" Fellow Guild members! We are gathered here today to witness the beheading of Lady Amelia Bradley III and her conspirators, Lady Viviana Bradley and Samuel Burns. The leader and founder of this wonderful Guild does not come before you today. Today, before you stands a guilty woman. Guilty of what? Well, we are all quite aware of what she is guilty of. Any final words, m'lady?" The jester laughed a wicked laugh as Lady Amelia was pushed up onto the platform. The onlookers stood silently as she straightened her posture and began to speak.
" Do not let this happen, I implore you! The raving of this mad jester have often brought turmoil to whoever listens! Please, I am guilty of no crime! But, if I must die, I will say one last piece. By beheading all of us, you bring upon the Guild a reputation of bloodshed. It will destroy you one day and I wish I could be there to watch it do so. You can behead and maul and tear us to pieces, but that will never stop the truth from being seen. The real people guilty of a crime are not standing before you. The guilty ones are watching me make this speech!" The jester fumed and started towards her. She continued to speak, " Fellow members! Do not let the Guild end like this!" The jester reached her by then and brought her to her knees. He kicked her hard in the stomach and just kept kicking. Samuel Burns began writhing and fidgeting in his place as he watched Amelia be beaten.
" No! Stop!" He cried finally. A moment later he realized his mistake.
" It appears you have an admirer, m'lady." The jester said wickedly. He motioned and the soon-to-be dutchess Margaret of Barrington, the jester's coconspirator, shoved and brought Samuel forward next to Amelia.
" And how would you like to see your admirer slaughtered before you die?" Margaret said.
" No!" Amelia said, slowly getting up from her crouched position. She winced as she did so, the little bloodstains on her dress blossoming. When she was finally up, she was restrained by a burly boy. Samuel's head was put into place and the jester raised the large axe. He brought it down and blood spattered everywhere as Lady Amelia's cries rang through the forest.
" Now for the little sister!" Another coconspirator of the jester, Lady Cecilia Rhodes IV, said as she brought up a young girl who looked to be about fourteen.
" You bloody murderers! You would see a child murdered at your hands?" the young girl said. Her name was Morgana Bradley. She sounded calm and disgusted which masked the fear she felt.
" You are no child to the Guild." Lady Cecilia said as she thrust the little girl to her knees. The axe came down and Lady Amelia didn't cry. Instead, she began to devise a plan to get out alive.
The burly boy restraining her looked pained. He looked sad and almost angered at the jester as he joyfully skipped around the stage and made another speech. He looked to be about sixteen and kept staring at Amelia. Having no other idea in mind, Amelia made a split second decision. She kissed the boy full in the mouth. Surprised, he let go of her. Knowing the jester was distracted, as well as Lady Cecilia and Margaret of Barrington, she ran off the platform and into the woods as fast as she could.
The jester turned around then, calling forth Lady Amelia. When he saw the empty hands of the boy and his confused face, the jester couldn't have been more livid.
The axe came down.
Lady Amelia ran.
