Chapter 9
Sagan
I shot her a look over my shoulder to drop it. “Not a conversation for all here, and I honestly haven’t had time to dive into all the finances yet.” I nodded when Uncle Darren snorted. “There’s going to need to be full audits and more given…”
Pity filled her eyes. “Nothing was handed over gently like Rhys had. No, I suppose not. Whatever we can do, we’re here, Sagan.”
“I would appreciate that. Immensely, and if you can all stay longer than originally planned or have any visits to help in the next few months.” I was being honest and that shocked a lot of people.
Mostly, I’d done it to show I would accept help… Simply not the elders since they weren’t trustworthy.
Yes, I knew how to play the game even if I wasn’t raised at the castle or court. Fools.
Also… The royal family was broke. The main family at least.
From what I could tell, I was pretty fucking broke.
The extended family all had their trust funds from when they turned twenty-five and investments—businesses or whatever they were allowed since they weren’t the heir. That was allowed without conflicts.
I’d never received my private funds though, and my parents had brushed it off.
Now I knew the truth and it was because there weren’t any.
I looked forward to figuring out that whole mess and cleaning it up. I hoped I was simply missing something and there were accounts somewhere with piles of money.
I didn’t have enough faith in life though that there were.
Awesome. Seriously just… Awesome.
I faced back toward the Alphas and rubbed my neck. “When Father took over, he changed the Alpha meetings to monthly. I know a lot of people said it was overkill and showed weakness—a mistake of his rule.” I shot the elders an annoyed look, making it clear I knew who that all came from.
“Many of us appreciated his attention to detail and genuine concern, Your Highness,” one of the Alphas in the back said. “And so did our fathers.”
People seemed to agree with that and I nodded. “Good, because I’m doing the same. We can have the first meeting while people are here for the coronation. Then monthly—not on the full moon, but we’ll figure it out. I hope for the first few years and then we can switch back to quarterly.”
Most of the Alphas seemed on board.
“I understand it’s an inconvenience and emergencies will happen. I’ll allow seconds being sent as long as it’s not constant. We have to work together to show our nation is still strong and stable.”
That was the right thing to say. Alphas didn’t want to travel all the way here at the beck and call of the royal family. Especially not once a month.
Yeah, it was a lot to ask. I understood that.
So was asking everything of me that they were… So suck it up.
Like I had to.
We discussed a few more things, but when I felt the tension about crackling, I knew I couldn’t put off the discussion anymore.
I stood again and moved to the front of the table. “So help me if any of you lose your heads to talk about me as you shouldn’t—just don’t.” I waited until most seemed to realize they had to behave.
At least that was what I hoped.
I let out a long breath. “After checking the family history with Uncle Fraser and Aunt Maple, we have confirmed that none of your families have mated into the royal family in five generations. There is no chance of cousin jokes or any incest claims like other monarchies have.”
I tried not to react when Treena snorted. It was something her family was constantly accused of being wolves. It was bullshit since—it was bullshit. It was just a way to look down on other shifter species.
“I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but an Alpha family did mate your great-grandmother and…” one Alpha said but then frowned.
“And they are no longer the family in charge,” I finished for him, glad when others nodded. “That family was removed from leadership with the support of my grandfather. The issues—we weren’t there. But that was the last time an Alpha family mated into the royal family and with good reason.”
“Yes, as they try to take over the power and throne,” Aunt Maple drawled, articulating my point but with more flair. “And they want you to have four or five or all of their sons trying for the same like you’re a whore.”
It took everything I had to not react to that. She wasn’t wrong, but she was being a bit harsh.
Still, it worked and most of the Alphas looked properly chagrined.
“While it isn’t rare for powerful dragons to take multiple mates, it’s not our normal,” I continued.
“This could be a disaster and completely shunned by the general population. So I will not commit to multiple mates. I won’t.
” I chuffed when there were whispers. “I will not risk the monarchy being overthrown for your selfishness!”
That got a reaction and they all settled down.
“But you are willing to entertain suitors from our families?” someone from the back asked.
“Yes.” I swallowed down my rage when Elder Hardin couldn’t even hide his triumphant smirk. “With conditions that every Alpha in this room will sign with a blood oath.”
It was hard not to laugh when his smirk started to slip. He glanced around the room as if he knew someone would speak out and wouldn’t leave that alone.
“Or?” a voice said too quietly for me to lock in on whom.
Fraser snorted. “Chicken shit.”
I agreed, but I knew someone would push back. Darren had had more faith in people being honorable and at least hearing me out given the conditions were more than fair.
He stood and slammed his fists on the table. “You are all not worth—”
“Sorry, Uncle Darren,” I cut in, my quiet voice being more effective than yelling right then.
Tears filled his eyes. “You deserve so much more than—don’t let them do this to you.”
I chuckled darkly as I looked back to Hardin.
“I’m sorry you had faith in the leaders and I lied that I did.
I never did. I knew exactly that this was going to be a threat once the floodgate was opened by a snake who thought he held all the cards but was too stupid to realize this was how I would get rid of him. ”
People had a range of reactions to my being so bold to speak directly to Hardin even if I really wasn’t.
Accusing him without accusing him.
I glanced back at Darren. “And I’m sorry I went behind your back.”
His face went pale. “Sagan, what did you do?”
“What she had to so she was protected and to show she’s the ruler instead of this sexism that everyone here is so excited for,” Treena purred. “That they will be the grandfather of the next king for whom you will basically be the queen regent.”
I glanced at her. “I really wish we were a matriarchal society like wolves are.”
She snorted and glanced at me with too much swirling in her eyes. “You’re smart enough to know that’s not always the way of things.”
I snorted next and then stared out at the Alphas. “Or I unleash a hell none of you will recover from.” I smirked at Hardin before glancing at my watch. “Your father is waiting to hear from me in forty minutes, yes?”
“He’ll probably give you an hour just to be sure. Maybe confirm through the numbers in the castle he now has. Father is wise and prudent.”
“Sagan, what did you do?” Uncle Fraser whispered.
I shot him a quick glance but then looked back at Hardin.
“I gave King Taryn proof of the coup. The recordings that elders were forcing me to mate to become queen.” I smirked when Hardin couldn’t hide his rage.
“Also, a selection of recordings from conversations with Alphas who basically tried to strong-arm me for this meeting and shove their—”
“That’s a bit much, Princess,” one Alpha cut in as he stood.
“Well, we know who one of them is,” Aunt Maple drawled.
She was always smart like that.
“There’s also a message from me that I will not agree to be mated and am asking for King Taryn to rescue me from the hostile environment that I’m—”
“You’ve made your point, Princess,” Hardin bit out.
I held up my finger to the guards who moved to take him out.
“Oh, I’m not done, and I want you here for this before I kick you out of my castle.
I want you to understand how far I’m willing to go so the next time you come at me, you better not underestimate me again.
Because I don’t play games. I win them. Always. ”
I outlined the rest of what King Taryn had, including proof and sound bites. Video and paper trails.
“How could you allow the leader of another country to have all of that dirt on our nation, Your Highness?” one of the Alphas whispered. “He will use that no matter what and—”
I snorted but felt bad when Treena growled. I met the Alpha’s gaze head-on. “Because I currently trust King Taryn more than I do any of the elders and Alphas besides Alpha Vex. And how could I do it? Easily. After all of what you have done and want from me—easily.”
“You should have just listened to her very reasonable fucking conditions that I absolutely believed no one would object to in their right mind when you all have female family,” Darren seethed. “And you—how can you all—”
I flinched when he flipped the table and stormed out of the room. I couldn’t hide my shock, glancing at Fraser.
“He wasn’t raised a royal or even in an Alpha family, Sagan. You are his niece first, always. And Darren lost his baby sister—he cannot lose you,” he explained.
“None of us can, Cousin,” one of my female cousins whispered. “We’re with you. Don’t let them do this to you. None of us would take your place if this is why you left.”
Wow. My family was really throwing down behind me to help.
And I wouldn’t forget it even if some of them were spoiled twits.
“What are the conditions, Your Highness?” Alpha Vex asked as he stood. “I expected—of course there would be conditions. There would be if—I’m ashamed of all of us that this is what this meeting was. Please tell us so we can…” He shook his head and sat down looking defeated.
That said a lot. He wasn’t one to show much emotion and kept pretty neutral. If he was disgusted with others… It said a lot.
I let out a slow breath. “Pretty standard. Everyone agrees that this will take years and not to try and pressure for faster. It’s not a reality show of Ninety Day…” I glanced at Treena. “Survivor?”
She snorted. “That might be more accurate for any idiot who wants to try and mate you for power. But no, you’re mixing them.”
“I don’t like reality TV,” I grumbled before facing the Alphas.
“My point is the same. This isn’t—time is the best way to handle this.
Yes, there will be more stability with any leader who is mated.
But we rush this and I could be dead. A coup attempt already happened, and honestly I think the goal was to get me knocked up and then an accident so an elder regent took—”
“You go too far in your accusations of me and—”
“Do I?” I chuckled darkly. “Because you weren’t even part of the original coup. You’ve been adamant that you only heard about it in passing and thought it nonsense. Are you adjusting your statement, Hardin?”
I clearly won another point there. I gestured for the guards to remove him and unfortunately he wasn’t stupid enough to fight it.
I gave the Alphas the conditions.
Time was the big one. Five years probably but more if needed. It took time to unmask deception. Many in that room would never have guessed the elders would have attempted a coup and they’d known them for decades. They were asking worse of me.
No elder interference. The candidate and elder would both be removed from their positions. Punished severely.
Same with Alphas. If anyone felt they were holding up decisions or not doing as they should to try and pressure me to pick their family member then there would be consequences.
There was more, but the only real contention was the background checks.
“Enough!” Darren roared from the door he was walking back through. “You all know this is standard! You are bold because you see Sagan as unprotected, but many of you in this room were the ones who fought for my sister and my family to be raked over the coals to mate Rhys.”
He’d told me it was normal, completely assumed, but as he stood there and listed everything my mother’s family had gone through to be mated to my father… I was honestly disgusted.
“They couldn’t control her family and just kept digging thinking she would finally give up,” I whispered, not able to hide how hearing this affected me.
“It wasn’t us or your grandfather,” Fraser defended, his eyes going wide when Darren snorted. “I adored Amelia and thought—”
“Not you,” Darren agreed, calming some. “Your mother didn’t think Amelia was remotely worthy and listened to the elders way too much.” He shook his head when Fraser argued. “I’m older than you, Fraser. I was right there when she tore Amelia—it almost worked. Amelia called off the engagement once.”
“Wow, we’re spilling all the damn tea,” my youngest cousin muttered, sounding a mix of things.
Yeah, I felt the same.
“And how horrible would that have been for the nation?” Darren asked the Alphas. “She did—no one could have loved Rhys more. She only wanted him and everyone in this fucking room knows it. You fucking know it!”
No one could deny it.
He chuffed for a few moments and then let out a slow breath. “Giving Sagan time—protect her! Stop being selfish and give her—”
“It’s—I agree with all of this,” one of the Alphas in the back said as he stood. “It’s just hard to take any of this seriously or believe—there’s a clear front-runner and...”
I didn’t realize at first why he’d trailed off until I saw all eyes on me.
Because I was trying not to laugh.
Oh shit.