Cassarah
“Where the hell have you been?” Becka yelled the moment I entered my chambers. “Do you have any idea how worried everyone has been? The last we knew, you were going to see Vasin, then you and Cole just flew off, no one the wiser of what was going on.”
While I understood their concern, I didn’t appreciate how they were treating me right now.
“Enough,” I snapped. “I understand I should have let someone know where we were going, but I need to remind you that I don’t answer to you two.
In a few hours, I will officially be crowned your Queen of Sheca.
If I need to take some time for myself, then I will do so.
I didn’t go alone or without protection.
I had Cole and Jovid with me the whole time, so I feel this attack is unwarranted. ”
May and Becka looked at me, their eyes wide with shock at my outburst.
“I’m here now, so we should probably get started on this whole production,” I suggested, heading to the bathing chamber.
Since I didn’t have much holding my bodice together, I ripped it off on my own.
Soon, I was in the steaming water scrubbing the sand out of my hair and crevices I never wanted sand to be in again.
When I finished my washing, I didn’t leave, knowing Becka would have some grooming she would want to do.
“Are you ready for me, Cassarah?” Becka called from the doorway.
“You can come in,” I answered, feeling guilty that now she was being more reserved than normal.
I watched as she set down the basket of things she would use as she avoided looking at me.
“Becka, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you both.
Ever since I woke up, I’ve had someone questioning every move I’ve made, and I just snapped.
It was wrong for me to do that, and it’s not the ruler I want to be. ”
Becka turned her head to meet my gaze. Thankfully, I didn’t see anger, but I did see hurt, and that killed me.
After all the years we’ve been friends and protecting her from my mother, ensuring she was safe by taking the beating myself, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt her.
She was the sister I never had, always looking out for me and tending to my wounds after mother was done with me.
Becka deserved better from me, and I let her down.
“I understand why you snapped at us, but I won’t say I deserved it, Cassarah.
That was mean and spiteful when all we are doing is trying to look after you,” she stated as she slammed down the bottles she pulled out of the basket.
“You’ve spent long enough looking after me when you didn’t have to, and now it’s my time to look after you, whether you like it or not. ”
“This seems to be the theme of the day. Everyone who’s talked to me today has said almost the same thing.” I sighed, sinking into the water.
“Maybe it’s a sign you should listen to what we’re saying then.”
A silence hung in the air as Becka started combing through my long locks, rubbing scented oils into them.
I didn’t fight the quiet. Instead, I let it stand, knowing there wouldn’t be much of it once I left this room, which happened far sooner than I would have liked.
Dried and in a dressing gown, I was brought to the sitting room attached to my sleeping chamber.
It was large enough to fit everyone who needed to be present to get me ready.
This was the one thing I didn’t miss after leaving my childhood home—the poking and prodding of many women bustling around me, chatting amongst themselves.
One person did my hair while another did my makeup, and a third and fourth worked on my hands and feet.
There wouldn’t be a part of my body that someone hadn’t touched in preparation.
“All right, everyone… that’s it until we’re ready to get her dressed,” Becka announced, clapping her hands. “Thank you all for your hard work, but I think we should make sure our queen gets something to eat before all the pomp and circumstance.”
All the women curtsied as they left, wishing me good fortune, only to giggle as my men started to file in with trays of food. They were a welcome sight, and I couldn’t help but smile as they came over to greet me.
“No funny business now. We don’t have time to fix the whole look if you mess it up,” Becka warned, giving me a wink as she left to give us some time.
Zan held out his hand to me, pulling me to my feet. “We didn’t know how hungry you might be, so we brought a little of everything. Paxton even managed to get the kitchen staff to part with some of the cake they made earlier.” My stomach grumbled at that, making us both laugh. “Cake it is.”
He settled me on the couch and hurried over to get me some cake while Paxton plopped down, put his head in my lap, and smiled at me. “You sure look pretty, but I have to say, I think I like you better without all that stuff on your face.”
Running my fingers through his hair, I pressed a kiss to his forehead, leaving behind a red mark from my lip paint. “There, now we match,” I teased. “If I have to look like a jester, then so do you.”
“Hey now, I didn’t say it looked bad!” Pax defended. “It’s just I like your natural beauty the best. You don’t need all that stuff to get my attention.”
I felt my cheeks heat with a blush at his words. For a woman who had eight men, I still wasn’t used to getting compliments. “Thank you, Pax.”
“Hey, stop being a goddamn brown noser,” Dayson grumbled. “Making us look bad for not saying smooth, romantic things like that to her. Some of us just aren’t gifted with our words.”
Pax sat up as Zan handed me my cake, freeing me to eat it more easily. “Dayson, I don’t need sweet words or gifts. Having you each here beside me means more than anything. The trust I have knowing you’ll always have my back is priceless.”
“Never doubt that, Cassy-bear. Izel might have been the one to jump after you, but any one of us would have done it in a heartbeat,” Dayson shared as he came to sit on the floor, facing me.
He picked up one of my feet and rubbed his thumb into my arch, making me moan.
“But I’m sure there are less dramatic ways for us to show you how much we love and care about you. ”
“Feel free to share like this any time.” I sighed, leaning my head back on the couch.
I felt someone take the plate out of my hand and replace it with another. Sitting back up, I found the cake was gone, and the new plate was full of meat and cheese with some fruit.
“While I know Zan was trying to be sweet, you really need to eat something that will stick with you for the rest of the afternoon,” Jade explained, crossing his arms like he knew I wanted to argue with him.
While the cake had been tasty, I agreed with his choice to feed me real food.
I sat and munched while the guys talked about their parts in the upcoming coronation, giving me time to just be.
Sooner than I would have liked, a knock came at the door before Becka and May joined us, along with Talia, the dressmaker.
Two more ladies followed shortly after with the pieces of my outfit, signaling that our break was ending.
“Thank you guys for making this happen,” I said, kissing each of them before they left. “I’ll find you out there. If you can’t find me, I’ll be the one getting crowned.”
“Look who’s got jokes,” Pax teased, blowing me a kiss as he left.
Slipping out of my dressing gown, I stepped up onto the platform to be dressed.
With all the leather and layers, it took us a few moments to get everything into place, but once we did, I just stared.
Everything about my outfit exuded power and authority while showing off that I was very much a woman under it all.
The pewter and black contrasted the warmth of my skin and hair, making me stand out from the garment itself.
Talia had outdone herself, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.
“They have the crown ready and will place that on you during the proceedings. With how detailed the gown is, I don’t know that we need to add much more jewelry unless there is something you want to wear?” Talia asked as she gave me a final look over.
“No, there’s nothing. I was never big on collecting accessories,” I answered, running my hands over the leather scales that had been carefully sewn onto the sleeves.
May came to stand before me, wearing her uniform, noting her as one of my guardians—black leather pants, black floor-length shirt with slits up the sides, and a fitted leather breastplate with the royal mark on the front.
It made her look even more fierce than she did naturally, and that was saying something.
“Are you ready, My Queen?” May asked, holding out a hand to me.
Taking one last glance at myself in the mirror, I took a deep breath and shoved all my scattered emotions into a box to deal with later. “Yes, I think I’m ready.”
Taking her hand, she helped me off the platform, and I placed my hand on her forearm as she escorted me from the room. Becka, dressed the same as May, followed close behind, watching my back. Once we reached the second floor, two palace guards led the rest of the way into the throne room.
The space was full of flowers and other decorations the villagers had pulled together, making it beautiful.
The giant room was full of people watching as I was escorted to the steps leading up to the throne.
What unsettled me slightly was how silent the room was with so many people in it—almost as if everyone was holding their breath.
The four viceroys of Sheca gathered at the top of the stairs, each in their colored robes matching the clans and associated dragons we’d joined together.
The guards left to stand at their posts on either side of the steps while May and Becka walked up to join my other guardians standing in a row behind the dragon throne.
“Who stands before us?” Lawrence called out, his voice filling the room’s space.
While I’d memorized the normal response to these words days ago, I felt I needed to answer them in my own words. “The woman standing before you is but a humble servant to her people, who has been called by the fates to lead them in this time of great need.”
The viceroys looked a little thrown by my answer, but Sal just grinned and stepped up to ask his question. “What gives you the right to claim this throne?”
“I, Cassarah, ancestor of a man who walked away from the clans for the promise of a title, was picked by the black dragon, Vasin. But the truth is, I have no right to this throne other than that given to me by the people standing here with me.”
Eleazar stepped forward, presenting his question. “Do you so swear to forsake all other ties in the service of your people, to hold no allegiance to other kingdoms or nations?”
“I willingly forsake all other ties and connections I once held in Norden to their king and queen. I cut ties with my parents, who have forsaken the ways of our people and claimed lineage to the kings of old who ruled before me. In this, I so swear.”
Mathew came forward to ask the last question. “Do you swear to honor the cohabitation with dragons, respecting all past, present, and future agreements?”
“As long as the agreements are honorable and agreed upon with the dragons, I so swear. But know that if there comes a time when it is detrimental for dragons and humans to coexist, I will do whatever it takes to end the agreement. I give my honor to humans and dragons alike and will stand by my word defining it to my dying breath.”
“Your answers have pleased the fates. Approach and be anointed,” all four men called out together.
Lifting my skirt, I climbed the stairs and kneeled on the pillow they placed for me, then tipped my head back for each man to mark me with oil.
“May the fates grant you wisdom to rule justly and without prejudice,” Sal said, running his thumb across my forehead.
“May the words of your people never fall on deaf ears,” Mathew said, marking both my ears.
“May your eyes see clearly in times of doubt and confusion,” Lawrence said, smoothing oil under my eyes.
“May you always speak truth and guidance to your people,” Eleazar said, rubbing oil over my lips.
Finished with that part of the proceedings, Gavin stepped forward with the crown resting on a pillow.
In solidifying details for the coronation, I learned I would have to pick one of my consorts who would rule if something happened to me.
Everyone agreed it should be Gavin since he had been raised as the crown prince.
So, with that honor, he was picked to participate in the coronation, declaring him my heir until I had a child.
Lawrence picked up the crown and held it high in the air. “In the eyes of the people of Sheca, the dragons who share our world, and the fates who have blessed our nation, I crown you the Dragon Queen, ruler of the dragon throne and pair-bond to the black dragon, Vasin!”
The roar of people clapping, whistling, and shouting their excitement was almost deafening in the throne room.
Gavin held out his hand to help me to my feet and kick away the pillow before we turned to face the people.
Gavin grinned as he kissed my hand and winked before thrusting our joined hands in the air. “Long live the Dragon Queen.”
“Long live the queen.” the people bellowed in response.
The sounds of dragons roaring echoed outside the castle, and bursts of flame could be seen from the skylights as they rejoiced.
My heart swelled with emotions as I watched the people before me cheering, their faces full of hope and excitement.
To them, this moment had been a long time coming, a promised reward for them being left behind to guard this castle.
Now, it was my turn to honor them and ensure this place remained protected from those who wished to take it from us.