Chapter 83 - 083: Challenge

The room remained quiet after Kenai and Kai left with Ana.

Anaria stood beside Rylan, facing Zane and the cabinet members. She could still feel Rylan’s worry beside her, but she didn’t turn to him yet.

She was thinking.

There had to be another way.

Rylan had made it clear that he didn’t want Wolfrine’s position. She wasn’t going to force him to suddenly care about a throne he had spent years trying to escape. But leaving everything behind didn’t feel right either.

Anaria looked toward the cabinet.

"You said something earlier."

The older cabinet member looked at her. "What did we say?"

"That strength decides who rules Wolfrine."

The man hesitated before nodding.

"Yes. That is how succession among the royal family has always been handled."

Anaria glanced at Zane.

He was watching her with interest now.

She looked back at the cabinet.

"Does that mean a member of the royal family can challenge the person holding the position?"

The question immediately changed the atmosphere in the room.

Rylan turned toward her.

"Anaria."

She ignored him for the moment.

The cabinet members exchanged uncertain looks.

One of them finally answered.

"Yes."

Anaria waited.

The cabinet member continued carefully. "If a royal believes they have a rightful claim, they can challenge the one holding the position. But the challenge must be accepted according to the royal rules."

"So it is possible?" Anaria asked.

"Yes."

Rylan stepped closer.

"Don’t."

Anaria finally looked at him.

He already knew what she was thinking.

"Don’t do this," he said quietly.

"I haven’t done anything."

"You’re thinking about challenging him."

"I am thinking about our options."

"There is no option here that requires you to put yourself in the middle of this."

Anaria shook her head. "I’m not putting myself in the challenge."

"That doesn’t make it safer."

She knew he was right.

Zane was not someone she could underestimate. She had already seen what he was capable of, and Rylan knew him better than anyone in the room.

But that was exactly why she couldn’t simply pretend the problem would disappear.

Rylan lowered his voice.

"I don’t want the position, Anaria."

"I know."

"Then let it go."

She looked at him for a moment.

"You can let it go if that’s what you want. But I can’t."

Rylan stared at her.

Anaria wasn’t trying to make him excited about becoming Lord of Wolfrine. She wasn’t trying to change who he was.

She simply couldn’t accept that the only choice available to him was to walk away from his home because someone stronger had taken it.

She turned back toward the cabinet.

"What happens if the rightful heir challenges the person currently holding the position?"

The cabinet member looked toward Rylan.

"If the challenger wins, the position returns to them."

"And if they lose?"

"The current Lord remains in power."

Anaria nodded slowly.

That was exactly what she needed to hear.

There was no complicated political arrangement.

No need for the weak cabinet to overthrow Zane.

No need for them to pretend they had power they didn’t possess.

There was simply one question of strength.

Anaria looked toward Zane again.

His expression had changed.

He seemed to understand where her questions were leading.

But he still said nothing.

Anaria took a breath.

Then she asked the question that would decide everything.

"If Rylan challenged you, would you accept?"

Zane’s eyes remained on Anaria.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

Rylan immediately stepped forward.

"Anaria, stop."

She looked at him.

He shook his head.

"You don’t know what you’re asking."

"I know exactly what I’m asking."

"No, you don’t." His voice was firm now. "Zane isn’t someone you can treat like the other people we’ve faced."

"I know."

"Then don’t do this."

Anaria held his gaze.

She could see the fear behind his anger. Rylan wasn’t worried about losing the position. He was worried about what might happen if he stood against Zane again.

But Anaria had already reached her decision.

She turned back toward Zane.

He was still smiling.

"You heard her," he said. "She asked whether I would accept."

Rylan looked at him.

Zane pushed himself away from where he had been standing and walked a little closer.

"If Rylan wants to challenge me for the position, he can."

The cabinet members became restless.

One of them looked surprised by how easily Zane had accepted.

Anaria wasn’t surprised.

She had expected it.

A man like Zane had built his position around strength. He had already told them that their royal family settled succession by proving who was stronger.

Refusing a challenge from Rylan would go against the very principle he had used to justify taking the position.

Zane’s smile widened.

"I won’t refuse him."

Rylan stared at him.

"You’re enjoying this."

"Of course I am."

Zane’s answer came without hesitation.

"You spent all this time hiding from me, and now you’ve returned because your wife has decided you should stand before me again."

Anaria ignored the remark.

She looked at Rylan.

He looked back at her with disbelief.

"I told you I don’t want this."

"I know."

"Then why are you doing this?"

Anaria stepped closer to him.

"Because you shouldn’t have to spend the rest of your life running."

Rylan’s expression softened slightly, but the worry remained.

"This could get you hurt."

"It could get you hurt too."

He had no answer to that.

Anaria reached for his hand.

"I am not asking you to suddenly love the throne. I’m asking you to stop letting fear decide where we can live."

Rylan looked down at their joined hands.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Behind them, Zane gave a quiet laugh.

"If the rightful heir wants his position back, then he knows what he has to do."

Rylan looked toward him.

Zane met his eyes without hesitation.

The two men stood facing each other again, just as they had before, but this time the situation was different.

Rylan had no desire for the throne.

Anaria knew that.

But perhaps wanting the position was never the important part.

It was about whether he was willing to stop running from the person who had taken it.

Anaria released his hand and looked at Zane.

"Then it’s settled."

Rylan immediately looked at her.

"Anaria."

She turned toward him.

Her expression was calm now.

She had already made the decision.

Rylan would challenge Zane.

And this time, he would not be running away from Wolfrine.