Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
MERI
C oronation preparations take a week to pull together. Unlike Denir, Madoc invites all the rulers he favors as a friend or an ally. A show of strength to reassure both the aristocratic dark Fae and the Lesser Fae of his authority to rule and the clout the Dark Fae Kingdom will again enjoy under his reign.
I’m getting ready in the room I claimed because it’s big enough for all of us. Huge windows showcase the sweeping vista of the land around us. From the sea on the left to the tiniest glimpse of Winter and its snowcapped mountains on the right, the view is remarkable.
Madoc told me the room hadn’t been used in several lifetimes, but when I saw the light from the windows, I was sold. The furnishings and colors, ice-blue and gold, are a bit old-fashioned for my taste. Something I plan to change in the future.
Tonight’s theme is starry night, and the dress code is blue. Any shade. Needing to wow, I went to the definitive source of fabulous royal fashion… Solandis. She helped design the dress I’m wearing. Unfortunately, the baby’s birth is too close for her to travel, so I’m getting dressed with her over video conference.
I put the dress on and spritz myself with my favorite nighttime perfume, a heady rich mixture of scents like musk, vanilla, bergamot, and orange blossom. Moving close to the camera, I point out the details.
“Stunning. I’m dying. You outdid yourself.”
Strapless, the inner dress flows from the tops of my breasts to my toes. The deepest color of night, it has no adornments. Solandis said she designed it that way to give me the illusion of height and the epitome of regalness. From the center column, airy layers attach to the waist. Each one embroidered with a constellation of stars only found in the Dark Fae Kingdom. Under the flickering candlelight chandelier, the diamonds sewn into the dress sparkle on their own, but with a little magic—presto—the stars twinkle with the exact cadence of the actual star in the sky.
She insisted I leave my hair down, and as I pick up the headpiece, I understand why. In the center is a large glowing star.
“That should be centered on your forehead,” Solandis advises. She pauses while I slip it on. “That’s it. Each strand of diamonds will loop behind your head into a cluster, then cascade down. When you use magic to light the dress, the stars on the headpiece will also light up.”
“Amazing,” I breathe, staring at the vision in the mirror. “Have you ever thought of doing this for a living? Not that you need the money, but you could make a fortune.”
Her twinkling laugh is a melody of amusement. “It’s fun. If I made a living, it would be work. Step out farther. I want to see the entire picture.”
I move away from the camera and slowly twirl around once with the magic off, then again with it on.
“Absolute perfection,” she squeals from the other side of the room. “I believe I outdid myself on this one.”
“You certainly did,” Madoc interjects in a gruff voice. “Thank you, Solandis. This means a lot to Meri and me.”
She sniffs. “Pregnancy hormones. Don’t mind me. It’s time. Go, darling. Dance and drink champagne for me. Love you.”
I blow her a kiss. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you, too. Give Vargas a hug from me and tell him we miss him, too.” Ending the video, I close the lid.
Tall, dark, well-built, Madoc is a king in his dark-navy tailcoat jacket with diamonds embroidered down one side, including the adjoining arm. The other half of his jacket, as well as the vest and suit underneath, is the same dark blue color as my inner dress.
“Hmm, guess Solandis felt we should match,” I muse, straightening the cravat at his throat. I gather one of the airy panels at my waist. “The constellations of your kingdom.”
He stares down at it and clears his throat. “You remembered.”
“Of course,” I reply with a wink. “I remember everything you do or say. Obsessed, remember?”
Strong hands grab my waist and pull me closer. His mouth descends on mine with passion and need, kissing me until I run out of breath. Releasing me, his eyes dip to my swollen lips. “I want every male in the room to know you are mine. Ready?”
Chuckling, I smooth the dress and flick my hand to turn on the magic. “A little possessive, don’t you think?”
“Not in the least,” he returns, slipping a finger into his cravat to tug on it. “I really don’t want to kill someone tonight. It would ruin my good mood.”
“Stop, you can remove it after the ceremony,” I order him, brushing his hand away from his neck. “The man makes the outfit, but the suit emphasizes the king you were born to be. And you’re right. You should refrain from killing anyone tonight. Unless they deserve it.”
He stops fidgeting as we reach the doors. “Cormal and Rivan are already inside. Once the crown is on my head, you must leave the dais and stand with them.”
Surprised to see a glimmer of worry, I lift an eyebrow but agree. “Okay.”
The double doors open wide, and we enter the great hall together. Madoc insisted I be on his arm tonight. He refused to listen to any advice on the contrary from his council of advisors. In his words, he wanted everyone to know my importance. When they insisted, he threw them out of the room. Whether he’ll let them in again depends on whether they prove themselves to him.
All eyes turn toward us. There are a few sneers from those who aren’t happy seeing the former light Fae queen on the arm of their soon-to-be-crowned king. Madoc stops in front of one of the dissenters, tilts his head, and orders him to get out.
The Fae opens his mouth, but I shake my head and whisper to him, “Banishment or death. He’s an all-or-nothing kind of Fae.”
He swallows hard and walks stiffly out the door.
There’s a gleam of approval in Madoc’s eye when he looks at me, although his face remains set in its usual harsh lines.
We begin the procession to the throne again. This time, there are no sneers from the crowd. They can try to hide, but I’m sure he’s already taken note of them all. Arden and Theron, or rather Lady Arden of Winter and Lord Theron of Winter, dip their heads as we pass by. Her blond locks are coiled in an elegant chignon at the base of her neck, and the teal of her strapless ballgown picks up her green eyes. She’s absolutely gorgeous. Theron matches her dress in a suit of the same color. Blond and elegant, both of them.
Fallon stands regally on Arden’s other side in a formal navy outfit with a teal cravat. His dark hair and startling green eyes have all the females around him twittering, not that he notices. Beside him, Astor’s auburn hair is a great contrast to the outlandish blue ombre suit he wears with a teal flower in its lapel and a devilish smile on his handsome incubus face. Valerian, who usually towers over most of the crowd, actually fits in with the tall Fae. He’s striking in his official royal-blue suit that announces his own kingly status to everyone. His only concession is a teal cravat.
On the other side of Valerian is Daire. Almost austere in a deep-navy suit, Daire’s blond hair and blue eyes stand out. His teal shirt proclaims him as Arden’s companion.
Lucifer is next. Both he and the gorgeous redhead and goddess, Evren, are wearing black, but they’ve added a small blue star to their outfits to pay homage to Madoc. Lucifer’s arm is possessively around her waist as his eyes scan the males nearest to them. She winks when I pass, and I smile in return.
Oryn is every bit as elegant and formal as his brother in a navy suit, which suits his blond hair and brown eyes. Riona, beautiful in a royal-blue dress, holds tightly to his arm, unsure of her place in this gathering. I smile at her, and she flashes a tremulous smile in return.
Torin, Arden’s father and King of the Dark Elves, in his official uniform is next. Surprisingly, Odin stands with him, looking extremely uncomfortable in a modern suit, his hands tugging at the shirt around his neck. I glance at Madoc and see the corner of his lips twitch.
Inhaling sharply, I stare at the last two men and lick my lips. Dressed the same as Madoc, there is no doubt we’re all together. Both their eyes widen when we get closer. Cormal’s appreciative glint is full of wicked intent, and Rivan’s amber gold eyes are full of heat.
Moving to the dais, Madoc sits on the throne. Unlike the light Fae ceremony, the crown is simply placed on his head. Once he activates the power inside him, the crown becomes his.
Similar to the throne, the spiky crown is made of black obsidian and shines in the light. There is no other adornment. It’s harsh like the land and the king who will bear the crown. I pick it up and place it on his head. Blowing him a kiss, I take Cormal’s hand and step off the dais.
Madoc stands and murmurs the incantation to call forth the power. Darkness whirls around him, languidly at first, then with increasing urgency. His body begins to transform, getting larger and larger, until he stands considerably taller than the rest of us. Black hair cascades down his back. Muscles bulge across the length of him. He roars, and a spear appears in his hand. In this form, he’s one of The Wild Hunt. Stepping from the dais, he makes his way to Odin and bows.
Odin reaches out his hand and places it on top of his head. “King Madoc of the Dark Fae Kingdom and Magni of The Wild Hunt. Two names. One body. Called to serve both.”
Rising, Madoc makes his way back to the throne. His eyes meet mine on the way, and I murmur the word he loves to hear. “Obsessed.”
He growls, and my breath catches.
Reversing the magic, his body transforms to his Fae form, scars and all. But instead of returning to the throne, he remains standing in front of the audience.
The entire room begins to bow or curtsy, but he stops them by holding up his hand. “The Dark Fae Kingdom is the only thing that keeps the Fae lands from being overrun with the creatures of the Wilds. We will not fail in our stewardship of this sacred duty to protect them and the people of this land. Nor will we allow our people to force the will of one group over the other. This has been allowed for far too long. The aristocratic lords and ladies have a duty to the entire kingdom, not just the ones they choose to acknowledge. As king, I hereby decree that we are Dark Fae. All of us. No one will be called Lesser. Titles will be held by those willing to find solutions for this kingdom, not given by the right of birth.”
He looks at Lucifer and Evren. “Changes are coming. We will learn from the light Fae and The Underworld, building schools for learning and the trades.” His eyes find Fallon, who’s been building a coalition of trades people in his land. “The days of old are waning. We must be ready to meet the dawn with new ideas and a willingness to serve the entire kingdom. There are plenty of resources and wealth in this land. Enough for everyone to carve a piece for themselves. I plan to create the opportunities, but to succeed, the people must be willing to work and contribute. More to come, but these are the tenants of my promise to the people as their new king.”
His words strike a mixed reaction in the crowd, but he knew they would. Nobody likes change. The Fae least of all. But like it or not, they must embrace the needs of the people with a world that better fits with this modern age.
He steps down from the dais and stands at the foot. All three of us walk over, showing solidarity with him. Lucifer walks forward, with Evren on his arm, and reaches out his hand.
“Well done,” he assures him. “The Underworld is your ally and will be available if you should need us.” It’s apparent he thinks war is coming.
Evren reaches out and clasps his hand. “I’m almost done with our university. When you’re ready to start planning, give me a call.”
Lucifer sighs. “The projects never end, do they?”
She elbows him in the side. “I would drive you crazy without them and you know it.” She laughs when he winks and vehemently disagrees with a carefully tossed out “never.”
Arden and her men come up, along with Torin, her father.
“I have a feeling we’ll be seeing you soon,” Torin says with a rueful look. “Even the small rights I’ve established have caused riots and upheaval, but we don’t have an army at our door waiting to wage war.”
“If we’re going to survive the next millennium and flourish, we have to put a stake in the ground,” Madoc states firmly.
Arden and her men offer their congratulations and their support, including the men they lead.
A tall, auburn-haired man comes up with a slender, blond lady on his arm. “This is a disgrace. Denir would have never treated us this way. If he were here…”
Madoc cuts him off. “If he were here, I’d put him in the grave. Never mistake me for my weak cousin. You won’t like the consequences, Lord Edsel of the Autumn Court.”
Furious, the man stomps off into the crowd.
I lean over and whisper, “You might have to replace him.” Then I shrug. “Or send him to war. I doubt he’d survive.”
Rivan laughs, but Madoc stares after the Fae with a pensive expression on his face.
At the end of the night, we tally up the wins and losses. It’s about fifty-fifty, for and against Madoc. Too bad. He’s their king.
Cormal strides into the hall. “The messengers have been sent to every corner of the kingdom heralding King Madoc. Our countdown has begun.”
Madoc gives him a solemn nod. “Thanks.”
“Did you see Riona? She was beautiful,” I tell Cormal. “It must have been hard for her to return. Maybe we can have her over for dinner in The Underworld. She might feel more at home there, like you do.”
Cormal runs his hand down the back of my cheek. “Good idea. I’ll text Riona in the morning and see how she feels. Oryn’s at least got her texting, which is a relief. I like knowing I can get a hold of her.”
I gather up my dress and start walking out the door.
“Where are you going?” Cormal asks with a frown.
Deliberately sending the three of them a naughty image of the underwear I had made for this special occasion, I step into the shadows and head toward our room.