Page 230 of The Throne Seeker
She pulled the arrow out of the king’s chest, carefully wiping it clean with her dress before she inspected it. There was a faint glint of red on the tip, confirming her guess.Dragonshade.
Rose looked up to where the hooded man had stood, but of course, there was no trace of him or the energy she had felt.
She sank back onto the floor.
Her plan had failed.
After the shock wore off, the court members were all escorted to either the grand hall or their rooms. Rose assisted the healers before they took the king away, then washed the blood from her hands, though blotches still stained her dress.
Another one to burn.
The only ones left in the ballroom were Tristan, Harriet, Roman, and Xavier, along with Rose and her mother. Across from them stood the twelve high council members.
All of them listened to the report from the head guard.
“What do you mean you didn’t find him?” Roman growled with a death stare.
To his credit, the soldier stood with confidence. “We’ve accounted for everyone, General. There isn’t a soul missing or added.”
Roman cursed, folding his arms.
How could that be? How could they have missed someone with a bow and arrow in hand looking like that? People couldn’t just disappear into thin air. If what the guard said was true, then they’d have to assume?—
It was someone within the court.
“What do you want to do, Tristan?” Lord Barron asked.
All eyes fell on Tristan, whose face was paler than fresh snow. He didn’t move. His eyes didn’t even flicker, staring into space. It finally hit her—with their father gone, the succession was in motion.
Tristan was their new king.
Silence filled the hall, each high council member looking at Tristan expectantly. But Tristan was lost in another world.
“Tristan,” Rose prodded softly.
Tristan finally snapped out of it as his glossy eyes lifted to meet hers, threatening to overflow. A wave of his internal fear crashed into her—pure, justified fear. He didn’t let a soul see it but her.
Within a blink, the fear was gone, and Tristan straightened. His jaw tightened as determination took over his expression. “The enemy must be someone among us. We’ll need to interrogate each court member.”
“We could start with her,” Lord Martin sneered, his beady eyes set solely on Rose, probably resenting that she was allowed to return at all.
There it was—the suspicion. But who could blame them? Their mistrust of her had just been validated a thousand times over. Their king was dead. The court was in danger. And it was all because of her—a lying siren.
She had planned to prove her innocence to the council by finding the true culprit. But now, with empty hands and the king gone… she was on the chopping block. Her fear escalated—fear that none of them could accept her, that they’d only see her as nothing but a threat.
A throne seeker.
She tried to read them, but their emotions were so muddied she couldn’t decipher whether the council intended to hold her responsible.
Roman’s mouth curled into a snarl. “Are you suggesting she was in two places at once? She couldn’t have?—”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Lord Martin silenced him, returning his attention to Tristan. “She’s a siren. We have no idea what she’s capable of or what powers she possesses. All we know is that none of this happened until she returned.”
Roman and Xavier discreetly drew closer to her, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords. Her mother came closer, too, preparing for a fight.
Rose’s eyes flickered to Tristan, wondering if he’d defend her, too. But to her surprise, his eyes were already intently on her. Observing her. Waiting. Giving her an opportunity to speak for herself.
Understanding, she straightened her posture and took a step forward. “I know you’ve heard stories of my kind—stories of terror and slaughter, tales of the destruction of land and theft of lives. Some of you have even experienced the consequences of these actions firsthand, and I grieve with you. But I am just as estranged from my kind as you are. They are not me, and it’s neither fair nor just of you to hold their past transgressions against me. Just as it would be unfair of me to hold you accountable for the near extinction of my kind… I’ve known most of you nearly all my life. I’ve sat and eaten beside you and even looked up to some of you.” Her eyes rested on Lord Barron, his handsome eyes watching her closely. “Ever since the moment I returned, I’ve fought for your approval. At one point, I dearly wished for it. But you had already decided my fate before the succession had begun.”
