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Emrys was back inside before most realized what had happened, so many didn’t know if it had been Caleb or someone else.
The inside was colorful and full of sparkles and I realized matching my dress, which matched my eyes in rabbit form. The thought that they had matched those things had tears in my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away to avoid ruining my makeup.
“It’s so sparkly and beautiful,” I said as we passed through the foyer and stopped at the doors to the ballroom, where we would spend the rest of the evening.
“They put a lot of thought into this,” Riddick agreed.
Two guards at the doors had us wait as we were announced inside.
“Now presenting King Caleb and Queen Ember of the Hybrids and their packmates Branson, Riddick, and Triston!”
The two guards opened the doors simultaneously, and we were met with applause and cheers.
Caleb’s entire family was inside, including all of the cousins and uncles and aunts I had not met yet.
At the far end of the room was a raised platform with two thrones, empty and waiting for us to sit on them. Glancing around, I saw that each side had the same, with the kings and queens of the other clans seated already. Jolie winked at me from her seat beside Nico and I realized she had finally accepted her full mantle as queen now. She was no longer Princess Jolie, but Queen Jolie.
“Lots of changes tonight,” Caleb commented. “It is definitely going to cause a stir among the population.”
I nodded my agreement, as we walked up the two stairs to our thrones.
Caleb dropped his elbow, but laced our fingers together on the same hand, then raised his other hand. Everyone stopped clapping and cheering. “Thank you for joining us tonight. We are incredibly grateful to have all of your support and partnership as my queen and I step into our roles.” Caleb sat first, and I sat next, following the protocol Jolie had explained to me.
“Long live King Caleb! Long live Queen Ember!” Thor shouted.
The entire crowd repeated the cheer, and I stared at the scene before me. Once again, the insanity of this life, the quickness from which I had gone from an outcast hermit to a queen was flashing before my eyes.
Dan walked down from his throne to ours, dipping his head just down enough to show respect without showing us as superior. “As is tradition when a new monarch is crowned, each of the fellow monarchs provide you with a gift.”
What? Jolie hadn’t mentioned this part.
Caleb’s frown made me think he hadn’t known about this either.
“While jewels have been a common gift, we understand the hybrid royalty while appreciating these items value others more. The werewolves hereby give you, King Caleb and Queen Ember, the Sapphire Island.”
The crowd gasped, and Caleb’s hand clenched a bit around mine as his eyes widened.
“Thank you, King Daniel. That is … quite the gift and we will be sure to appreciate it for its many uses,” Caleb said.
I had no idea what the island was or why it was important, but being gifted an island did seem a bit extravagant.
“We look forward to our continued partnership with the werewolves,” I said with a smile.
Dan winked at me and went back to his throne.
Emrys and his mate came next. She was scowling, but it seemed that was a constant for Rhys’s mother, who still hadn’t warmed all the way up to Jolie. We had had very little interaction, so I wasn’t certain how she felt about me. “The dragons have a long history of wealth and we hope the same for you as well. To assist, we are gifting you, King Caleb and Queen Ember, the mine of Morsai.”
Once again, the crowd gasped and murmured while Caleb’s eyes widened.
“Thank you, King Emrys and Queen Adelaide, we are humbled by your gift,” I said, since Caleb was staring in shock at them.
“Yes, thank you, Your Majesties, for such a generous gift,” Caleb said.
They dipped their heads before returning to their seats.
“You didn’t know about this part either, did you?” I asked out of the corner of my mouth.
“Nope,” he said. “And these gifts are more extravagant than any jewelry or item they could have given us. I think there’s going to be a long discussion with my family tomorrow at brunch.”
