Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 436

Chapter 436 The Line He Drew

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Theodric shot him a sharp look, irritation flaring again. “Do you have any idea how far I could take this if I chose to?”

Cassian didn’t hesitate, his tone calm, almost conversational. “If Your Majesty needs to make a statement, you could go all the way and erase my entire line. It would certainly make an impression.”

Theodric stared at him for a second, then let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “You’ve lost your mind. That would include me as well. What exactly do you expect me to do, condemn myself along with you?”

Cassian allowed a faint smile. “Then I’ll take that as a sign Your Majesty doesn’t intend to go that far.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Theodric snapped immediately, though the edge of his anger had shifted. “I’ve been dealing with this mess since before sunrise. Do you even know how hard they came at you this morning?”

Cassian’s expression remained unchanged. “Public misconduct, abuse of authority, humiliating officials in a private establishment and forcing them out in front of witnesses. I assume that covers most of it.”

Theodric let out a cold breath. “None of that is what concerns me.”

He leaned forward slightly, his voice tightening. “That place brings in a substantial amount every year. You changed how it operates overnight. Do you intend to replace that income yourself?”

His frustration built as he spoke, the words coming faster now. “We are still in negotiations with Nordia. There is no guarantee this ends peacefully. If it turns into a war, we will need funding for everything, supplies, horses, armor, men. If it does not, maintaining leverage still costs just as much. Either way, money does not appear out of nowhere.”

He straightened, his expression darkening further. “And now Falkriver is unstable again.”

A brief pause, heavy with meaning.

“We received urgent reports this morning. Local leaders have turned, outside forces are involved, and strongholds have already fallen. If that situation spreads, we will have no choice but to respond with force. But Clement is gone. There is no one left who understands that region well enough to take command. I don’t even have a clear candidate to send.”

Theodric stood behind the desk, looking down at Cassian, the pressure in his gaze unmistakable. “So here we are. I don’t even have to worry about appointing a commander anymore, because at this rate I won’t even have the funds to field an army. Tell me, should I just abandon the campaign altogether? Should I hand Falkriver over and be done with it?”

Falkriver was no minor territory. It was vast, fertile, and known across Avenlor for its fine textiles, a steady and critical source of revenue for the crown.

More importantly, its terrain made it a natural stronghold. The mountain ranges and river systems formed a defensive barrier that shielded the entire southwestern frontier.

If Falkriver fell, that entire flank would be exposed, and the consequences would not stop at one lost province.

Theodric knew that as well as anyone. Surrendering it was never truly an option.

His gaze snapped back to Cassian, sharp and unforgiving. “You walked into that place last night and rewrote the rules on impulse. all because of her. You made your point, played the hero in front of Elowen, and walked away satisfied, but not once did you stop to consider what that costs me or what it risks for everything I’m trying to hold together.”

13

10:09 am P

Chapter 436 The Line He Drew

+10 Free Coins

The frustration he had been holding back finally broke through. His hand came down hard against the desk, the impact rattling everything on it. “Go on, tell me what I’m supposed to do now. If this turns into a war, what exactly do you expect me to use to sustain it? You are my brother, and while I’m sitting here trying to hold this entire realm together, you’re out there making decisions like this just to win a smile from her.”

“Your Majesty,” Cassian said quietly.

Theodric looked at him.

Cassian placed his hand on the armrest and rose to his feet.

Theodric’s eyes dropped instantly, locking onto his legs.

Cassian took a few steps forward, steady and unhurried, before stopping at the desk.

Theodric’s expression hardened. “And this is what angers me most. When did this happen, and why was I not informed?”

Cassian didn’t look away, his expression steady, his tone controlled. “Your Majesty, I understand your concern, but that wasn’t my intent. Nordia’s delegation is still in Vanelle, and negotiations are far from settled. Right now we don’t know whether they’ll walk away, as allies or enemies. I wasn’t about to show my hand too early and give anyone room to exploit it.”

That’s only part of it.

There was more beneath the surface. Isla, the Baker family, the quiet currents shifting through the court, none of that could be ignored.

But none of it was something he intended to lay out here.

After a long pause, Theodric let out a sharp breath through his nose. “Fine. I’ll accept that.”

Cassian eased himself back into the chair, his posture relaxed but deliberate. “As for Stargazer Pavilion, you and I both know what kind of business is really being conducted there.”

Theodric said nothing. His fingers moved absently against the polished stone on the desk, his expression unreadable.

“For years, I chose to look the other way,” Cassian continued, his voice lowering. “I told myself it was necessary. That it served stability, that it was a compromise worth making for the sake of Avenlor.”

He paused briefly.

“But last night, Elowen was there. She saw everything. Not rumors, not secondhand stories. She saw it for herself.”

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