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He nodded, knowing his words held truth. Leo and Atticus beside me seethed with rage, and I gave them a subtle nod to show I shared their sentiment.
“Yes, Your Majesty. That is why we are gathered here,” he spoke firmly. “We must act now to restore confidence in us and the House. A DNA test is the only way to prove your innocence. We must not allow doubts to linger any longer.” Lord Taylor’s voice echoed throughout the chamber as his gaze swept over us all. A silence settled over everyone, thick with tension and unspoken threats.
August sneered, “A DNA test? That’s absurd!” His words were echoed by several others in the room. “We don’t yield to terrorists!”
“But Lord Nathan’s accusations are spreading,” an unfamiliar voice said from the shadows in the corner. A man stepped out, and I saw a slick black ponytail and a goatee. “Your mother—may she rest in peace—is a casualty of this. We must think this through. People are beginning to lose their faith in us. If we do not take action swiftly, our kingdom will crumble to ruins. We must put this war to an end, once and for all, before more lords are killed.”
“Whose side are you on, Ricardo? Are you with us or him?” a man with a round belly and thinning gray hair asked.
Ricardo stepped back and bowed his head. “I serve the king. The rightful king.”
August crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. “A DNA test would prove what?”
“If you are the rightful heir to the throne.” The man’s tone was full of venom.
Atticus cleared his throat, stealing all the attention in the room. “The only thing a DNA test would prove is that you fear Lord Nathan. Regardless of the outcome, it would give him leverage and power.”
“Forgive me, Your Highness,” a short man with blond hair said, “but this is a closed meeting. We don’t need the DuPonts infiltrating this kingdom more than they already do.”
August pressed his lips into a thin line. “He stays.”
The tension in the room was palpable. Everyone had an opinion, and their words were beginning to reach a feverish pitch. Behind me, Leo and Atticus were standing firm, ready to support whatever decision August made.
“I think we’re all overlooking something critical here,” I said, my voice shaking as I faced the intimidating stares of the powerful men before me. I knew they viewed me as insignificant, just a tool to be used in the grand scheme of things. But they had no idea what I was capable of, and I intended to show them.
“I’ll endure a DuPont, but I refuse to sit here and listen to a lady who thinks her opinion matters,” Lord Ricardo snapped.
My muscles tightened as I locked eyes with him. “No one is above the laws of this kingdom. Not even you. If King Augustus isn’t the rightful heir, then I am. Think about what that means.” My words were like a dagger, piercing through the silence of the room.
A hush fell over the room as the whispers slowly died away. All eyes were on me as I slowly nodded my head as if I had already come to the same conclusion. Everyone in this room knew that the line of ascension was a treacherous game and wanted to know where they stacked up in the hierarchy of power. “I am to marry Augustus, yes? The strongest showing of force we can make is to go through with the marriage, and it will solidify both our places as rulers. Lord Nathan is unreliable and unpredictable, and so it is reckless to allow his idle gossip to disrupt our sacred Crown’s elite. We must marry and prove him wrong. We are rulers of this noble kingdom, and we will not let anyone deter us.”
The older man nodded. “That’s very wise, Lady Christine. The House of Rose is next. The sooner you marry, the less opportunities Lord Nathan has to claim her.”
“Lord Nathan still objects to the marriage,” another person added. “There is the question of whether or not he has a claim to her. Perhaps Lord Nathan is the rightful—”
“Finish that statement, and I’ll have your head rolling down the streets of Aldrich,” Atticus snarled. “You will not question the king.”
It was hard to hear over the uproar of voices.
“Let me make this very clear.” August’s voice demanded everyone’s attention. “I am the rightful heir. I will not have my rights taken from me because of some terrorist’s groundless claims. I am marrying Lady Abernathy, and our marriage will solidify the claim that I am the rightful heir to the throne. If any of you have a problem with that, then you are welcome to raise the sword against me. Otherwise, I expect your support. I’ve taken the Crown, and I will not give it up. The people want leadership, and they want it now.”
Silence reigned. It was like ice water pouring over their nerves. They couldn’t really fight August. He was right. They were scared.
“Now, you can either side with me and put your trust in the Crown, or you can renounce your title. Do your jobs, work together with your fellow peers, and curtail these rumors. The kingdom of Aldrich will not fall—not on my watch. We are united as one, and together we will defeat Lord Nathan. We will protect the Crown.”
The tension stretched until it snapped. The men in the room clapped, shouting celebratory chants. I hadn’t realized how afraid they all were. Not just of what Lord Nathan could do, but of what would happen to them if they didn’t act fast enough.
As the cheers roared, one voice bellowed through the crowd, silencing them all. Lord Ricardo’s eyes narrowed, his stern gaze piercing them all. “And what will you do to protect us in the meantime? We are all at risk,” he growled. Everyone held their breaths, feeling a sense of foreboding and dread.
August sighed. “You will all stay here until the wedding ceremony is finished. We have enough guards and protection in place to keep you and your families safe.”
An older gentleman scoffed. “You couldn’t keep your own bloody engagement party safe—”
“Enough!” August roared. “You can either accept my kind generosity or take the risk. It’s obvious that Lord Nathan is working down the line. I think now that it’s stopped at Lady Christine, he won’t attack further.”
Lord Ricardo snarled. “No. It just means she’s the new target.”
All eyes fell on me.
