Unpopular Decisions
"Brand them as traitors somewhere they can't hide it," Derya said coldly, staring at these arrogant humans who had no idea how gently their ruler's hand rested on them. "Husband? What are your laws regarding branded traitors?" she asked, turning toward him, and he frowned.
"Usually, we either let them off with a warning if the offense can be forgiven, or we hang them."
"Then what should we do?" she asked.
"What would your father do?" he asked.
"He'd torture and kill them. When Mother still had a gentler hand on him, he would have had them cast out of town with their families and treated as lepers. But you are a gentler and wiser man, so I'd let their families be free of their sin, let them keep what belongs to them, but they are to be shunned completely. They can enter no public establishment, and no decent man or woman should speak to them."
"How will we work or conduct business?" Someone asked.