"What nonsense!" Talcott barked. "There's no royal family left—don't speak to me of restoring something that no longer exists!"
Talcott let out a laugh through his nose. He had wiped out anyone with even a trace of claim to the throne precisely because of men like this. The royal bloodline was finished. It had been erased.
"It's Lord Jircniv!" Duncan shouted. "He is the last child of the former king!"
"What?" Talcott barked. "That blind fool? Enough with your delusions. Even if he were of royal blood, how can a blind man become king? I've seen his eyes with my own."
"The blindness is an act—to hide his red eyes, the proof passed down from the king."
"Lies to fool fools! Enough of this nonsense. Knights! Seize these traitors at once!"
At Talcott's command, the knights and guards who had been waiting nearby drew their swords.
The rebels protecting Duncan drew their swords as well. One of them, a tall man, stepped forward, shielding Duncan as he moved into position.
