"We may not have birthed you but you will be our daughter, one way or another. Start with a scholarship and end as the Queen, any path you take is your choice to make."
In a modern-day monarchy, Ari is every bit a struggling student as any other. T...
A/N The ending of the previous chapter was edited. Please check it out before you continue with this.
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"Now that I think about it," Ari zeroed in on the tall buildings that her office window overlooked. They stood tall and strong like an antenna unafraid of the thunder running over it. The gloomy sky and the dull black clouds added to the mood too. The assembled meeting waited on her, as she faced them with her back turned, "I don't need to convince the King to change his mind."
Her bare toe touching the carpeted floor, she spun the revolving chair to face her baffled audience. Ari greeted a group of twenty-four concerned individuals staring back at her with confused faces. Joshua, her assistant among them decided to be the help in the crowd and spoke up about what everyone feared, "Are you hinting you'll go against the royal order of the King?"
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"No, certainly not." Ari raised her eyebrows at that one. It was a bold question. Fearlessly asking a question like that in the Royal Residence made Ari breathe in sharply. "Going against the royal order is treason. And as long as I'm alive, treason remains off the table."
The group visibly sighed in relief, a few of them nodding in agreement. No one wanted to be a part of a coup. They knew their heads were more precious than that. "What then?" Joshua pestered.
Ari bent forward, her elbows touching the cold surface of her table as she rested her head on her palms. "I simply meant that if the King has promised the throne to his son, the First Prince, then I need not change his majesty's mind."
"You're saying you'll give up?" the Finance Minister was quick to respond.
Ari remained silent for a few seconds. She glanced at the Council Members that had collected in the room at her request, unusual unrest settling over them like heavy fog. It was rare for all her supporters to be in the same room, much less a building, including Joshua who stood representative for his parents' silent partnership.
"I am a Princess now." Ari stated the obvious, "My status as a potential heir allows me to facilitate the change I wish to see in the Kingdom of Korea. My finances are covered and I have enough to last me a lifetime. Why must I pursue a position that I know cannot be mine?"
Murmurs spread about the room. Attendees began wondering if they'd truly gotten the short stick by supporting the new Princess. "That is a shallow thought, your highness."
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