Sienna’s command was swift, cutting through the air like a blade. Not only did the guards carry Winona away, they also took her mother and some of them, led by Linera, went to grab Cuthbert. All parties involved were dragged to a separate ward of the hospital where normal patients were resting in isolation, far away from those infected with the plague.

The crowd wanted to follow, but guards stopped them at the entrance of the hospital. They could only spread what they had witnesses through texts and calls, while wondering what would happen behind closed doors.

Inside the chosen empty private room on the floor reserved for nobles with the plague, Sienna settled into a chair with a deliberate clam. Her iron pans rested across her lap like tools of justice. Winona Cuthbert trembled beside her mother Analise, who kept her chin high, refusing to meet Sienna’s gaze. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The husband, Mr. Cuthbert, a broad shouldered grey fox beast man was forced to kneel by Linera. He was no ordinary man, and this was obvious in his demeanor and the pricey watch on his wrist. Aside from his identity as a CEO, he was an outstanding member of the fox tribe, with ties to the noble Shade fox family. His reputation was almost flawless [outside of the whispers among the rich about his domestic violence.], his influence was vast.

And yet here he was, forced to kneel before a human woman that was determined to judge him.

The elders from the council arrived, uninvited and heaving, as if they had raced over plains to reach the room. Their faces were pale with horror. The same horror on Lady Cadelaria’s face who immediately stood with them and broke the silence first. "Sienna, this is unthinkable! Mr. Cuthbert is a pillar of our tribe, you cannot humiliate him like this."

Sienna leaned back in her chair, her eyes colder than the weather outside. "Pillar? Then I have bad news for you Cadelaria, your pillars are rotten. He beat his wife and threw her out of their tent on the cold winter. In the midst of a plague! And you would all protect him because of what...his money? His niece or cousin or someone that married a noble or royal? It’s a good thing that I outrank everyone on this room so I will make the necessary decisions." She raised one pan, and gestured to Linera, "Begin."

The first strike rang out, metal against flesh. Cuthbert flinched, his pride cracking with each hit. The guards, uncertain at first, followed Linera’s lead. They took turns with the pan, growing bolder with each hit on Cuthbert’s backside. Sienna watched the spanking, her expression unreadable. The sound echoed through the ward--clang, clang, clang--each strike, a defiance of a rotten tradition.

The elders gasped, clutching their jackets. "This is madness!" Vinira cried. "Lady Sienna, you can’t punish an esteemed member of the tribe like a child!"

Lady Cadelaria’s voice trembled with fury. "You are disgracing Elias and the clan. This man has made significant contributions. Do you understand the consequences of your actions?"

Sienna’s lips curled into a smile, sharp and mocking. "Consequences? When I gave the plague refugees shelter here, I made it clear that I wanted order. If he had punched his wife in the privacy of their bedroom, I would never have known and we would not be here right now. I was clear in my welcome speech. I told you all that anyone who creates trouble will get my pan! Did you think I was joking?" She looked at the elders, "If I can spank you, why can’t I spank him?"

They gasped.

Timothy lowered his face, to hide his smile. Elias was tough, but he always considered the dignity of the elders. Sienna on the other hand....she didn’t care for such etiquette.

"Do you think I fear the power of his money?" Sienna asked lazily, smiling like a vampire villainess about to drink a glass of blood. "I can come up with ten cleaning liquids better than his in a heartbeat. I can drive his company to extinction, should I wish. He has noble friends, well the queen is..."

Mija butted in, "An acquaintance, the queen is Sienna’s acquaintance."

Timothy pulled the snake beast woman back. "Not now!"

Sienna ignored her friend and continued, "What I was saying before being rudely cut off is that I have more friends in power than her does." All she had to do was mention Paris and make up a lie and the King would end Cuthbert’s company for her. "I loathe men that beat their wives and children. Anyone that lays hands on those weaker than them for pleasure is worse than a beast. That is what this man is. You cowards would rather close your eyes and watch him kill a woman because he is a contributing member of the tribe. But will the tribe die without his contribution? If Cuthbert dies today, will every fox be buried with him?"

Winona sobbed quietly, her mother glaring at Sienna with venom.

"Your silence answers for you the truth we all know." Sienna said, leaning forward. "If you elders cannot stomach justice, then perhaps it is time to force it down your throats." She waved her her hand, "Continue hitting."

Cuthbert’s face twisted in humiliation, his fox ears drooping as the pans struck again and again.

Outside the door, guards were trying to force away curious nurses, doctors and patients. None the less, they refused to leave because the rumor was that the matriarch was dismantling the untouchable illusion of noble immunity behind closed doors.

Inside the room, Sienna’s voice rang out, steady and merciless. "Look at him Winona. Look at the man who controls you with money. Does he look fierce now? Where is the voice he uses to make you feel small? Timothy has given me some details of your life and I admit that you are not the shiniest bulb in the room and you are easily manipulated.

But it does not mean you deserve to suffer the consequences of your stupidity, like Lady Cadelaria and your mother believe. Your husband has a history of violence against his wives. Wife number one died under mysterious circumstances and she was cremated before her parents could even look at the body of their daughter."

"Ahem...suspicious." Mija pretended to cough.

Sienna continued, "Wife number two got into an accident while running from their very big mansion and she is now paralyzed from the waist down. You are number three and you married him at seventeen! He was obviously looking for someone easy to control. Tell me, what fate do you think is waiting for you, number three?

A coffin or a wheelchair?"