.

From now on, I decided to watch what occurred in front of me.

The same Directive Knight walked towards the area where the man was being tied up into that wooden stake.

"For violating the rules of the Directive Order, Chester Silas will receive execution by burning."

He announced it to the whole crowd. When he was finished, he stepped backward and excused himself off the area.

I raised my eyebrow in confusion because of the missing detail.

". . . Sir knight, why didn't they specify what orders Chester Silas broke in Directive Order?"

"We don't need to specify it. It is deemed unnecessarily."

". . . Why. . .? The reason wouldn't be clear enough."

"If thou broke orders of the Directive Order, then thou will die and will be executed."

My eyes went wide.

"There is no reason to specify what order he broke. What we must know is all sinners must be punished."

He stated once more.

"So you mean that if we violate even one order, we will be executed in public without knowing what is truly the crime to the crowds?"

I asked with wide eyes, not taking my eyes off the scene where the knights are prepared to lit the wooden stake.

"The point is, if someone violates the Directive Order, death will greet them sooner because they are sinners."

'Sinners.'

At the moment, I didn't even know why I would, by any means, defended the 'sinner' that they were going to burn in front of me, in front of the people here who are present both nobles and citizens.

I slowly turned my head towards the people here that are watching the execution.

They are unbelievably quiet while watching the execution occur in front of their eyes.

There is no one to oppose the execution nor to give their thoughts.

". . . It's too quiet. Why is that?"

'For one thing, I know. There will always be someone who would mutter a disagreement among the crowds or even badmouth the one that is being executed.'

"Order #10 in Directive Order, during trial or execution, thou cannot give their opinions unless they are asked."

The knight gladly answered it for me.

It feels complicated and unfair.

When the Directive Knight lit up the fire, it immediately grows wider.

The beautiful flame has no shape, no pity, no thoughts, and consumes whatever it pleases.

The flames burn his skin, shred his body violently, with no care what will be left behind just like people that are present in this public execution.

". . . Even if he's unconscious, isn't it about time he should wake up and notice that he's being burned?"

"The Directive Knights like us will make sure the sinner fell unconscious in order to make them went through the execution painless, they won't be feeling any pain when the fire lit up and burns their body until nothing left."

Watching the man slowly getting burn, the familiar feeling starts to dwell inside me.

The knight's voice was deep, toneless, and dead as if he has no emotions left inside him while watching this execution.

The nausea swirled unrestrained in my empty stomach and my head swam with half-formed regrets.

My heart felt as if my blood extracted by something and struggled to keep a steady beat.

Watching the beautiful flames slowly eating him without mercy, raining my personal sorrow down on me.

The sky was bright, clear, and beautiful. The clouds filled all together and slowly move to another place.

Just like life.

Unfortunately, my life is not as beautiful as the fairy tales that I always admire when I was a child.

I was foolish.

It was a quick and painless death.

'Good for him.'

-

It was short and unfair.

After watching that execution, without anyone to bother me, I immediately went to my carriage again along with my knights.

However, the coachman looks at me as if he was studying my expression.

". . . Your Highness."

He called as I turned my head towards him as a sign to continue.

"Pardon my rudeness but . . . was Sir Silas, really got executed?"

"Yeah."

I immediately answer him without a second thought as his eyes went wide and I clearly see him clenching his fist.

Then, he chuckled and sigh.

". . . I guess whoever it is to violates the Directive Order is someone who should disappear from this world, even if that means your own friend?"

I froze.

"My. . . what?"

.

.

.