An Understated Dominance (Dustin Rhys)

“Dustin, you’re not joking, are you?” Grace frowned slightly. His answer had caught her completely off guard, leaving her momentarily speechless.

“How could I joke about something like this?” Dustin smiled faintly.

He went on, “Your brothers are hopeless.

They can’t shoulder this burden, but you’re different. You’ve got both brains and strength, courage and vision. And you actually care about the people. If you took the throne, you could lead Dragonmarsh to greatness.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Grace shook her head. “I’m merely a woman. How could I be fit to rule a nation?”

“What’s wrong with being a woman? What makes it impossible?” Dustin countered.

He continued eloquently, “Looking back over a thousand years, wasn’t there a woman who became ruler? People still speak of her with admiration to this day.”

“That’s different.” She shook her head again.

“Don’t worry about whether it’s possible-just tell me if you want it. If you do, I’ll help you make it happen. I believe under your rule, this nation would grow stronger and more prosperous,” Dustin said bluntly.

“I…” Grace frowned slightly.

The thought had crossed her mind before, but she’d quickly dismissed it as unrealistic.

Regardless of her capabilities or worthiness, her gender alone made the throne impossible to claim. The prejudices of the nation ran deeper than any river, and gender often mattered more than ability when it came to matters of succession.

queen regnant. The legendary Queen Morwyn had been a singular figure in history-a once-in-a-millennium ruler impossible to

remained the sole woman to hold sovereign power. What hubris would it take for Grace to even dream of

Whatever you choose, I’ll stand with you. Whoever you

choose among the princes, he would rather choose no one at

see Tristan.” She didn’t say anything else, nodded, and left

She burned with ambition, but hers was a nobler fire, one that centered on the nation and its people. For these

risking her life alongside Dustin, everything she did served the greater good. She had always been content to work from the shadows

stirred something within her heart.

Tristan sat quietly, gazing at the steam rising from his untouched tea. Behind him, Milton stood quietly with his head

open, and Grace entered with a

greet her, displaying proper deference. After all, he needed her help,

What brings you here so

him to sit, then settled into the chair across

won’t beat around the bush.” Tristan cleared his throat. “You must have heard about last night’s

by the Hall of Gods have all been purged.

It shouldn’t be difficult for you to investigate this matter thoroughly,

Could it be that the reshuffle of the underground factions has caused you to suffer dearly?” She raised an

some impact. My main concern is that this mysterious force appeared too suddenly. Without understanding who they are, I fear they could pose a threat to our nation. It weighs heavily on my

of serving the country’s interests while harboring his own hidden

to the nation and people sets the example we all

simply doing what I can.” He waved his hand dismissively with