Let Them Kneel (kaelani and Julian) novel Chapter 175

Chapter 175

Draevyn’s smile faded

Not entirely.

But enough

His attention shifted from Kaelani to the small cluster of Unseelie who had not yet moved their side, and a scattering of fae whose uncertainty clung to them like mist.

The rest of the court had already chosen.

Now the silence belonged to those who remained.

He allowed expectation to gather around them like tightening wire.

Then he spoke.

the Seers among them, Soraya at

“By refusing to stand with me,” Draevyn said calmly, “you place yourselves in treason. You stand in violation of ancient oath.

The declaration carried the weight of consequence.

Several of the undecided fae recoiled almost imperceptibly.

Treason.

In the Unseelie Court, it did not mean imprisonment.

It meant eradication.

Soraya’s gaze moved between them

everything they believed to be true,

Others followed suit.

Eyes shifting.

Searching

Waiting for a sign.

For someone else to decide first.

between the man they had followed for centuries… and the stranger who now challenged

The pressure mounted until stillness became unbearable.

Gradually, they began to cross the divide.

Reluctant steps. Quiet resignations.

One by one they drifted toward Draevyn’s side

The last to remain were the three Seers.

bound by loyalties they had never before dared to question.

They stood unmoving pale figures against the sea of shifting shadows.

Ancient eyes taking in everything

Assessing.

Weighing

Judging

Chapter 175

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At last, one of them spoke.

“You all know what this means,” she said, addressing the court rather than Draevyn.

“At the edge of prophecy, truth is always tested.”

Her gaze slid toward Kaelani.

“Kaelani is the rightful heir to the throne.”

The words rang through the courtyard like struck metal.

“And yet…”

A quiet gravity entered her voice.

“You stand against her.”

The captain of the Unseelie guard broke from the line and stepped forward to Draevyn’s side, the golden current along his spear casting fractured light across his armor.

His expression was not cruel.

Not even angry.

Only resolute.

“Just as Lord Draevyn has said,” he announced, “she is a stranger to our world.”

His gaze moved across the gathered fae

not accusatory, but reminding.

“She does not know our history. Our wars. Our adversities. She does not understand what was sacrificed… or what was required to preserve what remains.”

The butt of his spear struck the stone once.

A muted punctuation.

“You ask us to abandon the ruler who has guided us for centuries… based on unfounded accusations?”

His attention flicked briefly toward Kaelani.

Measured.

Guarded.

“We will not.”

He lowered the spear into a ready stance.

“And until truth is proven beyond doubt… we stand where we always have.”

Draevyn allowed the captain’s words to linger.

Let the formation of bodies behind him speak louder than any proclamation.

His posture remained composed

almost ceremonial in its restraint.

When he spoke, his voice carried easily across the courtyard.

Not raised.

Not forced.

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Simply commanding attention.

“For centuries,” Draevyn began, “this realm has endured.”

His gaze passed over the Unseelie not as subjects, but as survivors.

“I forged alliances when there were none to be had. Waged wars you never saw. Bled for this realm in ways you will never fully understand.”

A brief pause allowed memory to breathe.

“And when Lyressa’s ambition threatened to consume not only the Seelie Court… but the entire realm…”

His tone cooled.

“I stopped her.”

A ripple of remembered dread moved through the crowd.

“She would have bent this world to her will. Bound Unseelie and Seelie alike beneath a single crown

her crown.”

His focus shifted then.

Settling on Kaelani.

Not with rage.

With something more dangerous.

Disappointment.

“And now,” he continued softly, “a stranger arrives. One powerful enough to be noticed… but inexperienced enough to be deceived.”

A faint, sorrow–tinged smile ghosted his mouth.

“She has been shown visions. Half–truths. Emotional manipulations crafted by a queen who has had centuries to refine her desperation.”

His attention widened to include the Seers.

“And you,” he said, voice sharpening just enough to cut, “choose to entertain this… without proof.”

The accusation did not erupt.

It lingered like a crack spreading beneath the surface.

“You risk sabotaging everything we have preserved. Everything we have survived.”

His gaze swept the court one final time before returning to Kaelani.

Rapacious calm beneath polished civility.

“So,” Draevyn said, offering a choice he clearly believed already decided…

“What will it be?”

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