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CHAPTER 10
The spectacle was far beyond what I could have imagined. I was sitting in my golden carriage, pulled by eight white stallions decorated like kings. The sides of the streets were packed with cheering and waving people. A sea of heads of all ages, smiling, chanting, excited. Some of them wore black just as I did, for my father, yet their mood was beyond lifted—it was ecstatic.
Back at the castle, we had problems leaving as the enormous crowd had managed to make its way onto the road, blocking it in the hopes to catch a glimpse of me. My soldiers had to push them back and form chains of guards to keep the people from storming the streets again.
The town itself was like a wild carnival. Flowers and colorful banners of my kingdom’s emblem, the phoenix, decorated the houses and streets. People were waving little flags with the image of a crowned woman with golden hair, which I assumed was me.
I was leaning out the window, waving and waving and waving. At some point, my trembling arms were so tired that I worried I wouldn’t be able to hold the scepter when I was crowned in the Rhine Dome at the center of town. Yet it was so uplifting to see my people so supportive. For the first time, I truly felt like their queen and instantly regretted that I hadn’t come more often to my own capital when my father was still alive. At least I attended the most important events, such as funerals.
My heavily guarded carriage pulled up in front of the Rhine Dome. Its gigantic limestone towers reached into the sky, decorated with enormous, colorful windows. This building had always humbled me just by looking at it. And today, it was even more intimidating.
I took in a deep breath. As much as I enjoyed my people and the lively streets, the crowning was a totally different story. I was dreading this event. Hundreds of noble families from all over the kingdoms—North, East, South, and West—would be present. I would be paraded in front of them, then taken back to the castle to have to meet and thank every single one of them in the throne room. It would take hours. Hours of smiling and nodding in constant fear of making a mistake that Gunther could use to destroy me.
To my displeasure, a colorfully dressed footman pulled open the carriage door, revealing Gunther standing next to His Holiness Alfred Toulouse, head of the entire church in all kingdoms that prayed to God. His journey to my crowning had been delayed due to troubles with his carriage, so this was actually the first time I’d met him—ever. His Holiness was wearing pure golden silk and a tall hat, while Gunther wore a mix of purple and gold. Gunther was a head taller than His Holiness, who looked like a skinny, fragile older man with sunken cheekbones and large, round gray eyes.
They were surrounded by several priests wearing purple robes, all of them bowing except for His Holiness and Gunther. According to protocol, I was expected to bow in front of His Holiness, but Gunther, on the other hand, was supposed to bow in front of me with the others.
Slimy prick.
Even now, in front of tens of thousands of people, this rat didn’t miss the chance to diminish me.
Faking a smile, I stepped out of the carriage and bowed, positioning myself clearly in front of His Holiness so there would be no mistake who I was bowing to.
“God awaits you to become our queen, my child,” His Holiness said as he stretched out his hand with the golden Ring of God on his finger. I kissed it, then straightened again the moment I noticed a twitch in Gunther’s hand. Did he really think I would kiss his hand, admitting to all the world that he was above me?
Never.
Gunther’s eyes narrowed, but I paid him no mind as I walked by him with His Holiness leading the way inside the church.
Loud organ music blasted as we stepped inside and made our way past all the staring noble families and up to the altar. They bowed the moment I passed them, some of them smiling, others openly displaying their contempt for me with scowls and frowns. Without moving my head too much, I scanned the crowd for Alrick until I found him in one of the last rows, right under a window. My lips curled up into an honest smile. Seeing him made me feel as if I was sitting next to a cozy fire, his arms around me.
He smiled back, an expression on his face as if he was telling me not to worry, that he was here.
I finally arrived in front of the altar with His Holiness. Gunther and the train of monks took their places to the sides of the altar. I fell to my knees and looked up at the golden crucifix right next to my father’s ridiculously large crown and golden scepter. Both crown and scepter were for ceremonies only and made of pure gold. Countless red and green diamonds were pressed into them, glittering like the sun’s rays on the ocean.
My father had often told me that there was no other crown like it in all the kingdoms—in worth or crushing weight, he often joked.
The whole church patiently waited for the music to end and listened to His Highness’s prayers. They were mostly formal blessings and, luckily for all of us, pretty short.
“And under God’s all-seeing eyes,” His Holiness said in his thin voice as he grabbed the crown, both of his hands shaking under its weight, “from this day on, the Rhine Kingdom shall be ruled by the Rhine Queen.”
I tensed my muscles to prepare myself for the crown as I accepted the scepter into my right hand. The moment His Holiness placed the crown on my head and let go, my neck nearly buckled under the crushing weight. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Gunther smirk at me, most likely hoping I would fall. Under the weight of the monstrous thing, I almost did as I rose back to my feet. But, seeing Gunther, I found new strength and forced every inch of my body to gracefully rise and turn, my chin tilted up, at least a little.
The moment I faced the crowd, loud shouts erupted to the ear-numbing sound of the Dome’s bells.
“God bless the queen!” they cheered over and over again as they bowed. My eyes ran along the first row of guests, among them some of the finest dressed people I had ever seen. Some were wearing their own crowns, giving them away as kings and queens.
I had no idea who was who—until I saw a tall, bearded man in a dark leather doublet and pants. He was wearing a thin golden crown and his face was large and round. A dark red cape with white fur hanging over his shoulders made him stick out. No, not stick out. It gave him away.
King Algar.
My hand clenched around the scepter as my heart started racing. I felt hot and cold at the same time and wondered for a moment if sweat was dripping down my face.
How dare he show himself here!
His blue eyes were set on me in an emotionless stare. Like a lion watching its prey. Next to him was a skinny young man in ridiculously pompous clothes of silver and golden silk covered in jewelry from gemstone earrings to copper wristbands. Yutrik?
My foot inched toward them. By God, I wanted to walk up to King Algar and hit him with the scepter over and over until his lifeless body dropped to the floor. I hated him enough to do it. I really did.
