20. Izei #3
The name sent a visible wave of emotion through the crowd—tigers who remembered the stories of their legendary queen, panthers who'd grown up respecting the Waverly legacy, and jaguars who'd finally found leaders worthy of their loyalty.
Angus moved to the small table, lifting the carefully drafted Unity Accord with hands that remained steady despite the magnitude of the moment.
"As the founding jaguar representative of the former Vael pride," he said, his deep voice carrying across the silent hall, "I would like to place my signature on this document as my people's vow to join the Valeria pride and uphold the principles of peace, unity, trust, and love outlined within. "
He set the document on the table with reverent care, taking the pen and signing his name with deliberate precision. The scratch of ink against parchment seemed to echo in the hushed space.
Freesia accepted the pen from Angus, her eyes bright with unshed tears of joy.
"As the last Waverly royal and Queen of the former Waverly pride," she said, her voice strong despite the emotion, "I place my signature on this document as my people's vow to join the Valeria pride and uphold every principle stated within. "
Her signature flowed across the page, and Izei felt their bond sing with her fierce pride in what they were accomplishing together.
Taking the pen from Freesia's hand, Izei met the eyes of his people—their people now—before speaking.
"As the founding panther representative of the former Callel pride and its current Alpha, I place my signature on the Unity Accord as my people's vow to join the Valeria pride and uphold every principle outlined within. "
His signature joined the others at the bottom of the page, making their vision official in the eyes of history.
Then the three leaders joined hands—Freesia's smaller hand warm between Izei's and Angus's—and raised their united grip toward the ceiling.
The room erupted in thunderous applause and cheers that seemed to shake the very foundations of the building, three hundred voices celebrating the birth of something that had never existed before in Singapore's shifter history.
This is what victory sounds like, Izei thought, his chest nearly bursting with pride as he watched tears of joy stream down faces throughout the crowd.
As the applause began to fade, Izei felt his moment arriving. His free hand moved toward his pocket, his fingers closing around the small velvet box that contained his mother's ring—a simple but elegant diamond solitaire that had represented love and commitment in the Callel family for generations.
"I have one more item of business," he announced, his voice cutting through the lingering celebration.
Freesia turned toward him with a confused expression, clearly not expecting any additions to their carefully planned ceremony.
But as Izei slowly dropped to one knee before her, pulling the velvet box from his pocket, understanding dawned in her sapphire eyes—along with something that looked remarkably like joy.
A collective gasp swept through the crowd as three hundred people realized they were about to witness something even more momentous than the birth of a new pride.
"Freesia," he began, "three months ago, you were a woman on the run, carrying the weight of four centuries in a small satchel and believing you had to face that burden alone.
But from the moment I met you, I knew you were extraordinary—not because you're the last Waverly royal, but because you're the strongest, most compassionate, most magnificent woman I've ever known. "
He opened the velvet box, revealing the diamond that caught the candlelight and threw it back in brilliant sparkles.
"You've taught me that true strength isn't about carrying every burden by yourself—it's about finding people worthy of sharing those burdens with you.
You've shown our people that unity isn't just an ideal, it's achievable.
And you've shown me that love isn't about protection alone but about choosing each other every single day. "
Tears were streaming down Freesia's face now, her free hand pressed to her mouth as she stared down at him with an expression of pure love and wonder.
"Will you marry me, my queen?" Izei asked, his voice thick with emotion but steady with certainty.
"Will you build this future with me, not just as leaders of the Valeria pride, but as partners in everything?
Will you let me spend the rest of my life proving that you never have to carry anything alone again? "
"Yes," Freesia said without the slightest hesitation, her voice breaking with joy. "Of course, yes, Izei."
Izei slipped the ring onto her finger with hands that remained perfectly steady despite the magnitude of the moment, then rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms. Their kiss was fierce and tender and full of promises, witnessed by three hundred people who erupted into even louder cheers and applause than before.
This, Izei thought as he held his future wife against his chest, this is what building a legacy feels like.