Chapter 3.1

A strong jolt made the occupants of the carriage jump. One of the wheels had rolled over a large stone. This time it was close. The axle nearly broke, which would have halted their journey.

The pair of horses faced an impassable dirt road, none of the larger roads for which it was typically used.

The two black horses bravely performed their duty, pulling their carriage in the prescribed direction. And the coachman said nothing, although his doubts about the path were evident on his face. At one point, the path narrowed so much that he had to carefully maneuver the left wheels onto the field and feared getting stuck in the soft ground.

He said nothing, fearing to anger his master, who anticipated every delay, even conjuring them up.

The carriage was accompanied by armed men.

Soldiers, specifically assigned by the king to protect the carriage company from dangers.

Four rode in front, while four more flanked them at a safe distance in the field. Behind them followed a whole army of his own mounted guards and those of the king.

Riding alongside the carriage, as far as he could, was the commander of this troop. He tried to engage in conversation with the man whom this protection was meant to serve.

This was made difficult by the occasional shrubbery that appeared along the roadside.

Beside the man sat his wife, Miri. Her dress alone had cost him a fortune. The slender woman appeared much fuller in the wide, puffed-up skirt with its framework and underskirts than she actually was. He had been wondering the whole time how she could sit properly or endure the heat in this fashion.

Not a single bead of sweat rolled along her high-cut and powdered décolletage.

He loved his wife, whether in a ball gown or, for his sake, even simple linen. But sometimes women's fashion made him doubt certain things.

The carriage jolted again. While the children clung to the side, just like him, Miri remained in her stiff position.

Opposite the couple sat two of their children.

Per, who had just turned sixteen, and their youngest child, Ero, seven years old. Their eldest son, Jos, stayed home with his wife.

As the man thought, a wise decision. Otherwise, the lady of the house would have dressed him just like the rest. Dark suits in which he felt like he was in an oven, buttoned up all the way to the top.

Even the sons bravely endured, not wanting to criticize their mother for her choice of clothing. Especially Ero, who had known for years how to charm his mother. Either through words or a single childish look. She let the youngest get away with many things, while the older brothers had often received a smack on their bottoms.

To his own shame, he had to admit that this tactic worked very well even with the strict judge. Both of them enjoyed spoiling the boy.

"What a dreadful road," exclaimed Miri. A dent in the ground, and this time even his wife, in her stiff posture, flinched.

He ignored her and turned to the man at his side, who was enthusiastically chatting about the capture of the Amazons. In his opinion, it was overdue for someone to take action against this plague, as he called this resistance group.

The judge beside him—Beldor, as he was known, under a terrible name in his role as judge—showed agreement. His inner self was filled with sorrow and worry.

Among the prisoners who were to be executed—whom he was to execute—was a girl whom he had often sat on his lap in her childhood.

According to reports, the past years hadn't taken away any of her charming nature. If everything hadn't gone so horribly wrong, she might have found her way into his family. She and Jos had been inseparable for a while.

For this reason exactly, he chose a terribly rough terrain for the carriage. Hoping the axle would break or something would happen, so he wouldn't have to face this dreadful task.

There was no saying no. His king had maneuvered him into a trap with the question of his help, from which he didn't know how to save himself.

Now he was on his way to Castle Telja upon King Teron's invitation and King Selon's request, to fulfill his duty as a judge and execute the prisoners right away.

His wife's mood couldn't diminish any of this. She was looking forward to visiting one of her friends. She worried little about the fate of their daughter. In her opinion, nothing would happen to a noblewoman. At most, a slap on the wrist.

If only she wasn't mistaken.

His conversation partner was boasting about having captured a few members of the Amazons who were trying to cross the border from Ura. Judge Beldor nodded silently in response, occasionally dropping a mechanical comment, but his gaze rested on the peaceful scenery, which denied any of his hopeful thoughts coming true.

No axle break, no sudden storm, even robbers would be more welcome to him in this situation than witnessing the triumphant march.