Noon. The sun blazed high in the sky.
The Central Plaza of Black Stone Territory was already a sea of people, a dense, dark mass.
On a hastily erected platform stood several wooden stakes.
Ed walked onto the platform and cleared his throat.
"By order of the Duke! Baron Mengde, the former lord of Ironthorn Territory, possessed a savage ambition, colluded with bandits, and plotted to harm the Duke's own bloodline. His crimes are heinous! Today, Mengde and three generations of his blood relatives shall be beheaded as a public example!"
Below the stage, the hundred or so prisoners from Ironthorn Territory, who had been brought out to witness the event, erupted in an uproar upon hearing the proclamation.
