Chapter 64
I was sitting half dressed in the dressing room while I waited for the stylists to bring in my dress. I chose not to see it until today, hoping for the element of surprise and mainly because I thought that not seeing it would make it easier for me to forget the fact that my coronation day was going to arrive whether I liked it or not.
The stylists rushed in with a large dress and my eyes widened when I took in the color. It looked like it was made from melted gold and the longer 1 stared at it, the more my mouth fell open. Christine walked in behind the stylists with a shy smile on her face and my mouth fell open as I stared from her to the dress.
“What do you think?” she asked almost unsure and I immediately stood to my feet.
“I think I want to put it on right now.”
She clapped her hands in glee and I saw her let out a sigh of relief. The stylists walked up to me and helped me into the dress. The first thing I noticed about it as how big it was and the train was massively long. For a split second, I was terrified that I would trip in it and fall flat on my face.
The dress was strapless and form fitted. The material curved around my b*dy like it was second skin and I marveled at the softness of the fabric. Attached at the waist was a huge overflowing skirt and train. Under the right light, the dress almost looked like a peach and gold fusion. The best part about it was how light it was. I was amazed by that fact because I would have expected it to weight so much.
Christine smiled up at me as I stared at myself in the mirror and I couldn’t stop a small smile from mirroring hers. We were both thinking the same thing- mother would have loved it had she seen it.
When I burnt the house down, I wasn’t thinking about mother’s b*dy and it wasn’t until after the fire had been put out that I learnt she had been burned beyond recognition. I knew there was no way we could bury her in the palace and I also knew she would have rather clawed her own eye out than be buried next to my father. Instead, I chose to have her cremated and I poured out her ashes in the air. I felt like that was more genuine to who she was as a person.
I looked just like her today. I chose the same curly bun with some strands framing my face, that she chose on her mating ceremony. She married the prince so she didn’t have a coronation, instead, she had a mating/wedding ceremony. I hoped that people would notice the tribute and understand where it came from.
“Where is Audrey?” I asked Christine.
“She is waiting in the hall like everyone else. She is protected Camilla, you don’t have to worry about that.”
“I will always worry.”
It was so hard to let Audrey out of my sight after what happened and today, it took a lot of persuasion from Christine to even consider it. I made sure she had at least six different guards on her at all times. She didn’t understand why, she just thought they were there to play with her. She still doesn’t understand the impact of what happened in that cabin and I plan to keep it that way.
“It is time,” she reminded me and I cleared my throat.
“Let us go then,”
She led me to the doors of the great hall where the coronation ceremony was to hold. She went in first and I waited until I heard the beat of music start and the doors flew open. I did what mother had told me all those weeks back and I kept my chin high and my eyes fixated on the throne settled on the dais where I was going to be seated at the end of the day.
I faintly heard the announcer mention my name and who I was. I ignored the curious gazes and the envious ones and I made my way over to the front. When I got there, I risked a glance to the left where I knew my family would be. Audrey was smiling widely with her butterfly crown on her hair. I could see people casting glances at her and I tried to remind myself that she was protected and no one would be able to hurt her.
The empty seat next to her caused an ache in my heart. It would have belonged to my mother and normally, an empty seat wouldn’t be kept for a deceased family member but I was adamant that it be done that way because I wanted to honor her in
every way possible.
I finally looked away from my family as I got to the dais. I gave a curt nod to the priest before resting on my knees. I loved the way the dress pooled out around me giving it a sort of ethereal look and as the priest walked over to me, I knew it would be the last time I bowed to anyone in my life.
I didn’t pay attention to most of the words he was saying because I already knew them. He was telling the crowd who I was and what my duties to the kingdom were. Finally, I saw it- the crown. It was brought on a velvet cus hion and I looked up at the priest.
“Do
said.
you take this role with the responsibility that it brings?” he asked and I made sure my voice was clear and concise when I
“I do.”
He took the crown and slowly placed it on my head. It was a simple golden crown with crystals embedded in it. I didn’t want anything extravagant but it seems the palace life will always be extravagant. Not only was it beautiful, but it was heavy and when the priest held out his hand to help me to my feet, I graciously took it.
I kept my head held high as I was led over to the throne and when I sat down, I let out a sigh of relief. As soon as I sat, the entire hall stood to their feet and began to applaud. My eyes found my daughter who looked like she was clapping her absolute hardest and a small smile cracked through my façade.
I looked to the people on the other side and found Ryker’s family. We managed to get Riley safely but she was so badly hurt and dehydrated. Apparently, the person Lucy put in charge of taking care of her couldn’t have been bothered to do so. She looked weak and tired but she still managed to come.
Ryker was standing next to her and he tipped his head to me in a form of bow. When he came out of that house, I was so relieved. I thought for sure that I had lost him. He had a few burns but they only took a few days to heal and I knew for sure that I didn’t want to spend another moment of my life without him. Right there in front of the burning building, we agreed to be a family again..
-Everyone who wanted to stand against us perished in that fire and we had agreed to keep it behind us and move forward
together.
It probably wasn’t the most romantic declaration of love but it was something and it came at the right time because Audrey was more than happy. I tipped my head back in his direction and I saw the corner of his l*ps quirk up.
***********
SEVEN MONTHS LATER
.
“Where the hell is he?” I couldn’t keep the irritation out of my voice as Christine fussed over me. I swatted her hands away as she reached out to touch my forehead.
“He is on his way,” she repeated the same phrase she had said for the past three hours and I wanted to stab her. “He had to finish up with the elders, you know how they are.”
I did know how they were but I didn’t care considering the fact that I was about to push out his baby. I was the queen and if I wanted him here then I didn’t give a flying f**k who wanted him, he had to be here.
I heard the door open and I saw Ryker rush in. The first two buttons of his shirt were undone and his hair was a mess as if he had ran his hands through it a million times before. He rushed over to my side and pressed a k*ss to my clammy forehead.
“I am so sorry,” he breathed against my hair. “I’m here now, everything will be fine.”
After my coronation, we went to the elders to figure out how to handle things seeing as Ryker was an Alpha. He had to give up control of his pack to Damien- who was now the Alpha. We also played around with some laws so that his pack was officially an extension of the palace. Our mating ceremony was held less than a month after the coronation and he became Prince Consort. It wasn’t a huge ceremony, just something small and intimate but the entire world knew.
Shortly after our mating ceremony, Christine and Damien met and found out they were mates. I don’t know what was going
to happen between them especially considering that Damien wanted to mate with Riley. Christine has been tight l*pped about the entire thing and refuses to comment on it.
The midwife walked back into the room and took a look between my legs. “I think you’re ready.”
Almost forty five minutes later and my daughter was placed in my arms. I had forgotten how tiny a baby could be but as I stared down at her, I felt my heart clench almost painfully. She had Ryker’s dark hair and when her eyes fluttered open, they were the same hazel eyes as mine.
“She is so beautiful,” Ryker breathed above me and as I watched the tears that gathered in his eyes, I felt a pang for the years of Audrey’s life that he missed.
“Do you want to hold her?” I asked and he nodded.
He lifted her carefully, almost like he was scared she would break and cradled her in his arms. He cooed at her softly and I watched as he was completely enamored by his child. The door opened and I saw Audrey appear almost carefully as if she was scared of interrupting. I gestured for her to come closer and she sprinted across the room.
She climbed up on the bed and sat next to me. Ryker crouched down a little so she could look at her little sister and I saw her nose crinkle in confusion.
“She looked like a potato,” she said and my mouth fell open so she added. “She looks like a cute potato.”
“You looked like a potato too when you were born,” I told her and her mouth fell open as if I had said something offensive. “When she grows a little, she won’t look like that anymore.”
She stared at her sister with eyes full of awe and fascination and I knew I never had to worry about her being a good sister because judging by the look in her eyes, she would protect her sister with everything in her.
“What’s her name?” Audrey asked and I looked up at Ryker with a short nod..
“Her name is Aurora Leanor Caine.”
