Chapter 574 Tracy's Punishment
"Do you even know that she is the reason why His Majesty keeps Her Highness at arm's length, so who dared to let this thing into this sacred hall?" Tracy demanded fiercely.
"Are you talking to me?" Joanna asked. The lady went too far by calling her a THING and she won't tolerate such an insult.
Not when it comes from a disrespectful maid who assumes she is better than her.
"Are there any uninvited guests here besides you?" Tracy replied, her head still held high.
"Really?" Joanna mumbled and stood up from where she sat. She hid her right hand which by now glowed red behind her and waited for Tracy to utter one more rude word.
"Who else could I be talking to..."
"Is that how you speak to the future Queen?" The cold voice of the King who just stepped foot into the hall made Tracy tremble like a wet leaf.
She had lost her temper the moment she set eyes on Joanna. Her hatred for the lady which was the reason why her Madam was brought down from grace made her forget that they were in the palace; the King's home.
She was riled up that she didn't even know when the King and his most trusted guards reached the hall.
"Your Majesty, I..." Kayden shot the sharp-tongued lady, a deadly glare which made her swallow back whatever she had wanted to say.
Kayden strolled into the hall and paused beside where Joanna stood.
He turned to look at Josephina whose hands were occupied with the tray containing Joanna's refreshment.
"Josephina, what was the punishment for any palace worker that disrespects the Royal Family's Guest?" He demanded.
"For the male thirty strokes of the whip for verbal disrespect while for the ladies, thirty slaps. And the offenders are not allowed to touch the spot when punishment is being administered," Josephina stepped forward and answered the King's question.
"Then what are you waiting for?" He growled and averted his gaze to Tracy.
"Administer the punishment," He ordered sternly.
Immediately, Josephina handed the tray of refreshments to another maid and moved to where Tracy stood.
"Grab her," Josephina commanded the two maids when Tracy resisted.
The maids swoon to action and in less than three minutes they had subdued Tracy to her knees.
BAM*
"One," Josephina counted after she slapped Tracy once.
BAM*
"Two," Josephina slapped Tracy harder and she repeated this action until she had administered the thirty slaps in order with the palace punishment.
The moment she finished, Queen Mother Theresa, who seemed to have gotten wind of what had happened, entered the main hall along with her maids and guards.
Because he knew exactly why his mother was there, Kayden totally ignored her but that wasn't the case with Joanna, Josephina and the others.
They paid the woman her due respect as the Queen Mother of the Kingdom.
The maids holding Tracy down were about to release her after Josephina finished when the King spoke up.
"And what was the punishment for belittling the Queen?" He asked, his gaze fixed on Josephine's face.
"Fifty strokes of the whips and ten of her teeth are to be pulled out immediately to serve as a warning to others," Josephina replied.
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong so please have mercy on me," Tracy pleaded. She dared not imagine how heinous she would look if her ten teeth were to be cruelly pulled out.
"You know what to do," He muttered. Kayden acted as if he didn't hear all of Tracy's pleas.
"Your Majesty, I won't be able to survive if my teeth are pulled out so please show some mercy. If not for anything but for the fact that I have severed Her Highness and Your Majesty for over a decade, please extend your hand of mercy towards me," Tracy pleaded harder.
By this time warm tears had already streamed down her pretty face.
"Do you want to be punished along with her?" Kayden retorted when Josephina hadn't started administering the second punishment.
"Your Highness, please save me. You must save me," Tracy turned to Queen Mother Theresa after she noticed that her pleas had no effect on the cold-hearted King.
"Please spare her for my sake, Your Majesty," the Queen Mother swallowed her pride and intervened just when Josephina wanted to administer the teeth-pulling-out punishment.
"I wanted to abolish some of the palace rules because I believed they were gruesome and inhumane. Have you forgotten that you were the same person who disagreed with my decision, Your Highness?" Kayden asked the woman who was standing in front of him.
"You specifically told me that you were in charge of the inner court and as such only you would decide which rules are to be changed or abolished. Don't tell me, you forgot what you told me that day, Your Highness?" Kayden asked.
Joanna watched as the angry Queen Mother tried to hide her clasped fist behind her.
She could swear that she hadn't seen the always confident and proud woman look so flustered and helpless.
[I bet she wouldn't have said those words to Kay if she had known that those same words of hers would one day be used against... Anyways I am happy to see Kay win against her for the first time. It's quite gratifying since she always had the habit of making him do as she wanted]
Joanna smiled inwardly as she stared at the fuming woman who was doing everything not to make her anger visible.
"T-t-that..." Queen Mother Theresa stuttered. She could never have imagined that the King would use her words against her. And he chose to do that at such a critical moment.
"And what are you guys waiting for?" Kayden hollered when he saw that Josephina and the others were yet to execute the punishment.
"Hold her tight," Josephina commanded as she lifted the plier close to Tracy's mouth.
Despite being pinned down, Tracy struggled to break free with all her might.
"Please save me, your Highness. You have got to save me," Tracy pleaded just before Josephina grabbed her mouth and pried it open.
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