Memories with him
"I am not protecting him, Your Majesty. I am merely sparing you from future regrets. His fate matters not to me, but I cannot bear to see your hands stained with his blood," Belle said, her tone urgent. "I beg of you, calm yourself, and I shall explain everything in due course." She hoped Hezekiah would grasp the deeper meaning of her words and restrain himself.
It was not that she opposed Quinn's death, he deserved every torment imaginable but if anyone were to end his life, it must be her. She wouldn't need to strike him with a blade, her revenge alone would destroy him utterly.
Quinn, observing the exchange, could not discern whether she sought to protect him or merely to protect Hezekiah. Her words carried an edge of disdain, as though she wished him dead, but not yet, and not like this.
"Just this once," Hezekiah said at last, after a long pause. He signaled his men to stand down.