No one could quite believe the charges.

A traitorous king by virtue just didn’t make sense…

But there he was. Kneeling on the dais. In the shadow of his throne.

My younger brother fidgets, hair tossed and his pajamas crickled from a restless sleep. Although we were only a year apart, it often felt he could be much younger. “We have to stop this.”

I daren’t show emotion as I give a soft shake of my head. How we reacted tonight would say everything they needed to hear about us.

“Please,” he whispers, readying another plea, and I put an awkward hand on his shoulder. He tenses, similarly put off by the gesture.

“I mean this respectfully,” I say, throwing him a cool smile that takes every ounce of training to muster. His annoyance brims and I allow myself to take comfort in it. “Shut up or you’re going to get us killed.”

The grating of sword on stone draws my attention to the executioner as he lifts his sword. To my father. Head bowed. Barely moving. Not even speaking.

“Do you have any last words?”

His head lifts, those deep brown eyes searching until they meet mine. His heir.

The expression…

My composure cracks, my mouth parting as a breath leaves me in a dizzying rush.

“Everything I did, I did for our family.”

The executioner nods, planting his feet and readying his hands.

“I’m sorry.”

And when his sword came down, I saw the faces of my people in his blade.