“My queen,” Korithax responds without hesitation. “If she wants that.”
Before I have a chance to respond, Elyistria moves to step in front of me and lowers herself to one knee, bowing her head slightly. “I vow to offer my protection, my armies, and my loyalty to the Queen.”
I stare in utter shock at Elyistria on her knee before me. A chair scrapes, and Sariya steps forward to stand by Elyistria, lowering to one knee beside her, bowing her head.
“I vow to offer my protection, my armies, and my loyalty to the Queen.”
One by one, the rulers move forward to kneel. Even Vor’Khar bows, grunting with his hand crackling with lightning against his chest. I glance to see Aran also on one knee, a proud smile plastered across his face, tears brimming in his emerald eyes.
Tears sting my eyes, my voice is shaky, but sure as I speak words that feel like they’re from memory, as well as my heart. “I vow to rule with love, with fairness, and with strength.” I turn to Korithax, gripping his hand tighter. “With my king, my mate, at my side. As equals.”
The room erupts into applause, and I feel my heart swell with so much pride and love. Elyistria and Sariya pull me into a fierce embrace as we all smile, tears brimming our eyes.
“We have a coronation to prepare,” Sariya laughs, her eyes gleaming with so much joy, it’s contagious.
For the first time in what feels like a lifetime, I let myself bask in the love and laughter surrounding me, and smile and laugh too. I’m not just a girl anymore, I’m not just a queen. I’m the flame reignited, and with the love surrounding me, this time, I won’t be the one to burn.
Chapter 55
Korithax
Iwatched Daisy disappear down the hall with Sariya and Elyistria, their voices fading into laughter as they whisked her away to prepare for the coronation.
I had watched in awe as Daisy had smiled like she believed it was finally allowed, and my chest ached at the sight. I turn toward the guards waiting by the still-open doors of the war room.
“Escort the realm leaders to their quarters and make sure they are seen to. I don’t want anybody wandering the halls unescorted until the coronation. Understood?”
“Yes, my King,” they reply in unison.
The title still felt foreign and too heavy. I wasn’t even king yet, not officially. I wasn’t even sure that I deserved to be king. But I’d made a promise to be the one to rule my people, and to stand by Daisy’s side.
I lingered by the table, the map of the realms still unfurled in front of me. With a sigh, I roll it shut, still feeling the weight of the meeting lingering in the air. One by one, the rulers hadvoiced their support, not just for me, but for her. For us. For what was to come with the Divine Six. Elyistria’s barrier around my realm and hers would hold for now, and I knew the others were already planning to place their own on their own realms, but I knew better than to underestimate the Six. They would find a way through eventually; they always did. And when they did… I needed every realm prepared and every ruler ready to fight.
When the room finally empties, Aran appears beside me like a shadow in the quiet. “Busy day,” he says with a grin, hands placed casually in his trouser pockets.
“You think?” I mutter, dragging a hand down my face. “Gods, I feel like I’ve been hit by a Drekkar.”
He chuckles and steps closer. “You pulled it off. I knew this would work out in the end.”
I arch a brow at him. “And how exactly did you know that?”
Aran clears his throat, his emerald green eyes suddenly very interested in the wall behind me. “Just… had a feeling.” He shrugs.
“Uh huh,” I say, squinting my eyes at him. “Whatever you say.”
I didn’t have the time or the energy to question him on his weird ability to just know shit. But it was definitely something I’d been noticing a lot of lately, and I had a strong feeling my right hand man was hiding something important from me about himself.
He dropped the act and stepped forward, pulling me into a tight hug. And for once, I let him, because I didn’t have it in me to pretend I didn’t need the comfort. His grip is warm and steadying, something he had always been in my life.
“You ready for this?” He asks quietly as he leans back, knowing just how I felt about being a ruler.
“No,” I reply honestly. “But I’ll do it anyway. For her. For them.” I nod to the window that faces the rest of my realm.
“That’s what makes you a real king,” he murmurs. “The ones who want the title for power’s sake? They’re the ones who ruin everything. But you? You never wanted this, Korithax. And that’s exactly why you’ll do it right.”
I swallow the lump rising in my throat, clearly exhausted since such a thing like words from Aran were making me emotional. I give him a nod, my voice thick when I finally answer. “Thanks, Aran.”
He steps back and claps me on the shoulder. “Now, I have one last thing to take care of before tonight.”
