Derick's Put To Death - Chapter Fifty Five

Derick was taken out of his cell and brought to the torture chamber, where the executioner was waiting for him. The guards tied ropes around his wrists and ankles. The executioner began to turn the wooden wheels that stretched Derick till he had no slack in the ropes. "Were you with Julia before she married James?" he asked Derick as he twisted the wheel that tightened the ropes around his wrists and ankles. Derrick didn't say anything at first. However, soon, the ropes became so tight that he screamed out in pain."I'll ask again. Were you with Julia before they were married?" the executioner asked again in a polite, almost bored voice."Yes!" he screamed out in pain.

After hours of torture, Derick lay there motionless and heartbroken. 

He never wanted to betray Julia but couldn't take the pain. They forced it out of him by nearly ending his life.

The council met with Kristen and William in the throne room."So, did you get him to confess?" Kristen asked them."Yes, he confessed to everything. He indeed is the father. They were together before she married James and continued to see each other afterward," they informed her."So did the council find them all guilty?" she asked."Yes, we have found all three guilty of treason, your highness," they confirmed."Then they shall all be put to death. Derick will be hung till he almost takes his last breath and then beheaded. As for Julia and her mother, they will be beheaded only since they are of noble blood. I want Julia to see it all before she dies," Kristen ordered."Yes, Your Majesty," they replied and left the room. 

The executioner headed down into the dungeon to tell them their fates. Julia knew it was going to be bad when she heard Derick's screams yesterday."You, your mother, and Derick are to be put to death for treason. You have all been found guilty," he told Julia and her mother.

Julia broke down into tears, knowing that her fate was sealed. She ruined her life, along with Derick's and her mom's. Her son would grow up without a mother and father and would never know them.

After spending the whole night crying and consumed by the thoughts of the blade taking her head off. The sound of someone coming down the steps, Julia got to her feet and headed over to the cell door.

The executioner approached the cell. "Julia, you are to come with the guards," he told her."Where?" Julia asked as panic set in. The executioner did not answer but pushed her along. She began to tremble as she walked up the stairs from the dungeon."They're going to kill me. It's my time," she thought as they continued walking.

Julia was taken outside, and as she came around the corner, she was horrified by the sight in front of her.

They pushed Derick off the platform, and he began to hang. He shook and kicked, struggling against the rope that wrapped around his neck. She gasped with horror and looked away. She couldn't bear to see him struggle for his life.

She covered her eyes but could not keep that image from burning into her memory. "You are ordered to watch, or we will have to kill you in an even more painful and treacherous way," one of the guards commanded her.

Julia removed her hands and peered up at Derick. His face was full of fear and pain. 

Julia fell to her knees and began to plead. "Please! Please! Stop! He doesn't deserve this! I'm the guilty one. Take my life, not his!" she cried out.

Derick struggled to breathe and began to kick and jerk violently as life began to drain out of him. The executioner walked up behind Derick with a knife and cut the rope. Derick fell to the ground, gasping for air. He removed the rope from around his neck and struggled to breathe. Julia watched in desperation and shock, thinking that they had decided to spare his life.

The guard walked over and ordered Derick to get up."Get up those steps!" he ordered. Derick could barely walk. He crawled up the steps and stood on the platform with the guard and the executioner.

The guard then ordered Derick to stand in front of the blood-stained square rock. "Now, place your head here, and when you're ready, remove your hands," he told Derick. Julia realized that they had no intention of sparing his life but to torture him before they beheaded him.

He knelt down and placed his head in the grove of the rock. Now weak to her knees and ready to throw up, Julia stood watching in fear to look away. She knew if she did that, she would die right then. The executioner raised his sword high, then came down fast, striking Derick's neck.

Derick's head came off in one clean swipe, falling into the basket in front of the stone. His body fell limp to the ground.

Julia, now completely in shock, viewed his head lying in the basket and lost her nerve. Her true love and the father of her child lay dead before her eyes.

Julia couldn't take more and collapsed to the ground, bursting into tears. The guard said nothing but watched her fall to pieces. He felt sorry for her as she lay there crying on the ground.

They loaded Derick's body into a wooden box and sealed it. It was then placed on the back of a small cart. One of the guards arrived with a horse to pull it away while the other guard helped Julia up off the ground."Let's go! You have to go back to the dungeon," he told her as he led her away.

Julia's mom was happy to see her daughter, but she feared they had done something terrible to her. Isabel looked at Julia's face and realized she was in shock.  

Julia looked over at her mother with tears still streaming down her face. She couldn't even speak.

Isabel ran over to Julia and took her into her arms."What have they done to you?" she asked Julia."They..... they.... killed Derick. They made me watch the whole thing. It was horrible. They tortured him!" she cried out, now trembling all over.

"Hopefully, the queen will take pity on you since you're still young and spare your life. No matter what happens, I'll be here for you and will always love you," her mother told her softly."Things will never be the same. I have ruined so many lives," she cried out softly."We will get through this together, child. All we can do now is hope," she told her.