'Are you, are you coming to the Tree, where they strung up a man they say murdered three? Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it seem if we met up at midnight in the Hanging Tree.'
"It wasn't my fault! I didn't kill them, I didn't! They killed themselves! I swear it, I told them not to!" No one listened to the doomed man's cries. No one believed him, to beg for mercy was useless. Emerald eyes desperately searched the crowd of people as he was dragged towards his death; searching for the bright sapphire eyes of his lover, hoping not to see them if only to be spared from seeing the pain in them. He was not so fortunate. Those eyes locked onto his, staring back at him, attempting to look brave for his sake. 'No! No, run! Just run! Please…' His thoughts screamed, as his mouth was covered with a dirty piece of cloth.
The people that condemned him had claimed he had killed his victims using witchcraft, and as they drew nearer to the tree, they had covered his mouth to keep him from casting a spell on them, to keep him from being able to escape. He looked up again, and still bright blue eyes stared helplessly into the emerald eyes of his lover. Arthur's heart broke at that gaze, yet at the same time he couldn't bear to look away. He felt his own eyes tear up as he realized that they had reached the tree, and he felt a rope being tied around his neck. Arthur knew that he now had only a few seconds before the rope was tied to a branch, just low enough that it could be easily reached by his executioners, but high enough that he would be unable to touch the ground. It would not be a quick death, caused by a short drop and a sudden stop that would break his neck; no, he would die slowly from suffocation.
He searched the crowd once again, now hoping that he would find his lover's eyes, not wanting to be abandoned now. He found those eyes again, and felt the slightest sliver of hope begin to fill his heart. He wanted nothing more than to run into his lover's arms, to be held and comforted, but there was no chance for such happiness. He had known there wouldn't be, but something inside Arthur's heart broke once again as he felt himself being lifted from the ground, and the rope tightening around his neck. Now he knew all hope was gone, destroyed by the mindless hate of the villagers, and that he was as good as dead.
'Please run now. Please don't stay and watch.' Arthur gave up fighting and felt his world slowly fading to darkness; he took one last look at the crowd, and was satisfied to see that his lover had left. One last thought filled his mind as what he hoped was merciful death took him.
'I'm sorry, Francis. I love you.'