The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 132: Debate

Chapter 132: Debate

Lady Susan was not the only one with such thoughts. Lord Cedric, a Privy Councilor, also had similar ambitions. He was the late king’s cousin and held a noble position. In fact, if all members of King George’s family died, he could lay claim to the throne.

Now that the king had died suddenly and the crown prince was absent, he believed this was his opportunity to become the next monarch.

"My lord, such thoughts could be interpreted as treason," Lady Cedric said when she heard her husband speak about taking over the throne.

"What do you know? My cousin is dead, and none of his sons are in the royal city. It is only right for me to help preserve our royal family," he replied. In his heart, he believed that if he could get his hands on the king’s seal, eliminating the late king’s sons would be only a matter of time. Once those boys were dead, he could become king legitimately. Not much blood needed to be shed.

Hearing her husband’s words, Lady Cedric fell silent, but she knew he had other plans. Of course, she also wished to become queen, but if her husband failed, they would all lose their lives.

"Just make the arrangements to enter the palace tomorrow. Don’t worry about anything else," Lord Cedric said.

Lady Cedric bowed, looking at her husband’s confident face. She thought that perhaps it was finally time for her family to shine brighter.

The next morning, all noble families made their way to the royal palace.

By breakfast, the grand hall was already filled with noblemen. The women were directed to the chapel to pray.

Queen Mary was exhausted. She hadn’t slept the night before, having spent it making plans for the coming days. The kingdom was at war in the north, and the crown prince could not simply return. Even if he could, it would take ten days by the fastest horse.

The king’s seal and sceptre of authority were still missing—without those two items, the prince could not be crowned. So, she had sent a message back to General Robert, asking him to locate the caravan as soon as possible. She hoped and prayed that the box would be found, perhaps with clues to the missing princess.

She was not the king and could only rely on General Robert’s leadership. She felt it best to call the commander back. After all, someone was plotting against the royal family—she could not be careless. What if that person realized the commander was onto them and silenced him?

She sent out letters to various nobles, hoping that with their support, the chaos could be lessened.

When Queen Mary entered the hall, the murmuring ceased. Everyone stood and bowed to greet her. Although the king was dead, she remained queen until the crown prince was crowned.

Queen Mary took her seat. The main throne, which had belonged to the king, remained empty. Usually, the crown prince would preside over such a meeting with the royal council, but since he was unavailable, the queen stepped into his place and addressed the nobles.

A few nobles demanded to know how the king had died, as his death had been sudden. Queen Mary anticipated this, and so she allowed Physician Nathan to speak.

The fact that King George had been poisoned was not hidden—Queen Mary wanted a thorough investigation to find out who had murdered her husband. She also made the matter public to discourage the ambitions of certain members of the royal family. After all, anyone acting greedy could easily be accused of the crime. A man who poisoned the king could never be accepted as king himself. If found guilty, the punishment could be loss of title—or worse, execution.

Some nobles were already aware that the king had been poisoned. Those who weren’t were shocked. After murmurs and whispered conversations, the meeting continued.

The discussion on the king’s funeral proceeded smoothly, but afterward, a heated debate arose. The crown prince was the rightful heir, but since he was far away, someone had to act in his stead. Many were eager for this role—and some had their own motives.

The debate began when one lord proposed that the third prince take the role. A few agreed, as he was the king’s son.

But many rejected the idea, claiming he was only a baron—not fit for the role. Moreover, he was not a legitimate child, even if his mother was the king’s official mistress.

"I propose that Lord Williams, Lord of the Privy Council, take the role," another councilor said. Everyone present knew that Lord Williams had been trusted and favored by the late king.

"How can that be?" another lord objected. He had agreed with Lord Cedric to nominate him and was surprised that someone else had spoken first.

Lord Williams was indeed the best candidate—he was a close adviser to the late king and had no legitimate claim to the throne. He could serve as the Crown Prince’s representative without threatening the royal family.

Unless, of course, he chose to betray them. But even then, seizing the throne would likely lead to war. His best and safest choice was to remain loyal.

"Why?" the lord asked, surprised that someone had opposed him.

"I believe the best candidate is Lord Cedric. He is a blood relative of the royal family. Given the current state of the kingdom, we cannot afford internal strife," the lord said. Though he knew his argument was weak, he had to speak up.

The hall was soon divided into four factions: those who supported Lord Williams, those who stood with Lord Cedric, those backing the third prince, and the largest group—those who remained neutral and chose only to listen.

"I believe the best person for this position is the queen," Lord Eldric Hawthorne who has been silent all the while suddenly spoke.

The hall fell quite, no one expected him to mention the queen. After all, she was a woman. When had it’s been the place of a woman to rule? Especially when they were capable men around.