Seeing the enraged faces of the three elders, the fifth elder sneered disdainfully.
"So what if she was capable, so what if she was the chosen heir. She's not here and we can't afford to wait anymore when there's an organization out there who's waiting to occupy the Red Nation." With that sentence he silenced the whole meeting room.
"He has a point. Instead of fighting with ourselves we need to think of the protective measures against the blue iris organization." The first elder who remained calm from the moment the meeting started spoke up.
"I agree." The third elder raised his hand and agreed with the first elder.
These bothered are the neutral parties out of the seven elders.
They are loyal not to the Smith family but to the Red Nation.
So they always think about the wellness of the Red Nation.
When they stated their stance, the fourth, fifth elders exchanged glances with Marcus.
Marcus signaled them and felt complacent inside when the discussion turned in his favor.
He's just a step away to achieve his dream.
The second, sixth and seventh elders' faces turned gloomy. But they didn't say anything because they knew that the first and third elders were right.
"I think Marcus proved himself to be capable enough to be the new King." The fourth elder voted for Marcus.
"I think so too." Said the fifth elder, throwing a provocative look towards the trio who had ugly expressions on their faces.
"Well, did you forget the sovereign rules of the Red Nation? They clearly stated that after the reign of a generation, the throne will be passed on to the next." The second elder said with a serious look.
"Yes, Joseph's reign ended with his death. There's no way Marcus can take the throne. He's from the same generation." The seventh elder said as a matter of factly.
'Joseph again!!' Marcus was on the verge of explosion due to anger.
This time the first and third elder agreed with the second elder. Because they were upright and always abided by the rules in their lives.
Now, Marcus and the fourth, fifth elders are at a disadvantageous position.
"But Mark and Lucas still need one more year to complete their training in the Crown academy."
"You know that the assessment is hard to pass with the training. So for now Marcus is our best option."
The fourth elder said followed by the fifth elder.
"Athena passed the assessment when she was thirteen. You say that it's hard for Mark and Lucas when they're almost twenty in age?" The sixth elder asked sarcastically.
Marcus hated it the most when someone compared his family to his second brother's family. It's as if they are shoving the fact that he's beneath them in his face all over again.
But he couldn't say anything now since almost all of them knew how capable Athena was deep in their hearts.
He didn't want to be a joke in front of these people by denying that.
"What about Kevin?" The first elder spoke when he saw that the others were at a stalemate.
"He left the Red Nation after Athena di.. went missing, rejecting the training and the position of the heir." The fourth elder couldn't even speak of the word 'died' in front of these three resentful pairs of eyes.
"Still, he has the responsibility towards the Red Nation. It doesn't hurt to try and reach out to him now." The third elder was optimistic about Kevin. So he thinks that it's not bad to give him a try.
"I'll send someone to Kevin to persuade him to return. It's still not too late to elect a King after three months." The first elder agreed and volunteered to send someone.
Marcus clenched his fist with resentment. He should've taken action against Kevin when he had the chance.
But it's too late now.