The Good Crown

Chapter 58

The basement of the town's church was cramped and tense, with everyone shouting over one another. The air felt thick with anxiety as the rebellion meeting reached a boiling point. The mayor stood at the front, trying to regain control of the crowd, but it was no use. The voices of the townsfolk, filled with fear and frustration, drowned him out.

"How do we know this plan is foolproof?" one woman yelled from the back, her voice rising above the chaos.

I sat with Elara, Leo, and Thomas, all of us quietly watching the disorder unfold. It was surreal to think that after three months of carefully planning, we were here—on the verge of something we'd only talked about in hushed whispers. Now, it was real, and the weight of it pressed heavily on my chest.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted my parents sitting near the back with my sisters, their faces tense as they watched the scene unfold. My mother kept glancing between me and the mayor, clearly concerned.

The mayor finally raised his hands, calling for silence. "We need order!" he shouted. "We can't fall apart now."

Leo, who had been silent up until now, leaned forward, his voice low but urgent. "The guards have been upping security all week. We need a new way in. The routes we've discussed—they're being watched."

A murmur of frustration rippled through the crowd. The townsfolk were already on edge, and this news only made things worse. Voices rose again, the panic palpable.

"This is hopeless!" someone shouted.

"There has to be another way!" another voice cried.

I felt the panic rising within me, too, but I knew I couldn't let it take hold. My friends needed me. The rebellion needed me. I took a deep breath, glancing at Leo, Elara, and Thomas. They were waiting for someone to speak up, for someone to offer a solution. And I knew I had one—one I had sworn I'd never reveal.

But seeing the fear on everyone's faces, I knew I didn't have a choice anymore.

"There's another way," I said, my voice cutting through the noise. The crowd turned to me, eyes filled with hope and desperation.

Elara gave me a questioning look, but I pressed on, knowing this was the only option we had left. "It's north of the woods, near a small stream," I continued. "There's an entrance no one else knows about. It's hidden and unguarded."

I didn't mention that Noah had taken me there when we'd left the palace that one night. That part didn't matter now. What mattered was getting these people in, giving them a chance.

The mayor's gaze sharpened, focusing on me. "You're certain?" he asked, his voice heavy with the weight of this decision.

I nodded, feeling the tension in the room grow as my heart raced.

The room buzzed with renewed energy after I spoke, and the mayor immediately began directing the conversation toward how we could use the hidden entrance. Plans were thrown around, people debated strategies, and the tension in the room shifted from panic to purpose. But as the meeting went on, I found myself zoning out, my mind wandering away from the voices surrounding me.

I could hear Leo and Elara discussing guard rotations, Thomas chiming in with details about supplies, but it all felt distant, like I was watching from outside of my own body. My gaze drifted to my family in the back of the room. My sisters whispered to each other, while my parents sat quietly, their faces unreadable. It was hard to imagine they were involved in this too—that we all were. The rebellion was no longer just an idea, it was happening, and somehow, I had become part of its foundation.

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur, my thoughts a jumble of what-ifs and the weight of my choices. Before I knew it, the mayor was thanking everyone for their input, signaling the end of the discussion. The townsfolk began filing out of the basement, their hushed conversations filling the small space.