《The Witch and the Executioner》


 Prologue: Not a Murderer

    Ten Years Ago


    It was a cold day when my father carried out an execution, the first one that I ever witnessed. The condemned was dragged to the chopping block, begging and crying for mercy, wailing his heart out as he desperately asked to be spared. Wearing an expressionless visage, my father, a strong, tall man stood before the condemned. I watched from a distance, accompanied by my uncle, who stood next to me, telling me to watch it all without looking away.


    "P-please... s-spare me, g-good sir..." the condemned sobbed, kneeling before my father. Earlier, my uncle told me that he was sentenced to death after he was found guilty murdering a nobleman. "M-my family... w-without me, t-they''d starve..." From what you had heard, the nobleman was a despicable man and a rapist, and he was murdered by the condemned due to him raping his daughter.


    "Your family will be taken care of. Still, your crime is too great to be pardoned, considering that the man you murdered was a loyal subject to the crown and a great asset to our kingdom, however despicable he might be in his life..." my father said, his gaze softening. "That is the price of taking a man''s life, and I hope you''re aware of that..."


    "..." the condemned lowered his head. He had stopped sobbing before he lifted his head, eyes filled with resignation. "...Will it hurt?"


    "It will be quick and painless..." my father told the condemned. "Bring him to the block," he ordered his assistants, and they brought the condemned to the chopping block so that the sentence could be delivered. This time, the man did not resist, simply accepting whatever that would befall him.


    Pulling out his greatsword, my father stabbed it into the ground and placed his hands on the pommel. He seemed to recite a prayer under his breath before he pulled out the sword and heaved it up. He looked down on the condemned who had been placed on the chopping block.


    With one swing, he performed the execution, severing the condemned head off his shoulders by cutting through his neck. The condemned head fell off, bouncing on the ground before one of my father''s assistants caught the severed head, picking it up. I could see blood dripping off the stump of the severed neck. Another assistant opened a sack so that the head would be placed inside it.


    Iwatched the whole execution without looking away, as permy father''s instruction, though I did flinch a little. My uncle patted my shoulder, congratulating me for being brave before walking off to join the others to carry the headless body away. Meanwhile, my father put away his sword and approached me.


    "You did good, Rodyle..." my father said. "Soon, you will take over this duty, just like me and others before me. Our ancestors had been serving the royal family as the royal executioners since ancient time, and you will do the same when your time finally comes..."


    "Father, that man..." I said as I looked at the others carrying away the dead body of the condemned. "He killed someone, right? That''s why he was executed, right?"Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Yes. The crown had declared him guilty for killing a loyal subject..." my father said as he walked alongside me down the rocky hill where the execution was held.


    "I heard the man he killed was a bad man..." I said, recalling the words of others regarding the murdered nobleman. "Why did he have to die for killing a bad man? He should be rewarded instead..."


    My father closed his eyes, as if mulling over my question. "The nobleman''s family whom he killed had served the royal family for many years, and his death caused a problem in the royal court due to him being the head of his family. No matter how despicable he was, he was a valuable asset to the crown, and the one responsible for causing his death would have to be sentenced to death for causing such a problem in the first place..."


    Blinking, I asked again, "If it''s true, why did the Queen keep him around? If he did bad things, why didn''t he get punished for being a bad man?"


    Cracking a smile, my father answered, "It''s because he covered his tracks and used tricks to ensure that no one could prove that he committed those crimes in the first place. He bribed the officials to make sure that all his crimes would never be pinned on him..." He sighed after saying that. "There''s no use talking about it, though. Him being dead is probably a good thing, though I would prefer a fair trial over a vigilante action..."


    He helped me to walk down the rocky terrains, making sure that I didn''t trip over some rocks as we walked. For a while, we didn''t say anything before somethingoccurred to me.


    "Father, how about you?" I asked innocently. "Since you also kill people, will you also be punished too?" Then, I looked at him worriedly. "A-are you going to be executed too?"


    My father laughed. "Of course not." Then, he lowered himself in front of me, looking straight into my eyes. "Listen, Rodyle. Our duty may amount to us taking people''s life, but I want you to remember that we''re not murderers. We execute people on behalf of the crown. And taking one''s life is not a trifling matter." He brought his hands to my shoulders as he continued, "It is a grim duty, I''m aware of that, but it is a duty that we must undertake. And the least we can do to the condemned is to make sure that their death is quick and painless..."


    "Quick... and painless?"I inquire.


    "Yes," my father nodded as he placed his fingers on his neck. "That''s why our preferred execution is by beheading. By cutting off one''s head, the death will be swift and there will be no time for one to feel the pain by cutting off the head." He got up and stood tall before me. "I will teach you how to do it soon, once you are strong enough to lift a sword. A sloppy swing can cause great pain on the condemned, so you will have to learn how to properly swing the sword in order to deliver a painless execution where the condemned can be spared of any unnecessary suffering..."


    "But... what if we are told to execute an innocent man?" I ask. "If there are many people like that dead nobleman in the court, there will be people who are going to be falsely accused because someone bribes someone else. Are you going to execute a falsely accused man?"


    At that, my father did not immediately answer. After taking a while to think, he let out a heavy sigh before he said, "About that, there''s nothing we can do about it. Let''s hope that such a thing will never happen to us..." Then, he smiled at me. "Come, let''s head back home. Your mother will probably throw a hissy fit if we come home late..."


    And so, both of us head back home, leaving behind the execution site without looking back. While execution might be our family''s business, my father never brought it back home. To others, he might be the Deliverer of Justice, the Queen''s Blade and some other pretentious titles and names, but at home, he''s simply an ordinary man, a loving husband to his wife and an attentive father to his children. Nothing more, nothing less.


    Someday, I would become a royal executioner as well after taking over my father''s position, and I could only hope that I could carry such a heavy weight on my shoulders, just like my father did.


    End of Prologue

 Chapter 01: Condemned Witch

    It had been two months since then when I first donned the mantle of the royal executioner. My father, the previous executioner before me, Rickard Hargrave, decided to retire from this position because he was already too old to perform any execution. While he never botched any of his executions before, his failing health and weakening body made it difficult for him to carry out the deed, so he decided to let me, his son, take over this position so that he could stay at home, living his life in peace.


    It was a daunting task, I had to admit. Ever since then, I had carried out seven executions, with all those condemned being heinous criminals who had committed the gravest of crimes such as murder, rape, treason and waging war against the crown. Mornings prior to the executions, an envoy from the Queen would come to my doorstep, delivering a sealed letter colored in red, signifying all the details that I needed to know about the condemned as well as the crimes they had committed.


    The first thing I would do after receiving the letter would be visiting the prison where the condemned men were commonly held before the executions. My father had taught me that getting to know the condemned before carrying out the execution would ensure that I would never think that taking a life would become easier the more people I executed. Empathizing with the condemned would help me to understand that no matter how despicable their acts could be, in the end, they were just people who had done horrible things.


    I remembered that one time when my father told me that executing the condemned was a grim duty, and it was necessary for us to carry it out. For the Hargraves, while we might take the lives of others, we were never murderers. We carried out the order of the crown that had deemed those condemned to be executed for their crimes. For the executioners, we were nothing but the swords wielded by those in power to deliver justice.


    For years, my father had trained me how to perform an execution painlessly on the condemned. Making the condemned suffer was unnecessary, and all executions should be delivered with one swift stroke of the sword, with one stroke being fatal by beheading. The Hargraves had perfected a method of execution where a beheading could be performed without even spilling a drop of the blood of the condemned. Many factors would be put into consideration, such as the thickness of the condemned men''s necks, the sharpness of the swords and the way the condemned moved while they were put on the chopping blocks. I had learned many things from my father, and so far, I had done quite a good job as my father''s replacement.


    Earlier this morning, I received another red letter from the Queen''s envoy, which meant there would be another execution to be carried out later. But, the envoy wasn''t alone this time. He was accompanied by an old friend; a young man around my age, clad in full armor of the Royal Guard. A rather handsome man with short red hair and angular face, the man gave me a familiar cheeky grin when I saw him.


    "So, I heard you are a headsman now, Rodyle..." the young man said as he grinned at me. "Man, what a way to waste your talent at stabbing people in the faceˇ­" he shook his head as he held out his hand, offering me a handshake.


    Laughing, I shook his hand and said, "Well, those bastards aren''t gonna cut their own heads off by themselves, are they?" I looked at his gold-plated armor, which would tell anyone that the person wearing it belonged to the most elite fighting force in the kingdom. "So, did you get to wear this armor by seducing your way up the ranks again? Or did you start using your own skills this time, Malcom?"


    "Now, nowˇ­ what a nasty thing to say to an old friendˇ­" The man, Malcom Ashfield, shook his head, though that cheeky grin still remained on that handsome face of his. "Captain Luciel did acknowledge my awesome battle prowess, and she''s a very hard woman to please, you know?" Then, he scratched the back of his head as he added, "Wellˇ­ it''s easier to please her in certain areas, if you know what I meanˇ­" From that mischievous wink and that small hickey on his neck that he immediately hid from your view, you understood what he meant.


    "Oh Malcom, you wily bastardˇ­" I said before we laughed together. It felt like old time, when we were still in the academy. And when we finally stopped, I immediately jumped into the business, namely the fact that Malcom was here together with the envoy. From the look of it, this job wouldn''t be like the usual ones. "Soˇ­ why are you here?" I asked Malcom as I gave the envoy a glance.


    "Ah, wellˇ­ about that, let''s talk on our way to the prison, shall we?" Malcom suggested. I nodded and prepared myself to depart.


    Wearing the mantle of the royal executioner, a black robe with silver trimming, fitted with two pauldrons on the shoulders, I departed from my home, following both Malcom and the envoy to the prison, where the condemned was kept before the execution.


    "Soˇ­" Malcom began as I walked alongside him. "Have you ever heard of witches, Rodyle?"


    "Witches?" I scrunched up my brow. "You meanˇ­ those old hags from the old legends and bedtime stories to scare children?"


    "Well, more or lessˇ­" Malcom shrugged. "Still, you do know they exist, right? We even learned about them back in the academy, man."


    That was true. Witches, or the practitioners of witchcraft and magic, were the real things here in this world. While most bedtime stories envisioned them as broom-riding old crones kidnapping children to be cooked in their sooty cauldrons, the witches truly existed. Most books in the libraries described them as the force of nature, wielding destructive power in their hands and were capable of annihilating a whole kingdom off the continent. Due to this, the crown had declared the witches as anathema, the aberrations that disturbed the natural order of this world, and those who were found as the practitioners of witchcraft would be sentenced to death if found guilty.


    Due to that, when the crown outlawed witchcraft fifty years ago, many those who were the practitioners of witchcraft moved out of the kingdom in order to avoid persecution and sought refuge in neighboring countries. This event was known as "Mass Exodus", where most witches at that time left the kingdom. So, there weren''t many cases of people being sentences to death for being the practitioners of witchcraft since then.


    "That''s the reason why I came to see you. The person you are about to execute is a witch, and I even saw what she was capable of first-hand," Malcom said. "I was as skeptical as you before I saw her, but when she showed us her power, I knew that she was the real dealˇ­"


    "You saw a real witch?" I inquire. Malcom was known for being one to add details in his stories to make them more enjoyable to listen to, but he was never a liar.


    "Yup. We got some reports from eye-witnesses about seeing someone using magic, and they were too believable to ignore, so we sent a squad of our knights, including me, to the place where the witch supposedly resided," Malcom continued. "She did show us her magic to prove it to us that she''s a witch, but she somehow surrendered to us without a fight. Still, we didn''t take any chance and made sure she''s completely apprehended, with manacles and all."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "I seeˇ­" I mused. So, as the royal executioner, I would be the one to perform the execution on this witch. "Had this witch ever harmed anyone before?"


    "Never. The testimonies from eye-witnesses told us that the magic she performed was mostly harmlessˇ­" Malcom said. "She entertained some children at the street with magic before we showed up and arrested her." He sighed as he scratched his head. "Wellˇ­ the only reason why she was prosecuted in the first place was because she''s a witch."


    I said nothing as we continued our trip to the prison. Noticing my silence, Malcom tapped my shoulder.


    "You think this is all wrong, don''t you?" Malcom asked with unusual seriousness.


    "Just because she''s a witch, she''ll be sentenced to dieˇ­" I brought my palm to my forehead as I muttered under my breath. Her only crime that would bring her doom was the fact that she was a practitioner of witchcraft. "That''sˇ­ fucked up."


    "Well, can''t argue with you there. But there''s nothing we can do about it. The Queen''s decrees are our holy gospels. If she tells us to cut a witch''s head off, we gotta cut the witch''s head offˇ­" Malcom looked straight into my eyes as he said that. "As the bearer of the mantle of Queen''s Blade, you know that more than anyone elseˇ­"


    Honestly, it sickened me that he''s right. No matter what my misgiving was regarding this whole thing, I had to do my duty as the Queen''s Blade and the Deliverer of Justice.


    We remained silent after that until we reached the prison. The sealed letter in my pocket remained unopened because I had decided to open it once I was inside.


    "I''ll take over from hereˇ­" Malcom said to the envoy who had been silently following us. And then, Malcom took out a small bag filled with gold coins and tossed it to the envoy. "And here''s to make sure you won''t blurt out what I said about Captain Luciel to her. I can''t imagine what she''ll do if she finds out about me bragging about what we did last nightˇ­"


    The envoy just grinned. "Pleasure doing business with you, Sir Malcom," he said before he left, stuffing the bag of coins into his pocket while humming a tune.


    "That sneaky rascalˇ­" Malcom muttered under his breath before he gave me an apologetic look. "Okay, look. I know you''re the Queen''s Blade and the arbiter of justice of our kingdom, but can you let me off the hook this once?"


    "Well, you should know better than to commit bribery right in front of the Deliverer of Justice, but to ensure that you still get to bed Captain Luciel, I''ll let it slide for nowˇ­" I said, smiling wryly at my old friend. "Come, let''s get into business, shall we?"


    Letting out a snort, Malcom followed me into the prison. This place was where those who were convicted of crimes were locked up. For those who were awaiting executions, they would be held in a special jail where they would stay in until the time of their executions. The witch was held there and was tightly-monitored by almost a dozen of guards. Fully knowing what a witch was capable of doing, these people weren''t going to take any chance.


    "As per the procedure, you go in here and have a talk with her," Malcom said as the guards unlocked the thick door of the jail which contained the witch. "In case if something is going to happen, use this." He handed me a red gemstone. "You know what this is, right?"


    In case if the condemned suddenly decided to assault me while I was inside, all I needed to do was to squeeze the gemstone in my hand, and a force-field would be erected around me, keeping me safe while knocking the condemned out. It was a useful thing to use while dealing with troublesome convicts.


    So, after taking the gemstone from Malcom, I stepped into the jail before the door was closed behind me. The jail was small and uncomfortable, but was big enough to fit at least three or four people. Sitting at the corner was the witch herself, white-haired and clad only in white dress. Her wrists and ankles were manacled while she was chained to an iron ball. What made such sight so horrific was that he didn''t look any older than a teenage girl. In fact, I suspected that she might be younger than that.


    She reminded me of my youngest sister, a fifteen-year-old ball of sunshine and happiness. The fact that a girl as young as her being kept in this very room, which once housed a few serial rapists and mass murderers prior to their executions made me sick. What made me even more furious was the bruises on her face and exposed arms, and I had to mentally remind myself that she was a witch, a supernatural being whose very existence could bring an end to a civilization itself.


    Taking my time to recollect my thoughts, I slowly approached the girl, who lifted her head as she heard my footsteps. She watched me curiously, looking at me with those bright violet eyes.


    "What time is it now?" The girl suddenly asked, and I stared dumbly at her, flabbergasted by the fact that''s the first thing she said to me.


    "I-it''sˇ­ morning," I answered. When I sat right in front of her, I could clearly see all the damage dealt on her. Her skin, which I assumed was pristine once judging from her pale complexion, was marred with bruises and cuts, most likely from the interrogations. I had seen the guards doing some interrogations before, and I had to grind my teeth as I imagined what they did to her. "W-whatˇ­ what did they do to you?"


    "Ah, are you referring to these?" The girl pointed at her bruised cheek. "Those guards kept beating me even after I confessed tothem that I''m a witch. It hurt a lotˇ­" She lowered her gaze as she rubbed her cheek. "I screamed tothem to stop beating me, but they didn''t listen. They only stopped when that red-haired man in golden armor stepped in."


    "Malcomˇ­" I muttered. Of course he would step in if that''s the thing that happened. Mentally reminding myself to treat him to a drink later, I decided to continue with the business. "Do you know who I am?"


    The girl blinked before she saw the emblem on my mantle. "The Queen''s Bladeˇ­ the Deliverer of Justineˇ­ you are the Royal Executionerˇ­" she looked into my eyes. Somehow, I couldn''t see fear in those eyes even after learning who I was.


    "What is your name?" I asked as I fished out the red letter from my pocket.


    "Auraˇ­" the girl answered.


    "Okay, Auraˇ­ let us talkˇ­" I spoke to her softly as I unsealed the red letter. "My name is Rodyle Hargrave, and I am tasked to carry out your execution at noon. Before that, do you have any possession or will to leave for your living relatives? If you have them, if I may add," I said, trying to keep my composure. When she shook her head, I proceeded to read the charges. "In the name of Queen Asharea Makelty the Second, the Queen of the Kingdom of Makelty and the protector of the realm, you, Aura the Witch, have been found guilty of practicing the forbidden art of witchcraft and being a witch herself, and will be sentenced to die as per the crown''s will."


    My shoulders felt heavier after I finished reading the charges. Looking back into Aura''s eyes, I tried to muster my courage once again before I asked her one more question.


    "Do you have any last words before we depart to the execution site?" I asked.


    "Sir Rodyleˇ­ will it hurt?" Aura asked, her voice sounded childish. The face of my little sister came into my mind, and I had to bite my lower lip to keep myself from breaking down.


    "ˇ­No," I said, working hard to keep my voice from cracking. "It will be quick and painless, I assure youˇ­" Forcing myself to smile, I reassured the girl. "Just like falling asleep."


    "I seeˇ­" the girl mused. "Sir Rodyle, if it''s alright with you, will you stay with me until then?" She asked. "They didn''t let me sleep last night when they interrogated me. May I sleep? Even if just a little while?"


    The way she speak even reminded me of my little sister. "Sure. I''ll stay with you, Aura."


    "Thank you, Sir Rodyleˇ­ a-and, w-will you help me? These shackles and chains are making it hard for me to move on my ownˇ­" Aura said.


    Helping her to lay down, I sat next to her. In just a few minutes, she drifted off to sleep, letting out cute snores as she slept. Sleeping peacefully on her side, she looked like an ordinary girl, a girl who really had no business being in here.


    Honoring her wish, I stayed by her side, weeping quietly as I lamented over the sad fate of a poor girl, whose only crime was simply existing for being a witch.

 Chapter 02: An Execution at High Noon

    Traditionally, an execution in Makelty would be carried out either in public, where the execution would become a public spectacle, or in private, where the execution would be done in a secluded execution site where the execution would be carried out away from the public eye.


    The former was commonly done to those criminals whose crimes were too heinous such as murder or rape, and these executions were made public in order to remind the citizens the consequence of committing such crimes, as well as to gain their favor after bringing these criminals to justice.


    As for the latter, this kind of execution was reserved to those whose death might lift them to martyrdom, like rebels or those who were beloved by the common folk. It was also to preserve their dignity by keeping the execution away from the public eye.


    I chose to carry out Aura''s execution in private, in an area where no common folk would see the execution being carried out. From what I had heard, Aura was beloved by the locals for being a good caretaker for their children and a healer who helped out the sick and helpless. Carrying out her execution in public might incite an uproar among the common folk, and the crown would be regarded in negative light.


    Carried in a horse-drawn carrier, Aura was brought to the execution site, flanked by a squad of elite guards. As her executioner, I already arrived at the execution site ahead of her, checking the weather and wind. It was high noon, but I saw dark clouds coming our way. The sun would soon be covered by the clouds, casting shadows all over the area.


    When the witch finally arrived, she came out of the carrier, shackled and chained. Still, she wore a peaceful expression, as if she had come to terms with her incoming execution.


    The guards forcefully brought her to the side, and she let out a yelp when she was dragged by them. I had to avert my eyes when they did that, still seeing my own little sister in her.


    "She''s... so small..." One of my assistants, a black haired lad a year younger than me, Saul, muttered under his breath as he saw the witch being dragged to the chopping block. "I can''t believe it... i-is she really a witch?"


    "Do not falter, Saul..." Another one of my assistants, Hardin, chided Saul. A middle-aged man, face weathered by years of experience and hardship, he stoically watched the condemned being brought to the chopping block. "This is our duty. We do not question the will of the crown..."


    As for me, I gathered my courage as I waited for Aura to arrive. When she was finally before me, I looked at the guard and asked, "Remove her bonds. She poses no harm to us anymore..."


    "B-but-" the guard tried to argue against my order, but I gave him a fierce glare, silencing him.


    "You dare to defy the order of the Crown''s Justice?" I asked, projecting an aura of authority befitting my station.


    "N-no, milord!" The guard shook his head before he took out the keys, fumbling a bit as he unlocked the shackles and chains that kept Aura restrained.


    Once Aura was freed, she gingerly moved her hands. Standing in front of her, I held out my hand.


    "Come, follow me..." I told her, and she nodded. She took my hand and followed me to the chopping block.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The guards and my assistants watched at us wordlessly, speechless as they saw the witch voluntarily putting herself on the chopping block, even brushing aside her long white locks to unravel the back of her neck for me.


    "I''m ready, sir Rodyle..." Aura said, already prepared herself for her imminent demise. I closed my eyes, gathering my courage to fulfill my duty. Opening my eyes, I pulled out my sword, already sharpened to the point where I could even cut through solid steel without chipping the blade.


    "I''m sorry..." I spoke softly to Aura.


    "Do your duty..." Aura replied, looking down as she waited for me to swing my blade onto her neck. "May your fortune shines brightly in the coming storm..."


    Nodding, I stabbed the ground with the sword, giving her my last prayer.


    "May your next life be more fortunate, where the sun shines brightly upon you and no one may anathemaze you for simply living..." I intoned. "Now..." I pulled out the sword. "Stay still. This will be quick and painless..."


    "Just like falling asleep..." she whispered in response to that.


    Heaving the sword up, I brought it down, and with a swift stroke, I carried out the deed, and her head fell off her shoulders as I beheaded her. My assistant immediately picked the severed head up, not daring to look at her face.


    Her body shook the moment I cut off her head before she went still. Most of the time, the condemned would empty their bowels after being executed. But her dress remained pristine even after losing her head.


    "Put her head in the sack, Saul..." I ordered, cleaning my sword with a cloth Hardin handed to me. Saul nodded before he put the head into the sack. It would be delivered to the castle to be put on a pike while her body would be placed in a morgue to be prepared for burial.


    After that, both Saul and Hardin carried Aura''s headless body away. I just watched them, feeling completely drained from this experience. Sighing, I prepared myself to head back to my home so I could sleep and forget this whole thing.


    <hr>


    It turned out that I couldn''t sleep no matter how much I tried. It''s still daytime outside, and yet it''s already dark due to the dark clouds in the sky. I was certain that it would be raining soon.


    Still bothered by the execution, I decided to visit the morgue to see them preparing for Aura''s burial. Putting on a cloaked robe, I headed out of my home, heading over to the morgue.


    When I arrived at the morgue, the guards stopped me, so I pulled down my hood to reveal my face. They immediately stepped aside, allowing me to step into the morgue.


    Asking the head of the morgue, I found where her body was placed. She was put on a stone bed, fully naked with nothing to cover her body.


    A small bundle of clothes was placed where her head should be. Excusing himself, the head of the morgue left me with the headless body of Aura.


    "This is wrong..." I muttered, feeling my heart filled with remorse. "You shouldn''t be here." I held her cold, unmoving hand.


    I remained by her side for a while, hoping that her next life would be free of misfortune, where she could be happy and enjoy her life. If only there was something that I could have done, then-


    I shook my head, pushing whatever dark thoughts away back from whence they came. It was useless to think about what ifs, now that she was dead. Sighing heavily, I let go of her hand before I turned around, ready to depart.


    *sshhh*


    I stopped when I heard something from behind. Turning around, I froze when I saw Aura''s headless body sitting up, black smoke coming out of the stump of her neck. I was too shocked to say anything, and I was unable to do anything as something emerged from the stump.


    First, there were bones. Her white skull materialized itself before muscles tissues started to form. And then, her flesh covered the entirety of her skull before her skin stretched all over her head, covering her flesh.


    I could only stare in horror as her head gained its full shape. Her nose, lips and eyelids reformed themselves before her long white hair emerged, cascading over her shoulders.


    When it finally ended, Aura was alive and no longer headless. She took a deep breath before she reopened her eyes, revealing those bright violet eyes.


    And then, she looked at me, who was too stunned to even utter a word. Smiling, recently-resurrected Aura tilted her newly-regained head and spoke.


    "Ah, we meet again, Sir Rodyle..."

 Chapter 03: Witch of Immortality

    I stepped out of the morgue, fixing the clasp of my cloak as I made my way out of the building. I made sure that the head of the morgue didn''t suspect anything as I made my exit. The moment I left the morgue, I immediately hurried away from the building,heading back to my house as soon as possible. I made sure to make that no one would notice that my back was bigger than usual.


    "We''re safe now..." I said, and Aura unwrapped her arms from my neck. I made sure to unclasp the cloak and wrap it around her to protect her decency. After all, she was wearing nothing at all to, not even a single thread. "I hope he doesn''t suspect anything..." I said,locking the door after making sure that no one was following us.


    "Don''t worry..." Aura said, adjusting the cloak that I just put on her. "The illusion that I left there should last at least a day, and the head of the morgue is inebriated that he won''t remember much of things that happened there." She placed her hand on her neck. "You are a skilled executioner. Your cut was so clean that I had little trouble regenerating my head. A messy stump would result in a painful regeneration..."


    "About that..." I looked at her. "You promised to me that you''ll explain everything, right? We''re in my house, and there''s no one here at the moment..."


    "That was what I said, yes," Aura nodded.


    Aura was a witch whom I executed this noon, and her head was shipped to the palace to be displayed on a pike. But, when I came to visit, her headless corpse suddenly regrew a head, and she was alive again. It was too much I didn''t know where to begin.


    "Well... let''s begin about what happened a while ago," I said. "You were dead, right?"


    "Until a while ago, yes," Aura nodded again. "You''re right. It was quick and painless. When you swung down your sword, I didn''t even feel a thing. I felt like falling asleep..." she said, smiling as she looked at me. I had to avert my eyes, somehow feeling ashamed.


    "H-how did you do that?" I asked. It had to be some kind of magic that she used to revive herself from death. It had to be.


    Aura thought about it for a while. "Let''s just say... it''s a curse of mine..."


    "A curse?" I parroted her word.


    Aura nodded. "This is an obscure knowledge, but each witch has a curse inflicted upon her, and the curse is tied to how we use our magic. In my case, my curse is the Curse of Immortality."


    "The Curse of Immortality?" I parroted her again, giving her a confused look. "So... in other words, you are immortal?"


    "One way or another, yes," Aura nodded nonchalantly. "Though it still hurts to be fatally wounded, but my curse prevents me from actually dying. For me, dying is just a mild inconvenience, because I will revive soon after being killed." She looked at me with her bright purple eyes. "Still, I didn''t want my cover to be blown, so I set the time for my revival the moment you came to visit me. So, it''s actually a gamble too, because if you didn''t visit me, I might stay dead."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "S-so... that''s why you''re unconcerned when you were sentenced to death..." I said.


    "Well, unconcerned might be a little bit strong word to describe it, but... let''s just say I don''t mind dying because I''ll just revive again," Aura shrugged. "Also, like I said before, dying hurts quite a lot. Thankfully, the way you executed me made it more painless. In fact," she smiled at me. "It was the most painless death I ever experienced..."


    "I-I... see..." I had no idea what to say. This whole thing was just too much for me to handle. "S-so... what are you going to do now?"


    "About that..." Aura thought to herself for a while. "Maybe I''ll keep hiding. Other witches might be alerted by my execution, so they might probably go into hiding as well. I''m sure there will be a mass witch-hunt in the future..."


    "A mass witch-hunt?" I inquire.


    "Yes, those who are suspected to be witches will be arrested and put on trials. If found guilty, they will be executed, just like me..." Aura said. "Perhaps some innocents may get themselves involved as well" She looked at me. "And being the Queen''s Blade, you will be the one to take their lives..."


    "...Damn it," I cursed under my breath. As the royal executioner, I would be tasked to execute the condemned, and the trials would decide whether they were really guilty or not. My duty was to swing down the blade, not to question the outcomes of the trials. "Why does this have to happen?"


    "Perhaps someone in the court is aware of my presence here in the kingdom..." Aura suggested. "Anyone would kill for immortality, you know?"


    "Huh?" I gave the witch a strange look.


    "Sometimes, a witch''s curse can be passed to others, and my Curse of Immortality can technically be passed as well..." Aura explained. "So, perhaps there''s someone who''s looking for a witch with this specific curse. They''ll have any witches they managed to get their hands on and have them executed to see if they can find one with the Curse of Immortality."


    "But... you''re the one with the curse, so..." I said before I realized the implication behind that. "Oh no..."


    "So you finally understand..." Aura noted. "Since I somehow controlled the time of my revival instead of reviving right away, they decided that I''m not the one with the curse, and they will continue looking for any witches they can find here in the kingdom. More witches will be executed in the future, and some unlucky innocents may get themselves brought to you as well..."


    I gritted my teeth. I might be the royal executioner who would serve loyally to the crown, delivering justice with a swift beheading, but after knowing that I would inevitably have to murder some innocent people, I felt like I wanted to puke.


    "This is wrong..." I muttered. "There''s no way I can do this..." I looked on my palms before I clenched them into fists. "I serve the crown as the deliverer of justice, not a heartless butcher who slaughters anyone without remorse..."


    "Sir Rodyle..."


    "Damn it... if I know this is going to happen, I''d never accept this job..."


    I felt like everything I had learned before was a lie. A royal executioner carried the will of the crown, delivering justice those who were deemed to be guilty in the eyes of the queen. If my blade was directed to take the lives of the innocents, then there was no justice delivered; it was just mindless murder.


    "Also... there''s something else I want you to know, Sir Rodyle..." Aura said. "The royal family, especially the Queen, Asharea Makelty..." She paused, as if waiting for me to focus my attention on her.


    "The Queen? What about her?" Somehow, I was afraid of learning what she was going to tell me.


    "The Queen, as well as the rest of her family... they are witches."