Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 223

Chapter 223

Lillian’s POV

I ignored the glares from the council. They had done that before I left, why would anything have changed on my return. What bothered me more was the way they crowded around the King, who stared straight forward with a distant, glossy-eyed look, like he was mentally somewhere else entirely.

Rumors had circulated within the confines of the Lycan Kingdom that the King had been slowly losing his faculties, but no one dared say such a thing too loudly. Now that I was here, that I was seeing the King with my own two eyes, I realized the rumors had some merit.

Sadness flooded my heart. I didn’t know the King well, but he had always seemed a competent ruler and a father who cared about his son. Unable to help myself, I glanced at Grayson, but his emotions were firmly tucked away assuming he felt anything at all.

He must have felt something, and I ached for him, despite everything, including the distance between us. I had never wanted him to suffer.

“Lillian is the Lycan Ambassador,” Grayson said loudly and clearly. He must have heard the guard. “She is welcome here, as an ally. Unless you wish to dissolve the alliance you wanted to enact for so long.”

The Head of the Council straightened slightly in surprise. “That can’t be true.”

A few of the other councilors whispered to each other. The King stared straight ahead, unmoved.

“I have documents,” I said, and removing them from my pocket, walked forward and presented them. The Head

of the Council snatched them from my hand unkindly and looked down at them. He sneered. “Unfortunately, this appears genuine.”

“It is,” I said. “I need those back.”

He tossed them at me. I caught them swiftly, despite his clear efforts to have me chase them, and returned the documents to my pocket.

I was not the same woman I had been when I had left this place. In the five years apart, I had learned to be more self-sustaining. I had focused on my warrior training and on training the other warriors. The only reason I hadn’t insisted on going to the front lines myself was because of my children.

But I was still a warrior at heart, and I was not going to be rattled or intimidated by this group of old men ever again, no matter how hard they tried to unnerve me.

The Head of the Council dismissed me entirely to look at Grayson. “You rushed in here in a hurry.”

“We found evidence that there is a plot against my father. They claim to have someone on the inside.”

“They are liars. We know that.”

“A risk against my father is still a risk,” Grayson insisted. “I’m assigning more bodyguards.”

“Do as you must,” the Head of the Council said, waving his hand. “But we all know you are wasting your time.”

“You should listen to Grayson,” I said. “With the war looming, the enemy will attempt to cause unrest however they can.”

“Yes, thank you, Ambassador,” the Head of the Council said, all but rolling his eyes.

I looked at Grayson, whose expression hadn’t changed. He looked at me and to the door. Following his lead, I

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walked with him out of the throne room. In the hallway, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

(ou’ve seen my father now,” Grayson said. “You know the state of things.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“The control him like a puppet,” Grayson said. “I’ve tried to appeal for sovereignty, but they refuse to grant it.”

“Why?” I asked.

He looked away. “They insist I am incapable while I have no children. No heirs.”

Guilt rose in my chest. He did have children, but I couldn’t tell him that. Not now, not to have them get dragged into this mess.

“I’m sorry,” I said again.

“Never apologize for that,” he said quickly. “What happened wasn’t your fault.”

More guilt flooded. He must have seen Ivory’s forged documents, and learned falsely that I’d had a miscarriage.

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