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I could hear the others whispering about my identity. Who was this girl who came forward to defend Cade Callahan? In their eyes, I was just a nobody. Their voices weren’t even trying to hide their doubt.
Mr. Winters let out a small breath. “What nonsense are you talking about? Cade Callahan running as the Practor? That cannot be.”
But the murmurs grew louder, prickling through the clearing. I felt Cade reach out for my hand, intertwining our fingers before pulling me closer to him. It hadn’t been long since we last saw each other, but I already missed him.
“Arden,” he whispered, leaning in even closer while giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “What is happening?”
I squeezed back but didn’t look at him. I kept my eyes focused forward, my heart pounding from nervousness, yet my voice remained calm. “Trust me,” I whispered back. “Please.”
Then I turned to face the crowd, holding my ground. “There are no contraindications,” I said clearly, addressing everyone present.
Mr. Winters frowned. “That can’t be,” he said again, louder this time, struggling to regain control. “You expect us to believe-”
“To run for Praetor,” I interjected, raising my voice above his, “you need to be at least twenty years old.” I paused, then turned slightly toward Cade. “Check.”
A few heads nodded in automatic agreement.
“You need to be physically fit. No life–threatening injuries. No major illnesses.”
“Check.”
Even Mr. Winters had no argument against that. Cade had led more field operations than most Alpha soldiers. He had survived ambushes, rescued captives, and protected families from border raids. His record was unblemished.
“You need a clean criminal record,” I continued, gazing across the deck where several politicians leaned in, their attention caught..
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Chapter 100 Her Nomination
Another beat of silence.
“Check.”
And then came the part that made Mr. Winters flinch.
“The final qualification,” I said, letting my words roll out slow and firm, “is that the candidate. must not be of royal blood.”
I looked the crowd squarely in the eyes. “To ensure neutrality. To remain impartial to factions. That is the entire point of the Praetor system.”
A collective gasp rang out. It was like watching dominoes fall–first the realization, then the questioning, then the stunned recognition that Cade was, indeed, truly qualified. The aspect they mocked him for his lack of royal blood–allowed him to qualify as a candidate.
I turned back to Cade, who still looked stunned. His mouth was slightly parted, his hand. gripping mine tighter than before, “Cade is like that,” I said gently, wanting him to hear it. “He doesn’t need the title. He doesn’t need the crown. But if anyone was born to lead, to serve this nation as it deserves to be served, it’s him.”
My throat tightened, but I didn’t let it stop me. Just before I arrived at the United Factions. this idea came to me. I had brought it up with Luna Mirage, and she said she had considered it too. If his identity was already divulged, then he qualified for it. However, she couldn’t suggest it unless he voiced the desire first.
From the look on their faces, I knew they still couldn’t believe it.
“This is ridiculous,” someone muttered from near the back.
“Is this just a stunt?”
“He’s desperate.”
“A political play from an orphan.”
I wanted to shout at them for their insults, but instead, I focused on Cade. He took the letter of candidacy from my hand softly, before stepping forward. He held it as if it were worth a million dollars.
The crowd parted slightly as he walked, a ripple of whispers following him. When he reached. the front, where the table of high–ranking officials had been set up in a semicircle, he paused at the tallest one in the center. The Table of the Praetor.
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Chapter 100 Her Nomination
Bethany Spirit’s table.
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Bethany sat in quiet elegance, draped in soft greys and silver, her white–tinged hair pinned neatly. Though she hadn’t spoken once since our arrival, everyone in this field knew she was the true center of the room.
Cade bowed–a deep, full bow. He held out the envelope in both hands, presenting the letter like an offering.
The crowd held its breath.
Would she take it?
I, too, watched with bated breath. She had messaged me the other day, expressing her willingness to help, but even then, she didn’t specify in what capacity. I had yet to divulge her pledge to Cade, but all of this unfolded out of nowhere.
Just then, in the midst of my thoughts, a sharp hand yanked me backward.
I stumbled as my mother’s nails dug into my arm. Her voice was low but undeniably cutting. “I apologize for her behavior,” she said to no one in particular. “She’s always been an attention–seeker. Don’t mind her.”
This drew the attention of the onlookers, shifting their gazes toward me.
I froze.
She surveyed the crowd, offering an apologetic smile to the nearby nobles. “She must’ve orchestrated everything herself. She craves all eyes on her. Poor thing,” she added, her tone dripping with false concern. “She always needs to be in the spotlight. She even ran away from our home just to prove it. So, please do not believe her.”
My mouth fell open slightly as I stared at her–this woman who once raised me, who had scolded me for mispronouncing honorifics, and who now regarded me as little more than a nuisance to be wiped away from her perfect image.
I was at a loss for words.
But then Bethany reached forward.
She took the letter.
Gasps resonated in the air once again, sharper this time. Bethany Spirit held the envelope
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Chapter 100 Her Nomination
delicately with her long, slender fingers, studying the seal intently.
Then, disregarding my mother’s remarks, she asked, “Do you swear sincerity?”
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Cade didn’t hesitate. He turned his head just slightly to glance at me, our eyes locking in a moment of understanding.
“Yes,” he said resolutely. “I swear.”
Something bloomed in my chest–hope.
A small smile tugged at my lips, and beside me, my mother stiffened.
Bethany’s gaze flicked toward her, though she didn’t turn her head. “Please do not undermine anyone in this court of mine,” she remarked, her voice still calm yet. commanding.
The crowd straightened. Silence blanketed the space once more. Bethany slowly rose from her seat, and the moment she did, everyone bowed.
There was no protocol demanding it; her presence commanded it. She didn’t wear a crown, yet her aura was more commanding than gold.
I bowed as well, my head lowered in reverence.
Bethany scanned the crowd, then coughed lightly–a small sound, but enough to pierce the air. “While the evidence presented today cannot yet be considered official,” she announced, her tone laced with authority, “an investigation will follow.”
I caught a glimpse of Mr. Winters out of the corner of my eye. His pupils dilated, and his lips parted slightly. Clearly, he hadn’t anticipated this turn of events.
“And as for the candidacy of Cade Callahan…” Bethany continued, her voice echoing. throughout the field, “I am in full support of it.”
Shock splintered through the crowd like a flash of lightning.
Bethany then placed the letter on the table with care before directing her gaze straight toward the line of candidates seated across from her.
“And he shall be the candidate I endorse,” she declared clearly. “The one I put forward as my nomination for Praetor.”
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