Ilosovic Stayne: The Knave
Chapter Eleven: A New Queen's Ruling
"You burned down the all of Witzend! You killed hundreds of innocent lives! Iracebeth, this is not what I agreed too!" King Augustus Red of Salezen Grum shouted, his eyes holding furry as he looked to his wife, his queen; Iracebeth.
"You gave me permission to take over Witzend, take over the throne to Underland in exchange for our marriage anyway I pleased with the help of your army!" Iracebeth shouted back, holding her head high. The two of them were standing in the throne room of Salezen Grum, discussing the events that just had happened. Ilosovic was standing a few feet away from Iracebeth, his eye holding a glare set on the king as he watched his every move.
"And I did just that! I now hold the crown to Underland! I now hold the throne! And you must listen to me! All of you must listen to me! King Augustus has no power anymore! I have all the power!" She shouted, her eyes darting around the room at the servants and guards that served under Salezen Grum.
"Bow your head in respect for the Queen of Underland!" Ilosovic's voice boomed, demanding the order given. The people in the throne room looked betweens shocked and nervous, doing as the Knave ordered and bowed their head in respect.
"You will never be a proper Queen Iracebeth! I regret our marriage! I should of gave the offer to Mirana!" Augustus shouted in her direction and the Queen's eyes snapped over to him, her bony finger quickly pointing over to him. "Off with his head! I order it!" She shouted and a few of the red knights quickly walked over to the use to be King and quickly shackled him, gripping onto his arms.
"Augustus Red's head shall be on the chopping block tonight! Prepare yourself peasants! Let Underland know! I am in command now!" Iracebeth shouted and let out another loud laugh as she turned on her heal and walked out of the throne room.
A cruel smirk appeared on the Knave's lips as he stared at the king, giving a nod to the red knights before he turned swiftly and quickly followed Iracebeth out of the throne room in preparation for the King's beheading.
The people of Salezen Grum, servants, merchants, advisors, and guards gathered in the courtyard of the castle; surrounding a leveled platform where a head block sat with a basket next to it. Standing next to the head block was an executioner.
Iracebeth sat up on a balcony above it all, a few advisors standing behind her as she watched below her; a rather cruel smile holding on her lips as she looked down at the Knave standing next to the execution block.
Ilosovic slowly slipped off his right glove and raised it in the air as signal for the execution to commence; the red knights shoving the use to be King of Salezen Grum out into the publics eye, shackled up. They lead him up to the platform and knelt him down on his knees to face the Queen sitting on the balcony above them.
"Do you have any last words for the Queen and the people of Salezen Grum, Augustus Red?" Stayne's voice boomed, his eye shifting down to look at the man.
Augustus just stared up at Iracebeth with a hateful glare, shaking his head as he slowly lowered himself voluntarily down onto the chopping block; placing his neck evenly on the wood.
A silent moment passed before Iracebeth slowly stood up from her chair and gave a nod down to the executioner who began to raise the axe above his head.
"Off with his head!" Iracebeth shouted to the top of her lungs.
The executioner quickly swung the axe down and sliced the blade through the decrowned kings head, slicing his head off and let it fall into the basket below. Blood slowly ran down the chopping block where his neck still laid.
Ilosovic's eye watched the whole thing, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the axe slice cleanly through the neck of the use to be king. An almost excitement rose in him from watching he act.
In the last four years, Ilosovic had become a different man. His morals had changed and his views became askew and cruel. He closed himself off from everyone, built his walls up high so he wouldn't look weak or vulnerable. He became cold hearted and a masochist, finding excitement in death and pride in taking power without second thought of the consequences. He wasn't the Knight he once was; he thought himself as a lot better than he once were. Though his training hadn't slowed down, whenever he wasn't doing duties Queen Iracebeth held on him; he was training non stop to be the best knight of all of Underland. Specially with the security breach of the small child from the above lands a few years back due to a carless white rabbit; Stayne had the thought that anything could happen and that he should be prepared for anything. He had almost lost his head for that, being blamed for stealing some of Iracebeth's tarts; which luckily was resolved with the young girls help. So he took his duties and loyalty to Iracebeth more seriously now; knowing that any moment if he messed up, he could loose his head. Afraid of the new Queen of Underland, secretly yes; but he didn't say anything about it. He was willing to do anything and everything possible to stay in his position with the power he had in his hands. And as for the subject of love, he had made himself a promise that only he knew of that he would never love again. Love was a foolish make-believe feeling that only made men look weak, and that was the last thing he wanted. It was better to be feared than loved.
And his loyalties would be tested in the following years to come.
