Title: Sentence
Warnings: Angst, very slightly implied torture, spoilers for Bob's life/death
The young Warden bowed low, hiding his face from her severe eyes. Marie nodded at the Warden and continued through the brief hallway. The huge wooden doors were pushed open before her by a pair of short, wide toad creatures.
She entered the Hall. The Hall was pure white with long tapestries hung on the wall and an impossibly high ceiling. A crowd was gathered there. In the center of the half circle they had formed were two high white marble tables. The Thirteen of the Council stood closest to these tables, but they were still several feet from them.
Marie approached without fear. On the table nearest the door, a young woman lay on her back. Her head was slumped to one side. A long, grey arrow was embedded in her chest, in her heart. She was dead. Marie stopped at the table and gazed down at her. She brushed a beautiful lock of red hair from the woman's face.
There were few who did not know and pity Winifred's second death.
On the second table lay the man responsible for the most regretted death. He also lay on his back, but he was stiff. His head faced the ceiling and his eyes were closed. He was still alive. Marie could sense the many spells of binding and sleep around him. It took a powerful wizard to make the Thirteen use so many.
She moved to his side. His clothes were ragged. He was a peasant even with all his power. There was a bracelet of dark impure iron around each of his wrists. The runes in the metal would bind his arms should he awaken. The blue cloth, embroidered with golden symbols, in his mouth would keep him mute.
Her attention was drawn to his hands. She ran her hands over his and lifted his right to look closer at the ring on his first finger. It was grey. The gem dark, possibly red. It was nothing special, but she could feel the faith magic contained in it even with him sedated. On his left pinky was a slightly smaller blue version of the same ring. Her eyes widened slightly when she realized it had been Winifred's.
There was true love, true power in these rings.
Her hands moved to his head. She tilted it back and forth. The runes were there. The spell was in place. "There is no doubt of his guilt," she asked mechanically.
"No, milady," a calm voice answered her from the crowd.
The rune covered axe was placed in her hand. She watched the man sleep for just a moment, and felt a sense of pity for his fate. Then she rolled him over, unceremoniously, baring the back of his head.
The axe rose and fell with barely a sound, the faintest glow of magic and not a trace of scarlet blood.
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A/N Marie is supposed to be Mai. I figure the Anglo-Saxons were pretty ignorant of Asia in general, so when Mai goes to see them she takes an Anglo-Saxon face and name to keep them comfortable.