Free The Witch's Reward by Liz McCraine Page A

your father ruled that they should be executed. And yes, you feel that in order to keep the people’s trust, you need to uphold the laws, including those of your father. But it seems there are so many ways out of having an execution, since that is your main concern. The villagers say that they saw her use her magic, but what if they didn’t? What if what they saw was just a trick of the light? Or maybe the child wasn’t really hurt as badly as they thought, and no immediate healing occurred. There are so many options.”
    “I agree. Unfortunately, there are also so many witnesses. Too many to discount. And the idea of having to put a woman to death—by fire, mind you, as the law requires—brings back a host of painful images. You can’t imagine how difficult it is—”
    “Don’t give me that,” she sassed. “I thoroughly recall what you went through when your father first began The Purging . I know very well how difficult this is for you. You’re a great king, but I know the truth—that under the strong, noble exterior you present to the world, you have a soft heart for the suffering of your people.”
    He sighed. She was right. Lissa and her father had visited immediately after the first executions so that the ambassador and king could discuss any repercussions between the two kingdoms as a result of the witch hunts. There was no recognized magic in Tridgen, as fairies originated in the Rockwood Forest and the carnies had come from somewhere to the east. But discussions were necessary, regardless.
    He was sixteen when those first burnings occurred. Lissa, just fourteen at the time, found him sitting on the floor in a darkened cloakroom, trying to erase the images burning his mind. Lissa had shut the door and hurried to his side, kneeling next to him. She’d placed a hand on his arm, just above the elbow, and gave him a squeeze. The pressure brought him out of his daze and when he saw her sweet, understanding face before him, he grasped her to his chest and held on tight. She soothed him, listened to him, and told him everything would be okay.
    Looking at her now, the king felt his heart swell in gratitude for his sweet, if sometimes sassy, wife. He could not wish for a better companion and hoped only that his children found a similar love within their own marriages. Just thinking of his unmarried son brought him back from his ruminations to the difficult subject matter at hand.
    “Quite right, my dear. You are right to scold me.”
    Lissa looked up from her needlework. “We are a team, dear. But you are king, and while you worry yourself into a hole right now,” she said, pointedly looking at the floor, “I know that whatever you decide to do will be the best decision possible for your kingdom. A more wise and considerate man I have never met, my love.”
    “Not that I ever gave you the chance to meet a wiser or more considerate man,” he grinned.
    Lissa’s cheeks dimpled in response, the grooves deeper and more pronounced with age. “Well, that is certainly true. But then, I wouldn’t have wanted to meet anyone else.”
    She set down her needle and climbed down from her perch on the bed. Walking quietly to her husband, she placed a hand on his arm to stop him from his pacing. All teasing was gone from her expression as she offered him her own wisdom.
    “I know how difficult it will be to follow the laws that were set by your father. You are so dedicated to upholding the law and I know how important it is that your people see that consistency in you. But I also know you have no desire to burn an innocent woman at the stake. You will find a way out.”
    “I hope so,” he said solemnly.
    “We both know that for something to be law, it has to be recorded.” She pursed her lips. “Have you verified your father’s decree in the books?  Maybe we are worrying over nothing.”
    He hesitated before answering her question. “I already asked Lucien to look into it.”
    He waited for the fireworks. He