Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 199 199: On the losing end

Electra's POV

I scoffed, shaking my head the moment my father uttered Queen Jella's name. Of course, it was her.

I couldn't even pretend to be surprised. It made too much sense. My darling mother had never wanted me to be queen. She had tolerated me as the heir only because there were no other options—until now.

Now that some long-lost bastard Vale had suddenly appeared, she was wasting no time throwing her full support behind him, doing everything in her power to push me out.

Typical.

Letting out a sharp, frustrated sigh, I crossed my arms over my chest. "So what am I supposed to do now, father?" I asked, leveling my father with a glare. "Shouldn't you be figuring out a way to ensure that your daughter remains the future queen instead of some illegitimate son?"

My father's expression didn't change. He was calm and composed—as if he had expected this reaction from me. "If I didn't want you to be queen, I wouldn't have bothered calling you here," he said, his voice steady. "I would have simply let the council decide."

His words made me pause slightly.

"So you do want me to be queen?" I asked, tilting my head.

He exhaled sharply. "I know I'm your father, but at the end of the day, I do want what is best for the kingdom."

Which means you don't actually care who takes the throne, as long as it benefits Elmeria.

I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to snap at him. "Fine," I said, rolling my eyes. "What's the plan, then?"

"For now," he said, "you should know that once Hunter is brought to the palace and introduced to the council, he will have the upper hand."

I snorted. "And what exactly is his advantage besides being a man?"

My father's eyes darkened slightly at my sarcasm, but he didn't correct me. Because we both knew it was true.

"Whether we like it or not, Hunter will be viewed as a true Vale," my father said, his tone firm. "He carries the blood of a king, and, despite his illegitimacy, his claim to the throne is stronger in the eyes of the council because of tradition."

I rolled my eyes again. "So it's all about the fact that he has a dick. Great."

My father didn't acknowledge my crude remark. "You need to prepare for the fact that the council will be divided. Some will remain loyal to you because of their loyalty to me, while others will question whether you are truly fit to rule."

My fists tightened at my sides. "So what? I'm supposed to just sit here and let them question me? How do I stop them from taking his side simply because he happens to be a man?"

My father sighed, rubbing his temples as if this conversation was already exhausting him. "Electra, there are more reasons why Hunter has an advantage over you besides the fact that he's a man," he said, his voice steady but firm. "You need to stop assuming that the only reason the council would withdraw their support from you is because you're a girl."

I narrowed my eyes. "Then tell me," I challenged. "What other reasons could there possibly be?"

His unimpressed gaze met mine, and he didn't hesitate before answering. "Because he will be easier to control."

I blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

"You have made it painfully clear to the elders on many occasions that you have no regard for them," he continued, his tone clipped. "You outright defy their expectations. You have insulted them, dismissed their traditions, and made sure they all know that you do not care for their opinions."

I scoffed. "I never insulted them."

My father arched a brow. "Oh?" He leaned back slightly. "So, when they suggested—not even demanded, merely suggested—that you consider marrying a prince from another kingdom, what was it you told them?"

I clenched my jaw, but before I could answer, he continued.

"Oh, that's right. You laughed in their faces and made it quite clear that you weren't going to marry Prince Loric like they suggested, or any other man at all. You basically disregarded them to their faces."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Well, I was simply being honest."

My father gave me a deadpan stare. "To make matters worse," he continued, ignoring my interruption, "you made it abundantly clear that you had no interest in men. You flaunted your attraction to women directly in front of the elders, knowing exactly how they would react."

I shrugged. "I wasn't going to pretend to be something I'm not."

"No one asked you to pretend," he snapped. "But you know how traditional the council is. You know they favor heirs who uphold the customs of the monarchy, and instead of at least being strategic about it, you deliberately antagonized them without a care in the world."

I clenched my fists. "So what?" I demanded, shaking my head in disbelief. "Because I don't want to marry some prince from another kingdom, that means I'm not qualified to be the Crown Princess?"

My father exhaled sharply. "No, Electra. It means you've given them an excuse to replace you."

I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling my anger rise. I knew he wasn't wrong, and that was what pissed me off the most.

The council had always been full of conservative, old-fashioned idiots. They tolerated me because they had to—because I was the only Vale heir, because I was my father's daughter, because they had no other choice, but now, with Hunter in the picture, they did have a choice, and I could already picture them jumping at the opportunity to replace me.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. "So, what?" I said, crossing my arms. "You want me to what, exactly? Pretend to be some obedient little princess? Suddenly act like I care what they think?"

My father met my gaze evenly. "I want you to be smart."

I scoffed.

"I want you to play this game properly, Electra," he continued. "Because right now, you're losing, and we both know what happens if you lose. Without your title as crown princess, you're as good as dead. You know that, so stop slacking and do the right thing."