Third-Person POV
Seraphina froze as soon as she saw the massive crowd outside the palace. It was worse than she imagined, hundreds of people filling the streets, their voices rising like a wave that crashed again and again. Banners bearing Jella's new crest hung from the palace gates, and guards stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a wall between the people and the courtyard.
Her heart pounded painfully in her chest.
She pressed herself closer to the edge of the nearby alley where they stood hidden. From where she was, she could see flashes of movement, guards on the palace steps, and at the center of it all, the wooden platform. The execution stage.
"God…" she whispered, her throat tightening. "There are so many of them."
Beside her, Irina was glued to her phone, scrolling with shaky hands as she read updates from the crowd's social feeds. "They've already brought her out," Irina said, her voice trembling. "Someone posted a live video… it's trending across all platforms."
