Chapter 5
Coronation Expectations
The sun shines through the bedroom windows, easing me into consciousness.
I pull in a deep breath and open my eyes, stretching my arms and legs under the covers and across the massive bed.
My hand encounters empty sheets that are cool to the touch.
The only evidence that Rhys was here is the indent in his pillow and even that will be gone by the end of the morning when the house maids make the bed.
Rhys is gone.
As much as I don’t want to go to this morning’s meeting, I know I don’t have a choice. I guess I do, kind of, but not really.
Part of embracing this new life, means pushing through the things I don’t want to do. I’m not the old Stella who hid in her apartment and behind her quiet life, I’m this newer version that’s a little scarred on the outside, but hopefully, it only makes me stronger.
With that said, Rhys will come and find me, whether I’m dressed and ready to face the day or not. Besides, how bad could one planning meeting be? I mean I survived a royal wedding, barely. But still, I survived. A coronation can’t be that much worse.
I toss back the covers and climb out of bed, heading to the bathroom.
I turn on the shower and let it heat up while I brush my teeth.
After I rinse out my mouth and set my toothbrush back in the crystal bathroom cup set on the counter, I step into the shower and let the hot water and steam envelop me.
My back and shoulders are tight. That could be stress or it could be the long day of travel and the fact that I almost died a few weeks ago. Or it could be all of that combined.
I can’t believe I’m married or that I’ve been married for almost a month.
I never thought my life was meant for fairy tales until Rhys literally crashed into it.
And even though it’s only been a short while, I can’t imagine my life any other way.
So, it’s with that thought in mind that I wash my hair and everything else with the sumptuous products that I’d never even heard of before coming here.
Then I turn off the taps and ring out my hair before stepping out of the glass shower and toweling off.
I wrap a thick robe, no doubt acquired for me by Maeve, around my body and begin drying and styling my hair.
Once it’s blown out in a dark, glossy mane, I do a quick face of makeup.
It’s wild to me how so many products go on my face only to look like I’m hardly wearing anything at all.
When I decide that I look as good as I’m going to, I spritz on some perfume and make my way into the closet where I shed my robe and hang it back on its hook before pulling on a bra and panty set.
Slim legged trousers in navy blue follow with a matching cable sweater over a cream colored blouse.
The eyelet pie crust collar that peaks out the neckline of the sweater is perfectly crisp.
The shirt is tucked into my slacks showing off the brown leather belt that’s wrapped around my waist. I step into matching heels and move into the sitting room just as there’s a knock on the main door.
“It’s just me,” Maeve calls out and I rush to open the door.
“Hey.”
“Good morning,” she replies. “I’ve brought you a bit of breakfast before our meeting with the King.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll just set you up at the table and then if you don’t mind, I’d like to show you some designs for your gown for the coronation.”
“I’d appreciate that,” I answer. “Thank you.”
“No trouble at all.” She sets a silver dome covered plate on the table along with a small coffee service as I sit down. She pours me a cup of coffee and uncovers my plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit.
“Please sit down with me,” I ask as she pulls an iPad from who knows where and begins to scroll through pictures.
“Thank you.”
“Would you like some coffee?” I ask.
“Please,” she says, watching me with a thoughtful expression on her face as I pour her a cup. “Thank you.”
“Of course, now what kind of gowns are we looking for?” I ask.
“White,” Maeve replies enthusiastically. “I was thinking silver trim.”
“Didn’t we just do this?” I laugh.
“In a way, I suppose so,” she agrees. “Although this one isn’t as long and shouldn’t be as heavy.”
“Thank goodness.”
“It’s the royal robes that are heavy and long this time,” she says.
“Huh?”
“You’ll be adorned with a long velvet robe, kind of like a cape, during the ceremony, so we won’t want anything to drag you further down.”
“Yikes.”
“They haven’t been taken from the Royal Museum yet so you should get to see them during your trip this week,” she replies, reminding me that my royal duties are back in full swing now that we’re home.
I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I’m exhausted and wish I could rest longer.
“I’ll arrange for them to be shown you after the unveiling of your royal portrait. ”
“Thank you.”
“Of course,” she answers. “Now here are some options I was looking at. Nothing too wild, but silhouettes that would look stunning on your frame.”
“They’re beautiful,” I say while scrolling through the images. “This one with the bows looks like it would fall off if I wasn’t careful.”
“Hmm…” is all she says.
When I’m done with breakfast, she carefully stacks the dishes back on the cart while I go reapply my lipstick.
Usually, I wouldn’t be so high maintenance, but God knows who will be at this meeting and if it’s my uncle, he will absolutely share that he’s disappointed in me if I were to show up for a meeting looking so unkept.
When I walk back into the sitting room, the dining cart is gone and Maeve is standing by the door with her tablet in her arms and her cardigan over her shoulders.
“Are you ready to go?” she asks me.
“Sure. Do I need to bring anything?”
“I don’t believe so,” she answers, looking at my ear and not my eyes. Whatever that’s about, I don’t have time for now. I walk back into the bedroom and grab the iron key from where I’d tucked it away and slip it into my trouser pocket before returning to meet Maeve at the door.
“All set,” I reply.
We exit the room and I use the key to lock the door behind us before slipping it back into my pocket.
We walk silently side by side down the hall. The silence is not comforting like usual; it’s deafening. Actually, Maeve is almost never silent making this very weird. But before I can comment on it, we’ve arrived at the offices of the King when he is in residence here.
She knocks on the door and he calls out, “Enter.”
It wasn’t so long ago that I was punished in front of everyone who’s going to be at this meeting, in this very office.
I feel my heart trip over itself and ramp up its pace as I step over the threshold.
It doesn’t get better when I look up because everyone in here is staring at me in a way I know I don’t like. It makes my skin crawl.
“Come here, hen,” Rhys says as he waves me over. I hear the door close behind me and the snick of the lock tumbling into its place. When I get near enough, he grabs my hand and pulls me into his lap. “You know that I love you, correct?”
“You’re scaring me,” I whisper.
“Just answer the question,” he says, pinching my chin and tipping my face so that I’m looking him in the eyes. “You know that I love you?”
“Yes.”
“And you know that I would never do anything to hurt you, correct?”
I nod my head, feeling a rock lodge in my throat before I try to speak. “I know.”
“And that I will always protect you to the best of my abilities…”
“I hope so,” I answer.
“That’s good, hen,” he says. “Because in this life there are many things that we must do even when we wish we did not have to. This is going to be one of them.”
“This is not making me less scared,” I reply.
“I know. We’re going to do a walk-through of the ceremony so that you know what is expected of us, particularly, you and me.”
“What kind of expectations are we talking here? A bloodletting?” I joke.
“More like an anointing,” he says cryptically.
At that, I feel my heartrate speed back up again.
“Okay… that can’t be that bad, right?” I ask.
“That’s the spirit,” he says. “Just know that you’re safe in this room, no one here will hurt you.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s begin,” he says before turning to Craig. “You walk us through the ceremony.”
“Let’s have you both stand by the door and we’ll use your office chair as a stand-in for the throne,” he says. “When we do the official rehersal, we’ll run the ceremony in the throne room.”
“Why aren’t we doing it there now?” I ask without thinking as Rhys leads me to the door.
“This is more private,” Craig hedges.
“Hmm.”
“For the ceremony, you will both be dressed in more traditional clothing,” he says, painting the picture.
“The King will be in knee pants and socks with a blouse and the cape from the Royal Scottish Order.
You will be in a gown and heels under your cape.
“You will both be wearing crowns but not the official ones of the realm.
“Now, you will enter hand in hand after you step out of the carriage and make your way into the throne room.” Craig angles his head to address me. “It is important that you stay one step behind him at all times. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. It canno’ seem as if you are usurping the King’s power.”
“Got it.”
“Then you will both be led to your seats. The King will remain standing. He will take several oaths before God. Once he has done so, he will witness you taking your oaths.”
“What kind of oaths?” I ask.
“The kind that you’ve mostly already pledged yourself to, hen.” Rhys leans in and whispers to me. “The kind that go something like love and honor and obey, but this time it’s to rule at my side and serve me in ways that benefit me as the king of this realm.”
“Okay.”