The Ordained Heir

Chapter Nine

The news flooded the tabloids the next day that Fiona Tudor was unable to get a contract with the McIntyre family. Alexander felt bad for her only for a second, but deep down, he knew that she deserved it. Fiona was never the sort to care about other people but herself and the growth of the Tudor family - even if it meant hurting others.

Alicia had been trying to meet up with Alexander all day, but he kept avoiding her - he wasn't ready for an entanglement with any moment, he had a serious mission to rebuild his broken family.

"Master, the McIntyre heiress is still calling you," Brad said as he sat in the passenger seat beside him. Alexander sighed and gave the same response he'd given the whole day, "Tell her I'm unavailable," he replied. Brad nodded and answered the phone, doing just as good.

Alexander looked out the car window, it was driving down a suburban area of the town, the fields were neater and the air a lot more fresh. He could almost taste his childhood right on the tip of his tongue, when he and his parents would take long trips to their family cabin. He quickly reminded himself to ask Pa Harry about the family cabin later.

Shortly, they arrived at the Sean Tower and Brad got the door for him. Alexander was dressed smartly in a shirt and tan trousers, his hair styled back. "I'll be right outside if you need me," Bradford said as he walked inside.

Alexander was just getting used to the idea of having a servant by his side all the time, always ready to attend to his needs. For a minute, he felt relieved to be rid of Brad even for a short time.

Pa Harry had clearly told him that no non-member was allowed into the executive chambers of the Sean Tower. It was only for the members of the Sean family council and by taking over the family, he automatically belonged to that council too.

The elevator dinged and Alexander stepped out. A portly servant welcomed him by the door and pushed it open. Alexander walked into a room filled with men twice and thrice his age. He couldn't believe that Pa Harry wanted him to lead such a council.

As he approached the table, all the men rose and bowed to him - all except one man. "Welcome home, grand master," all of them chorused.

But as Alexander sat, he noticed that the one man that hadn't risen to greet him was staring at him with a nasty scowl. "Is this the boy?" He asked and Pa Harry nodded. The man snorted and looked at Alexander again, "You think he can handle the duties of the grand master?" The man asked.

"Alexander has been reinstated back to the Sean family, it is only right according to the family laws for him to take his rightful place at once," Harry replied. But the man shook his head and retorted, "I don't care about the law, all I care about is what is right and what is wrong," then turning to Alexander he added, "There is no way leaving the

family for this boy to handle is the right thing, I won't be fooled!" He snapped.

Alexander looked at him, his stare blank, he wondered who the man was and how he dared to challenge his authority as the grand master when he was the true son of his father and rightfully the heir to the family.

"My name is Josiah Sean II, I am the messenger of the grand master and I am in charge of deciding who takes the seat as the next heir of this prestigious family," he said boldly, as if reading Alexander's mind.

"My name is Alexander__" but before he could finish that sentence, the man cut him in rudely and said, "I know who you are, everyone knows who you are. You are supposed to be the heir of the Sean family but you will need a little more than a name to convince us," Josiah said stiffly.

"What does he have to do?" Harry asked on his behalf, he had hoped that Josiah wouldn't be so strict on the young master, but clearly the old man was more terrible than he gave him credit for.

"He will have to undertake the Sean Family Trial," Josiah declared and everyone gasped. Harry was up on his feet and quickly begged for pardon.

"He can't go through the trial, I beg of you, he has just realized who he is, he is just getting back into society after so many years, please Messenger Josiah, he doesn't have the resources or experience to undertake the trial," he begged.

"Harry is right, he doesn't know anyone or anything about the family," another man agreed.

Josiah shook his head with a nasty frown, "He will have to learn quickly, after all, how can he lead a family he knows nothing of, I won't deal with a weakling for an heir!" He snapped and then pointed at Alexander, "You will take the Sean Trial and you will prove yourself worthy of being crowned the heir of the family, until then, you shall remain an ordinary member of the executive chamber," he declared.

Alexander had no idea what the old man was talking about. He wondered what the trial was all about. Although he could see the panicked looks on the faces of the men, he wasn't going to back down from a challenge that threatened his very entitlement, he would take the trial, no matter what it entailed. "I accept your challenge, I will take the trial," he replied boldly.

Everyone gasped, the entire table fell silent and Josiah laughed, his tone loud and rumbling off the walls, "How brave of you, boy, you have accepted the trial rather than beg for mercy," he said, his tone mocking. "But only man has ever withstood the Sean Trial and you are nothing like him," Josiah laughed.

"Alexander, what have you done?" Pa Harry asked, stricken.