The Dragon King's Heart

Lucinda stepped forward. For a moment, Laina had a glimmer of hope that the Royal Chancellor might be coming forward to speak well on her behalf. But she was disappointed. 

"Your Majesty, according to Kinshearth traditions, even if you choose to abdicate, you cannot possibly hand over the crown to Laina."

It felt like a slap on the face for Laina, but she did not let that bring her down. Change was often difficult. Changing a kingdom felt like an impossible task. But she was up for the challenge. 

"Then perhaps I should do what I should have done earlier. I will break the tradition and appoint Laina as the next Queen of Kinshearth," Ethan declared. 

The ministers were livid and so was the nobility. They were unwilling to accept the changes that were in the making. They were riled up. It was at this point, that someone shouts out a theory.

"She must have bewitched the King! Laina must have bewitched him!"

Confronted with such preposterous claims, Ethan was livid. Others were in disbelief of such a theory. But hearing that Laina was to inherit the throne, stirred up feelings amongst the nobles and ministers.

"This is ridiculous, I will not concede to Laina as our monarch."

"Yeah!"

"I agree!"

A group of ministers and nobles gathered together. They collectively decided to resign from the court, hoping that their actions would change Ethan's mind. But Ethan did not waver. Laina looked over to her cousin. 

"May I say something, Your Majesty?" she asked politely.

"Go ahead," he gave her the floor. 

Laina thanked him as she turned back around, facing the Royal Court. She did a quick scan of the throne room. She looked at each of them in the face.

She knew if she wanted to change Kinshearth for the better, she was going to have to make enemies. Even if none of them think what she did was right, she would persevere through. The duty of a Queen was to guide her people and protect them. that was what Laina intended to do.

"I understand many of you do not agree with me and are appalled by the notion that I would seat on the throne once again. If you feel so strongly about it and wish to step down from your duties in the Royal Court, I will not stop you."

As soon as she finished her sentence the throne room erupted into conversation. Many were talking over one another, venting their anger at the boldness of Laina's statement. Even Ethan was sweating. He would have never spoken in such a manner to his court. 

Laina's sharp ears picked up on some of the conversations they were having. Some wondered if this was all part of her plot to get rid of them. Others theorized that if they stepped out of the throne room, they would be arrested or executed. 

Faced with these preposterous accusations, Laina could not help but find them amusing. She could no longer control her emotions, resulting in her bursting out in laughter. To everyone present, it looked as if the former crown princess was laughing maniacally. Had she gone mad?

"I will not be arresting anyone who steps out of the throne room or executing anyone. Unless you give me a good reason to do so."

Amongst the nobles and ministers, Laina knew there were some who had engaged in under-table dealings, profiting from illegal trade deals and monopolization. She could see the sweat trickling down their brows and hear their hearts pounding in their chests. 

They feared her wrath and rightfully so. 

"So once again, if you wish to leave, please do. I will not stop you. The guards will not stop you. You are all free to leave as you please. But," she raised her index finger as she continued, demanding their attention, "If you choose to stay, expect changes to be made. I will not stand for insubordination. I will not stand for injustice."

Even with the statement, she had made, many were still skeptical. Finally, after much uncertainty, a few of those who were brave enough removed themselves from the crowd and left the throne room with their heads held high. Laina admired their courage and kept to her word. 

When the others saw that no harm came to them, they quickly followed suit. Nobles and ministers left in droves, only a handful were left. Ethan began to worry. Without the support of the nobility and the ministers, how was the Kinshearth going to survive?

But if he had learned anything from his experience, it was the fact that he had to put his faith in Laina. Laina looked at those who were left. Amongst them were Lucinda and Tobias. She saw a few familiar faces, those who have supported her during her reign. Then there were those who remained with ulterior motives. 

"Laina, I'll yield the court to you," Ethan said as he placed his hand on her shoulder before stepping to the side. 

Lucinda and Tobias exchanged glances. Both of them were about to open their mouth to speak when Laina raised her hand to stop them. She did not want to hear a single word from either of them. 

"I will be listing a few names. If your names are called, come forward," as soon as she finished, she began reading out a series of names. 

Not knowing what Laina had in store for them, they simply did as she asked. Amongst the names she had called were Tobias and Lucinda. Once all of them came forward and all the names were accounted for, Laina made another declaration. 

"Thank you for your service to the court. All of you are hear by dismissed."

"Dismissed?! What in Kinshearth do you think you're doing?" Tobias roared in anger. 

This was a rare moment. Laina had never seen the general so angry before. She was pleasantly amused when the others whose names she called joined in too. She did not respond to them, simply allowing them to continue fanning the fire. They got riled up. Met with Laina's silence, they only got angrier. 

"Give us an answer this instant, Laina!" Lucinda demanded. 

"We demand an explanation!" Tobias yelled. 

He even had the audacity to lift his weapon to threaten Laina. At this moment, Margaret and the others could not remain hidden any longer. All three of them revealed themselves to the court and stood before Laina protectively. 

"Resorting to physical threats, General Tobias? You've most certainly gotten bolder since we last met," Margaret said coldly as she folded her arms.

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