by Skye Horn
Was he thinking about their wedding ceremony later too?
Suddenly the entire room felt more crowded than she could handle.
“Thank you for the gift,” she told him, slipping the gem back into the pouch and strapping it to her hip just as he had done.
He beamed. “You’re welcome! But we had better hurry or we are all going to be late for your ceremony.”
When they reached the throne room the sun was just beginning to make a debut through the skylights, brightening the dark corridors, and the loud chatter of voices could be heard beyond the double doors. Thea tried to steady her breathing, but she felt as if her heart might beat directly out of her throat. Ethel squeezed her hand gently, giving her an encouraging smile, but it did nothing to calm her nerves.
Was she really ready to be Queen of Ivandor? It wasn’t as if she had a choice, but what if she failed to keep her kingdom safe? There were so many people counting on her, but how could one even know if they were ready for a job like this?
“We need to get inside,” Iris said, nodding toward Ethel and Declan. “Haven will escort you in when the time comes.”
“How will I know when that is?” Thea asked, eyes widening.
“Trust me, you’ll know.” Iris grinned and hugged Thea tightly, whispering, “We will be proud to call you our queen, Thea. Remember that.”
Thea swallowed hard and nodded her head as Iris released her. She didn’t trust her own voice.
With one final bow, Iris and Ethel slipped through the double doors, followed closely by Declan.
“Are you ready for this?” Haven asked, eyeing her as she straightened her armor and weapons. At least she looked ready to take on the world. Thea held her chin higher and noticed the smirk form on Haven’s lips.
“No, but I’ll pretend to be,” Thea said with a slight smile. She wished she could steal some of Haven’s natural confidence. “Just don’t let me trip on my way in.”
“Promise.” Haven placed her hand over her heart and then looked at Thea seriously. “You’re already an amazing woman. Don’t let anyone in that room make you feel any differently, okay?”
Thea’s throat tightened a little and, once again, she only nodded. It amazed her that these women in her life thought so highly of her. Iris and Haven were everything Thea wanted to be as a queen. They represented the bravery and loyalty that true leaders needed to possess—as well as the independence. But, perhaps she’d picked up on some of those traits as well. Over the past few months she’d done things she’d never dreamed of doing before, but the idea of a crown on her head was still frightening.
“I’m ready,” she said, choking back her fear and nervousness. She would believe in herself because those she loved were counting on her.
Blaring trumpets sounded from beyond the doors of the throne room and Haven smiled. “Just in time, Princess. Put on a brave face, because you’re about to become Queen of Ivandor.”
Kieran stood amongst the villagers, hidden beneath a dark cloak, within the castle’s throne room. He watched as Iris took her place near the other council members, thankful she didn’t see that he’d snuck himself into the coronation. Thanks to one of Thea’s guards, Derek, he’d been able to enter the castle without notice, but now it was up to him to remain as out of sight as possible. The villagers had been cleared to one side of the room, keeping him well-hidden within their crowds, while the royal Fae lined the other side. As the trumpets sounded, everyone’s gaze turned toward the entrance, including Kieran’s.
One of Thea’s High Council members stood in front of her throne holding a gold-plated box. The exterior had been intricately decorated with centuries-old gemstones that still glistened beneath the candelabras, and Kieran knew the box contained Queen Brielle’s crown. He’d seen the piece sitting on her vanity numerous times as a child while his mother had cleaned the queen’s chambers.
Thea entered the room with Haven a step behind her on the right, and the air immediately felt as if it had been sucked from Kieran’s lungs when he caught sight of her in her new armor. His sword was strapped securely to her hip, shining as if it had just been polished, and a bow and quiver rested securely between her wings. Thea had always been beautiful—but now? Kieran could hardly breathe as she walked toward the throne, chin held high and eyes calculating her surroundings.
He noticed the way she nervously twitched her fingers at her side, but imagined no one else in the room would see the small movements. Her cheeks were flushed pink as well, and for the briefest moment, her eyes met his in the crowd of onlookers. A flash of shock settled over her face before being masked away, but he swore he saw the corner of her mouth pull up into a smile as she returned her attention back to the front, pretending to have just been looking at the villagers.
A slow burning heat crept up from the depths of his stomach as he realized that no matter where they were in the world, no matter how far or how many things changed, there would always be that tether that drew them to each other in a crowded room.
The trumpeters stopped their song as Thea reached the spot in front of her throne. Many of the villagers cheered as she smiled at them. She had stopped to wave at some of the younger children, earning giggles of excitement in return.
“Princess Thea,” the High Council member holding the box greeted with a smile. His greeting drew Thea’s attention back to the front of the room as he bowed low.
A pang of jealousy traveled through Kieran as Haven took her place alongside the rest of the Queen’s Guard. He had dreamt of standing with that guard for years, but was now forced to hide in the shadows of onlookers. Despite the fact that he knew he still belonged with the Guard, Kieran found it hard to even look at them. So he focused on Thea as the High Council member asked her to swear her loyalty to the kingdom of Ivandor and to the Goddess above.
Kieran noticed the way Thea avoided swearing any loyalty to Ainé, but no one else seemed to take notice. It was formalities, mostly—a way to ensure the villagers knew that their queen was on their side, no matter what. The tradition dated back centuries.
To Kieran’s surprise, Thea didn’t falter over any of her words. Her voice remained steady as she said, “I swear to uphold the law of our lands with honor, truth, and justice; and I swear to bring Goddess-given peace and freedom to the people of my kingdom.”
Kieran knew the depth of those promises. They weighed just as heavily on his own heart.
After their recent discovery that Ainé may have stripped away their free will, they’d all been shocked and confused, but today would bring the answers to all of their questions. Today, Kieran and Amara would enter the prison world to free Ainé. The hope was that the Goddess would help them stop Morrigan from unleashing darkness on the land of Faerie, but what if Morrigan hadn’t been lying about Ainé using Thea? What if everything they’d been taught was a lie?
Because of the wedding and the coronation, there hadn’t been time for anyone to research or debate what might come next. All they could do was hope for the best outcome in an all-around terrible situation. However, Kieran had sworn his loyalty to Thea, not to the Goddesses. So, wherever Thea went, he would go too.
“Please kneel,” the High Council member said as Thea finished her oaths to the kingdom and turned to face her subjects, kneeling down to one knee. Once again, her eyes found Kieran’s, and within them, he saw the hope she carried that today’s endeavors would end the madness she’d been thrown into. He wanted to promise her that he could fix this, but for now, they needed to get through one thing at a time.
First, there was the coronation. Then, he and Amara had only a few hours to harness the powers of dark magic, open the portal, and free the Goddess. If they failed to complete this task in a timely manner, the love of his life would marry another man.
He could not afford to fail.
“Princess Thea, daughter of the late Queen Brielle and King Malachi, granddaughter of the late King Tritian and Queen Isabella, and loyal subject of our Goddess above…” T
he council member placed the crown gently atop Thea’s head. “Please rise as Queen Thea of Ivandor.”
The crowd erupted into applause as Thea rose slowly to stand. The nervous tick of her fingers had ceased and a grin spread across her face, despite how much she tried to hide it. Kieran could see the fear behind her gaze, but also the excitement, as he cheered alongside the rest of his kingdom for the queen they’d long awaited.
“Ivandor—meet your queen!” Iris called out, and with that, everyone lowered to their knees. The guards were first to kneel before Queen Thea, followed by the council members, the royal Fae, and then the villagers.
And as he knelt alongside the rest of his people, Kieran stared proudly at the girl he loved—the woman he loved—with every ounce of his being.
By the time the crowd had been escorted out of the throne room, Thea’s jaw felt sore from smiling. She knew Kieran still lurked in the shadows of the corridor beyond, and hoped to find a moment to escape to speak with him before the council asked anything else of her. Most of the villagers waved and smiled as they left to enjoy the celebrations that had been planned for the day ahead. According to Ethel, the village would be one giant party to celebrate her coronation and wedding.
Despite the fact that Lord Thompson had just presented her as queen, the only difference Thea felt was the weight on top of her head where the crown sat. She was still the orphan whose world had been flipped upside down when a man with wings had stepped through a portal. Her life continued to be one chaotic change after another, and yet, she wouldn’t have traded it for the world.
“Go now. We will distract them.” Derek had moved to her side when she’d become lost in her thoughts and was nodding toward the door. “Kieran’s in the kitchens. Miss Elizabeth made sure you have space to talk, but you’d better hurry.”
Thea wanted to hug her guard, but he was all business. He was dressed fully in his armor today, his hair combed to the side. Jami stood next to Declan a few feet away with the slightest smirk on his own lips. Were they all in on making sure she got to talk to Kieran?
“Go!” Haven mouthed from where she stood escorting the rest of the straggling villagers from the throne room.
Thea didn’t hesitate any longer. She turned and headed for the door, hoping her council members were too caught up in their own conversations to notice. Jami shot her a thumbs-up just before she disappeared through the hidden door at the back of the throne room—thankfully installed for moments just like these.
Just as Derek had said, Miss Elizabeth was waiting outside the kitchen door with her hand on her hip and a lifted eyebrow that said, “Do I even want to know why I’m helping you sneak off with another man on your wedding day?”
But she said nothing of the sort as Thea gave her a grateful smile and slipped inside.
“You’ve got five minutes,” she whispered and shut the door behind Thea.
Kieran was waiting inside, but the way he was standing made Thea pause. He was holding something behind himself, just out of her sight.
“Please don’t tell me you bought me a present too,” she said in disbelief as his face broke into a grin. “Did you all plan this or something?”
She couldn’t help the small laugh in her voice, but as he took a step toward her, her breath caught. The familiar scent of pine and musk teased her nostrils, bringing a sense of comfort to her rattling nerves.
“We may have discussed it,” Kieran said, letting his eyes drift slowly over her new armor. She bit her bottom lip, frozen in place beneath his gaze. “I hadn’t seen this, but you look magnificent.”
Thea’s cheeks burned, yet she didn’t look away from him, a childlike smile spreading over her lips. His compliment had her burning from the inside-out, and she was also overly curious as to what gift Kieran had picked out for her. Her birthday—or at least the one she’d celebrated with her adoptive parents—had been a few months ago, but she’d told no one. All of the gift giving had her immensely excited since she’d missed out on birthday presents for the first time in her now-nineteen years.
“Can I see?” she asked, trying to peek behind his back, but he shifted to block her with a wicked grin.
“First, I want my sword back.” He held out his hand palm up, eyeing the sword at her hip expectantly.
Thea’s bottom lip stuck out into a pout at his request. She had grown quite fond of his sword over the past few months, even if it was too heavy for her to use properly. She wasn’t ready to give up the only piece of him she was actually allowed to have.
“Trust me,” he said with an encouraging smile that made her heart melt.
Slowly, she unsheathed the sword, handing it to him hilt first as her heart clenched. However, he only grinned in approval and slipped it into the place where it had once constantly sat on his side.
“Good,” he said. “Now I can give you this.”
He pulled a brown paper-wrapped package from behind his back, holding it out for Thea to take. Despite the wrapping, there was no mistaking what was inside. Thea’s eyes lit up at the sight of it, and she looked between Kieran and the present eagerly.
“How did you—” she started to say but there was no point; she couldn’t hold back the excitement she felt as she tore the paper away revealing the beautifully crafted steel within.
The hilt of her new sword fit perfectly into her hand, and to her surprise, the weight was exactly what she needed. Unlike with Kieran’s sword, Thea did not strain against the weight of this weapon. Her fingers easily slipped over the grooves in the hilt, finding a comfortable position, and she raised it high to examine the intricate detailing in the candlelight of the kitchen.
“Wow,” she breathed, noticing the dragon etched into the hilt; it had rubies for eyes. But that wasn’t the most amazing part. Engraved just along the side was a saying that made Thea blink back tears.
In darkness and in light, I will always protect you.
“Kieran—” Thea choked, but he reached out to cup her chin in his hands, tilting her gaze to meet his.
“Both the sword and I will protect you.” He smiled, leaning down to press his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.
A single tear trickled down Thea’s cheek as she sheathed the sword at her hip, stepping closer to him. She reached a hand to the back of his neck, twisting her fingers into his hair, and pulled his face closer.
“Come back to me today,” she whispered as his forehead pressed to hers. “I can’t lose you.”
“No matter what happens, you need to do what is best for our kingdom, Thea.”
Thea knew what he meant. If he didn’t make it back in time with Ainé, or if Ainé ended up not being on their side, Kieran wanted Thea to marry Declan and protect those who needed to be protected. The problem was, she wasn’t sure she could do that. So instead of making promises she was unsure she could keep, she repeated, “Come back to me.”
At that, Miss Elizabeth poked her head inside the kitchen and said, “Someone is coming.”
Kieran pulled away from Thea, wiping her tears as he did, and then gave her an encouraging smile. Part of her wished he’d tell her to forget this entire plan—that he’d say they would find another way, but one of the things Thea loved most about Kieran was his devotion to his people. Even if it tore her apart inside, she’d respect the decisions he made.
“I am yours and you are mine, forever. Don’t forget that,” he said and then turned to leave, but Thea stopped him, reaching out to grab his hand.
“One more thing,” she said, giving a pained smile as she grabbed a knife from the table and a small bowl from a kitchen shelf. Quickly, she sliced the palm of her hand with the knife before Kieran could object, trying not to cry out at the sudden pain. Kieran immediately grabbed a towel to wrap around the open wound, but Thea shook her head in response. “I’ll be fine, but you need the blood for the magic to work.”
She watched the red liquid pour into the bowl, ignoring the nausea forming in the pit of her stomach from the sight of it.
/> “You two had better hurry,” Miss Elizabeth said, although looking more puzzled now than when she’d first entered. Thea trusted that she’d say nothing to anyone about this, but she’d have to make sure to speak with her about it before leaving.
“That’s enough, Thea,” Kieran warned, pulling her hand away from the bowl and wrapping it in the cloth. “I’d better get this to Amara.”
Their eyes met once more and there were a million things Thea wanted to say, but she settled on a single sentence.
“I love you,” they said in unison, small smiles playing on their lips, but there was no time for further discussion. Kieran gave her uninjured hand a squeeze, and Thea watched as the love of her life disappeared out the back door of the kitchen with a bowl of her blood just as Lord Brennan entered behind Miss Elizabeth.
“Ah! There you are!” he said, but his eyes widened upon seeing her hand. “What happened?”
“I’m a klutz,” she said, pulling up an innocent smile across her face and trying not to look toward the door Kieran had just disappeared through. “I was feeling nervous after everything and thought a piece of bread might settle my stomach, but I cut myself trying to slice it!”
She pushed her bottom lip out into a pout as Lord Brennan came to look at her hand.
“That’s quite the gash.” He frowned and then closed his eyes. She’d seen Iris do similar magic before, but it still amazed her to watch the skin knit itself back together, leaving only a soft pink scar in its place. The process felt like a tickle.
Magic was incredible.
“Hm, I think it might still leave a scar,” Lord Brennan said, eyebrows knitting together.
“That’s okay,” Thea smiled. “Thank you.”
“We really must be getting you back. We have a wedding to prepare for, after all!” A smile lit his face and Thea did her best to copy it, but she could not shake the sense of dread that tightened the muscles in her aching back.
