We argued until Helena slammed the table again. "Enough! Adrian, whose idea was this?"
The hall went silent. Adrian stepped forward, his robe glinting in the candlelight. He paused, then said, "Luna, it was Isabella's doing."
His words hit like a thunderbolt, freezing the blood in my veins. "It's my fault for not guiding her better," Adrian continued, bowing deeply. "I'll make amends with a new gift. Please forgive her."
Each word was a knife, carving into my heart. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.
"Isabella," Helena said, shaking her head, "I always admired your grace and virtue. This mistake disappoints me deeply." She waved a hand. "No death penalty for Stone Manor's lady, but punishment is due. Guards-slap her face one hundred times!"
"Luna, I'm innocent!" I crawled forward, pleading, but two matrons grabbed me, their grip like iron.
Slap!
The first hit numbed half my face, blood pooling in my mouth. The second was worse, my vision blurring, ears ringing, cheeks burning like they'd been branded.
Adrian stood there, watching as slap after slap landed, blood dripping from my lips, staining my dress. His fingers twitched, like he might step forward, but then Sylvia grabbed his sleeve. "Adrian, I'm scared."
"It's my fault," she whimpered. "I shouldn't have brought that gift."
He closed his eyes, then covered hers gently. "Don't be afraid. I've got you, even if the sky falls."
The hundred slaps left me barely conscious. They ascendednew page
They dragged me back to Stone Manor and locked me in the chapel to copy scriptures in blood as penance. In the flickering candlelight, I knelt on a mat, my trembling hands dipping the brush in ink. Every stroke felt like a cut to my soul.
I thought of Adrian shielding me from the world, promising no one would ever harm me. And today, covering Sylvia's eyes, whispering, "Don't be afraid. I'll protect you."
A tear fell, smearing the bloody ink.
When I woke, I was in a soft bed, Adrian sitting beside me, blowing on a bowl of medicine. "You awake? Still hurting?" His voice was soft, like the old days.
The whip marks screamed, snapping me back. This wasn't my Adrian anymore. He'd watched me suffer for her.
"Why aren't you with Sylvia?" I rasped, turning away.
He sighed, setting the bowl down. "She's shaken up from the feast. Nothing cheers her up. except she mentioned wanting to see you dance The Crimson Swan."
I stared at him, disbelief burning in my chest. "You want me to dance? Look at me, Adrian. I can barely move."
His eyes, once warm, turned cold. "You're Stone Manor's lady. Your duty is to obey your mate." He stood, towering over me. "I say dance, you dance."
Rough hands yanked me from the bed, my wounds tearing open as I struggled. "Adrian!" I screamed, but he walked away.
