Chapter 3 The General Is Here!

The midday sun scorched over everyone's head at Drakmont's main arena, where all of a sudden the usual noise and activity came to a stop. Passersby paused their shouting, and children froze in their tracks as all eyes turned to the shocking scene in the center. In the center of Drakmont's main arena, there laid on the hot ground a man and woman who were being paraded and consumed by shame. "Look at that " one man muttered in awe, nudging his companion. "That's General Blackmoor's parents, isn't it?" "It can't be!" the woman gasped, squinting her eyes.

"How could anyone treat them like this? Meanwhile, Eleanor's body shook with humiliation as a cardboard sign hung around her neck, forcing her to lower her hands that tried to shield her face. The cruel words written on the cardboard "Mother of the most useless being on earth, Asher Blackmoor" burned into her like a permanent scar. Her eyes turned to Thomas her sick husband, who laid on the hot ground. His frail body was draped in a shirt with the mocking phrase. "Father of the most useless being on earth." The height of the shame crushed them both, exposed for all to see. A guard whom Juliet had assigned stood over Eleanor, his cold eyes full of contempt and there was no trace of sympathy anywhere on his face. The midday sun made his presence even more intimidating. Eleanor knelt on the ground, trembling. She clutched her frail husband's hand and looked up at Juliet with tears streaming down her face. "Juliet, please... have mercy. We're your family. We've done nothing to deserve this," she pleaded, her voice breaking. Juliet leaned against her sleek black Lunaris, the car gleamed like a trophy under the sun. It was the kind of car that turned heads, one of only two in the city, and she loved the power it gave her. Standing beside her was Julian, her partner in crime, grinning like a man who had already won. Juliet sneered, her lips curling in disgust. "Mercy? You dare ask me for mercy?" She leaned closer, her tone mocking. "Where was your mercy when your son abandoned me? When he left me to struggle alone like a dog? Don't ask for what you'll never get." Juliet, trembling with fury, yelled at her . "Tell them," she commanded, her voice sharp and cold, slicing through the air like a blade. "Tell them how your son is the coward who abandoned his wife! Tell them he's the failure who hides in shame while you and Thomas beg for scraps in the streets! Tell them he's the reason for all my suffering!" Eleanor's voice trembled, but Juliet's icy gaze forced her to speak. "Please, I can't-" Juliet stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "You will. You'll shout it to the world! Tell them about the worthless son you raised-the one who's too ashamed to face his own family! "You owe me this, Eleanor. After everything he's put me through, the least you can do is expose him for the coward he truly is." Juliet's harsh words sparked a ripple through the crowd, and soon, whispers turned into full-blown gossip. "Look at them, both of them pitiful," an elderly woman murmured to her companion, her voice dripping with disdain. "They raised a man who couldn't even come home when he lost his sight. How could they ever have been proud of him?" A man beside her sneered, adding, "I heard he ran from the battlefield like a coward-didn't even try to fight back. And now look at his parents, begging for scraps like beggars on the street." Eleanor's heart shattered with each cruel word and her chest tightened with rage as the cruel words continued to sting. She could feel the eyes of the crowd burning into her, but she refused to shrink away. With a sudden burst of anger, she stood tall and faced Juliet head-on. "Enough, Juliet!" she snapped, her voice sharp and clear. "You're the one who's useless here, not my son! All the money Asher sent home, he worked his fingers to the bone for that and you squandered it on yourself and your pathetic lover!" The crowd went silent, stunned by Eleanor's sudden outburst. Juliet's eyes flashed with anger, but Eleanor wasn't done. "You're the one who's turned our lives into this nightmare, while my husband is sick and weak, and you've done nothing but waste everything he gave you on your parasitic lover!" Juliet's face twisted, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "You don't know a damn thing about what he did to me!" she hissed. "He left us! He's dead to me! And so are you!" But Eleanor didn't flinch. "If my son was here, none of this would be happening! He'd never let you treat us like this, you heartless witch! You're the disgrace, not him!" The words stung like a whip and Juliet's face darkened with fury. In a swift movement, she slapped Eleanor across the face, the sound echoing in the air. The crowd gasped, some whispering in hushed tones, others cheering the spectacle on. "How dare you!" Juliet screamed, her voice laced with venom. "You have no right to speak to me like that! Do you even think anyone will believe your pathetic lies?" She turned to her guards. "Force her to wear the cardboard. Make sure she wears it well. And paint that inscription on Thomas's shirt. Now!" The guards moved toward Eleanor with force, grabbing her arms and pushing the cardboard toward her neck. She fought against them with every ounce of strength she had left. "I won't wear this! I won't!" she screamed, trying to twist free, but the guards were relentless. As the guards wrestled with the elderly couple, Eleanor's voice rang out, filled with pain and defiance. "You all don't see it! She's the real villain!" she cried, her eyes wild with desperation. "Juliet and that man Julian are the ones who've ruined everything! They're the reason for our suffering!" Eleanor's words only fueled the mockery that surrounded her. She shot a glare at the guard and spat out. "Coward! You're nothing but a coward, doing her dirty work!" The guard's face darkened with rage, his eyes narrowing. In one swift motion, he slapped her hard across the face. The sound of the blow echoed through the crowd. His sneer was sharp as he snarled. "A coward, huh? Maybe your precious dead son should come and save you, then. Oh wait... he's gone." Juliet stood nearby, a wicked grin curling at the corners of her lips. Her laughter echoed through the air, harsh and unforgiving. "Oh, how sweet," she mocked, her voice dripping with venom. "The poor woman thinks anyone cares about her pathetic excuses." She clapped her hands mockingly, watching Eleanor and Thomas struggle against the guards' iron grip. Amid the humiliation, a roar from a Magnus Urus shattered the air, its power stirring dust in its wake. The crowd froze as the car screeched to a halt. The car screeched to a stop, and the door slammed open. A tall woman stepped out, her eyes sharp and fiery. The crowd went quiet, tension thick in the air. "Who dares touch the General's parents?!" her voice rang out, loud and firm. The guards froze and their faces went pale. The woman's glare could cut through steel. It was Morgan Reeves.