Chapter 28
The Crown
Lord Grégory was the third of the lords to arrive at the palace for Leo’s coronation.
“Your… Majesty,” he said, tripping over his words as he bowed to Leo in the ballroom.
Leo’s expression was blank. “Thank you for coming.”
“I’m so very sorry for your loss, Alexander. Your family has endured more grief than any house should.”
He’s talking about Prince Christopher, Leo’s older brother who died a few years ago. Oh gods, I didn’t even think about that. Leo and Queen Camille shouldn’t have to attend another funeral so soon.
“Is it time?” Lord Grégory asked.
“Not yet,” General Savatier answered. “We’re still missing Lord Robert. But you are the longest-serving lord, so you will lead the ceremony later. Do you know the vows?”
“Yes.” Lord Grégory nodded. “We just need a crown.”
Leo stared at the floor, putting all his energy into breathing in and out.
“Does it have to be today?” Evelyn asked. “Can’t the Ducasses have one night to mourn?”
“A new king must accept the throne as soon as possible,” Lord Grégory explained gently. “The kingdom needs an official leader.”
“But that didn’t happen when King Nolan died in Carrowmore,” Evelyn argued. “It took days for the lords to make a decision.”
“And the kingdom was vulnerable during that time,” her father said. “If the delay could’ve been avoided, we would have. But the Kennedy family lost their direct heirs and we weren’t prepared. That isn’t the case here.”
“It’s fine,” Leo said, avoiding eye contact. “It needs to be done.”
“When I was young,” King Tristan said, “I imagined crowning a new king was a glorious moment. No one ever tells children that a coronation is a tragedy.”
An hour later, Lord Robert arrived. The bearded man towered over them with thundering footsteps.
“Alexander!” he boomed.
Lord Robert enveloped Leo in a long, bone-crushing hug. Both men were blinking away tears when they separated.
“I brought you a case of wine,” Lord Robert announced.
“Thank you,” Leo said sincerely.
“Are you ready to get this over with?”
“Not at all. Let’s do it.”
Everything moved quickly after that. Guards and soldiers were sent away, and Damien returned from wherever he had been. Queen Camille and Hannah were brought downstairs. The queen seemed almost drunk from her calming tonic.
Lord Grégory stood in the middle of the ballroom with Leo facing him.
Everyone else formed a circle around them.
Moving clockwise from Lord Grégory stood Queen Camille, King Tristan, Princess Hannah, Princess Evelyn, General Savatier, Commander Magalie, Captain Fontaine, Lord Nicolas, Lord Stuart, and Lord Robert.
The general side-eyed Damien, who would not have been invited if he were a regular officer instead of Leo’s best friend.
“Alexander Leon Ducasse, do you acknowledge your birthright as heir to the Kingdom of Gryon?” Lord Grégory asked in a very official voice.
“Yes,” Leo said dully.
“Do you accept the title of King?”
“Yes.”
“Do you swear to put the good of the kingdom above all else?”
“Yes.”
“Will you take responsibility for the safety of your subjects?”
“Yes.”
“Will you vow to be an honorable leader during your reign?”
“Yes.”
“Can you love this kingdom as much as you love your mother, wife, and daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Please kneel before your kingdom one final time.”
Leo lowered to one knee. His mother handed Lord Grégory an intricate golden crown.
That’s not the same crown King Gerard wore. Was this one made for Leo or his older brother?
Lord Grégory settled the crown on Leo’s head. “Rise, Your Majesty, and state your name.”
“Alexander Ducasse, King of Gryon.”
Queen Camille burst into tears.
Leo and Lord Grégory traded places so Leo was facing the circle.
With a bow to Leo, Lord Grégory said, “The Aromatic Court accepts your reign. The Lafleur family serves at your pleasure.”
Lord Grégory stepped back into the circle, and Lord Robert took his place in front of Leo.
Lord Robert bowed and said, “The Taste Court accepts your reign. The Barbeau family serves at your pleasure.”
Lord Robert returned to the circle and Lord Stuart stepped forward to bow. “The Auditory Court accepts your reign. The Fontaine family serves at your pleasure.”
Then it was Lord Nicolas’s turn. “The Vision Court accepts your reign. The Auclair family serves at your pleasure.”
Damien was next to bow. “Your Majesty.”
Commander Magalie bowed and said, “The Royal Guard is at your service.”
General Savatier bowed and said, “The Royal Army is at your service.”
Evelyn curtsied. “Your Majesty.”
Her eyes locked with Leo’s. She couldn’t read his face. He could be telling her to run or begging to kiss her. The moment only lasted for a second before reality came back.
Hannah repeated the same simple curtsy. A familiar stab of jealousy shot through Evelyn when Leo smiled kindly at her sister.
I shouldn’t be thinking about that right now. I’m here to support Leo as the new king.
King Tristan shook Leo’s hand. “The Kingdom of Carrowmore is your ally. The Connollys are your friends. Congratulations, King Alexander.”
Never had congratulations felt so much like an apology.
Queen Camille stumbled in front of Leo. “My baby! It wasn’t meant to be you! It wasn’t supposed to be like this!”
His mother’s words hit Leo like a cannonball against a window. Evelyn could practically hear his heart shatter over the sound of the queen’s wails.
Damien broke rank first, rushing to the queen’s side and putting an arm around her. He led Queen Camille out of the circle and took her upstairs.
Leo turned and fled out the back doors. He stormed past the guards and flung his new crown toward the garden. Evelyn lurched forward, intending to follow him, but her father caught her by the shoulder.
“Let him go,” King Tristan said quietly.
“Shouldn’t we do something?” Hannah asked nervously.
“We can’t help him,” their father said. “We can only give him space and time to scream at the ocean.”
Lord Nicolas appeared at Evelyn’s side. “Every date in our history books is someone’s nightmare. Today is no different.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Lord Robert said.
“Of course you will,” Lord Grégory quipped.
Bottles of wine arrived unnaturally fast. Evelyn accepted a glass from Lord Nicolas before he started talking to Magalie. Lord Robert tried to offer Hannah wine, but King Tristan put a stop to that.
What a scandal it would be if perfect, sweet, innocent Hannah got tipsy.
Lord Stuart sidled up to Evelyn. “It’s nice of your family to join us today.”
“I’m not sure why we would skip this when we’re already here,” Evelyn said dryly.
“Princes are usually married before they become kings. At least this way the future queen was able to see the coronation.”
He means Hannah. But Leo hasn’t proposed. Not yet.
Not to either of us.
Evelyn clutched her glass almost tight enough to break it. “Are you really trying to find the bright side in the timing of King Gerard’s death?”
“Aren’t you happy for your sister?”
“Your new king is in mourning.” Evelyn seethed. “We don’t need to be happy about anything today.”
“It’s not like this was unexpected. Not after the Kennedy murders.” Lord Stuart said it so matter-of-fact, like he was right about clouds leading to rain.
“All of us with an ounce of decency in our hearts were surprised to find the king impaled outside his own palace!”
“One can only assume the attacks will continue. Both kingdoms have lost a king now and the armies won’t admit they have no idea what to do.”
“Well, since you’re so fucking helpful, what’s your plan?” Evelyn snapped.
Lord Stuart grinned wickedly. “I’ll make sure to send flowers when your father dies next.”
Evelyn saw red. She dropped her wineglass, which shattered on the marble floor. Flames gathered at her fingertips. “You heartless piece of—”
Damien appeared out of nowhere. He gripped Evelyn’s shoulders to force her backward, careful to avoid her fiery hands.
“Let go of me!” she demanded.
“No.”
He moved her to the far side of the ballroom. Evelyn struggled but had enough self-control to know she couldn’t break free without burning him.
General Savatier had already approached Lord Stuart and didn’t look pleased. Evelyn’s father was in the dining room with Hannah, but everyone else had stopped talking to observe the drama.
Damien shifted one hand to Evelyn’s cheek. “Look at me.”
“Let me go!” Evelyn hissed, fire crackling at her sides.
“Drop the fire and I will.”
“No! I need it to fucking ki—”
Damien pressed his hand hard over her mouth. “Do not threaten a lord right now. Not here, not today.”
Evelyn glared at him.
Damien’s tone was low and violent. “Don’t be the first thing King Alexander needs to deal with, Princess.”
He got his point across. The rage in Evelyn’s eyes softened enough that Damien returned his hand to her shoulder.
“Put your flames away so I can get you out of here,” he whispered.
Evelyn slowly pulled her magic back into her body.
“Good,” Damien said. “Keep your eyes down and focus on me.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her out of the ballroom, snagging a bottle of wine first. Rory and Simon spotted them in the hallway and followed at a distance.
They walked outside and over the east lawn. Damien let go of Evelyn and collapsed at the base of a large tree. He leaned against the trunk and used a bit of magic to pop the cork of the wine bottle. “What did he say?”
Evelyn’s anger flared again.
“Don’t burn this fucking tree down,” Damien barked at her. “I haven’t had time to sit all day.”
“He said kings will keep dying, but he’ll send me flowers when it’s my father,” Evelyn told him through gritted teeth.
Damien winced and took a drink.
“Do you have anything to fucking say?” Evelyn yelled.
“I would’ve let you kill him if there weren’t so many witnesses. Not that anyone in the palace would miss him.”
“Why the fuck would he say that to me?”
“He wanted to make you mad. And he did.” Damien swallowed several gulps of wine.
“He was kissing Leo’s ass this morning! Now his favorite game is pissing off princesses?”
“He thinks women are easy targets.”
Evelyn paused, considering his words.
Damien noticed the silence and glanced up at her. “Why do you think I’m trying to keep you away from him?”
She took a deep breath and sat beside Damien. “Are you going to share?”
He grumbled but handed her the bottle.
Evelyn took a drink. “Your sisters still live at home, don’t they?”
“Yep.”
They were so nervous at the ball. So was his mother. What does Damien’s father do?
“Why don’t you kill him yourself?” Evelyn asked.
Damien stared off into the distance, not really seeing anything. “I ask myself that every morning.”
I would give up books for a year to be able to read his mind.
She gave him the wine, then rested her head on his shoulder. “Thank you for helping me.”
“I will always protect you, Princess.”