Jake’s POV
The cabin was dim and silent as I sat by the fire, the flames casting long, flickering shadows on the walls. My thoughts were restless, swirling with plans and contingencies. Nathan’s refusal earlier gnawed at me, it is not like I didn’t see it coming. Nathan was a proud man and he would not give up his throne so easily. A man like Nathan would rather die.
But I was not out of options. Not yet. I pulled the seal out of my pocket, the heavy insignia of royal authority gleaming in the light. As long as I still had the seal, I still held leverage. And as long as no one finds out the truth about the seal, I am good to go.
I needed allies. People who did not like the fact that Nathan was king. The council was fractured, with some elders already questioning his decisions. It was t
