Slow-Acting Punishment

The girl continued to kneel, her forehead touching the cold stone floor and her eyes squeezed shut as tears flowed, making her hands damp. But it seemed as though no amount of begging would dissuade Princess Lucrezia from executing her punishment. When she heard nothing but silence, she finally lifted her head and saw that the princess hadn't moved from her spot and was looking down at her with emotionless eyes, still holding out the vial. "I-I will drink it, Your Highness," she acquiesced. Drinking the poison herself may be the marginally better option – at least that way, the liquid didn't have to be shoved down her throat by force.

"Good," I smiled. "Do it now." The girl took the bottle with a trembling hand. She was shaking so much that it took a few tries before she could open the lid, and when she did, she turned even paler. Closing her eyes, she drank the content, and afterward, she held the bottle upside down to show the princess that it was empty.