“We vow to do so,” Ethan and I responded again.
“Will you judge and rule Malovia with a fair hand, delivering both mercy and justice, honoring the gods and sustaining our nation with every power that is in you?”
“We will,” we responded once again. Our voices were getting bolder now, growing louder in the silence of the sanctified cathedral.
“And do you vow to uphold the truth of the gods, the righteousness of the nation, and the preservation of the fae? Do you promise to use your wisdom to bring light by the Seelie, and bring darkness from the Unseelie?”
There were a few mutters at the mention of the dark fae, but Ethan and I had insisted it be put into the ceremony. The Unseelie vow had been taken out many years ago once the dark fae were vanquished, but Ethan and I wished to be a different king and queen, and restore our ancestral customs. It started at our coronation.
“We solemnly promise,” Ethan and I said, and the room became still once more.
“Do you swear to protect Malovia and to defend her at all costs, even upon your life?”
“We shall,” Ethan and I answered again, and a shiver passed through me.
The high priestess nodded. “Let it be known from this day forth, you shall be called King Ethan of the Arcanea, first of his name, and Queen Emmaline of the Arcanea, first of her name. We now place these crowns upon your noble brow, and give you the keys to our kingdom. Use them wisely.”
The high priestess motioned behind her. Two younger priestesses strode forward, carrying a golden crown and a silver tiara. I’d seen those same crowns on the heads of Gabby and Elijah so many times, and now, they were being placed on ours. A tightness constricted my throat, and tears formed in my eyes as the tiara was nestled into my hair. Its weight was heavy— enough to last a lifetime.
Ethan was given the orb and scepter, and the jeweled necklace was fastened around my neck. The priestesses looped fur-lined navy capes around our shoulders, and fastened them.
We stood. In unison, Ethan and I walked toward the matching thrones, and took our place upon them.
As we did so, the high priestess cried, “I announce the crowning of the King and Queen of the Arcanea! Long may they reign!”
“Long live the king! Long live the queen!”
The fae in the pews responded in booming voices, their voices echoing over the cathedral and rising to the rafters. A chill settled into my bones, and I laid my hands upon the arms of the throne.
It had been done. The pomp and circumstance was over. Ethan and I were king and queen.
Now was the time to play chess.
Chapter Five
Ethan
Now that I was king, and Emma was queen, there were many duties to be done.
The life of a monarch was quick-paced, always demanding decisions. Within days, we fell into a routine.
Emma and I began our day with an offering to the gods in the royal cathedral. We then headed into a council meeting at the palace, where we converged with our advisors and various members of the Circle. The Sacred Gathering was only to be used for the most important of meetings, so this was where we received council.
Our Circle meetings took up most of the morning, and led straight into lunch. After we ate, we headed to the throne room, to hear demands and pleas from the people.
Elijah never did this, and it was an old tradition, but I thought that it was important to have the people talk with us face-to-face, to see that we cared. We settled disputes between commoners and did what we could to help people who’d experienced some sort of disaster or suffering. Frustratingly, I found we couldn’t always fix everything. We didn’t have the resources or the time to give as freely as I desired, though Emma and I did our best to try and make sure everyone walked away satisfied.
Before our formal day ended, we always gained updates on the war from General Bani, the shifter who I’d designated to lead our army. The answer as of yet hadn’t varied; Gabby was locked up tight in her fortress with her followers, and she hadn’t yet made a move.
We’d have to squeeze her out somehow. We’d speculated that we could starve her out, but then she would move her armies against us, and at the current moment, our forces were equally matched. Weeks had passed since our coronation, and we appeared to be at a stalemate. Neither side wanted to give in, but neither wanted to make the first move.
I wasn’t sure what Gabby was waiting for. It wasn’t like her to be so cautious. Something was up.
After our afternoon war meeting, we attended parties and participated in recreation, always with the court present. Emma rolled her eyes at the parties, but I insisted it was very important to hold them. Fraternizing with the court, especially the nobles, was not only a way to keep them happy. It was also a way to gain information, keep people close, and weed out any betrayers. We knew Gabby had planted people inside our palace to keep an eye on us, and we had yet to find out who they were, so hosting events where gossip freely flowed was one of our best chances of gaining information.
Every day was more or less the same, but at the same time, different, because of the choices we made. There was always something new to decide. There was a constant entourage of people around us, if not for the government, but for entertainment. I’d had the same experience growing up as a prince in the palace, but had grown used to another life during my time at the university, and thus had to get re-adjusted.
Emma was in completely new territory. She had other queenly duties that I did not, and in the fall, she’d be adding private instruction, to make up for no longer attending Arcanea University. I kept a close eye on her, preparing to intercede if I felt like it was going to be too much.
