Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Chapter 1398

At precisely three in the afternoon, the long execution block was brought forward.

The block was forged from ironwood, solid and unyielding. It was the only one of its kind in Starhaven, used solely for execution by Torso Cleaving.

The block had been kept in storage for years.

Augustus had once deemed the act of Torso Cleaving too brutal. Even those who committed the most grievous offenses were spared this form of execution. Yet, the punishment had not been abolished. It remained a tool to strike fear into the hearts of would-be traitors.

The cruelty of Torso Cleaving lay in the fact that after a person was cleaved in two, the upper body could still crawl, struggle, and leave behind a bloody trail.

Normally, Torso Cleaving wasn't meant to be witnessed by the public. But treason, betraying the kingdom, and plotting to overthrow the throne were considered unforgivable crimes.

Salvador didn't know how many people had dealings with the traitors, and some conspirators were too deeply hidden to uncover. So, he decided that such a gruesome spectacle would serve as a warning for any who had ever harbored treasonous thoughts.

Oliver's clothes were stripped away, and two guards held him down on the execution block. They pinned his shoulders firmly in place to prevent any movement.

terror, Oliver's eyes rolled back, and he

raised his great sword, many

the others in the prison cart were forced to keep their eyes forward. Their necks were locked in

could only shut their eyes, trembling

squeezed his eyes shut,

the people, only Clifford kept his eyes open and watched. His gaze was as deep and still as the night.

gasps around him seemed to fade as he focused solely on watching the two crawl on the

Zoey remained. She

her eyes shut the whole time. It wasn't until she heard the people around her saying that Oliver was dead

not displayed to the public. Family members were required to retrieve

roll Oliver's body up. She then hired men to bury him in the mountains, ensuring that his remains wouldn't be left to

was erected. Only a small mound of earth marked his

particular cafe for what would happen to his body, but she had heard that if an ancestor's remains weren't buried, it could affect their descendants. It

for Celeste, Zoey had seen Carmen taking

Carissa sent someone to invite Zoey to Hell Monarch Estate to dine with Courtney and

been in a low mood ever since returning from the academy, refusing to eat or