Vanished Sisters: The Lycan King's Slave Island Chapter 211

Natasha's POV

Mordred waited for the noise to die down, then spoke again, his voice cutting through the silence.

"I am here to tell you that while Natasha Hastings did disguise herself, she did so not out of malice, but out of desperation. She sought only to survive in a world that would have destroyed her otherwise."

The crowd erupted in confusion and anger.

"And as for seduction," Mordred said, his voice rising above the noise, "she did not seduce me. I chose her. I chose to love her, knowing full well what she was, knowing the consequences, knowing that it would cost me everything."

"Lies!" someone shouted. "The King has been compromised!"

"He's under her spell!"

"This proves he's unfit to rule!"

Mordred let them shout, his expression never changing. When the noise finally began to die down, he spoke again.

"You're right," he said simply.

The crowd went silent, shocked.

"I am unfit to rule," Mordred continued. "Not because I've been compromised by magic or manipulation, but because I can no longer put the kingdom above the woman I love. Because I would rather save her life than maintain my crown. Because I have been, as you say, compromised by something far more powerful than duty."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. I heard Davelina make a small sound, though when I looked at her, she still didn't seem surprised. Just sad.

She'd known. Somehow, she'd known this was coming.

"And because of that," Mordred said, his voice steady and clear, "I cannot be your King anymore."

The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet.

"What?" I whispered, but my voice was lost in the sudden roar of the crowd.

Mordred reached up and removed his crown, holding it in both hands. The metal caught the sunlight, gleaming like dark fire.

"I, Mordred Ravenclaw, King of the Lycan people, do hereby abdicate my throne," he said, his voice carrying across the stunned silence that had fallen. "Effective immediately, I renounce all claims to the crown, all rights and privileges of kingship, all authority over this kingdom and its people."

"You can't be serious," I breathed.

He turned to look at me, and I saw tears streaming down his face.

"I can," he said softly. "And I am. For you, I'll give up everything."

He turned back to the crowd, holding the crown high.

"I offer this crown to Sebastian of the Southern Territories," he said. "Who has proven himself a capable leader, a shrewd politician, and someone who understands what this kingdom needs to survive."

Sebastian stepped forward, and I saw no surprise on his face. Only grim satisfaction and something that might have been respect. This was the plan. This was what they'd agreed upon.

"In exchange," Mordred continued, "I ask only three things. First, that Natasha Hastings be pardoned of all charges and released immediately."

The crowd erupted in protest, but Mordred spoke over them.

"Second, that I be allowed to leave this kingdom peacefully, with Natasha and any others who wish to accompany us, never to return."

"Never to return!" someone shouted. "Good riddance!"

"Let the traitor King leave!"

But there were other voices too, angry and dissatisfied.

"The human must die!"

"She corrupted him! She must pay!"

"Justice demands blood!"

Sebastian raised his hand, and gradually the crowd quieted.

"And third," Mordred said, his voice dropping slightly, "that you rule justly. That you remember that strength comes not from cruelty, but from wisdom. That you build a kingdom worthy of the crown you're about to receive."

Sebastian took the crown from Mordred's hands, holding it carefully. For a moment, the two men stood face to face, and something passed between them—some understanding, some acknowledgment of what this moment meant.

"I accept your terms," Sebastian said formally, his voice carrying across the arena. "And I swear, on my honor as a Lord of this kingdom, that I will uphold this agreement. Natasha Hastings will be pardoned and allowed to leave unharmed."

"No!" someone shouted from the crowd. "She must die! The law demands it!"

"The law," Sebastian said, turning to face the crowd, "is what I say it is. I am your King now, and I have accepted these terms. Natasha Hastings will live."

"But she deceived us! She mocked our traditions!"

"And she will pay for that," Sebastian said, his voice hardening, "by being exiled forever from our lands. She will never again set foot in the Lycan Kingdom."

Some in the crowd grumbled, clearly unsatisfied, but others seemed to accept this reasoning. A few even nodded in agreement.

Sebastian turned back to Mordred and raised the crown high for all to see.

"People of the Lycan Kingdom," he called out. "Your former King has made his choice. He has chosen love over duty, a human over his own people. And in doing so, he has proven himself unworthy of the crown."

The crowd roared—some in approval, some in anger, but all of them loud.

"But I," Sebastian continued, placing the crown on his head, "will not make the same mistake. I will put this kingdom first. Always. I will restore our traditions, strengthen our borders, and ensure that we never again allow ourselves to be weakened by sentiment or misplaced compassion."

The crowd exploded in cheers, and I saw genuine enthusiasm on many faces. They wanted this. They wanted a King who would reinforce the old ways, who would make them feel safe and superior again.

Sebastian had given them exactly what they needed.

I stood frozen, unable to process what I was seeing. Mordred had given up his throne. Had traded everything he was, everything he'd built, for my life.

"What an idiot," I whispered, tears streaming down my face.

Mordred turned to me, and despite everything—despite the loss of his crown, his kingdom, his entire identity—he was smiling.

"The guards will release you," he said quietly. "And then we're leaving. All of us. Together. This is done. The decision is made."

One of the guards stepped forward and unlocked my shackles. They fell away with a clatter, and I rubbed my wrists, staring at the red marks the iron had left.

I was free.

I was actually free.

I couldn't believe it.

"Come," Mordred said, taking my hand. "Let's go home."

He led me down the platform steps, and I saw Fergus and Davelina waiting at the bottom. Davelina rushed forward and threw her arms around me, sobbing now that it was over.

"You're safe now," she gasped. "I'm so glad, sis."

"You knew," I said, "You knew this was going to happen."