Jane Whitney had it all.
A moderately wealthy and harmonious family, virtuous parents, and a sweet and handsome fiancé.
She was even beautiful enough to be the talk of the social world before her debut.
Everyone who saw her luxuriant rose-red hair and sparkling jade-colored eyes fell in love with her, and for that, she was always grateful to God.
‘Thank you for giving me so much.’
She thought she was loved by God.
But it didn’t take one day to destroy that idea.
No, it was one long day. All it took was five minutes of the judge reading the verdict for her life to fall apart.
“James Whitney, Gillian Whitney, you are under arrest for treason against the country. You are guilty of the heinous crime of aiding and abetting the rebels who have plagued the country and attempted to turn Parliament over to the commoners against the Queen. From this point forward, all property of the House of Whitney will become the property of the country, and all members of the family will be expelled from the capital.”
A look of disbelief crossed the faces of the Whitneys as they gathered around the judge.
It was unbelievable.
Count Whitney was a very noble man. Of course, he was a bit special, but only to Jane.
Not only did her father teach her rhetoric, politics, and history, which girls don’t usually learn, but she also wrote poems for the Queen on her birthday, and she didn’t mind physical activity.
It is unlikely that the Whitneys would have supported rebels calling for the dissolution of the monarchy.
Jane approached the judge, “Is this really an edict from the Whitneys?”
“Step aside, young lady. If you say one more word here, I’ll drag you away too!”
The knight at the judge’s side slapped Jane’s hand away sharply. Jane looked back at her father and mother in shock.
“Say something, please!”
James and Gillan each grabbed one of her hands. Jane shut her mouth and raised her bowed head.
Then she made eye contact with her parents. Suddenly, she realized everything.
“Ah…!”
Jane staggered.
The judge was not wrong. The Whitneys were supporting the rebels.
There was no bitterness or remorse on her parents’ faces, just a mixture of will, conviction, and guilt that they’d been mean to Jane.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitney supported the rebels.
“Execute.”
The judge gave the cold order, and the Queen’s troops took over the Whitney mansion.
Their hands were merciless. Servants and maids were dragged away, things were broken.
Jane could do nothing but stumble. She watched in dismay as her precious space was trampled underfoot by the knights.
“Ahh, my lord, my lord!”
A piercing scream shook the hall, and Jane came to her senses.
“Count! You bastards, leave our Count alone, ahh!”
The knights bound Gillan and James with ropes. Then the servants lunged at the knights without fear.
“Get your filthy hands off me! They are sinners. Stopping us is like stopping the Queen. Do you want to be taken away as well?”
Despite the knight’s threats, the servants refused to let go of their hands, and a brutal assault ensued. The knight’s violence was indiscriminate.
No man, woman, or child was spared. The knights stomped on those who fell more viciously.
Jane bit her bottom lip and clenched her fists. Jane made up her mind. Without her parents, Whitney was hers and her responsibility.
“Stop it!”
Jane stepped in front of the knight’s raised sword.
“Her Majesty the Queen ordered you to arrest the guilty, not beat the innocent.”
Jane looked at the judge who read the verdict. The judge looked regretful and gestured toward the knights.
The knights let go and stepped back, and the judge turned to Jane. “If you say so, Miss Whitney, I’ll leave you to it.”
The judge’s gesture was comically large, and it was a mockery of Jane.
With that one word, that one gesture, Jane realized her situation had changed.
Without touching her, the judge took her down.
As quickly as they had arrived, the judge and the knight scurried away.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitney smiled at Jane as they were dragged away. As if to say, “Don’t worry.”
“Father… Mother…”
Jane’s mind went blank.
She was no longer the honored daughter of a prestigious family, but the daughter of the traitorous Whitneys.
She couldn’t fathom what would change, or how much worse her life would be.
‘What about my parents? What will happen to them? According to the law, rebellion is…!’
Jane sucked in a breath. Rebellion is punishable by death.
I can’t just sit still. I have to find someone to help me. I’m sure there will be.’
Until then, Jane had believed in her destiny as God’s beloved.
That God wouldn’t abandon her so harshly, wouldn’t take everything away from her.
***
The next day, Jane went to visit the Duke and Duchess of Hastings.
The House of Hastings is a powerful family, one of the Queen’s confidants, and one that has produced noble Speakers of Parliament for generations.
The Whitney and Hastings families have worked closely together in the public sphere of politics and business.
Privately, they were also very close, as the two families were linked by Jane’s betrothal to the heir of the Hastings.
Their marriage had been arranged very early on, and the Duke and Duchess of Hastings had known and adored Jane since childhood.
So Jane didn’t think twice about going to the Duke and Duchess of Hastings to get through her difficulties.
“Jane, look at your face, you must be very surprised. What really happened, how could your parents…”
The Duke of Hastings coughed.
“Jane, have you found a place to live? I heard you have to leave the capital.”
The Duke and Duchess of Hastings were worried about Jane.
This is Hastings after all. As paragons and examples of nobility, they had been kind to Jane, the daughter of a sinner.
Not like the others.
The replies she’d received from those she’d sent an express message to last night had disappointed her.
Don’t contact me again. My parents will be in trouble if they find out I’m in contact with you.
Jane, I know it’s hard, but I’m in a very difficult situation because of you, I’m sorry, but I’m going to pretend I haven’t heard from you.
Two days earlier, the people who were trying to make a connection with the Whitneys had changed their tune in the blink of an eye.
The Duke and Duchess of Hastings were the only ones who had responded positively to her contact, even allowing her to visit.
“I am very sorry to cause you so much trouble, Duchess and Duke, but I have come to ask you a favor.”
Jane’s mind was racing. The thought of the Count and Countess of Whitney spending time in prison made it worse.
The prison where her parents were being held was notorious for its poor conditions.
Rats scurried across the countertops, the beds were made of stone, there were no bathrooms, and they had to do their business in a wooden barrel.
Jane’s face clouded over as she remembered her parents.
“You can tell me anything you want. You’re like our own child.”
Jane took the Duchess at her word, even tearing up at her sweet words.
She felt so guilty that she had to ask such sweet people for a favor that would surely harm them.
But it had to be done to save her parents.
Only they, the Queen’s confidants, could ease the burden of the punishment her parents would receive.
Jane squeezed her eyes shut.
“Please spare my parents.”
Silence weighed heavily on the parlor. The Duke and Duchess of Hastings looked at each other, their expressions strange.
The Duke of Hastings’ tightly closed lips parted. “Jane, this is a very difficult thing to ask.”
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