~LENORA'S POV
"The sentence begins now."
My legs nearly gave out beneath me, but the guards didn't allow me to fall. Their grip tightened as they dragged both Azalea and me forward, away from the protective line of servants and into the open stretch of the corridor.
"Move," one of them ordered.
I stumbled once and had to catch myself before I hit the floor. Azalea stayed close enough that our shoulders brushed, and that small bit of contact was the only thing keeping me from completely unraveling.
"Please," I whispered. "Azalea... I didn't do this."
"I know," she murmured back.
The other maids were dismissed with sharp commands, but nobody truly left. I could hear their footsteps retreating only a short distance away. They were not allowed to watch, but they were going to hear everything.
A servant arrived carrying the whip. It looked ancient, with long braided strands threaded with dark metallic veins that seemed to pulse under the torchlight.
