Page 41 of Rise of the Siren Queen
I curled my fingers into fists beneath the table, nails biting into my palms to tether the desire of shattering his mind burning inside me. He wanted a reaction, an attack against him. He wouldn’t succeed.
“Justicewillbe served, Thalor,” I said, my tone cool, unyielding. “Lady Ithra violated the sacred laws of this kingdom,mylaws.Thatis the matter at hand, andthatis what we will address. Any attempt to twist this into one of your pathetic political games is nothing more than an evasion of the truth.”
I leaned forward slightly, just enough to make the water shift between us, a silent warning.
“But you already know that, don’t you?”
His smirk wavered, just for a heartbeat, but I caught it. A crack in the mask. The smallest slip, yet it fed something dark and satisfied within me.
Good. Let him realize,trulyrealize, that this was not a debate. Not a game.
The law would stand.Mylaw.
Ithra would face judgment, and there would be no leniency, no mercy. Not for her. Not for anyone who thought they could cross me and walk away unscathed. Never again.
“My queen,” Thalor said with feigned politeness, “I propose we assign Lady Ithra to Oceanic Service.”
My chest tightened, cold fury slithering through me like a riptide.Oceanic Service?A mercy she hadn’t earned. A coward’s escape from true justice.
Oceanic Service was a sentence reserved for minor offenders, tasked with performing menial and laborious tasks for the community, cleaning temples, coral reefs and assisting with mundane duties within the kingdom. It was nothing compared to the severity of what Ithra had done.
Thalor’s gaze shifted to me, his smirk barely concealed. He knew exactly what he was doing, downplaying Ithra’s crime while subtly discrediting my judgment.
“You would have her scrub temple floors and call it justice for attempted murder?” My voice was stable with barely contained anger. “Her crimes are not a mistake that mere service can rectify.”
Thalor’s eyes glinted, as if relishing the challenge. “She was doing her duty, protecting our territory from an outsider. Surely that should account for something, should it not?”
I narrowed my gaze at him. “Her motives do not justify her actions. The law must apply to everyone equally, councilman, including Lady Ithra.”
Thalor leaned forward, his voice lowering, dripping with insinuation.
“The law… or your personal vendetta, Princess?”
The accusation stung, but I refused to let his words rattle me.This is not personal, I reminded myself. This was about my position as heir and ruler.
I straightened in my seat, icy composure masking the fire burning in my chest. “The law binds us all,” I said, my voice crisp and controlled, “including Lady Ithra. And the law demands she face a punishment befitting her crime. No more, no less.”
Thalor’s smirk faded slightly, his tone sharpening.
“Careful, Princess. Mercy is also a law of the sea.”
I leaned forward, my voice a deadly whisper, smooth and deliberate.
“Mercy is for those who show remorse.” My eyes never left his, hard and unyielding. “Ithra has shown nothing but contempt. She deserves no mercy. She deservespunishment.” I let the words hang, a stark warning.
“Enough,” my grandmother’s voice sliced through the room, sharp and commanding, the authority in her tone making my blood simmer. “We have two valid points.”
I stared at her, disbelief flooding through me.Two valid points?
There was nothing valid about sparing Ithra. Nothing. The punishment she deserved was clear and righteous. Her words struck me with the force of a wave crashing against jagged rocks. Cold, unforgiving. A reminder that I wasn’t the only one holding the power here. But Iwouldhave it, no matter the cost.
“Those in favor of the princess’s suggested punishment, raise your hands.”
Lady Thalia’s hand rose first, followed by General Kai and Lady Mira. Their loyalty brought a flicker of hope, but it was quickly drowned out by Thalor’s backers.
“Now, those in favor of Lord Thalor’s suggested punishment raise your hands.”
My heart sank as Lord Fillipos, Lord Tryfon, and Lord Elias raised their hands, aligning themselves with Thalor. A tie.
