Chapter 158
I swallowed my fury and forced myself to speak calmly. "Even if you want to depose me, you still need Rowan's permission. He is the Alpha King and you can't make a decision like that without him. And I know for a fact he would never agree to it."
Lucian's expression darkened, but before he could respond, Martel snapped the book shut.
"We will see," the older man said, giving me a cold look. "In the meantime, Lucian will serve as the interim Alpha King. For the good of the kingdom."
I clenched my fists. "Absolutely not."
"You don't have a choice," Lucian said smoothly. "The council has already voted on it."
I opened my mouth to argue, but they were already turning away, dismissing me entirely.
Anger burned in my chest, but I knew there was no point in continuing this conversation—not here, not now.
Without another word, I spun on my heel and stormed out of the room.
.................
I found myself in the library, pacing back and forth between the towering shelves.
There had to be a loophole. Something I could use against them.
I grabbed book after book, skimming through legal texts, historical records—anything that might help me.
Hours passed, but nothing useful surfaced.
I exhaled sharply and pressed my hands against the desk, frustration clawing at me.
"They can't do this," I muttered to myself. "They simply cannot!"
But they were trying.
And if I didn't find a way to stop them soon, I might lose everything.
\----------------------------
The library was lit with candles, the glow of the lanterns barely illuminating the sea of books before me. I had been poring over records, ancient texts, anything that might offer me a sliver of hope. My body ached from exhaustion, but I refused to give in. If I stopped now, Lucian would win.
At some point, my eyes grew too heavy, and before I realized it, I had slumped forward, my cheek resting against the open book in front of me.
I woke to a gentle shake on my shoulder. "Your Majesty," a voice whispered.
I blinked rapidly, sitting up with a start. The librarian, an older man with a kind but wary expression, stood beside me.
"I must have fallen asleep," I murmured, rubbing my temple.
The librarian nodded. "You've been here for hours." He hesitated, then asked, "What are you looking for? Maybe I can help."
I exhaled. "I need to know if Prince Lucian can truly be made interim Alpha King while Rowan is away. And while I am still Queen. It's not possible is it?"
The librarian hesitated again before sighing. "He can. There is every possibility that he can be made the ruling alpha king if there is sufficient reason to believe that the alpha king Rowan might not make it back."
I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of those words settle heavily on my chest. "There has to be a loophole," I insisted. "Something—anything—that can prevent this."
The librarian looked uncertain. "I do not know of any, Your Majesty. I believe there is none."
I shook my head stubbornly. "There must be something. Bring me the records of the past Alpha Kings. I need to see them."
With a sigh, the librarian left and returned moments later with several thick, leather-bound books. "These are the complete records," he said, placing them before me. "But I warn you, I do not believe they will give you what you seek. Go and rest your Majesty, there is nothing you can do to prevent what will happen."
I didn't respond. I immediately flipped through the pages, scanning through centuries of rulership, searching for any case similar to mine.
Minutes stretched into hours. I read about past kings, their triumphs and failures, their bloodlines, their wars. My eyes burned with fatigue, but I kept going.
And then—
My breath caught.
There it was.
A case, a little over a century ago, where the council had attempted to appoint an interim Alpha King while the ruling Alpha was away at war. But the motion had been rejected swiftly and immediately, because the Queen had just given birth to the heir.
I stared at the passage, my heart pounding.
This was it.
I had no idea if it would work, but it was my only chance.
I snapped the book shut and stood abruptly, holding it like a prized possession.
"Thank you," I said to the librarian, not waiting for a response as I hurried out of the library.
...................
The royal physician, Aldric, was in his chamber, meticulously grinding herbs when I burst in.
He looked up, startled. "Your Majesty—"
"I found something," I blurted out, placing the record book on his table. "Look at this."
He wiped his hands and took the book, scanning the page I had marked. His brow furrowed. "The appointment of an interim Alpha King Orlon was rejected because the Queen Matilda had given birth to the heir..." he read aloud.
I nodded. "If I give birth to a son, they cannot make Lucian king."
Aldric closed the book, his expression cautious.
"That is true," he admitted.
I felt a surge of hope. "Then that means—"
"If you give birth to a son," he cut in gently. "And even then, it might be too late to do anything when he is sworn in."
I shook my head. "Lucian is being formally appointed in three days. What if... what if the baby came a little earlier? Can that be arranged? Is it even possible?"
Aldric's expression darkened. "You're suggesting inducing labor?!"
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