Page 75 of Song of the Heart Scale
“I never wanted the crown,” I said flatly. “Only to see justice done.”
Lord Rolen gave a dry chuckle. “Justice. Spoken like a man with no power.”
Uncle Bai stepped in. “You’ve seen what Thorne has become. The enthronement was a disaster. Nature itself rejected him.”
“The storm that never came,” Lord Vauren muttered. “The crops are already withering in Dragon Valley.”
Lady Mirena set her goblet down. “My sailors say the tides have changed. Fish have vanished. Sea beasts swim near the surface like something's driven them from the depths.”
Lord Rolen rubbed his chin, likely thinking through the financial implications. “So, the question is notifwe move against him, buthow.”
I placed a rolled parchment on the table. “We intercepted this from one of his inner couriers. It's a list of targets. Names. Merchants, nobles, even priests. People he's planning to eliminate or bribe.”
Lord Vauren scowled, irritated his defense officers hadn’t intercepted it first. “And you're certain it's real?”
“We don’t know. But the famine? Malachar confirmed it.”
The room fell silent.
“You spoke to the seer?” Lord Rolen asked, his startled voice barely a whisper.
I nodded. “He said Thorne's reign would bring famine and the skies would remain dry as long as he sits on the throne. That the Immortals have turned their backs on us.”
“Then we’re already too late,” Lady Mirena whispered.
“No,” I said. “We still have time. But we need to act. Not just with blades, but with influence. With unity.”
Lord Vauren leaned back. “You want a rebellion.”
My stare hardened. “I want a reckoning. One the people will follow.”
Lord Rolen sneered. “And if they don’t?”
I met his gaze. “Then I'll burn the lies down myself.”
Lady Mirena chuckled. “Broody after all. I like him.”
Uncle Bai stepped forward. “We’ll need access to the docks, control of the city guard in the districts, and funds to start moving supplies away from Thorne’s reach.”
“My ships can be yours,” Lady Mirena said. “But I want my name off any manifest. If Thorne finds out, I’m fish food.”
Lord Vauren grunted. “I can move some of the guard. Loyal men. But not all.”
Lord Rolen hesitated. “Gold moves mountains. I can freeze some of his reserves through tax levies and royal audits, but he’ll notice. Quickly.”
I nodded. “That’s enough. A start.”
Lord Vauren sighed. “This all sounds great, but without an army, you will fail.”
He was right. We could maneuver these little things all we wanted, but to fight Thorne and take him down, we needed an army.
“You need the Nightwing battalion,” Lord Vauren said.
My brows shot up and I looked over at the Minister of Defense. “They would never…”
“They just might.” He looked around the cellar at each of us. “Lord Mercer is the Nightwing commander. If you could convince him—”
“He’s also in-laws with Lord Zacharia, who is a staunch supporter of Thorne,” Uncle Bai chimed in.
