Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair) novel Chapter 980

The slap not only struck Penny's face, but also released the pent-up frustration and anger she had buried deep within.

Penny clutched her cheek, her voice thick with sorrow as she cried, "Your Highness, have you forgotten how terribly Prince Arthur died? It will forever be a wound in the hearts of the people of Westhaven! How can we not avenge him? How can we not? He was your brother! How can you be so heartless and disregard the bond between siblings?"

Lisandra clenched her fist, her palm wet with sweat. The light cast a ghostly pallor on her face, and her eyes were filled with a deep, dull despair.

"So, do you all think that the reason I don't want to go to war is because I don't want to avenge him?"

She took a deep breath, her anger flickering in her eyes. Though still weak, she pointed an accusing finger at Penny.

"Penny, others may think that, but I have made my intentions clear to you every step of the way. You know exactly what I am thinking and what I am considering. You should understand me better than anyone, but you're so blinded by your thirst for revenge that you can't see the situation as it is. You claim loyalty to Arthur, but if you truly honor him, think carefully—would Arthur want us to go to war with Starhaven now?"

Penny sobbed, speaking through her tears, "But we can't just ignore it! I know we face internal and external turmoil right now, which is why I pushed for the 3,000,000 bushels of grain and Dominic. Those two things will ensure our victory. Your Highness, we need this victory to appease Prince Arthur's spirit!"

Lisandra looked down at Penny, her heart torn between fury and sorrow. She raised her eyes to meet Yuna and Yasmine's gazes, her voice heavy with a quiet menace.

"What do you two think? Do you agree with her? If so, speak now, and save me from wondering whether you're plotting against me behind my back."

Yasmine and Yuna both knelt immediately, speaking in unison, "Your Highness, we don't agree with her."

Penny turned to Yuna, her eyes filled with disappointment. "Yuna, how could you disagree with me? Have you forgotten how His Highness took care of you? How can you not want to avenge him?"

Yuna's eyes reddened, memories of Arthur flooding her mind and bringing fresh pain to her heart. "I will never forget His Highness' kindness to me. It's precisely because we want to avenge him that we need to bring Aurora back to Westhaven. We will use her blood to honor His Highness' spirit in the afterlife."

Penny's face twisted in fury. "Aurora is just a worthless life! Killing her isn't enough! Westhaven's iron cavalry must conquer Victory Pass and force Starhaven's army to retreat. And that would only release a fraction of the anger in my heart! If we were powerful enough, why not just raze Starhaven to the ground?"

"Your Highness, please listen to me! His Majesty wasn't wrong, and I wasn't wrong! We need the grain and we need Dominic. Please believe me…!" Penny pleaded desperately.

Lisandra clutched her chest, trying to suppress the overwhelming surge of blood in her body. "Yuna, interrogate her. Who else is she working with? Where did the poisonous worms come from?"

"Understood!" Yuna replied. Then, she turned and barked, "Take her away!"

Two guards rushed in and hauled Penny out.

Penny screamed, crying, "Your Highness, believe me! I never meant to harm you! I'm doing this for Prince Arthur, for Westhaven!"

Lisandra collapsed onto the edge of the bed, coughing up another mouthful of blood. The pain in her head was so intense, her skull might just burst.