Wife of The Demon Prince
Chapter 307: I’ll chop off your tongue

Chapter 307: I’ll chop off your tongue

Regardless of the excuses he was using to defend himself, Henry’s eyes glowed darker. He stalked towards David whose butt was sitting on the floor squatting close to him, Henry uttered in a deep dark voice, "One more disrespectful word from you, and I assure you I’ll forget your background of being the Minister’s son, I’ll chop off your tongue, have you beaten into a pulp and throw your smothered flesh to the beasts."

David shuddered frightfully, not even doubting Henry’s threats one bit, the Boxton’s were a tough family of generals, having a brutal nature was only natural for them since the battlefield contained nothing but endless bloodshed.

"Yes, yes Lord Henry, I won’t say a word against her anymore, I apologise for my behavior please spare me." David was wise enough to know who to offend and who not to, since things had gotten to this point, he would rather throw away his pride and plead. With his head lowered submissively, he pleaded to be let off. However mirth flashed within his eyes, he knew that when at a disadvantage, one must take a step back only to advance later, he wouldn’t be forgetting this humiliation, and since Eadlin was still here, he would definitely get back at her by reporting her immediately he left this place.

Henry stood tall stepping away from him, there wasn’t a finger of Mercy in his eyes as he said to his soldiers, "Fifty lashes with a thorned whip!" His voice high and commanding as befitting for a soldier.

"Yes my lord!" The soldiers echoed firmly knowing exactly the method of punishment since it was a military thing.

"Thorned whip? My lord please spare me... What crime have I committed?" David was quickly thrown into a panicked state. The injuries a thorned whip would cause him was enough to have him bedridden for months without being able to move.

However Henry didn’t even give him a listening ear, his expression was as rigid as always after passing his command.

The soldiers didn’t waste any time in starting to drag David away.

Anger filled David at how roughly the soldiers were handling him, along with the fear of the punishment Henry had ordered for him,

"Think twice to not make a mistake lord Henry, that girl is just an abandoned daughter of a treacherous queen, will you risk offending the Minister’s household for her sake?!" David tried to reason with Henry, after all he was the beloved son of a minister, while Eadlin was just nothing but a former princess.

Henry finally looked at him raising a hand to stop his soldiers who were about to drag David away, "Abandoned?" He asked, one couldn’t tell the kind of emotion in the tone he used.

David saw a ray of hope as Henry stopped his men. He was right after all she was just a fugitive who if caught will have to serve the punishments for her mother’s crimes, Henry should be wise enough to know which side to pick.

"Lord Henry, I’m sure you’re aware that it is a crime to keep a fugitive hidden, and you should think twice before offending the Minister’s household for a princess whose mother is not only a traitor, but was also abandoned by her own brother who is the ruling king." David had regained the smug look in his eyes as he began to feel like he had the upper hand, "You can punish me if you want, but...doing that, might just make me call the council and alert them of the location of a criminal."

David was sure that Henry couldn’t possibly silence him, since the only way to silence him would be if he was killed, and David was certain Henry definitely wouldn’t do that, so he was even more certain of having the upper hand.

"Let him go." Henry suddenly said.

His soldiers did not hesitate to follow his orders and released David.

David smiled smugly while dusting off his coat and rearranging his clothes, "You are indeed a wise man lord Henry, you know how to take wins and loses, you’ve made a wise choice."

Henry didn’t give him a reply, which made him even more smug, David gave a mocking bow as if to show respect but Internally he was disdainful as he said, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now lord Henry."

However, David had not even taken a few steps yet when Henry suddenly called, "Wait."

David wasn’t scared at all, after all he had won, whatever Henry had to say, he would just listen to it.

"You are a smart young man." Henry commented casually.

David smiled widely, he did consider himself smart, even more so since he had outsmarted the renowned Henry Boxton at this moment, he took the compliment unabashedly.

However Henry continued, "But... Not smart enough, if you were, you wouldn’t have overlooked one important factor."

David turned around, though the confidence still remained on his face, he looked somewhat suspicions.

Henry stalked towards him, coming to stand right in front of him making David seem quite short in front of him since Henry was a few heads taller than him. Along with his height, David felt an inescapable intimidating aura from Henry making him subconsciously want to step back, however he didn’t want to throw away the prideful confidence he’d just gained from actually threatening Henry.

"Why do you think I have the princess here at the Boxton mansion and even looking for a suitor for her? You think the King abandoned her?" Henry sneered, "Then you are indeed naive."

"What do you mean?" David asked slowly beginning to lose the confidence he’d only just gained.

"Her highness is here at the Boxton mansion under the command of the King himself, now tell me, do you still think she has been abandoned?"

At Henry’s revelation, David’s smug face fell completely, his complexion white as a sheet, "That... That can’t be, the King can’t possibly..."

"Are you absolutely certain about that?" Henry asked enjoying the frightful expression on David’s face at the moment.

That was right... He couldn’t be certain about it. Though everyone assumed the King must hate the former queen for what she did, they couldn’t be sure he would put the punishment of her crimes on her children. Though rumors had spread during the time Cassius had gone missing until his death was suddenly reported, no one was certain of anything, they had all however assumed the King had killed all of Merona’s children.

However, no one knew the kind of relationship Hamon had had with his half siblings, so Hamon protecting Eadlin couldn’t be unexpected, in fact it was more than plausible, after all, who other to trust with his sister’s safety than his own wife’s family.

David felt his knees go weak, as realization dawned on him, he was no longer able to say a word.

"Do you know your crimes now?" Henry asked calmly, "Not only did you hit a princess, you insulted her and the royal family, you said disrespectful words about the king, even death is a merciful punishment for your crimes." Henry’s words turned stern adopting a domineering military air.

David felt his knees finally melt under him as he plopped down on his knees, "Mercy lord Henry, mercy, I was foolish, lord Henry please have mercy!" David had realized the gravity of the situation he had now fallen Into, he was no longer disdainful, nor were his pleas faked.

"Everyone knows the punishment for disrespecting royalty, especially when you disrespect the monarch himself." Henry stated, his back straight, arms held behind his back.

Punishment for disrespecting the royal family? David thought frightfully, there was only one punishment... Execution!

"Lord Henry I was wrong, I was shallow minded, please have mercy, have mercy!" In a second, David was crying snot and tears, for one who lived so frivolously as he did, death was what they were the most afraid of.

"Alright, I will lessen your punishment, you shall not be executed, but you certainly will be punished." Henry said in a magnanimous manner.

David was quickly relived, "Many thanks Lord Henry, I..."

He didn’t finish giving out his words of gratitude when Henry once again spoke,

"A hundred strokes with an iron rod, and a crippled leg should be enough to teach him a lesson for a lifetime."

"I-Iron rod??!" David muttered in fright looking incredulous at the same time weak with fear, "Lord Henry..."

Without giving him a chance to speak Henry ordered, "Take him away."

"Yes my lord."

"No, no let me go! Let me go!!" David howled as all the soldiers dragged him away without even giving him a chance to react. At this moment all he felt was despair and regret, he should never have tried to outsmart Henry in the first place, being beaten with an iron rod along with a crippled leg was a punishment worse than death, he would have become a useless piece of trash after that. David thrashed and howled but he wasn’t able to free himself from the soldiers holding him down, dragging him towards an inevitable punishment.

After the loud sounds of David’s howls seized signifying they already took him far away, Henry finally turned around to leave trusting his soldiers to show no mercy in meeting out the punishment he ordered.

However, he had barely just turned when he was stopped in his tracks, his eyes showing a hint of shock.

Standing a little distance away from him was Eadlin who had tears in her eyes. She looked as if she’d had enough. And Henry knew that she no longer wanted to go through the humiliation of repeatedly being rejected or disrespected by every suitor he introduced her to.

"Your highness..." He took a step forward, however she turned around, picking up her skirt she ran out of the soldiers grounds.

"Your highness." Henry hurriedly went after her.