Jolene struggled to be still when she thought of the things which her family would face! She wanted to beg for them and said that she might betray her Commander but she didn't commit treason and she never would! However...
"Your Majesty."
She heard 'her' Commander's voice and she gave her a side glance, not daring to look up.
"Please allow me to say something."
King Tobias glanced at Iria with a hint of confusion. But still, he nodded. "Go ahead."
Iria Alewine dropped to her knees. "Jolene is the General of Alewine Army. As the Commander, please allow me to punish her as per the rule of my Alewine Army. I beg you, Your Majesty. As the Commander, I'm also willing to accept any punishment for failing to maintain my soldiers and caused this mess."
Commander Iria felt the gaze of Jolene on her but she ignored it. Then after a quick thought, the King spoke up.
"Fine. I will allow that," Tobias Aventine stated. "However, she is a traitor, Commander Iria. You should remember that a traitor cannot escape the death penalty."
"I understand, Your Majesty," the Commander promptly replied. "Thank you for your kindness."
With a dismissive gesture from the King, Iria Alewine stood up. Then she bowed and walked out of the courtroom. The two soldiers also grabbed Jolene in both arms again and brought her out of the room.
Finally, King Tobias shifted his gaze to the nervous Minister Julian. "Your claim is proven to be wrong, Minister Julian," he pointed out in a cold voice. "I still remember you saying that you're willing to be punished if you're wrong."
Kneeling before the platform, cold sweat was forming on the forehead of the Minister. As he waited for the King's decision, his overconfident attitude was long gone!
Meanwhile, the King turned to another small door on the right and saw the disappearing form of someone. Was that Orius?
* * *
The atmosphere in Commander Iria's tent was more than tense. Standing behind her desk, Iria Alewine looked down at Jolene who was kneeling in front of her a few steps away. Rion and Zire were in her right and left with the same distance as the traitor.
"Now, tell me," the Commander muttered, breaking the silence that goes on for minutes. "Why did you try to get rid of me? We have known each other for years and the Jolene I knew was always a loyal and righteous soldier."
The Commander's face was devoid of any expression. No hatred or contempt, no pain and... no mercy.
She waited for almost a minute but Jolene didn't utter a single word.
"Commander already knows your betrayal, Jolene," Rion said. "Yet she waited for three days, hoping that you will regret and change your mind. She was willing to keep a secret and let you live if you stop midway. She even allowed herself to be humiliated before those greedy officials who can't wait to get rid of her!
"She allowed herself to be locked up in that darn cell! She did that just to give you a chance but... you went through with that wicked plan you made with the Nardodian King. How can you do that?"
Rion was overwhelmed with rage and he tightly clenched his fist, trying to get himself in check which was more than hard!
"Kill me, Commander," Jolene whispered and finally lifted her gaze. "Please kill me and end everything."
"If I am to follow the rule, do you know that you should be executed before the whole army?" Iria Alewine asked in a firm voice. Then she shifted her gaze to Zire who stood still with his gaze on the traitor. "Have you ever thought of how Zire would feel?"
At the mention of Zire, Jolene turned to the man on the Commander's left. She knew her Commander was right that day. She indeed loved him, much more than he did and... that's where the problem lies.
When one thing crossed her mind, Jolene squeezed her clothes and looked up at her Commander again. "I love Zire more than anyone or anything else. I know that he loves me too but... he's different from me. No matter what, I'm never his priority. In his life, you always come first, Commander."
"Is that your reason?" Zire spoke up for the first time. "Are you saying that you do this because you love me?"
"All I wanted was to be the most important person in your life!" Jolene snapped. "Whenever Commander is not here, I used to take her place. During those times, the soldiers treated me as if I'm a god just because they think that I'm their Commander. They had never shown me that level of complete submission because in their mind, it is reserve for the Commander and not anyone else!
"I'm okay with that," she continued. "But... I expect more from the man who claims that he loves me! Can't I be the number one in just a single person's life? Isn't that too much to ask for? I -"
In a split second, Commander Iria and Rion's eyes grew wide in shock! The scene they witnessed was the thing that would never cross their minds!
Unable to continue, Jolene narrowed her eyes at the sword planted on her chest! The one who was holding the hilt of the sword and pressed it against her body was none other than the man she loved!
Crouching down beside Jolene, Zire pressed the sword harder and harder until blood forced its way out of Jolene's mouth! Holding her with his other hand, he looked at the pain in her eyes.
"Zire... " she whimpered, slowly lifting her left hand towards his face with much difficulty. Zire didn't say anything but he never broke his gaze on her. Then when her hand finally reach his face, her body succumbed to the pain and her hand fell to the ground.
Zire finally withdrew his hand from the hilt of the sword and brushed her face, making her shut her eyes. Slowly yet gently, he lay her lifeless body on the ground and turned to his Commander with his knees pressing against the hard ground.
"Commander," he muttered with much difficulty and shut his eyes. "I will accept the punishment for acting on my own will. Please punish me for breaking the rule."
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