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All that mattered had an invitation to attend this emergency meeting. No exemption. The Duke had asked everyone to be present for an important announcement.

And a decision had to be made.

“It is official, Alex had renounced the crown.” Count Julius Ashthorne announced to the entire Council Members and the King as they gathered around the massive elongated table.

It was imperative to decide on the next course of action after receiving the formal declination of Prince Alexander Blackstone from accepting the position of King.

Now, they had to declare a new rightful heir and discuss the succession of the crown. The King had continuously expressed his wish to retire and the need for his urgent replacement.

“Does that mean Prince Lance Wellington will be the next in line?” Lord Fordshire expressed his excitement about the news.

.....

He was indeed a true advocate of the Prince for the position. It was not surprising since he was also closed to Count Thomas, who had been lobbying for his son to qualify for the title.

“Yes, based on our laws, we could qualify him for the position as long as he could abide by our rules.” Count Julius proclaimed for everyone to hear.

He could see his friend, Count Thomas, smiling with the news. But no one was more than happy to hear about this developing news but him. It would perfectly fit with his plans.

He always wanted Prince Alex to be their King because he believed in his leadership. He could see a great future ahead under his kingship.

“I assure you my son is more than happy to take on the challenge of ruling this kingdom. But I hope you will give him some time to recover from his injury.” Count Thomas stood up from his seat to face his colleagues, then the King.

“Yes, I understand his situation since I have been sick recently. And all of you were kind enough to hold the forth for me.” The King spoke up. “If your son truly expressed his wish to be King, then I will gladly accept him as my next heir.”

Everyone applauded with the King’s word. It was binding, and no one could break it except him. They had an heir once Prince Lance formally accepted his new position.

But Count Julius knew he could not disregard Prince Lance as King. He was also a good candidate for the crown. At the same time, he could not discount the advantages of his reign in his plans.

He never desired it, but it landed on his lap. Like fate was telling him it was their time, soon. He could not pass up the opportunity to plan for this and take the reign once again for their family.

To finally regain back their legacy for his family.

All he needed now was time to plan everything. A time that he hoped would be enough to make this work. And destiny working in his favor.

“Then, it is decided. Until our next meeting, we would like in full writing if Prince Lance could still not be able to attend the next Council meeting that he intends to take the throne.” The Duke announced, looking relieved that his son had changed his mind.

Count Julius could not blame the Duke for not wanting it for himself or his son. The crown, though seemingly beautiful and shiny on one’s head, could also be a burden due to its size and weight.

Only someone who truly wanted it could ever be able to carry it on his head and the heavy cape on his shoulders. It was a massive responsibility that could consume anyone who was not ready to handle its power.

“Of course, I will make sure to handle it by myself.” The Count could not contain his excitement, knowing that his son could become King.

It was a twist of event that no one had foreseen for a long time. Everybody had known that it was either Edward or Alex who would be vying for the crown.

But that was how fate worked. It had its mysterious ways.

And he was taking advantage while fate was clinging in his direction, giving him hope for a future for his family and generation.

“Then, we have nothing more to discuss for this time unless someone else had an agenda.” The Duke looked at each of his colleagues. Then his eyes focused on the King, sitting on the other end of the table.

But no one had spoken a word, appearing to have no more other topics in mind. In perspective, the meeting was urgent, and the other members did not have time to prepare their cases.

“So, if there are no other issues and it could wait for our regular sessions, then the meeting is adjourned.” The Duke announced, dismissing everyone in the room.

The only people left in the room were him, the Duke, the King, and Count Thomas. He would have gone with the rest, but he had to finalize the transition between the current King and the new one.

“Does Prince Lance need to recover a hundred percent before he could be ordained?” The King asked the three of them, still sitting in their respective seats.

“Not at all.” Count Julius answered, recalling their bylaws. “As long as the Prince regained most of his strength and body function, we could proceed with the ceremony.” He continued, being the only one well-versed with their laws, especially about the succession process.

“Then, continuously update us with your son’s condition, Count Thomas.” The Duke now spoke up, glad that the issue of the King was almost over.

He could see the different faces of the three men sitting around him. The King seemed anxious to let go of his powers as he could not wait to hand them down to the next one.

The Duke seemed relieved that his son was not taking the burden of carrying an entire Kingdom on his shoulders. While Count Thomas, his friend, was ready to feed his son to the flames of hell, only to have the power for himself.

He only wished that Prince Lance would stand against his father or he would become another puppet that their kingdom did not need at the moment.

What about him, Count Julius Ashthorne? He would wait patiently by the sideline until it was his time.