Bane of the Wild Hunt (Heart of the Tithriall #2)

33. THE CORONATION CEREMONY

Chapter thirty-three

THE CORONATION CEREMONY

Amira

“ Y ou look…”

Helena hesitated, clearly unable to even find the words to tell me how I looked in my coronation dress.

“You can just say good ,” I teased her when she began to look a little stressed about it.

“Sofia has truly outdone herself,” Helena admitted before she continued on her way into the room with the flowering vines that Sofia had sent her to retrieve.

I was pretty sure my handmaid had all of my guards wrapped around her finger. Helena was fetching flowers. Ares practically drooled on her if she walked by him.

“Those are perfect!” exclaimed Sofia as she walked over from Riordan’s closet where she’d been putting away her extra supplies. “They match her dress exactly!”

“Well, thank the gods. I was worried they would not go well together,” Helena snorted sarcastically. Sofia merely rolled her eyes as she took the vines from Helena to begin plucking off all the best and fullest flowers.

“Alright, hold still,” my handmaid told me before she began threading the stems of the flowers through the elaborate hair style she had designed for me.

I watched her in the mirror but could not help looking at my own reflection too. The fierce woman looking back at me with her caramel-coloured eyes lined in charcoal did not even look familiar to me.

But I liked her a lot.

And it was obvious now I’d also be eternally indebted to the seamstress Sofia contracted for all my new apparel. The iris-coloured dress they designed for me had billowy sleeves that parted around my shoulders with slits on my forearms for dexterity. The torso split open on my belly to show a glimpse of my navel and was fitted with a delicate silhouette of gold chains. The dress was much bigger and longer than any of my usual styles, and the voluminous skirts pooled on the ground around me.

“It will force them to make room for you and give you a wide berth,” Sofia had explained when I asked if the length was practical. The last thing I wanted was people stepping on me, but she insisted they would not dare tread on the mate of the king. And she was the expert, so I was trusting her judgement over my own concerns.

Sofia finished with my hair and then glanced back at Helena triumphantly. My guardian was still awed.

“You should let me do your hair,” Sofia suggested, which effectively snapped Helena out of her stare.

“Absolutely not!” huffed my guardian as if offended.

“I do not have to put flowers in it,” Sofia attempted to reassure her, but Helena remained staunchly opposed until my smirking handmaid turned back toward me.

“Ready?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Thank you—” I began to say in earnest, just as I did everytime she would outdo herself again.

“We have talked about this. It is my job, and you do not need to thank me, ” she interrupted in amusement.

I thought perhaps I might be wrapped around Sofia’s finger too. She had been pampering me nightly with all sorts of exfoliation and waxing and had me massaged and oiled until I was soft as butter. Riordan could not seem to keep his hands off of me and often commented on the scent of the oils in my hair. And I’d come to love the feel of my smooth and hairless skin as much as my mate evidently had.

Sofia untied the apron she wore over her nice clothes when she was dressing me. And she instantly went from my handmaid to an Imítheos noble in her pastel blue dress with gold chains that were similar to mine but more understated and simple.

The coronation ceremony was taking place at Ergastiri, the most secure place in all the Vale. Riordan was highly cognizant of the fact that if anyone wanted to cause a big scene or make a statement about his reign, then this was the time and place to do it. It had been a rather unpopular decision among the Imítheos, unsurprisingly, however the nobles could hardly afford not to attend and insult their new king. Not when Riordan was uncontested as the most powerful among them, not only in magic but also in pure military might. And I had come to understand that while the Imítheos might turn up their snobby noses at those they felt were lesser, they were helplessly drawn to power. Especially magical power.

But Riordan was taking no chances. Sofia and I even flew to the school the day before and stayed the night to get ready for the ceremony in his old apartment. It had been a major inconvenience for Sofia to move all her supplies and tools there, but the flight down from the Metropolis would have exposed me too much. A perfect opportunity for someone to hurt me or take me hostage.

The moment we stepped out of the room, I saw Ares and four other guards snap to attention, and they stood so incredibly still that they might have turned into statues. Once we were in the hallway, we fell into the formation that we had practiced with Helena and Ares beside me, Sofia behind, and two others in front and two behind. Everyone was dressed in their gold armour which seemed to have been polished and gleamed in the torch lights.

The doors opened, and I almost lost my breath when I saw the scene that had been set outside.

It was dusk, the world washed in a purplish-grey hue, and the dirt track had been transformed into a marble path lined by many soft, white lights. The glossy surface of the walkway rippled like water in the lights.

I looked up and saw the grassy field that was usually packed with sweaty warriors had been utterly transformed into what could only be described as an outdoor ballroom. The ground had become a marble floor that gleamed and was surrounded by freestanding pillars covered in vines and pink roses. There were lights in the trees beyond and orbs of light hovered above the dance floor in varying sizes. They glowed softly enough to give off a breathtaking ambience but did not eclipse the splendor of the sky or the brightness of the stars. I could hear music, the strumming and plucking of many lyres, but I could not see a band.

Riordan had said he wanted to make me his under the stars, but I hadn’t realized how literally he meant it.

I heard Helena draw in her breath sharply, and even Ares seemed to hesitate in awe.

“Oh! He did even better than I hoped,” gasped Sofia, who I knew had been working with Riordan on how this evening would look. I had been asked a few questions about flowers and colours, but that was the extent of my involvement, and I was glad now that I saw the results. This was simply beyond anything I could have even tried to dream up on my own.

There had been some pressure from the council not to lean too much into the romantic aspect of the night. It was meant to be Riordan’s coronation after all. But it seemed like my mate might be punishing them for making him wait to claim me. He had clearly gone out of his way to make this about us and his intention to make me his.

It seemed like most of the guests had already arrived and were mingling. As I got closer to them, I could see them glancing around in as much wonder as I felt, although many tried to hide it.

I reached the edge of the marble floor between two of the pillars with rose vines that formed a floral archway between them. One face and then another turned to me. Whispers and elbows drew more attention until it seemed like they were all looking at me. And this time they were not sneering or shaking their heads in disdain the way they had when I first arrived with Riordan. This time they looked stunned as their eyes swept over me as if seeing me for the first time.

I’d known Sofia could work miracles, but holy gods, this was impressive.

However, there was only one expression I cared for. There was only one reaction that I needed to see.

Riordan turned toward me just as I spotted him so our eyes met at the same time. And there was simply nothing, nothing , more intoxicating than seeing the way he reacted. Everything and everyone else abruptly faded away in my mind while I watched him absorb me. I could clearly see his awe and the honour he seemed to feel in his eyes as he looked at me: his chosen mate.

And I found myself suddenly wondering if any of this was even real. Surely that man, that king , was not looking at me with so much admiration and humility?

But he was looking at me. So I took a breath for a little confidence and moved onto the dance floor toward him.

Only for Orion to step into my path.

I had been so focused on Riordan that I’d missed Orion coming toward me through the crowd. My first impulsive thought was that he would attempt to interfere and stop me from going to Riordan, but he merely stood there while allowing his eyes to rove over me. It almost seemed to me that he was assessing whether I would be sufficient for his beloved skiá .

It was the first time I’d seen him wearing the polished gold armour that Riordan favoured rather than the leather suit that Orion seemed to prefer. And he looked… good.

When he was finished looking at me, he sidestepped and reluctantly held out his arm.

I was hesitant, but I stepped away from Helena and Ares and tentatively slipped my arm under Orion’s so my fingers rested loosely and timidly on his muscled forearm. As he moved closer, his enormous body captivated my awareness, his scent enveloping me until it felt like he had consumed me somehow.

He began to walk forward, but his head turned behind us before he leaned down toward me. I tried to brace for his proximity, but nothing could prepare me for the flutter of his breath on my neck. I stopped breathing and some visceral part of me wanted to melt in anticipation.

“You are going to be stepped on all night,” he told me, and it felt like my heart plunged into cold water.

What exactly had I been expecting? A compliment or some shy confession? He had never given me reason to expect kindness from him, so why the hell did my heart bruise so easily from his every rebuke?

I could not see Riordan anymore once we had moved into the crowd, but I refuelled my confidence with the memory of his reaction and raised my head.

“I am going to make people move out of my way.”

The quick retort made me sound much more confident than I felt, but Orion merely snorted. It was unclear if he was being dismissive or if he was impressed.

We reached Riordan, the last of the crowd parting to reveal where he stood with his mother and sister. I could not get off Orion’s arm and onto Riordan’s fast enough, relief and security sweeping through my body in a wave when my mate drew me to his side. His tenderness was enough to drown the lingering sting of Orion as he kissed my forehead and then my ear. I shivered in anticipation, and this time received the sweet words I’d craved.

“You are a goddess.”

I could not have kept the smile from my face if I tried, and I didn’t want to. Not even if his mother was staring at us with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty.

I was so wrapped up in Riordan that I’d almost missed the others with them. Nyssa and Dio were a couple of the Imítheos I had come to like on the council, both of whom had been appointed as commanders by Riordan when he was the general. There was also Isaura, about whom I was still unsure, and Castor. I disliked him the day I met him, and he had not grown on me since then.

I knew all of their faces which meant that Riordan’s father still had not returned home. He exchanged plenty of letters with his son, and my mate did not seem distressed by his absence. There was something happening in Erétria which Riordan was tightlipped about. Even with me.

“Well,” said Isaura significantly, seemingly impressed in spite of herself, “you certainly look the part.”

It was meant to be a nice compliment, I was sure.

“She is a vision,” objected Dio, looking offended on my behalf as he frowned at his fellow council member.

“I want to dance with you,” said Riordan, and he lifted my arm so he could place a kiss on the inside of my wrist. Glancing up at him, I suspected he had not taken his eyes off me since I reached him.

“But mother wanted to—” Rhea began to object.

“Mother has had ample time to see Amira, and this is our night,” he reminded his sister, breaking his admiring gaze away from me to frown at the former Griffin Queen. Then he pulled me back with him as if to break away from the group without another word.

I was shocked when his mother shot forward, and her hand clamped down on his arm so hard it looked painful.

“I did not know if you would go through with this or if you would finally come to your senses after being home. Why would I waste my time?” she hissed, and then she seemed to realize that she was being offensive when her son glowered at her even harder. “Her people harmed us for generations and one of them killed our rightful king. How can you expect me to forget that?” she asked as if looking for his understanding.

“I expected that one conversation could have cleared up any lingering doubts that she was some cruel creature,” Riordan retorted. His face did not show it, but I was sure her words “rightful king” had stung when he bristled.

“I made several attempts!” Andromeda protested with an accusatory glance at me that made my heart sink.

“Disingenuous and half-hearted ones, I have no doubt. Excuse us,” Riordan bade the others and then jerked his arm out from her grip so he could lead me away.

I clenched his arm, my heart pounding in anguish for him as we strode rather quickly toward where some of his guests had started to dance. At this speed, I was glad that my dress was only long in the back and not at the front or I might have tripped.

“Are you—” I tried to check in with him.

“We can speak about it later. I just need to…”

He trailed off, but I easily understood that he needed to calm down. I could feel his anger quaking beneath my hands and vibrating through the air.

“Well, then this may not be the best time to admit that I’m a terrible dancer. Sofia tried really hard,” I admitted, feigning an apologetic wince. I was relieved when it made him laugh, and the tenseness melted from his body as if he had taken in a deep breath and let go of all his anger.

“You’re a natural dancer,” he disagreed, reminding me of all those mornings when he would watch me making breakfast while he was a griffin.

“Shaking my ass around my kitchen is not the same as what they are doing,” I insisted with a nod toward the very refined and very sensible dancers.

“I will guide you,” Riordan assured me and pressed a reassuring kiss against the side of my head. I was not sure what that meant, exactly, but I trusted that he would not allow me to make a complete fool of myself.

We reached the dance floor, but before we could take our places, Sofia appeared at my side. I glanced around to see that Helena and Ares were behind her, and Orion stayed apart from them but also monitored our position.

Before I could ask her what was wrong, Sofia picked up the train of my dress and lifted it up behind me to button it on my lower back. She adjusted the layers of silk this created until it looked as if this was the way the dress was meant to be worn. But more importantly, the new style freed my feet for ease of movement.

I smiled at my handmaid thankfully as she backed up and then turned to Riordan eagerly as he guided me out onto the dance floor. Luckily, the dancing was not terribly complicated, it was more about knowing which way to spin because the whole floor moved all at the same time. Going in the wrong direction could spell disaster.

True to his word, I felt Riordan’s magic swell around me as we began to move with the crowd. A subtle guide that helped me remember the right way to step and twirl. His hands were also on me more than they were supposed to be, but they did not feel intrusive or threatening the way that others had felt in the past. Dancing with him felt so natural, the steps came more easily to me as if my body had become a marionette. And once my nerves wore off, and the rhythm of the dance became a secondary thought rather than consuming my focus, I felt so free. The dance was fast paced, my heart was thumping with excitement, and seeing Riordan so happy felt like a precious gift.

“Amira, you are so beautiful like this,” he whispered when I came closer during a spin. He sounded almost as if he were out of breath, even though I knew he couldn’t be, not after seeing the way he trained. But it reminded me of the morning after our first kiss when he’d told me that he loved to see me uninhibited. When he expressed a hope that I would come to feel comfortable enough with him again to share more of that side of myself.

“So are you,” I admitted honestly, because he really was gorgeous when he was smiling like this.

“I have been dreaming of you. Of this night,” he said, his voice so deep and rough that it made me tremble.

I whirled away along with all the other female dancers, my eyes wide and my lips parted by a sharp inhale.

“Believe me, the feeling is very mutual,” I assured him when I came close again.

His eyes drifted from my mouth to my neck, his pupils blown wide, as he watched my breathing and my pulse beginning to race. I thought he might kiss me.

But the moment was abruptly shattered when his smile instantly disappeared a second before he seized me closer with his massive wings curling around me protectively. Screams erupted from behind me a second later, and all of the dancers began rushing off the dance floor. After a few moments, I was able to see that Orion had tackled a man to the ground right behind where I’d been standing.

A man with an enormous knife clenched tight in his white-knuckled fist.