It wasn’t that long ago that Magnolia was a princess, daughter of King Arbor and heiress to his throne. She was a young woman of stunning beauty.
But in a short period of time the conspirators Primus, Wragg, Admihoek, MontyCrusto, Q. Paul, and the Top Cat had poisoned her father and have convinced the courts that Magnolia is traitor to the land of Arbor must be put to death on a cross. While she waited for the fateful day in the dungeon in the catacombs of the castle that was to be hers the conspirators had planted a bottle of arsenic in her bedchamber and she was tried in absentia for the murder of her father. They went so far as to hire R. Rodent’s criers (predecessors to today’s media) to spread the word of ‘her’ dastardly deed. By the time market day came Magnolia was the most contemptable person in the land of Arbor!
The next morning Magnolia Archer comes for her and brings her to her cross. Her beautiful hair had been coarsely cut to shoulder length. She had been denied to bathe and was presented naked to the executioners, mercenaries hired by the consortium. Archer encouraged her to be brave- that was one dignity they could not take from her. She was about to pick up her cross when one of the guards said “Bull, you still love this traitor to the land of Arbor, don’t you?”
“I have helped raise her since she was weaned from her mother’s teat, so yes I hold affection for Lady Magnolia. This girl is neither a threat to the land of Arbor and she is anymore more guilty of treason and murder than a butterfly could be.”
Archer begins to hand Magnolia her cross when one of the mercenaries says “Not so fast Archer! If she is your princess she deserves a crown!”
They proceed to ‘crown’ her with a wreath of thorns using a piece of wood and a mallet to drive the ring onto her head.
Archer was ready to slay them all but Magnolia shakes head and says “You cannot save me now, Archer. Promise you will vindicate me when you can!”
“You have my most solemn word” he assures her as he effortless lifts the cross onto her shoulder. Princess Magnolia struggles with the cross but drags it through the heavy wood doors to be greeted with a chorus of jeers!!!
Tree
The last picture was one of the inspirations for this short story but thanks must go to Crucifacor and Bartnel!!!
He can have these two; they're called This One and That One. I don't think I would have got much for them anyway; the slave market is saturated with all the rebel sluts we've arrested and enslaved since the coup. I was going to whip them to death but we'll dangle them in front of Archer instead. I'm sure we can come up with a confiscated castle too. Being in power is great!
