Chapter Ten
At dawn, Charlotte was taken from the hovel wearing just her collar, a mask, and a thin robe that fell softly about her feet. The mask was customary for these rites. The villages nearby had been informed that a lady from Mountbane’s castle (her identity would remain a mystery) had been sentenced to “the stations” for a day and night. Delighted by the prospect of seeing such a lady’s torture, there were plenty of eager men waiting long before sunrise to execute her misery. Thankfully, the rain had stopped, and a warm sun would take away the chill. To be “whipped at dawn” by the general masses was the first station of this primitive custom. In a clearing not far from the forest hovel there was a dais of stone rising several feet above the ground. At its side stood a weighty oak
