Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“Our duty is to stand for what is right and act as a moral beacon to the people we serve.”
“Who are we if not to reflect their values?”
“Who are we if we reflect merely the worst part of those values?”
Lucas sighed. He must’ve known he wouldn’t be changing my mind on this.
No, I could not stand by and let him wash over not only our mother and the very nature of our childhood, but every person in the country who suffered in silence for generations as well.
“Owen, I understand your issue. I really do. But I am asking that you honor our mother’s wishes, as well as Mère’s, and not present a contrary opinion on the upcoming bill. As of now, when this is revealed, I will state, as always, that the Crown does not have a political position in this political affair. No statements, officially or unofficially.”
“Mère,” I said, like I would have as a child when I hadn’t gotten my way.
She sighed.
“Mère, is that truly all right with you?” Lucas asked, as though, given her wish otherwise, he would have changed his position, not for his own sake, but hers.
She pondered it for a moment before nodding. “Yes, this is what is best. O, you must understand…”
“Don’t seek understanding from me right now. All I see here is fear. If we are not here to stand by what is right, I don’t see our purpose.”
“Perhaps it is understandable of a man who has had the privilege of doing as he wished and creating scandal around every corner.”
His dig at my past was harsh but deserved. I’d earned every bit of hate he spewed at me.
And to accuse him of dishonoring our family and country without acknowledging my own faults would have been dishonest.
“But please,” he pressed, “for the honor of this family and the privacy of our affairs, I’m asking that you stand with us in this.”
I balled my hands into fists as I grappled with what I already knew was a losing battle.
And the fact that he was right. It was not my decision to project an opinion for the family, and as much as I had already defamed the family through various scandals over the years, it was not my place to speak on behalf of the Crown.
“I will not stand with you, brother. But as it is not my place, as you said, to make statements in the name of the Crown, I will honor that much while hating you at the same time.”
Despite the clear disdain I projected his way, he sighed in relief.
“Then nothing has changed, it seems, and things will continue just as they are.”
“History will not look back fondly on this, Your Majesty, I assure you.” Though it was apparent my words fell upon deaf ears.
The Crown had already made its decision, whether I liked it or not.
Just as it had been all my life.
1
Keegan
I stood at the back of a crowd that formed around a stage in Town Square, before the magnificent palace of Parlaisa’s royal family. With impressive marble archways and towers that climbed toward the sky, the palace reminded me of the ones depicted in animated Disney movies—certainly not something I would have expected to see in real life.
I FaceTimed with Mom to show her the impressive structure as well as the mob of Parlaisans filling the square, dressed in a variety of costumes, everything from Hello Kitty to Wolverine.
“You weren’t kidding when you said they’re really into cosplay,” Nance said with a chuckle, surely as surprised as I was by what was essentially a city-wide Dragon Con. Throughout the festival that had been going on the entire week we’d been in the country, there’d been people in cosplay. But the day of the parade, it was nearly impossible to find anyone who wasn’t dressed up.
Thank God we’d taken some Parlaisa natives’ advice and grabbed our own costumes before today. Gave us time to swing by one of the many costume shops in town, where I picked up my Ash Ketchum costume, complete with bright-green gloves, a blue jacket I left open in the front to show off my body, and the Pokémon League cap I could twist around my head at my convenience.
“Lemme see!” my bro, Jace, said as Nance turned the phone to allow him to behold the spectacle. “Wow, man. That’s insane, especially for a country I’ve never even heard of until you said you were going there.”
My bud Steve stepped beside me, hooking his arm around my shoulders. “Pretty sure Casey hadn’t heard of the island nation of Parlaisa until he spotted those cheap tickets online.”
“Hey, I’m a history major! I sure as hell knew about Parlaisa,” Casey insisted, looking up from his phone. His lengthy dirty-blond bangs curled down past the gold Wonder Woman headpiece he wore, matching the gold trim on the breastplate and arm cuffs the outfit had come with. The only modification he’d made to the store-bought piece was a pair of blue shorts he’d cut to make even shorter.