Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 224: Was She Exiled?

Chapter 224: Was She Exiled?

"This is injustice! You all are looking for reasons to plunder the wealth Jerome Brunton earned all his life. After everything he has done for you in your times of need, is there not a single person who’d advocate for him?" Arthur asked with his expression sombre. Silence ensued for sometime and Arthur glanced at everyone of those Lords who sit high above. He would never beg, hell, he didn’t even has the need to say this... but he wanted to see if he should be lenient towards any one of them for Brunton’s sake.

"He did? Didn’t he gain more than he lost by helping us?" Lord Clairmont said with his chubby cheeks shaking. He was not happy getting reminded of the past.

He helped him. So what? Did he go poor by helping others? Why can’t he give more?

"Yeah he did, no thanks to you," Arthur snickered.

Lord Clairmont had lost a lot for Northern Star that he had gained. And still Brunton kept him in there because he remembered in what state Lord Clairmont was when he begging him to help him. Jerome knew he’d revert to that pathetic state if he let’s him go. Apparently, Lord Clairmont’s father had helped Jerome’s father in the past and so Jerome wanted to repay the debt.

For Arthur, he felt like Jerome Brunton had repaid more that what he is owed. And seeing that ungrateful look on Lord Clairmont, he was sure he is right.

Arthur’s snarky remark made all the Lords look at Arthur with a frown and some even cussed at him for talking out of his status and asked him to apologise.

Arthur just smirked and stood firm. Who is going to apologise for whom? He looked at the King who was silently watching everything going around. He looked like he just wanted to observe and was in no hurry to bring order in the place.

See, no one even respects your presence, Your Majesty. What are you going to do?

" There is no denying Brunton has helped a lot of us, " Lord Reiley was the one who spoke clearing his throat after some time to change the situation. He noticed the King’s face turning angrier seeing everyone acting like he is not there. If he got angrier, he’d naturally side with the others. He cannot let that happen. Unlike Clairmont who acts without thinking, he has sense.

But this Arthur outplayed them all!

"Is that why you voted me out? And why were you voted out?" Lord Clairmont gritted his teeth.

This Arthur really played a game today. He first made it seem like it was a vote to remove him from the vote and everyone voted for his removal. And then he laughed and said that it is the removal of Lord Brenner, Lord Riley and him. And all three of them are voted out. How could he do that? And he wanted to make it secret? He already leaked the information and by now, Northern Star’s stock would be falling with the sudden change in the board of directors. And plus, he has his useful daughter who was abused by Arthur’s assistant.

Arthur wanted to throw him away? By the end of today, Arthur would be the one who’d be thrown to the curb. Ha! If it doesn’t happen, call him a loser!

Lord Reiley didn’t mind Lord Clairmont’s provocation and stared back at Arthur. "Jerome did help us out. But that doesn’t mean we can allow him associating with an exiled criminal. He might be acting upon his instinct as a lovely grandfather, but we all know how dangerous she is. Not only she is a murderer, but also she is a bad omen. We all call her the ’purple-eyed monster’ for a reason. The disasters she caused to the Lockhart family is immense. And she was rightfully exiled. Jerome really cannot have his cake and eat it. If he wants his granddaughter, he should lose everything else. " Lord Reiley gulped hard seeing the deadly expression on Arthur’s face. He seemed calm and he had a slight smirk on his face. His eyebrows were tense showing he was angry, but the smirk made him feel like he was marked - Marked for death by the angel of death himself.

Arthur, hearing everything he said about Talia wanted to flip the table. Every fiber of him wanted to just jump over that table and give strong punches and break that jaw and pull that tongue that spouted those cruel words about his Iris. But he held back his urge to do so. He had planned a lot for this day. He will not lose his temper now. Fisting and releasing his hands, he tried to compose himself. Yet, his heart beat erratically.

Calm down, ginger! Calm down!

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. ’Fred’ her image popped in front of him. Holding a bouquet in her hands she said ’Thank you’.

Her sweet voice rang in his ears. ’Fred, I love you’...

I love you too, my Iris. I will finish this.

"Exiled criminal?" Lord Lockhart who was silent till then spoke looking at the King. He wouldn’t have involved himself in this fight today. He knew that Sinclair boy and Wallace boy were planning something together. But he had no intention to interfere and let Wallace and Brunton family do what they do. He just came here to watch what is going on.

So why was his dead son brought up again? Have they lost their mind? And it is not Wallace or Sinclair who brought up his dead son. It was them. They went too far.

"Your Majesty," Lord Lockhart continued in a steady voice, "The last time a very traitorous claim happened when the Boswell family tried to rebel and even they weren’t exiled and they only lost their title. The Crown didn’t oppose the Boswell family jumping in politics either. The last person who was exiled as per the history of Esteria was Lord Beaumont and his family for plotting against the throne and taking the life of two young Princes, a couple centuries back. If Lady Talia was exiled, wouldn’t it have created a bigger wave? And I might have been dampened with grief that time, but I don’t recall any document signed by Your Majesty and the President of Esteria regarding the exile of Lady Talia. Correct me if I’m wrong. Shouldn’t the council members sign the document of her exile along with His Majesty and the President? You skipped my signature? Lord Wallace, did you sign? " Lord Lockhart asked him.

Arthur relaxed his hand and looked at Lord Lockhart.

Is he helping me? Thank you, sir!

" I don’t recall ever signing such document. I recall you asking her marriage as a punishment and no discussion about the Lady’s exile happened." Lord Wallace assured, sitting in a relaxed manner.

With the most prominent members in the Council breaking their narrative, Lord Reiley and Lord Clairmont were stunned. Everyone agreed with this narrative when asked privately. Even yesterday they sent people to check the pulse of those other Lords and everyone were wishing for bringing down Jerome Brunton. Why is Lord Lockhart back peddling now?

Arthur hid his smile. So the others wanted to just say Talia was exiled and expected everyone to go along with that narrative? Wherever would they have gotten the idea? Oh, silly me! It was me... I fed them this idea of "exiled princess polaris" using "journalists" who wrote for tabloids. He.. He... He... Silly guys fell for it. How could they forget their own rules? Oh, right! They didn’t know. No one got exiled in two centuries. So they thought if they don’t grant visa, that’s her being exiled. Fools!

He felt his phone vibrating and saw many calls from his company. They all said one thing.

The stocks are falling!

Lord Clairmont couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Why did that Lockhart side with the one who killed his son? Has he gone senile?

"Exiled... shunned... It’s all the same! What difference does it make? The main issue is this. Which one of us wants her here? That monster that brings misfortune? And Jerome-"

"It’s funny how we all call her ’monster’, ’jinx’ and whatnot. That doesn’t make her that, does it? " Lord Wallace spoke in a condescending way. "I saw the Rosandale news today. She was welcomed by millions and they called her arrival an auspicious sign and they told various reasons for that." He waved his hand seeing Lord Brenner trying to interfere. " I noticed something the other day. After her birth, Jerome’s net worth multiplied seven hundred fold. Not seven hundred percentage, but seven hundred fold. He was barely a billionaire then and now, we all know how much he is worth. I don’t think she is a jinx like you all say." he turned to the side unwilling to even look at others.

He was fed up with people calling a woman all the names in the book all the time. She’s just a child... Even younger than his youngest son. He was surprised Jerome held on this long hearing everything told about his granddaughter. If it were him, he’d have left this country selling all his assets here and would have left to some other country where there are no differences.

"You’re saying we should let her in? Wouldn’t that hurt Lord Lockhart?" Lord Reliey looked at Lord Lockhart.

"Me? Why?" Lord Lockhart shrugged. "I’m not going to carry her around on my shoulders, am I?" Lord Lockhart was irritated.

All this ruckus for them to steal the billions of Brunton. He wanted no part of it!

Lord Clairmont couldn’t bear it. "She killed your eldest son. How can you-"

"I always knew he’d die like how he lived; like a dog." he said in a flat voice and stood up and left in large strides. He didn’t want to stay there any longer and he seemed enraged.

Everyone was stunned. Arthur felt his heart sink.

What did he mean by that? What does he know? Why is he talking about Cyrus like that? Does he hate Iris or he doesn’t hate her?

"Whatever it is..." Lord Brenner changed the topic back. Now would be the time to bring the nationalisation of Northern Star.

"Jerome Brunton is the Duke of Oakley. Although his company is built in the lands of his Dukedom, every ducal land in this country belongs to the King. We never cared for the Northern Star and let Jerome have the fruits of our Nation’s labour alone for himself, since he was one of us. But now, he has chosen to side with Rosandale. He even gave Lady Talia two votes in the board and her votes removed us from the board. This cannot be permitted. With her having the title of Princess Royal of Rosandale, she is controlling our nation. It cannot be allowed. Your Majesty, you should decide wisely. Here are the laws that doesn’t allow our country affairs be dictated by other countries. Please take a look, " Lord Brenner passed a folder to the King.

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