288 Vouchers
Chapter 172
Zora
Nellie was into the Croquet game we were watching, and I wished Kara and Eloise had followed us, but they wanted to remain in our official booth for reasons best known to them.
Abelardo had stylishly joined us, but we did not need to guess why he was with us and not with his brother. Neva seemed utterly enthralled by him, and he wasn’t different. It was so deep that Nellie and I left the booth, and they did not notice.
“I want some sweet pop corn,” Nellie said, and my mouth began to salivate.
“That would be yummy,” I said, stopping at a cotton candy stall. I helped myself to the strawberry–flavoured variation, and the vendor refused to take my money.
He treated me with respect, and my heart fluttered.
“Have you heard about the new move by the sneaky council?” Nellie asked me, taking a bit of my candy and grimacing at the level of
sweetness.
“What move?” I asked her, feeling happy.
William had called me and told me he was rounding the people up and taking them to the warehouse. I was too eager because the meeting would be in two days.
“Some alphas raised a petition, and many people have signed it. They are trying to dissolve the lordship,” she said, and I wondered why she would say it was the council members. Clearly, the alphas did it of their own
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volition.
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“Why would you think the council is behind this?” I asked her, and she scrunched her nose.
She had gotten some candy on her nose, but her warm, slightly sweaty skin had melted it.
“The petition puts the council in charge of everything while each region would have a council of alphas led by a governor, similar to what you practice in the east,” she said.
We found a bench to sit on.
Nellie called on to a child and handed him money to buy us popcorn and something for himself.
The moment the boy left, she leaned against the backrest and looked ahead with a frown folding her arms.
“The Hands were royalty before it became a lordship.
This council was formed because of the tyranny of Collier’s forefather, Eddard. It was an excellent way to keep the royal bloodline in check.
The council helped the lord remain on course and fought for people’s rights.
They helped to question the lord and make sure he was fair to the people, but the lord was still like a king.
He owns and rules everything.
Hardy Corrigan might have revolted, but Darius still rules all four regions.
His decree must be upheld in all regions, or it will be seen as treasonous. The leading alpha of each region is like a representative of the lord and
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must bow to the lord’s command; that is why there is always competition for prominence in every region. One you are conversant with since you helped your ex–husband rise to power.
They are to rule the region and keep it in check according to the lord’s will.
That is the order.
Darius is lenient, so they have this false notion of sovereignty, but they remain under him; that is something your ex–husband respects and keeps to it,” she said and sighed, then unfolded her hand and brushed something off her jeans.
“This petition obliterates the lordship and renders Darius powerless. It will place the council in charge and leave the lordship as an honorary position and nothing more, banning the royal families from interfering or making decisions that have to do with governance.” She said and looked
at me.
“Who is benefiting from that arrangement?” she asked, and I knew the
answer.
“Not the stupid alphas, but the council. The council is the one benefitting from that arrangement, and to show you how eager they are, they shifted the hearing to the day after tomorrow instead of waiting until after the games,” she said, looking worried.
Wanting to tease her, I pretended I did not know and proffered a solution.
“In that case, Darius can take up the Balyaev seat,” I said, and she looked at me, eyes widened.
“Luis and Jenny Lawrence are dead. No one knows of the agreement I made with them. That could work,” she said, but she wasn’t happy because being head of the council wasn’t the same as being a lord.
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I placed my hand on her thigh and gestured that she calmed down.
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“We are on it, Nellie. Do not trouble your gentle heart,” I said, and she frowned.
“The hearing would take place tomorrow, but they won’t get what they want,” I said, and she relaxed a bit.
“Have you all figured out the person that caused the attack on Brighton and framed Abelardo?” she asked eagerly.
“I believe it is the same person doing this,” she said, and I shook my head.
“Not yet, but we want to take out Pamela Rivers and Joan Clayman. They have done enough,” I said, and her eyes darkened.
“Those bitches are nothing but whores. I wouldn’t be surprised if Collier fucked them. If he didn’t, I am sure Gavin, Lucas, or maybe three of them might have. They are just sore that Darius, Raphael and Marcel rejected their daughters. After studying all they have done and how I heard they behaved during the few hearings against Darius and Abelardo, I have concluded that they might be a part of it,” she said, and I agreed.
The women had acted too suspiciously for them to be exonerated.
“Darius plans to unseat them. I guess he will do it after the petition hearing,” I said, and she shook her head.
“He should do it now,” she said, afraid we might not win the hearing, but I knew we would.
“There is no need to panic, Nellie,” I said and just then, the boy she sent for the popcorns returned. He also seemed excited.
“What took you so long?” Nellie said, and the boy gigged.
“Sir Orlov was beating a man that was disturbing his wife in front of the
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turkey sandwich stall,” the boy said, and Nellie and I got up immediately.
I was so worried for Eloise that I began to panic. I just hoped she did not accidentally come off as flirtatious to anyone.
Holding our popcorn, we headed to the place.
I was surprised to see Darius calming Theo down; it looked like something explosive had happened. I rushed to where they were.
“What happened here?” I asked them and was shocked to learn that Cruz had tried to talk to Eloise. The nerve.
Eloise was so excited telling me how Theo beat the crap out of Cruz, and I was amazed. I wondered why she came to the stall alone, but I kept the question to myself, seeing a bit of mayonnaise at the corner of her lips.
We returned to our primary booth, and I was surprised to see that Marcel had done the same thing to Sheperd.
I wondered when those two idiots would learn. How could they, in their twisted minds, think Kara and Eloise will leave the life they have now and go back to the hell they gave them? It was delusional, and I began to fear for their mental health. There was no doubt that they were mentally unstable after learning all they had done to their wives, but they should learn from Casey and let go.
