I took a step down. A murmur went through the crowd. All eyes were on me.
I could feel the murderous intent rolling off him, but he kept that damn smirk on the entire time.
“You do not belong on the throne.”
He raised an eyebrow at me.
“Because I'm a bastard child? Come on, I thought you were more accepting than that.” His voice held an amused twist to it that had a few people chuckling awkwardly. “Or maybe…” He rose to his feet. “You just want it for yourself.”
I tried not to react to the obvious insult.
“No one should inherit this throne,” I spat at him. “We are built on violence. On kidnapping and forcibly impregnating the women of this family. We take. We maim. We murder. And I know that if I allow it, you'll kill us all.”
There was a two-second delay before he threw his head back and let out a booming laugh. Those who were on his side started laughing as well, joining him. Mocking me.
He wanted to get a rise out of me. He wanted me to back down. But only because he knew, even if there was only the tiniest chance of it, that he was going to lose today.
He wanted me so angry, so ashamed, that I wouldn't see what was in front of me.
But this had been my whole life.
From the moment I was born, my father had used me as a tool. Abused me. Not just in our home but in front of others as well. He put me in my place more times than I could count.
I was used to people looking down on me, thinking I was nothing more than a pretty little jewel to adorn whatever king I was given to.
They wanted my power, and they thought owning me would give them that.
Never again.
“You can't do anything about it,” he said, glaring at me before taking another step forward. But he wasn't the only one. I met him right in the middle and pointed the sword at his throat. “Do you think that sword will kill me? Did you not learn anything while you sat here, bathing in the riches that should've beenmine? All that money and time spent on your useless schooling, and this is how you decided to defeat me? It doesn't matter what weapon you hold; you’re alone standing against me, and you will fall.”
“What makes you think I'm alone?”
I raised my hand, motioning for a group to step forward.
This is it. Everything we've been waiting for.
For this, I needed blind faith. I couldn't give in to the doubt that was swirling around my head.
But only when the sound of silence hit my ears did I look up to see that not a single person had stepped forward.
I looked through the crowd, meeting the eyes of every single royal head I could, but none of them would dare look at me. All the fear and doubt in my soul had come to a head. My fears were being realized.
No one came for me.
“You think I didn’t know what you were trying to do?” he asked in a whisper, then added, louder, “You think I didn’t know you were trying to get my own people to overthrow me?”
He grabbed the sword with his bare hand, not even flinching as it sliced through the skin, his dark, disgusting-smelling blood falling to the floor.
He pushed me back, forcing me to walk up the steps backward.
“You got to them,” I said, the realization making me feel numb.
Has every single one of them betrayed me?
I tried to look around him for Vesper or Cedar, but his hand was on my face, forcing me to look at him.
“It was a cute little game you were playing. Once a silly, stupid princess, always a silly, stupid princess. And you want to know the best thing about it?” He leaned forward, his lips at my ear. “No one is coming to save you.”
