58. The Coronation
fifty-eight
The Coronation
*ENDELLION*
P acks from all over the lands are attending the ceremony. There is a representative of every pack – either their Alpha and Luna, or Beta couple. In the crowd I spot a lot of familiar faces, and I notice how Alana is catching up with an Alpha and Luna. They are chosen mates, and are from the pack Alana investigated. My father obviously gave them his blessing. It’s good to see that they are doing well now.
Favian, the dragon king, wasn’t able to make it due to the state of his kingdom, but he made sure to send Elio with his bodyguard. Contessa Noemi and some other shifters are here, too.
I’m dressed in a particularly crafted and tailored suit in black, which Flinn commented looks slick on me, and a dark blue cape, symbolizing the ice wolf prince. Aza’s dress is in the same color, but made of velvet with rich embroidery. The cape she is wearing is dark-red with embroidery that symbolizes her heritage. She is the Desert Princess, after all.
The whole royal pack has banded together for the festivities to take place. It’s going to be all outdoors. Only the ceremony itself will be held in the throne room, in front of specifically invited guests. I grab Azadeh’s hand, squeezing it slightly.
I can’t believe this is happening. I link her. It all happened so fast I didn’t have time to process it.
You were born to rule, she says. Even within your siblings, you symbolize balance. You are strong, but don’t go into action headfirst. You think things through and see the bigger picture. You will be a fantastic alpha, and king.
And you will be a fantastic luna and queen, I say. You are already a legend here.
So are you, she laughs.
The voices in the throne room become silent, a signal for the ritual to start. My father talks to the crowd first, summarizing the happenings of the last months, but also talking about his own reign. My mother does the same, emphasizing the honor of being the queen of these lands.
There is a long speech about how they welcome change, and how they know we will lead the lands to a bright future with our gifts, our foresight and our allies.
I’m too nervous, though, to really listen, until General Shayan and Beta Quinn approach us, leading us towards my parents. In my mind, Caspian is on alert, majestic, and proud; for being crowned and receiving the rank he has always wanted.
Azadeh and I get down on our knees while my father puts the crown on my head, and my mother does the same with Aza. There is a bowl with a silver knife prepared. As soon as we get up, my father has me stretch out my hand and slices my palm.
“As the new Alpha King of this Kingdom, do you swear to protect your people and have their best interest in mind?”
“I swear.”
“Do you promise to reign this kingdom with fairness, by abiding by our laws?”
“I promise.”
“Will you grant protection to those who can’t protect themselves?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Do you swear to stand against evil and defend the Kingdom of Eternal Ice, until you take your last breath? To protect these lands and the people no matter its cost? To not act on your own selfish reasons and instead put your people before yourself?”
“I swear to honor all our laws and stand by this oath.”
My father cuts his own palm, pressing our hands against each other, before he takes his ring off his finger and hands it to me. It’s the heirloom of the kingdom, blessed by the goddess, and symbolizes my promise to these lands and its people. I feel how his power floods through me, granting me the power of a reigning Alpha, and furthermore, the strength of the Alpha King.
I’m so proud of you. Dad links me.
Azadeh’s oath comes next, very similar to my own. Once she is done, our father makes us turn around. He and Mom take a step back. “All hail the new king and queen!” he proclaims. “King Endellion and Queen Azadeh. May they live a long life, and may their reign be blessed by the goddess! Bow for the Ice Wolf King and the goddess-blessed, Queen from the Desert!”
Applause erupts before everyone around us bows their heads, revealing their necks to us. This feels weird, but at the same time, I can feel the power seeping through me. Caspian’s more dominant side is clearly pleased.
“Thank you,” I say. “Please get up again. Before we approach the festivities, Queen Azadeh and I have a few announcements to make.” I look at her and she nods at me with a smile. “The position of Beta and Gamma need to be filled now, as Beta Quinn asked us to allow him to step down together with the former king and queen. We truly appreciate the work he put into his rank, and we hope he will continue to guide us with his wisdom.” I pause, feeling the curiosity and tension around us. Everyone is dying to hear the news. “As our Gamma, we would like to announce Tynan, who truly outdid himself over the last couple of months, and as my Beta, I chose the person I know I can trust with my life in any situation. The advisor and former General of the Everlasting Desert, Shayan.”
Tynan beams with happiness and pride while Shayan’s mouth drops open in shock, however, he regathers his senses fast, and nods with a smile.
The original plan was to involve Caelan and Flinn or Alana, but after talking with all of them during one of our bigger meetings, Aylin and my mother advised us all not to. Their interjections raised quite some questions and curiosity, especially from Caelan, Flinn and Alana, but Mom just told them to be patient and to trust the plan ahead of them. She told us as Alpha’s children, their path will lead them towards more than a beta rank.
I could see back then how the thought of this did excite my two brothers and gave Alana something to look forward to also, so we decided to choose our ranks outside of family. And frankly, no one is a better choice than Shayan.
The tension of the ceremony subsides, and everyone cheers. My parents take the moment to congratulate us. “You will do great, my son,” my father tells me. “You were born for this. You both were.”
“I agree,” Mom says. “You have so many ideas already. The new alliance with the dragon shifters, but also the werebears. It’s just thanks to you two and your friends.”
Azadeh and I exchange a gaze. She is right. We have so many plans. At first, we were both shocked about being thrown into this so soon. After my father announced me as his successor, I thought we were talking about years, not months, for the transition. But the more Aza and I talked, the more we realized we are ready for this. Our first action will be to invite representatives of the other shifters to work on treaties and alliances. We also plan on organizing a yearly banquet where we will invite the reigning shifters from surrounding lands, and maybe even the Elf King. Tynan told me that General Shayan has some contacts.
The plan is to build a united front, finally having diplomatic connections.
Aza and I walk hand in hand through the crowd, chatting with our friends and accepting everyone’s congratulations. Caelan and Flinn hug me at the same time.
“Congratulations, Endellion,” Caelan says earnestly. “You deserve this.”
“Yes, and don’t you dare feel guilty because it’s neither of us,” Flinn tells me. “We all knew it could only be one of us.”
“You and Azadeh made us gain our fate,” Caelan says. “Flinn and I now have a whole new path ahead of us.”
“Thank you so much,” I say. “Your support means the most to me. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Brothers and allies, forever,” Flinn says.
My other siblings are equally as excited and eager to congratulate us. Kilah has helped with the preparation of the party and ceremony, showing relief on her face now that everything has gone well. “You look dashing,” she says. “And Azadeh, too.”
“She is right,” Shayan says while shaking my hand. “My heartfelt congratulations,” he says, before letting go of my hand and hugging Azadeh. “So proud of you,” he mutters.
“Thank you, Shayan. It’s thanks to your guidance that I have come so far,” she says.
While we make it through the crowd, I notice Royan, too. He has been out of bed for a few days now and is currently walking on crutches. He hasn’t regained full mobility of his left leg and right arm yet. His vision fortunately returned, though. Only his wolf is still dormant. Azadeh made it her mission though to tell everyone that Royan is still her Gamma, and that no one will get that position but him.
Simin helps Royan walk towards us. “It’s good to see you up, man,” I say.
“My king,” he bows his head, smiling at me. “The crown suits you well.”
Although he smiles, there is a hint of emptiness in his eyes. The last months have taken their toll on him, but he is slowly getting better. Simin is helping him as much as she can. “Royan taught me so much about the history of the kingdom,” she says. “When he is completely healed, he promised to show me more of the land. Right, Royan?”
Royan smiles at her excitement. For the first time ever since we retrieved him from the witch’s dungeons, his eyes light up. “We will, Simin,” he promises.
“Aylin said that if he proceeds to recover like he does, we can try some horse riding next,” she beams. “I’m still terrified of horses, though.”
“Don’t worry,” Royan reassures her. “We don’t need to do anything you feel uncomfortable with.”
“Oh, but I want to!” She exclaims. “You fight so much every day, you are such an inspiration. I will tackle my fear of horses. But, only if you help.”
“Of course,” Royan affirms. “If you want, I can teach you a bit. I don’t need to actively sit on a horse to do that.”
Simin smiles happily, her cheeks blushing slightly. She turns to us, halting suddenly and clasping her mouth. “Oh, please forgive me. I forgot to congratulate you! My king and queen.”
Azadeh laughs and pulls her into a hug. “Don’t be silly. I’m still the same person.”
“After the official part of the celebration is over, later tonight, I thought we could meet around the lake again,” Flinn says all of a sudden. “You know, just our small circle of family and friends for a private party.”
I smile at his suggestion. “This sounds like a wonderful idea, Flinn. Let’s do it!”
Azadeh and I make our way outside and then through town to engage with the pack members and give them the chance to talk to us. It’s so lively and full of joy, it fills my heart with joy, too. It’s later that day when the festivities slowly dissolve and our inner circle goes through with Flinn’s plan, that Beta Shayan disappears for a moment, only to return with a young handsome man. He is clearly human, has a similar caramel skin to Azadeh, but looks older than her.
Azadeh gapes, then squeals and hurries towards him. He catches her in his arms and twirls her around. “Kiyan!” she beams and laughs, hugging him once more.
“I apologize for taking so long to visit you, Azadeh,” he says. “None of your letters reached me. I think Father caught them. I only found out recently where to find you. It was thanks to General Shayan reaching out to me.”
Shayan smiles. “This is my present to you, Azadeh.”
A hint of sadness had crossed her eyes at the mention of her father, but her joy of seeing the young man outweighs it. She grabs his arm and tugs him along. “Everyone,” she smiles. “This is my oldest brother, Kiyan.”
Kiyan smiles politely. He is a bit reserved, but he has kind eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. This place is nothing like I expected.”
“Right,” Azadeh chuckles. “Simin and I said the same when we came here first.”
Kiyan looks at her. “You look fantastic. And Queen, huh?”
“There is a bit more to tell about that,” she says. “Come, meet my mate and friends.” She turns towards me and takes my hand, too. “This is Endellion.”
“Mate?” Kiyan asks, shocked.
“I told you it’s a long story,” she chuckles, and reveals her neck to show him her mark.
Kiyan groans, throwing his hands in the air in a dramatic gesture. “My little sister, no.”
Everyone around us laughs at his antics.
Kiyan was the only family I had. She links me. I mean blood family. The only one who truly cared for me. He is a bit… extra at times, and he has something of a temper, but he is a really good guy.
Don’t worry, I reassure her. Your family and friends are always welcome here.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Prince Kiyan,” I say.
He recovers from his ‘shock’ and shakes my hand. “Likewise, King Endellion. It’s good to see my sister so happy and healthy. Thank you for watching out for her.”
I want to tell him that she doesn’t need much watching out for. But, I guess the whole story about her being haunted by the woman in white, and then riding into battle on a bear deity is something we should probably save for later.
“Come on, everyone,” my father approaches us. “Time for our own little party.”
My siblings follow him immediately, with Aylin tugging along. I can see Quinn and Simin helping Royan along to join us, Royan’s big hands resting on Simin’s small shoulders. Seeing them like this gives me a little twinge of hope. She was crucial for his physical recovery. Maybe she will be crucial to his mental recovery, too.
Shayan and Tynan usher Kiyan along, and I wait for them all to be ahead of us, before I take
Azadeh’s hand and kiss her. “I love you,” I say sincerely. “With all my heart.”
“I love you, too,” she replies. “I can’t wait to build a family with you.”
At her words, Caspian raises his head in excitement. Oh, a few pups would be fantastic! We should get on that right now, make babies!
I laugh. “Caspian is on board.”
She chuckles. “Let’s celebrate with our friends. And later tonight,” she lowers her voice to a whisper. “We can practice.”
I smirk, placing another kiss on her hand, before leading her along towards our friends. I can’t believe how much my life has changed ever since she appeared. She made it so much richer and more fulfilled, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her.