LJ Idol Season 8: Week 31; Polemic
"Run dear, run like the wind over to Aunt Mary’s house. She’ll know what to do.”
Frantically, Meredith shoved a note into Lisette’s pocket, something for her to read sometime down the road when she was able to understand the situation a bit better. Something to explain where her mother had gone.
"Now go!” She pushed her daughter out the back door.
Fully aware that this day could come, she had prepared Lisette by showing her the little side streets to take to safety and told her exactly what to say if she were questioned by anyone. As she watched the girl scamper off down the dirt path and into the woods, she hoped that she’d understand one day. Her heart broke and she choked back a sob knowing she might never see her daughter again.
The sound of splintering wood and crashing glass came to her from the front of the house much sooner than she’d anticipated.
"Meredith Lenney, you’re under arrest for heresy and sedition against your king.” The voice called to her from the front of the house.
Without a fight, she put her hands behind her back and let the men bind them. If she ran, it was certain death. If she didn’t resist, she thought that she might get leniency from the King and merely be forced into servitude where she would undoubtedly suffer beatings around the clock for her disobedience. Plus, going along quietly would give them no reason to search her house and possibly discover Lisette’s existence.
Relief washed over her as they led her from the house, hands bound behind her back. Because of her work, the outside world would finally know of the evils going on behind the township walls. Even if she died, Meredith was thankful that help might one day come to save not only Lisette, but the entire kingdom as well.
Meredith stood before the King, waiting for him to address her. The stone floor was cold beneath her raw, blistered feet. Despite her stomach churning and her body wanting to give out, she lifted her chin higher showing her defiance.
"I trust you know that for your treasonous words against the monarchy, I very well could sentence you to death.” Glancing up from the parchment in front of him, King Cedric’s voice echoed through the chamber and breaking the painful silence. His voice sent shards of ice crawling up her spine, made her every hair stand on end.
"Yes, sire” Meredith nodded, looking down at the ground. Please don’t let him remember me , she thought to herself. Silently begging and pleading, Meredith prayed to the gods for that shred of mercy.
Stepping down from the bench, the hulking man strode toward her. Grasping her chin in his rough, calloused hand, he forced her to look him in the eye. His eyes were a shade of blue that could melt your heart and eat your soul in the same moment. Yet those eyes were empty; holding no life within them. Meredith often wondered if he wasn’t the devil himself. Trembles shook her as flashbacks rang through her body; she could still feel his hold against her. His lips pulled back into a feral grin.
"Bring in the child.”
Sucking all the air from the room, his words left Meredith gasping for breath. Her eyes darted across the room, to the back where the doors opened up. Lisette’s little arms fit within one of his massive hands, which he used to drag her across the room. Being Meredith’s child, the girl tried to fight back with a bite to the guard’s wrist, but was stopped by a fist smashing into her jawbone, snapping her little neck back with such force that Meredith worried he’d broken it.
"She’s innocent! She’s done nothing wrong!” Instinctively, Meredith pulled against her shackles to get to her daughter. Feeling helpless to save her daughter, she sobbed.
"The child of a heretic is not innocent. Her mind has been filled with your lies.” The King lifted the girl’s chin much as he had done with Meredith’s, surveying those scared eyes as tears flowed down her cheeks. Lisette’s tiny body shook as the King put his filthy hands all over her face. Brown eyes, raven hair... A spitting image of her mother and for that, Meredith was grateful. "How old is she?”
"She’s only six... Please let her go...” Trying to fall to her knees, the guard pulled her up by the hair and forced her attention back to the King.
"Six? Oh really... I’d have taken her for younger than that, she’s a tiny thing.“ He knelt down eye-level to the girl, an inscrutable smile spreading across his face. He slid his hand softly across her cheek as she whimpered loudly enough that the guard covered her mouth. The King stood up and turned away from them. "That being said, she’s old enough to remember everything you’ve taught her. And you’ve brainwashed the girl into thinking evil thoughts against your rightful king, I’m sure.”
"I haven’t, I swear...” Stammering, Meredith was desperately searching her brain for ways to save her daughter, "Do anything you want to me. Anything at all... Just leave her out of this.”
"What about the note you gave her? It presented your kingdom in such an ugly light while painting yourself as its savior. It sealed your fates. You’re both to be sentenced for the crimes. I can’t take any chances.” He spoke over his shoulder casually as he walked to his desk.
"It’s not what you think...” She continued to plead.
"No more from you.” At the King’s direction, another guard shoved a filthy rag into Meredith’s mouth to keep her silent, "It’s time for the sentencing for both Meredith and Lisette Lenney”.
"My lord, what would that sentence be?” The scribe, who remained the entire ordeal, spoke up from the corner, boredom showing in his tone.
Settling back into his desk, the King’s attention turned back to the parchment in front of him.
"Death. Take them to the drowning pool and prepare for their execution immediately.”
Lisette was pulled to the edge of the pool first. Gag firmly placed her in mouth, her eyes showed her fear as tears fell in thick droplets onto her favorite dress; the pink one with white lace at the collar. Lisette struggled for control as the guard effortlessly shackled her feet to the large weight. Kicking and squirming, she fought for her life, but her slight frame was no match for the strength of the guards.
The mechanism was as cruel as it was simple in design. Lisette’s feet were chained to the weights on a platform that dropped out from under her, sinking her down into the murky depths of the pool below. Chains were attached to both sides of the weight, and on a whim, the executioner could shorten or prolong a prisoner’s life for the pleasure of the crowd by simply raising or lowering the mechanism.
"Two minutes. I give her two minutes unless old Ira decides to have some fun with her” The guards wagered amongst themselves as the one beside Meredith winked in her direction.
Meredith noted the attendance of the King in a front row seat, along with Queen Odelia who watched Meredith contemptuously. A toddler dressed in blue ruffles played at their feet. The King nodded at the executioner who started his ascent up the stairs to the mechanism’s crank. The Queen looked rather pleased with her King and reached for his hand as they shared a smile between them.
Meredith pulled against the strong grip of the guards holding her in place, trying to break herself free though she knew in her heart that it was futile. Her chest tight, sobbing to the point of not being able to breathe, she fell to her knees only to be met with a knee to her face. As the blood and the tears flowed down her face, she glanced at the townspeople who were forced to witness their deaths. Their faces showed sorrow and helplessness, but absolute terror at the same time.
Her hair was yanked back, violently pulling her head up just as the platform fell from under Lisette’s feet and her head went under. The last image Meredith had of her daughter was of her bright eyes wide and full of the knowledge that she was going to die. Meredith’s stomach revolted and she spewed on the boots of the guard in front of her. His boot rose up to meet her face viciously, sending her sprawling backward, her head hitting the stone with a loud thud.
Blackness washed over her.
With a start, Meredith awoke. Her body ached in places she never knew existed. Cold night air flooded the room and Meredith wondered how much time had passed. As she tried to sit up, dizziness overcame her and she collapsed back down, wincing in pain as her head connected with the floor.
A sound from the corner of the room told her that she wasn’t alone.
"Where am I?”
"You’re not dead, that I can assure you.” The voice from the corner chuckled to herself. "The King told everyone the guards had beat you to death. He’s decided to let you live. Secretly of course. Isn’t he a noble soul?”
"Lisette? Is she still alive?” Hope flooded her chest as the woman stepped into her view, dressed in nursemaid attire.
"Are you out of your mind, miss? No, the child is dead and her body is already disposed of.” The nursemaid applied an ointment to the gaping wound on Meredith’s forehead. "After all, King Cedric can’t have any illegitimate heirs running around, now can he?”
Meredith shuddered. He had known all along.
(This is my entry for Week 31 of
therealljidol. We are currently at the Top 25 out of 300 or so contestants. If you have a moment, it's certainly worth your time to head on over here and check out what the other fine contestants offer up this week. Everyone has worked really hard to get to this point and would appreciate any support or feedback which you have to offer. Thank you for reading.)