Twenty Seven #3
I nodded as my cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
Swallowing to relieve the tightness in my throat, I resumed my ascent, with Adrian’s hand hovering close to my back on the way up.
When we made it to the top, Celestina and Lady May were waiting for us.
I caught a flash of hatred in the queen’s eyes before she assumed an expression of cold indifference.
The room grew quiet as Adrian and I turned to face each other. Celestina addressed the crowd below, her voice cutting through the air thick with apprehension.
“We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Adrian Argent and Emelin Clairborne, followed by their coronation. Today signifies the beginning of a new era, where the Fae and mortals live in peace. This marriage is a symbol of the union between the Kingdom of Aubrielle and the Kingdom of Emeraldia. We are forging an alliance through which our dreams, hopes, and goals will be more attainable and meaningful because of our combined effort and mutual support.” The tension in the room was palpable when Celestina announced, “Augusta May will perform the wedding ceremony.”
My breath caught as I stared at Adrian. He stared back, his expression unreadable.
He reached for my hands when Lady May moved to stand in the center of the dais, and I flinched when his fingers brushed mine.
The Sorceress produced a thick tome with silver embossing on the cover and began reading from it.
After Adrian and I had exchanged the vows that closely mirrored the blood oath we had sworn two weeks ago, it was time to exchange the rings.
Celestina stepped closer to us, and in her hands she was holding a blue cushion with two rings atop it.
My eyes widened as Adrian reached for one of them.
The ring was breathtaking, with a vine-like gold band wound up gracefully to support the bed of diamonds.
It featured a large center stone of a slender, elongated shape, with two pointed ends.
Four smaller diamonds of the same shape and two pear-shaped diamonds sat around it.
A cluster of round diamonds completed the piece, making it look like a star, similar to the one permanently etched into my left hand.
You are my North Star. Adrian ran his thumb over the star on my hand as he placed the ring on my finger. A soft breath escaped me at the touch. My hand trembled as I reached for the other ring on the cushion, and Adrian sucked in a shallow breath as I slid the simple silver band on his finger.
“You may kiss the bride.”
We both froze, neither of us willing to make the first move.
Uncomfortable silence stretched until Lady May cleared her throat, spurring Adrian into action.
He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine before promptly pulling away as if he didn’t trust himself to linger.
The barely-there touch sent a jolt through me, leaving my lips tingling, but I ignored the visceral reaction as the Sorceress proclaimed, “May this union be blessed under the Stars. By the Fae laws, I pronounce you husband and wife.” Reserved applause followed while Lady May flipped several pages of her book.
“We will now proceed to the coronation. Adrian, Emelin, turn toward me and kneel.”
I faced the Sorceress, but when I went to kneel, my skirts got caught, and Adrian had to help me with them before he lowered to his knees. I murmured my thanks, feeling disheartened by how clumsy I was being. If he was nervous, he didn’t show it as he looked up at Lady May with a solemn expression.
“Adrian Grayland Argent,” Lady May started reading from the book again. “Do you swear to rule Aubrielle to see it prosper and flourish to the utmost of your power?”
There was a beat of silence before he answered, “I do,” his deep voice echoing through the hushed throne room.
“Do you promise to uphold and enforce the laws and traditions of this land to the utmost of your ability?”
“I do.”
“Do you swear to put the best interests of this kingdom at the heart of every decision you make as its ruler?”
“I do.”
When Celestina approached with Sorin’s crown, the sapphire gems on the spikes were dull, but that changed a moment later, when she placed the crown on Adrian’s head.
The silver glow returned as if Silberium in his blood was powering up the headpiece.
I watched him closely as the crown’s weight settled on his head.
He briefly closed his eyes and swallowed, which was the only indication that his feelings about his new title might be similar to mine.
“Emelin Elise Argent.” Stunned by my new name, I looked up at Lady May.
After I had sworn the same oath as Adrian, Celestina placed the smaller crown, which used to belong to her, on my head.
Its unwelcome weight immediately pressed down on me, and for a second, I didn’t think that I would be able to stand up.
With Adrian’s help, I managed to get to my feet and turn around, facing the sea of skeptical and dubious expressions in the room.
They hate this, and they hate me, I thought as I took in my new people, who looked more like statues carved out of stone than beings made of flesh and blood.
“I present to you, Adrian and Emelin Argent, the High King and Queen of Aubrielle. May the Stars guide their way,” Lady May proclaimed.