Chapter 101 By Your Side
ARDEN
Cade and I sat on the long leather couch across from Bethany, our legs brushing together. He had unwrapped one of the candies and popped it into his mouth, then opened another one and fed it to me.
Bethany Spirit didn’t say a word at first. She leaned back in her chair, her gaze shifting back and forth between us. The silence was thick, broken only by the sound of our chewing.
Finally, she narrowed her eyes. “Young man,” she said, breaking the silence. “Do you truly want to become Praetor? Or is it simply because Arden told you to?”
Cade choked slightly on the candy, coughing before turning toward me with wide eyes. I covered my mouth to stifle a laugh, biting down on my lower lip. Bethany’s expression remained unchanged.
Cade leaned in slightly. “So, it was actually Bethany Spirit you managed to get on your side,” he whispered, awe evident in his voice. “You’re amazing.”
My cheeks warmed at his words. “You’re even more amazing for speaking like that out there,” I whispered back. Then, glancing at his hand, still marked with soot, I looked back “Is Honey alright?”
- up.
“She’s a little shaken up,” he replied quietly. “But there’s a property not too far from our packhouse, so my parents moved them here.”
I sighed in relief. “That’s good. I want to visit her after this.”
“I can hear you,” Bethany interrupted, exhaling through her nose. “Answer my question, young ones.”
We both jumped slightly in our seats. Cade quickly bowed his head, his voice apologetic. “Ah, sorry, Miss Spirit.”
Bethany arched an eyebrow but allowed him to continue.
“I’ve thought about it,” Cade said more seriously now. “About running.”
He rested his elbows on his knees. “When I realized I wasn’t a Callahan by blood, I wondered. if I could use that. Not to manipulate the rules, but to challenge someone who truly deserves.
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- it. I thought maybe I could go against him, since I’m of age.”
Bethany’s hands folded under her chin as Cade went on.
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“But that meant putting everything on the line. Revealing that I’m not part of the royal bloodline. That everything people believed about me might suddenly turn upside down. It’s a double–edged sword,” he admitted. “While it allows me to run, it also risks losing the people’s trust.”
I watched his hands curl slightly. “However, since Mr. Winters has already revealed it, I might as well take this seriously.”
“With Arden by my side–and you, Miss Spirit–I think I can do it.”
That seemed to stop her. For just a moment, the corner of her mouth twitched.
My heart thudded louder in my
chest.
She inhaled deeply and then massaged the bridge of her nose. “Young ones,” she murmured. “So persistent. And so very innocent.”
My brows furrowed. Innocent?
Bethany stood, crossing the room slowly to look out her window. “I am not as powerful as you think I am,” she said. “Every decision I’ve made and every alliance I’ve chosen came at a cost. Power doesn’t necessarily make you wise; it just amplifies your mistakes.”
Our smiles faded as Bethany turned her gaze away from us. She still stood by the window, her hands clasped in front of her, but something in her voice made it feel as though we were speaking with a ghost rather than a living person.
“But you are powerful,” I said, not caring how soft my voice came out–it needed to be said. “You’re everything I looked up to growing up.”
Bethany turned her head slightly, just enough for me to catch her reflection in the glass. “You weren’t born into a royal bloodline, yet you changed everything. You gave this nation a second chance after the Breaking. You taught people that leadership isn’t about ancestry; it’s about courage.”
“I wasn’t there during the Breaking,” I continued, “but I’ve read every record. I know the odds you faced. I understand you were never supposed to survive. And yet you didn’t just survive -you reshaped Fenra. You’re the greatest thing that’s ever happened to it.”
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Bethany didn’t turn around. Her shoulders rose and fell with a quiet breath.
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“There are always people who think like you,” she muttered at last. “And those who think like. Winters.”
Cade and I waited.
“I had a feeling about him.” Bethany continued. “Even back then. He was placed into Elite by appointment, not merit. His uncle was the original builder. That kind of legacy is hard to turn down when you’re establishing a school meant to unite factions.”
She sighed deeply. “Being in this position isn’t difficult in the way people assume. The power comes easily. It’s the judgment that’s challenging. You try to balance politics, safety, and decency–and still, you’re criticized from every angle.”
A long pause stretched between us.
“And because of that,” she added, “I’ve grown tired and wary.”
She turned around slowly, her movements more deliberate than before. Her lips appeared pale. A slight tremor ran through her hand as she reached toward the edge of her desk. Then she coughed again–sharper this time, enough to make me flinch.
Without thinking, I stood and rushed to her side, grabbing the glass of water near her and pressing it into her palm.
Didn’t she say she wasn’t sick? That all her illnesses were merely comorbidities?
She took the glass with a nod of thanks, sipping slowly.
Then, she gripped my hand.
Her fingers were cold, but her grasp was firm.
I looked down at her, noticing the lines around her eyes and the strain in her posture.
“It’s okay,” I said softly. “You don’t have to carry it alone anymore. Cade is strong. He can handle this. And I’ll be right beside him through all of it.”
Bethany looked up at me, her eyes shimmering, though she blinked quickly to hide it. “That sounds very nice,” she murmured. “To have someone on your side throughout something like this.”
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I smiled faintly. “You must have had someone.”
That made her freeze.
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“The man.” I continued, my voice gentler this time. “From your photo album. The one I saw when you found me here in your office.”
Bethany’s lips parted slightly, but then, as if a switch had been flipped, her expression closed off. She released my hand and straightened her shoulders, returning to her usual calm and unreadable facade.
“That’s not important,” she said briskly.
Cade gave me a side glance, silently asking what I’d said, but I simply shook my head. It was clear Bethany didn’t want to revisit that part of her past.
She walked slowly back behind her desk, placing both palms on the surface.
“Mr. Winters,” she said, resuming her authoritative tone, “has built a strong following.”
We both fell silent again.
“His campaign has been years in the making.” Bethany went on. “His words are carefully tailored. His supporters have been chosen carefully. He’s managed to remain just likable enough to the public while keeping his intentions hidden.”
She tapped the edge of her desk, lost in thought.
“The videos you have… Even if they were recorded truthfully, it will be difficult to prove their authenticity–especially if he’s already removed the originals from his devices. Even then, if the court discovers you obtained them without consent, it could be regarded as an illegal method of evidence gathering. They might not be admissible.”
Cade looked down.
“I will voice my support for you,” Bethany said after a moment. “I will make it known where 1 stand. But you must understand something.”
She looked directly at Cade.
“There is still a long road ahead. One filled with resistance, backlash, and betrayal. You might think this is the end of your struggle just because you’ve stood up in front of them.”
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Bethany shook her head once.
“But this is just the beginning.”
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