...At dawn, in the hall before the judgment stage, the people gathered to hear the king's final verdict. Moldovar was there, bound with a wooden stock around his neck and his hands chained. This was no ordinary judgment, for many knew Moldovar as a good man, and the death sentence didn't seem to fit someone who had served so righteously.
In those moments on the stage, he was shouted at by some, especially the relatives of his deceased friend, who blamed him for a crime he didn't commit. And while he was there, he seemed to be looking for something—hoping to catch a glimpse, even on his last day, of the face of a baby born from a queen's secret betrayal to the king. Whyte was his child. And he, too, had betrayed the king due to a moment of temptation.
The bell rang, signaling the death trial. At that point, Harthur had not yet come out of his room, seemingly finding it difficult to make a decision.
