True Love, Wrong Revenge

The king demanded that I look up, and I had no choice but to comply. My disheveled appearance was on full display. The king laughed maniacally, his gaze as cold and slithery as a snake. "Minister Thompson, do you hate me?"

With a voice shaking from both fear and regret, I bowed my head again. "I dare not."

"The king demands your death, and you must obey. I'm just a dog at the king's feet, not worthy of hatred."

I despised myself for being so weak and foolish, failing to see that I had targeted the wrong person and ended up killing the one who had been truly loyal to me—Maria.

Maria was so tortured by me-- I didn't just force her into bed that night.

I scratched Maria's arm, deep in hatred. After the pleasure, I took out my dagger and drew a knife on her arm, one after another while counting.

"One. This is the pain when my mother hung herself.

"Two. The pain of my father being shot by arrows.

"Three. The pain of my brother being stabbed to death by my father.

"Four..."

Maria had already been tortured into unconsciousness by me. When she awoke, she was greeted by the sight of me shouting for help.

"Maria has lost her mind. She's killed her family and now she's trying to kill me."

The night watchmen reported to the government officials, and when Judge Evans arrived, his gaze made me feel as though I was nailed to a pillar of shame.

Maria's broken body, clad only in a torn undergarment, was exposed to the officials. I forced her into bridal attire and threw her onto the government officials' carriage.

I had arranged for someone to observe the torture Maria was subjected to in the Court of Judicial Review and report back to me.

She fainted from the agony of the torture, only to be revived with a bucket of cold water.

"Maria," I said, "if you simply sign this confession, you won't have to endure any more punishment."

Judge Evans, who had some personal connections with Maria's family, hoped she would sign the confession I had prepared to lessen her suffering.

Maria only glanced at the confession. The first line read: "For the murder of her father and eighteen others, the crime is unforgivable and punishable by death."

She spat a mouthful of blood onto the confession.

Judge Evans sighed and shook his head. "Maria, you've ruined another piece of paper. I'm only trying to make your death easier. Everyone outside knows that Christopher is behind your family's deaths. He's now a favorite of the king and you're just a pawn he's discarded."

"This Court of Judicial Review is filled with his spies. If he wants to torture you, there's nothing I can do. The political world is ever-changing. I'll prepare a new confession for you. Hurry up and sign it to spare yourself more suffering."

Maria was released from the torture device and thrown onto a pile of straw in the prison cell.

That night, I secretly visited her. The light from the high windows illuminated her bruised and battered body. The bright red wedding gown she wore was stained with dried, darkened blood.

My heart, once calm, now roiled with regret.