Court of Midnight - Lucinda Dark Page 0,80

Sorrell commented before I could respond.

I swung my gaze his way and stared him down.

“There is only one way out of this,” Orion said, drawing my attention.

“Say it,” Nellie offered. “I can take it.”

“We must kill the King of Amnestia.”

I watched as Nel’s face paled, but she kept her lips shut. She was the daughter of doctors—of healers. Murder and war and bloodshed was not something she cared for. To be honest, the statement wasn’t a shock for me. I wasn’t even against it. Not after what I’d seen in the capital castle, but there was still a larger problem at play.

“Without a King, what will happen to Amnestia?” I asked.

Orion, Roan, and Sorrell exchanged a look. “We can’t say,” Roan finally replied.

“Then we can’t do it,” I said.

It was as simple as that. The King was corrupt and rotten, but without him, all I could see were the aftereffects. The people of Amnestia knew nothing but the monarchy. Dear Coreliath, if there was no ruler in place, chaos would take its place. Chaos was even worse than war.

“Cress, remember what he did to you—” Roan started, his face darkening. “Remember how you were held and almost—”

“I remember,” I said, cutting him off. “I’m not defending him. I’m thinking of the people. What happens after he’s dead?” I demanded. “Who will take his place?”

The three of them fell silent and I wasn’t surprised that neither Nellie nor her Fae ‘friend,’ Ash, had anything to say. It was an impossible position. The King was the villain in our storybook, and yet, killing him would make us villains. It would destroy the country not to have someone in place to lead them back into the light, into a prosperous world without war and pain as the driving forces of their lives. I sensed the tension in the room, felt it rise as flames erupted at Roan’s scalp. He turned and marched one way before swiftly pivoting and starting back.

No matter what, though, none of us had a clear answer.

We couldn't just kill the King and leave the Kingdom of Amnestia to rot. There would be nothing but chaos—the exact opposite of what we were trying to accomplish. We needed peace, not pandemonium. We needed to end this.

"There is another option," Groffet said suddenly. All eyes turned to him.

"Well, we're all ears, Groffet," Roan snapped. "Please, by all means..." He gestured to the rest of the group. “What other option do we have?”

Groffet eyed the red haired Prince and even though he was barely half Roan's size, he still somehow managed to look down his nose at him. "Humans—like Fae—believe in the line of succession," he began. "Therefore, if we can find a Royal of Amnestia who is willing to take over the crown and not the mantle of war, we may yet still have a chance for ending this bloodshed."

"The King never had any children," Nellie piped up. The Fae at her back, Ash, stepped closer as the Princes' gazes all turned to her. She shrank back slightly, but I watched as he lifted his hand and gently pressed it to her back. My eyebrows shot up when she appeared to sigh and lean into him.

"How do you know this?" Sorrell asked. "Is it common knowledge among your people? Do King's of the human realm not hide their offspring in case of an attack?

"It's common knowledge," Nellie said. "If the King had had a child, there would have been a celebration. Plus..." She paused as if unsure whether or not she should speak the next part, but one look from Ash and she lifted her gaze to meet Sorrell's head on. "The Queen was killed during a Fae raid many years ago. It's the reason why he's so hateful towards them now."

"Fae raids..." Orion's brows pinched as repeated those words. "Those haven't happened since the very beginning of the war."

"Then it's likely another reason why the war was started," Sorrell surmised.

Groffet grunted. "I did not say a child of the current King," he clarified. "I said a Royal of Amnestia—someone from his line. It doesn't necessarily have to be a child."

"The King had no children or siblings," Nellie argued. "There are no more Royals of Amnestia. He is the last of his line."

I stepped forward. "Shouldn't we try to find out anyway?" I asked. "Just to be sure? What could it hurt?"

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, one by one, everyone agreed. Even Ash, though he looked more interested