The midday sun peeked through the barren tree limbs above our heads, and birds with snowy feathers and emerald breasts chirped softly from their perches. Frostbitten leaves had tumbled to the earth and covered the floors in patterns of umber and gold. The Charmers stood in quiet rows, much like they had the day Yazmin summoned them to spew lies about the Council. They stared at us with a similar sense of apprehension, too. Never before had non-Charmers stood at the front of the congregation, on the raised dais meant for their leaders.
Gaige, Raven, and Kaori were positioned in front of us, leading the ceremony we knew nothing about. In their mercury robes, they were something familiar their people could hold onto in the wake of Yazmin’s attack.
“There are no words that can soothe the pain we’ve been dealt,” Gaige began, deep voice rumbling over the crowd and silencing the quiet murmurs. “In fact, in times of great agony, I find that speeches do little, but action gives us purpose.Actiongives us an avenue to heal.” He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. I’d half expected an immediate outcry from the Charmers. A denial for the need to act, especially if that meant going to war. But the room remained silent. Still. For now, that was a win.
“And so we must press on. Together, under a new Crown, we will find a way to rise above the tragedy.” With a sweeping gesture, he commanded everyone’s attention to the end of the room where Leena stood. It was as if nature herself bowed in recognition. A breeze rushed over the frost-kissed fields, their sparkling blades ablaze in the sun, and carried with it a mist from the crashing falls. It wreathed Leena’s form before settling over us all. “I present to you Leena Edenfrell, Crown of the Charmers Council.”
She held her chin high but kept her smile soft, warm. With her mercury cloak open, her cream-colored floor-length dress was on full display. It trailed behind her as she walked toward us. She was more than stunning—she was regal. When she stopped before Gaige, her gaze swept my direction and held for a beat. Her resolve was palpable, and I nearly dropped to my knees in a display of loyalty.
Raven scooped up a violet pillow made of velvet from one of the nearby thrones. Resting in the center was a delicate rose-gold diadem with hundreds of twisting branches and countless leaves dotted with diamonds. It wasn’t the crown Yazmin had taken with her, and somehow, that made it all the more special. This was the diadem that signified a new beginning. Leena’s crown.
Leena kneeled before her, and Raven cleared her throat. “Will you protect us against threats both near and far?”
“Yes,” Leena said without hesitation. Even with her chin tucked to her chest and eyes cast downward, her voice rang out loud and clear.
“Will you guide us in times of doubt? Offer wisdom when you have it, and lean on your Council when you need it?”
“Yes.”
Raven’s eyes bored into her. “Will you keep Celeste in your heart and cherish the lives of all beasts?”
For a brief moment, Leena tilted her head up to look past Raven. I followed her gaze to the statue of Celeste and Ocnolog carved into the wall behind the thrones. She seemed to track the ancient symbols etched beside them, as if reading the words she must’ve known by heart. After a beat, she closed her eyes in reverence and dropped her chin once again before answering Raven.
“Always.”
Gaige took over, gently lifting the diadem high into the air before placing it on Leena’s head. “In the name of our goddess, we accept you as our Crown. You may now address your people.”
Rising to her feet, Leena faced her congregation. “It is an honor to stand before you now. Though I didn’t ask for this role, I will serve you.” She clasped her hands before her and inhaled deeply. “As Gaige said, there are no words to alleviate the pain of this tragedy. Yazmin cannot take back the damage she’s done. She has scarred us in ways we never thought possible. But she also sparked something I don’t think she intended to: Courage. Strength. Independence.
“I know war is something we never want to live through again.” She stepped off the dais and began walking down the aisle. “But this isn’t something we can run from. We can’t allow Yazmin to threaten our home. If she wants a war, we have to give it to her.”
Silence filled the throne room, until one young woman spoke out. “You sound like her. How do we know we can trust you?”
Sharp gasps followed the woman’s question. An elder gentleman, possibly her father, gripped her arm tight and begged her to be quiet with a stern look.
Leena paused halfway down the aisle. With a furrowed brow, she glanced between the pair. “Are you afraid of me?”
“No.” His denial was too quick. “Please, forgive my daughter. She didn’t mean to offend.”
The woman pursed her lips but said nothing.
Leena gripped the bestiary dangling around her neck. I longed to join her side, to offer her comfort in the face of uncertainty. But a different part of me, the prince I used to be, recognized she had to do this on her own and instill confidence in her people without my aid. She glanced my direction, and I nodded once. Ruling was so incredibly new to her. And even though it was old to me, something from a distant memory, it was as if my father were beside me in that very moment.
“Look your people in the eyes when they speak. Acknowledge their concerns. Be a pillar of strength when they need it.”
His words rattled through my brain, and I willed her to hear them. She couldn’t have, but she straightened her spine just the same, shifting her gaze back to the woman. And then, she gently extended her hand outward. Rosewood light sparked through the air, and the heavy groan of the beast realm door opening rolled over us. Startled gasps were quickly drowned out by the deep yowl of a legendary feline beast. Onyx appeared beside her. Lithe muscles bunched and stretched beneath his glossy, black fur. With a look of pure motherly love, Leena turned and ran her fingers through his feathered mane before bringing her gaze back around.
“May I?” She held her out her hand to the woman.
Hesitantly, the woman nodded.
With the woman’s hands cupped in hers, Leena kneeled. “Please, don’t fear me. Hear my truth—I will protect our home. Our beasts. Our people. And I won’t force anyone to join me if they don’t want to.”
The sincerity in Leena’s words was unmistakable, but she knew just how important a beast’s approval was to her people. Onyx ignited his power, and while I couldn’t see the invisible flames surrounding Leena, I could feel their soothing, reassuring warmth. He’d pried into her thoughts with his magic and deemed her worthy once again. Had she been lying or untrustworthy, Onyx would’ve burned her mind to ash. But she remained unharmed, determination shining in her eyes, and we all knew that she wouldn’t betray anyone like Yazmin had. Not now, not ever.
The woman’s gaze turned glassy with unshed tears, and she pulled Leena to her feet. “I will follow you,” she said, voice rough but full of promise. When she kneeled before Leena in turn, before the Crown of the Charmers Council, the rest of the room followed suit.
Leena blinked and pressed a hand to her chest. She turned in place, a smile building with every breath, as she took in her people. I glanced at my brothers, and we all sank to our knees. As did Gaige, Kaori, and Raven.
