Chapter 11
The next day, Cally arrived at the castle for my coronation.
The moment she saw me, she pulled me into the tightest hug she’s ever given me.
We spent the entire morning walking the grounds, lost in conversation, William trailing closely behind.
Cally asked me a million questions about my new title and what it’s been like to live in a castle, followed by a million more questions about meeting the princes.
Now, we stand before Ruby and Nora while they help me into my coronation dress, a stunning A-line gown covered in tulle the color of pine trees.
“This dress is to die for,” Cally whispers as I step into the gown.
I pull the dress up, relishing the way it fits.
The bodice hugs my curves perfectly and is detailed with tiny cream pearls and diamonds that make the dress look like it’s sparkling.
Thin lines of gold travel through the flowing skirt, resembling tiny branches that cascade from the bodice.
The sleeves elegantly hang off my shoulders and show off my slender frame.
A matching cape will flow behind me, hanging from my shoulders and covered in the same lace, pearl, and diamond details.
My white hair is styled in a bun at the base of my skull, with loose tendrils curled as they frame my face.
Behind me, Ruby pulls out a crown from a velvet green box.
She walks toward me and unclasps the hook in the back, gently placing it around my antlers and on my head before clasping the crown shut.
The crown itself is gold, with branches extending upward.
Delicate golden leaves and red berries adorn the branches while nearly imperceptible diamonds sparkle along the intricate branches.
“This is the crown of the High Queen,” she says, eyes lighting up as our eyes meet in the mirror. “Ivan will place this on your head after you recite the Monarch’s Oath. Until then, you’ll wear the crown from yesterday. Are you ready?”
I straighten in my seat and tilt my chin upwards, unable to look away from the female staring back at me. I spell a subtle glamour around myself, making it look as if a light is shining upon me. The diamonds on the crown and the dress twinkle with every movement I make.
I look like magic incarnate.
I look like the High Queen of the Forest.
Elle knocks on the door to escort me to the starting point of the procession, a small clearing in the forest about a mile down the path. When she sees me, her jaw immediately drops.
“Mae…” she says, staring at me. “You look…” She doesn’t finish. Instead, she dips down into a deep bow, just like the one she gave Prince Asmo. She rises slowly and says in a soft voice, “You look like my queen.”
This time, I don’t scoff or tell her to stop. Instead, I walk over to her and hold her hands in mine. “Thank you. For everything. You have no idea how grateful I am to have had you as my friend this week.”
She smiles at me and squeezes my hands. “I’ll be your friend as long as you’ll have me.”
Suddenly, I’m overcome with emotion. My life is about to change again. Although it’s for the better, I wish I could just spend my time with Elle swimming in heated pools or at Bound with Cally.
“You look amazing,” I say, forcing a smile onto my face. And she does. She’s wearing a dark green strapless A-line gown that accentuates her impeccable figure.
“Wait for the best part,” she says, lifting her dress and revealing a dagger clipped to her thigh.
My eyes widen in shock. “What are you doing with that?”
She covers the dagger up and glares at me. “Mae, how many times are we going to remind you that your father was murdered a week ago, and we still don’t know who did it?”
“Right.”
“Hey, I know it’s not my place, but have you talked to your aunt lately?” she asks me, her voice softening.
“No. I was waiting until after the coronation to think about that,” I confess, feeling a pang of guilt.
I’m about to be crowned High Queen, and I haven’t talked to the person who raised me.
I just can’t help but feel like she never wanted this for me anyway, a thought that’s been niggling at me since I learned my true lineage.
Before Elle and I portal to the starting line, as I’ve named it, I thank Ruby and Nora profusely for their artwork now adorning my body. Cally squeezes me one more time, promising to be in the front row.
Arms linked, Elle and I step into the small portal she’s created in my living room. Her arm pulls me forward, and we take a single step together, light blooming around us as we step into the clearing.
The crowd of people can be heard the moment I step from the portal.
“Ready, Princess?” Elle asks.
“Do we just walk up the path?” I ask, staring dubiously up the empty path.
She laughs. “Yes! We talked about this. The path winds up the mountain. Ivan will be waiting at the top.”
“Sorry, I don’t remember. We’ve talked about a lot, and it just seems so…simple,” I admit.
“Would you like me to carry you? Procure a deer for you to ride in on?” she asks before her eyes flit behind me. They brighten, and a small smile lights her face. “Mae…” she whispers, looking over my shoulder, her eyes locked on something.
I turn around. The stag from yesterday is staring at me, his warm brown eyes locked on me.
Immediately, I form a deep bow. Although I’m the one being crowned today, he’s the true king of this forest. Twigs crack and leaves rustle as he comes closer.
I straighten and stand before him as he slowly approaches me.
When he’s within a few feet of me, he bows his head slowly, then kneels.
“I think he wants you to ride him,” Elle whispers from behind me.
I shake my head. No, I don’t want to do that. I place my hand on his shoulder softly, then whisper to him, “You’re my equal, and I’d love for you to walk beside me.”
Surprisingly, he stands, his antlers towering above me.
We begin to walk forward, down the path, and toward the crowd. Our steps fall in tandem, my hand still resting on his warm coat.
“Luca will meet us before the crowd and will also walk beside me. He’ll cast a protective barrier around you that will shield off any spells or harm that is meant for you,” Elle says from behind me.
I nod in response. I’m not nervous, but I don’t want to shift my focus right now with any more of a response. I focus my magic and send a soft wind below my cape so that it seems to be naturally blowing in a light wind.
We pass Luca, his eyes widening as he sees us coming. He steps in line behind us, joining Elle. I can tell the moment he casts his barrier around the stag and me. It immediately dampens the noises from the crowd, although they continue to grow louder as we near.
Humans and hybrids line both sides of the ascending path, watching us eagerly.
But as we approach, they fall silent. I was expecting cheering, yet hushed murmurs now spread throughout the crowd.
As the stag and I near the first guests, they drop to a single knee, bowing their heads in silence.
This action, too, ripples through the crowd as we pass by each guest, each citizen of my kingdom.
Th gravity of this moment does not slip past me. I am about to take an oath to protect every single hybrid and human here. I take a shaky breath.
I am almost the High Queen now. I am confident. I can handle this. I stand tall as I walk down the path. The stag beside me walks calmly and helps to steady my nerves.
When we near the top of the mountain, I finally give into the urge to look back to Elle.
Behind her, everyone has risen and stares silently at me with a single hand raised.
Another swell of emotion comes, but I force it down.
I turn back around and face the path ahead, concentrating again on placing one foot in front of the other.
Just as Elle promised, Ivan stands at the end of the path, waiting to escort us inside. Like Luca, his eyes widen as he sees us, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he turns on his heels, indicating for us to follow.
What is happening? When I pictured my coronation, I pictured people cheering for me and celebrating.
I follow Ivan, more nervous than I was at the beginning of the procession.
When we get to the front door, I remove my hand from the stag’s shoulders and whisper, “Thank you for accompanying me. It was an honor.”
His warm eyes flicker to me, but he doesn’t move.
Instead, he stays by my side even as I get closer to the door.
Alright then. Ivan continues, moving through the open doors, and the stag follows beside me.
This is a first for me. I used to walk through my backyard with deer when I was younger, Willa watching from the back porch.
They never followed me for this long, and they certainly never followed me inside.
They usually got scared when I went inside and dashed back into the woods.
We both easily fit through the double doors.
Ivan doesn’t turn when he hears the stag’s hooves on the floors as if he were expecting him to follow me inside.
He leads us to the throne room, which is massive and filled with rows of empty chairs.
Two lines of guards in silver armor stand stoically on each side of the space.
Although I’ve passed this room multiple times over the last week, I’ve never actually taken the time to step inside.
Two thrones sit side-by-side, each one crafted from branches.
A massive chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling, also crafted of dark wooden branches.
The wooden hardwood floors continue through the space, and the walls are covered in glossy white marble.
It’s the most elegant room in the castle while remaining true to the court it belongs to.
After slowly taking in every detail of the space, I arrive at the twin thrones.
I sit on the right one so the stag can be on my right side while I’m seated.
Even though it’s made of branches, the throne isn’t uncomfortable.
Instead of lying beside me, the stag lays in front of me, almost as if he’s my protector.
I cross my legs and lean back into the throne.
I look at Ivan, about to ask him what comes next, but he’s already looking at me. “This is certainly a first,” he says, gaze flitting between me and the stag.
“This has never happened before?”
“No. There has never been a deer that has attended the coronation events,” he says, chuckling a little. “There were always deer close to the castle, but this…” He shakes his head. “I think we’re all a little shocked, to say the least.”
“Is it okay that he’s in here?”
“This is the Court of the Deer, Mae. You are the High Princess, about to be crowned the High Queen. Is it okay?”
I look at the stag and nod fervently. “Of course. They’re all welcome. This is as much their home as it is mine.”
The throne room’s double doors crack open, sending an echo through the space as spectators begin to file in.
I stand and straighten my gown, pasting my most queenly smile on my face.
My ears pick up whispers of conversation as they near the stage and take their seats.
Their eyes alternate between the stag and then me, standing behind him.
I do my best to hold a smile on my face and soften my eyes.
My smile turns genuine when I see Cally walking toward the front row, smiling from ear to ear.
Ivan’s voice booms through the grand room.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Woodland Kingdom, it is my honor to present High Princess Mae Bailey, the direct descendant of High King Silas Fairbairn. Today, we have gathered here for her official coronation and crowning as High Queen, Queen of the Deer, and Queen of the Woodland Kingdom.” He turns to me and says softly, “Mae, please repeat after me.”
I steel myself, feeling sweat blooming under my armpits. I resist the urge to look at Cally again, instead locking eyes with Ivan. He gives me an encouraging nod, then begins the Royal Oath.
“I solemnly swear that I, Mae Bailey,” he begins. I swallow hard, then begin to recite the Monarch’s Oath.
“Will serve the people and the animals of the Deer Court and the Woodland Kingdom in their best interests. I will ensure that my power will be used for the greater good of the court, its people, and the people of the Woodland Kingdom. I will govern, lead, and protect all its citizens until the end of my reign. I will give a voice to the voiceless. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves. I will honor the values of integrity, morality, and probity.” I repeat each line, my voice loud and ringing through the space.
“These promises that I have made will be honored to the best of my ability until the end of my reign.”
“Mae Bailey, I now pronounce you Her Majesty, Queen of the Deer, and High Queen of the Woodland Kingdom,” he booms, his chest puffing with pride. He turns to the crowd now and exclaims, “Ladies and gentlemen of the Woodland Kingdom, I present to you, your High Queen!”
Even though Ivan is practically bursting at the seams, they don’t clap or cheer. Instead, everyone immediately bows, resting on one knee, heads angled to the floor. At the sight of them, chills spread across my skin.
Ivan turns to me, and suddenly, I wrap him into a hug. He tenses as if the sudden contact surprised him. When we break apart, he faces the crowd again and booms, “And now, for the crowning!”
He motions to someone behind me and Elle comes forward with the same green velvet box from earlier.
She smiles at me before bowing to one knee and holding the box up, an impressive feat in her dress.
Ivan opens it and removes the crown. I throw a quick enchantment on it, causing it to sparkle and glisten in the light.
Ivan carefully places it on my head, clasps it on, and motions for me to sit.
I do.
I sit on the High Throne as the High Queen.
I place my hand on the stag at my feet.
Finally, applause erupts throughout the room.