Chapter 49
The preparations for the ceremony were underway immediately. I was swept into meeting after meeting and lesson after lesson. I was taught ways that a crowned princess should speak and act and walk. I was taught the things I was allowed to say in public and the things that I wasn’t.
It was as frustrating as it was exhausting and every night I climbed into bed hoping it would be my last lesson but they just seemed to keep going on. Audrey didn’t really understand what was going on, all she knew was that there was going to be a large party and that I was unusually busy.
Christine helped me with her a lot especially when I had a lesson running late or a last minute meeting but I knew she still wanted to spend time with me which is why I requested that both our dress fittings be done together and on the same day. Once again, Audrey didn’t understand the magnitude of the situation, she was just excited and ski pping over the prospect of pretty dresses.
When I arrived in the room that would be used for dress fittings, the women all bowed immediately. Audrey was so shocked by them that she rushed behind me and buried her face into the skirts of my dress. “They’re not going to hurt you,” I whispered as I bent down to her level, “They bow because that is how they greet us.”
She poked her head out from behind me, “Do you pinky promise?” “Yes, I pinky promise,” I h ooked my finger with her tiny one and she finally came out of her hiding spot but kept her hands intertwined with. mine.
The coronation has three main events that I need to be dressed for. The first is the official introduction to the various Alphas; it is a dinner that will be held in the grand hall where I get to be seen for the first time. The second is the actual ceremony where I am crowned princess in front of everyone and the third and final is the after party where I have to mingle with everyone and get to know them for myself so I can have a good guess on who are our allies and who are enemies.
There isn’t a dress scheme for the first or third events but for the second, it is tradition that whatever color I choose has to stand out and no other person would be allowed to use that color. It will most times serve as the color that I am known for. Take my mother for example, on her coronation, she wore a dress that looked like it was dyed in fresh blood
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and people nicknamed her the Red Queen. I haven’t chosen my color yet and I was dreading it.
“Mummy look at all the pretty dresses,” Audrey got over her initial fright and ran over to the many rows of clothes, “That one is pink, can I have the pink mummy?”
“You can have whatever you want,” I assured her, “But you need to try it on first to see if it’ll fit.”
Unlike me, Audrey only has to attend one event- the coronation. A part of me doesn’t want her there but I know there is little to nothing I can do about it. While she was gushing over the many dresses, I tried on a few ideas for the first and third events.
Prior to this, I had given them an idea of what I wanted so it wasn’t difficult to choose something. For the meeting, I chose a simple off the shoulder silver dress. It had an A line skirt and it flowed down to my ankles where it pooled out into a small train. It wasn’t too much but it was enough to draw attention.
For the after party, I chose a dress made from the softest fabric that looked like a cross between grey, silver and blue. It had a mesh corset like bodice with silver straps and the skirt wrapped around my legs in a way that was both decent and exciting. The material was sheer and I knew it would raise a few brows but I loved it.
I was about to take it off when Audrey appeared in a dress that was almost the same color. It was blue with a ball gown skirt and it had butterflies all over the skirt. She had a butterfly crown in her hair and she was smiling so wide that it looked like her face would split open.
“It’s the same,” she squealed as she rushed over to me and I managed to grab her hands before she put them on my dress. “You look pretty mummy.”
“So do you,” I gasped, “You are the most beautiful person here.” She giggled with excitement and I felt my heart ache as I watched her. “Why don’t you go take it off so you can help me pick out another dress?” She nodded eagerly and allowed the woman lead her back into the dressing room. I was stripped out of the blue dress and I stood in a robe as they showed me color after color but none of them seemed to call out
to me.
Audrey returned and I pulled her into my lap and opened up the book of colors in front of her. Her eyes widened and she looked over each page as
if she wasn’t sure where to look first. She would hover over a color then fl*p the
page and realize that there were more colors there. It felt good to know that I wasn’t the only one who was confused by the entire thing.
“How long do I have before I need to choose a color and a design?” I asked without looking up.
“Three days at most,” I don’t know who answered me but it was enough to put a damper in my mood. “We would need enough time to get the fabric and depending on the complexity of the design.”
“I understand,” I closed the book and handed it to the person closest to me, “I will get back to you in exactly three days.”
They bowed and helped me put on my dress before excusing themselves from the room. I sat there with Audrey for a few minutes longer and she rested her head backwards on my chest.
“Are you okay?” she asked and I hummed, “Are you sad because of the dress?”
I laughed softly as I shook my head, “I’m not sad, I’m just exhausted- it means tired.”
“I’m sorry, do you want a nap?”
I had to stop myself from laughing out loud. I wish I was the kind of tired that required a nap but unfortunately that won’t help my case. I k*ssed her forehead softly to let her know that I appreciated her thoughts.
“Thank you, maybe I’ll get a nap later.”
“I’m hungry mummy,” She pulled herself off my leg and gestured for me to stand so we could go.
I got up and she opened her arms for me to pick her up. When she was settled on my hip, I made my way out of the dressing room and towards the large dining room.
On my way there, I was ambushed by Christine who looked like she had something really urgent to tell me. I put Audrey down and asked her to go and wait for me in the dining room seeing as she was impatiently squirming in my arms. I knew guards would go with her so I had nothing to worry about and I turned to Christine.
“What’s the problem?” I asked and she pulled me into a corner before speaking.
“I heard that an Alpha crossed our borders today,” she said and it felt like my entire world shut down.
With those nine words, all I could hear was a ringing in my ears. It felt like my world was suspended on a tight rope that was about to snap. Mother told me I would have a week; it has only been six days. I thought I would get the exact seven days or at least a little more time. I am nowhere near ready to see Ryker.
“The Queen says they won’t be staying in the palace,” she assured me. “Some will be staying at a hotel and some will be staying in the palace. guest house depending on the arrangements that she has made. You may not have to see him until the ceremony.”
“What do I do if he seeks me out?”
“You ignore him,” she said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
“It is not that easy.”
Christine grabbed my shoulders so I was staring at her and the look she gave me was enough to make a lesser man squirm in his boots but I know her and I know she would never hurt me so I stood there and I stared her right back in the eye.
“You are the crowned princess,” she began. “You do not owe anyone much less him an explanation. He should be on his knees begging for a second of your time and if you decide that you do not want to give it to him then that is fine. You are not obligated to do that. If you don’t want him in the palace then all you have to do is say one word. Everyone in here lives to follow you. Do not forget that.”
I swallowed and nodded, “You’re right, I should get Audrey. She must be waiting for me.”
Christine smiled, “I think I could use a snack too.”
We walked towards the dining room and I was confused when I pushed the doors open and the only people there were my mother and a maid. I looked around at first and checked behind the doors wondering if Audrey was playing hide and seek.
“What are you looking for?” mother asked and I finally acknowledged her by looking up.
“Where’s Audrey?”
Mother raised a brow, “She was with you.”
“Yes but I asked her to come here, didn’t you see her?” she shook her head and I didn’t waste any time before I was sprinting out of the dining room to look for my daughter.
I checked her room first to see if she had gone back but she hadn’t. Her room looked the same way it did when we left it this morning. I could feel myself begin to panic but I was desperately trying to calm down. “Relax,” Christine whispered, “The guards will never let her go far. I’m sure that she is somewhere in this palace.”
I ran my hands through my hair and made my way down the stairs when I almost bumped into one of the guards. I know him as Steven because he watches Audrey a lot of the time. When he saw me, he breathed out a sigh of relief.
“I was looking for you my lady,” he bowed, “The princess managed to run away from us when we were out in the garden. She is speaking to one of the visitors and she refuses to come with us. We cannot touch her as we are not allowed and I was hoping you could get her to come back.”
I exchanged a look with Christine and we were sprinting to the garden. I prayed to the moon goddess that it wasn’t what I was thinking and I drew to a harsh stop when I saw her.
Audrey was standing with a tiny flower in her hand while he was crouched down next to her. He was smiling down at her and listening with rapt attention while she spoke about something I couldn’t hear. I immediately pressed myself against the wall so they wouldn’t see me and I saw Christine glance at me carefully as she registered the scene in front of her.
Ryker had officially met his daughter.
