Chapter 120 The city breathes

Chapter 120 The city breathes


“What do you think?” Lucien whispered into Isabella’s ear as they moved from town to town. 

“We're going to survive it.” She whispered back, leaning into him, all the while holding his hands. “Also, the curfews are going to be lifted the moment we get back to the palace.” 

Lucien nodded approvingly. “That's right. We will survive it.” He squeezed her palms. “Ready for your first day in court?” 

Isabella sighed. “I don't have a choice, do I?” Yet, Lucien could sense a bit of tension in her voice. 

“Tensed?” He raised a brow, his hands on her hair. 

Isabella swallowed, removing her hands from Lucien's as she wrung her fingers. “Tensed isn't the word I'd have used, but yeah.” 

Lucien couldn't stop the chuckle from escaping his lips. “One would think you haven't been through so much.” 

“Yeah, right.” Isabella grimaced, her smile bitter. “It doesn't make it any less easy.” 

“No it doesn't.” Lucien took her palms back. “Not even after five years, it doesn't. It's up to you to make it easier.”

“How?” She knew exactly how but she wanted him to keep talking. Hearing Lucien speak would distract her from her thoughts. 

“Own it, Izzy. You own every other thing. You can own this as well.” 

Isabella sighed. “Yeah, you're right.” She turned taking in the environment. She knew what to do. “I guess it's time then.” 

“They're all seated in the Tower, waiting for you. Go now or take a rest first. It's up to you.”

This was the second time he was saying the phrase “it's up to you.” She hadn't really struggled with decision making, but now, she knew this was harder than it looked. 

“What would Lucien do?” A thought crept into her head and she asked with a small smile. 

“Lucien?” Lucien raised a brow. “Lucien Blackthorn would abandon whatever meeting he had and would do what's most important. Important to him actually and not the community.” 

Isabella managed a smile. He was trying to lighten up the atmosphere. “Okay, what would King Lucien do?” Her emphasis was on the word ‘king.’

“Now, that's where I come in.” Lucien immediately assumed the air of a king, his aura changing. The smile that had greeted his face for the time being, disappeared almost immediately. 

“King Lucien understands that the kingdom is his priority and he's to treat it with utmost importance.” 

Isabella nodded gravely. “It's such a huge responsibility. I didn't ask to be queen.” 

“No you didn't.” Lucien stroked her hair, returning the man she knew. “But it's a sacrifice that has to be paid.” 

“Very well then,” she muttered. “What better time to pay the sacrifice than now?” the ride came to a stop as she looked out one final time. 

“You coming?” She jumped out in a manner that was not queenly. “Can't blame me,” she shrugged when she saw Lucien's questioning look. “I have to express my free will whenever I can.” 

Lucien snorted as he walked beside her, already curious as to how her first day would be. 

The guard stationed at the door bowed, his hand and mouth moving simultaneously. “His Majesty King Lucien and the Queen, Isabella.” 

Isabella walked in majestically, silently noting the elders who had stood up as she walked to the front of the podium where a seat waited for her. 

Rather than have her seat, Isabella stood, waving for them to sit down. “I'm sure you must have been here for a really long while.” 

Her face was expressionless as her eyes ran to the ends of the court. Many of the old faces had gone. Some had either been put to death, or others had most likely been imprisoned or exiled. 

“It feels good to be back.” Her voice was calm, a stark contrast to how she felt within her. “What's the first agenda of the day, Lord Benneth?” Her gaze met Benneth's as he stood up gracefully, bowing briefly at her, before turning to face the other members of the court.

“This is the first meeting after the war that threatened to tear us apart as a region.” 

There were murmurs of agreement all over the room, none of them bold enough to speak loudly. 

Lord Benneth cleared his throat, quietening the hall. “The first on the agenda has to be relief packages that would be offered to the people who are currently displaced.” He took his seat. 

Isabella nodded gratefully at him. “Let's hear from the house.” 

She watched as the men, Lords who had regions to protect, argued, voices raised as each man tried to prove his point was better. After having her fill, Isabella banged gently on the table. 

“It's nice to hear everyone's opinions.” She closed her eyes briefly, gathering her thoughts. “But something is missing.” 

Her back had been resting on the table all along, and she stood upright, walking to the centre of the room, her heels clicking. 

“There's no sense of urgency in all the advice being dropped on the floor.” 

The men began muttering amongst themselves, but Isabella's cold eyes stopped them. 

“Lord Sullivan.” She pointed to a grey-haired man who was always found in the midst of all the chatter. “I'm pretty sure you live in the centre of the capital even though your constituency is situated at the creek.” 

The man she had pointed at, nodded shamefully, his eyes down.

“Very good.” Isabella walked back to her table. She could feel her legs threatening to give way under the eight-inch heel she had worn. 

Instead, she rested a part of her body on the table before turning to face the men, especially Lord Sullivan. “A lot of us here are just like Lord Sullivan. Our fine houses were not affected, and so, advice like building the city brick by brick would be welcome by you.” 

In the other end of the hall, where Lucien had taken his seat, quietly, approval filled his eyes as he watched Isabella put the men in their places.

“...and you want to know what's worse?” She turned to hold their gazes, watching as many of them squirmed under her eyes. “A lot of us leaders have not bothered, taking in the casualties, looking for ways we can better the lives of the masses primarily because we were not affected. 

Isabella held herself in time. She was panting, her heart beating fast. She turned to Lord Benneth almost immediately. “What's next on the list, Lord Benneth?” 

She ignored the looks of surprises in the eyes of the Lords as she focused on Lord Benneth. 

“That would be taxes.” Lord Benneth said, going through the list before him. 

Isabella swore under her breath. Discussing taxes with the elite was one of the fastest ways to earn enemies for yourself. 

Sue didn't need anyone to tell her that she was being deliberately tested by some members of the council.

“Taxes,” she repeated, taking her pen on the notebook as she clutched it as if her life depended on it. 

Well, it actually did. 

“You know,” Isabella curled her lips into a tight smile. “Growing up, I used to wonder why we had to do certain things we did as poor people. But now that I'm at the centecentreower, I think I understand better.”

She ignored the loud murmurs. “Going forward, everyone will pay as much as they earn.” Her voice held no room for argument and her eyes looked like she was daring them to protest. 

“I thought so,” she muttered about to move on to the next agenda when she felt someone standing in the corner of her eyes. 

“Lord Sullivan,” her voice was light. “You have something to say?” Sue asked with a brow raised, making her look even more powerful. 

Lord Sullivan nodded. He still felt slighted from being singled out and made an example for everyone. 

“Realistically, Your Highness, your new tax demands won't work.”

“Is that so?” Isabella found his argument intriguing and a part of her genuinely hoped that he was doing this for the interest of the people and not to get his luck back. 

“Can you kindly proffer an explanation, Lord Sullivan. I was just crowned. I'm liable to make mistakes.” 

From the crowd, she could see Lucien trying to hold his laughter alongside some members of the council. 

“All I'm saying, Your Highness is this has been the practice for decades and centuries. We can not just wake up and change it.”

“Oh, we can.” Isabelka challenged, tired of playing stupid. “We can change it and we will. Actually, we have.” 

There were murmurings from the hall, but Isabella was having none of that. “Make no mistake, this is not me imposing my decision on the house, but” 

She glanced in Lucien's direction, a small smile forming on her lips. “Last time I checked, the bulk of decision making, rests on my desk and that is my decision.” 

The words came out fast and sharp, and the other elders nodded in agreement. Isabella didn't need to be told that she had passed the test. 

She was not a pushover and she wasn't going to start being one today.