Chapter 64


    Chapter 64


    I was sitting half dressed in the dressing room while I waited for the stylists to bring in my dress. I


    chose not to see it until today, hoping for the element of surprise and mainly because I thought that not


    seeing it would make it easier for me to forget the fact that my coronation day was going to arrive


    whether I liked it or not.


    The stylists rushed in with arge dress and my eyes widened when I took in the color. It looked like it


    was made from melted gold and the longer 1 stared at it, the more my mouth fell open. Christine


    walked in behind the stylists with a shy smile on her face and my mouth fell open as I stared from her


    to the dress.


    “What do you think?” she asked almost unsure and I immediately stood to my feet.


    “I think I want to put it on right now.”


    She pped her hands in glee and I saw her let out a sigh of relief. The stylists walked up to me and


    helped me into the dress. The first thing I noticed about it as how big it was and the train was massively


    long. For a split second, I was terrified that I would trip in it and fall t on my face.


    The dress was strapless and form fitted. The material curved around my body like it was second skin


    and I marveled at the softness of the fabric. Attached at the waist was a huge overflowing skirt and


    train. Under the right light, the dress almost looked like a peach and gold fusion. The best part about it


    was how light it was. I was amazed by that fact because I would have expected it to weight so much.


    Christine smiled up at me as I stared at myself in the mirror and I couldn’t stop a small smile from


    mirroring hers. We were both thinking the same thing- mother would have loved it had she seen it.


    When I burnt the house down, I wasn’t thinking about mother’s body and it wasn’t until after the fire had


    been put out that I learnt she had been burned beyond recognition. I knew there was no way we could


    bury her in the pce and I also knew she would have rather wed her own eye out than be buried


    next to my father. Instead, I chose to have her cremated and I poured out her ashes in the air. I felt like


    that was more genuine to who she was as a person.


    I looked just like her today. I chose the same curly bun with some strands framing my face, that she


    chose on her mating ceremony. She married the prince so she didn’t have a coronation, instead, she


    had a mating/wedding ceremony. I hoped that people would notice the tribute and understand where it


    came from.


    “Where is Audrey?” I asked Christine.


    “She is waiting in the hall like everyone else. She is protected Cami, you don’t have to worry about


    that.”


    “I will always worry.”


    It was so hard to let Audrey out of my sight after what happened and today, it took a lot of persuasion


    from Christine to even consider it. I made sure she had at least six different guards on her at all times.


    She didn’t understand why, she just thought they were there to y with her. She still doesn’t


    understand the impact of what happened in that cabin and I n to keep it that way.


    “It is time,” she reminded me and I cleared my throat.


    “Let us go then,”


    She led me to the doors of the great hall where the coronation ceremony was to hold. She went in first


    and I waited until I heard the beat of music start and the doors flew open. I did what mother had told me


    all those weeks back and I kept my chin high and my eyes fixated on the throne settled on the dais


    where I was going to be seated at the end of the day.


    I faintly heard the announcer mention my name and who I was. I ignored the curious gazes and the


    envious ones and I made my way over to the front. When I got there, I risked a nce to the left where


    I knew my family would be. Audrey was smiling widely with her butterfly crown on her hair. I could see


    people casting nces at her and I tried to remind myself that she was protected and no one would be


    able to hurt her.


    The empty seat next to her caused an ache in my heart. It would have belonged to my mother and


    normally, an empty seat wouldn’t be kept for a deceased family member but I was adamant that it be


    done that way because I wanted to honor her in


    every way possible.


    I finally looked away from my family as I got to the dais. I gave a curt nod to the priest before resting on


    my knees. I loved the way the dress pooled out around me giving it a sort of ethereal look and as the


    priest walked over to me, I knew it would be thest time I bowed to anyone in my life.


    I didn’t pay attention to most of the words he was saying because I already knew them. He was telling


    the crowd who I was and what my duties to the kingdom were. Finally, I saw it- the crown. It was


    brought on a velvet cus hion and I looked up at the priest.


    “Do


    said.


    you take this role with the responsibility that it brings?” he asked and I made sure my voice was clear


    and concise when I


    “I do.”


    He took the crown and slowly ced it on my head. It was a simple golden crown with crystals


    embedded in it. I didn’t want anything extravagant but it seems the pce life will always be


    extravagant. Not only was it beautiful, but it was heavy and when the priest held out his hand to help


    me to my feet, I graciously took it.


    I kept my head held high as I was led over to the throne and when I sat down, I let out a sigh of relief.


    As soon as I sat, the entire hall stood to their feet and began to apud. My eyes found my daughter


    who looked like she was pping her absolute hardest and a small smile cracked through my fa?ade.


    I looked to the people on the other side and found Ryker’s family. We managed to get Riley safely but


    she was so badly hurt and dehydrated. Apparently, the person Lucy put in charge of taking care of her


    couldn’t have been bothered to do so. She looked weak and tired but she still managed toe.


    Ryker was standing next to her and he tipped his head to me in a form of bow. When he came out of


    that house, I was so relieved. I thought for sure that I had lost him. He had a few burns but they only


    took a few days to heal and I knew for sure that I didn’t want to spend another moment of my life


    without him. Right there in front of the burning building, we agreed to be a family again..


    -Everyone who wanted to stand against us perished in that fire and we had agreed to keep it behind us


    and move forward N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    together.


    It probably wasn’t the most romantic deration of love but it was something and it came at the right


    time because Audrey was more than happy. I tipped my head back in his direction and I saw the corner


    of his lips quirk up.


    ***********


    SEVEN MONTHS LATER


    .


    “Where the hell is he?” I couldn’t keep the irritation out of my voice as Christine fussed over me. I


    swatted her hands away as she reached out to touch my forehead.


    “He is on his way,” she repeated the same phrase she had said for the past three hours and I wanted to


    stab her. “He had to finish up with the elders, you know how they are.”


    I did know how they were but I didn’t care considering the fact that I was about to push out his baby. I


    was the queen and if I wanted him here then I didn’t give a flying f**k who wanted him, he had to be


    here.


    I heard the door open and I saw Ryker rush in. The first two buttons of his shirt were undone and his


    hair was a mess as if he had ran his hands through it a million times before. He rushed over to my side


    and pressed a kiss to my mmy forehead.


    “I am so sorry,” he breathed against my hair. “I’m here now, everything will be fine.”


    After my coronation, we went to the elders to figure out how to handle things seeing as Ryker was an


    Alpha. He had to give up control of his pack to Damien- who was now the Alpha. We also yed


    around with somews so that his pack was officially an extension of the pce. Our mating ceremony


    was held less than a month after the coronation and he became Prince Consort. It wasn’t a huge


    ceremony, just something small and intimate but the entire world knew.


    Shortly after our mating ceremony, Christine and Damien met and found out they were mates. I don’t


    know what was going


    to happen between them especially considering that Damien wanted to mate with Riley. Christine has


    been tight lipped about the entire thing and refuses toment on it.


    The midwife walked back into the room and took a look between my legs. “I think you’re ready.”


    Almost forty five minutester and my daughter was ced in my arms. I had forgotten how tiny a baby


    could be but as I stared down at her, I felt my heart clench almost painfully. She had Ryker’s dark hair


    and when her eyes fluttered open, they were the same hazel eyes as mine.


    “She is so beautiful,” Ryker breathed above me and as I watched the tears that gathered in his eyes, I


    felt a pang for the years of Audrey’s life that he missed.


    “Do you want to hold her?” I asked and he nodded.


    He lifted her carefully, almost like he was scared she would break and cradled her in his arms. He


    cooed at her softly and I watched as he waspletely enamored by his child. The door opened and I


    saw Audrey appear almost carefully as if she was scared of interrupting. I gestured for her toe


    closer and she sprinted across the room.


    She climbed up on the bed and sat next to me. Ryker crouched down a little so she could look at her


    little sister and I saw her nose crinkle in confusion.


    “She looked like a potato,” she said and my mouth fell open so she added. “She looks like a cute


    potato.”


    “You looked like a potato too when you were born,” I told her and her mouth fell open as if I had said


    something offensive. “When she grows a little, she won’t look like that anymore.”


    She stared at her sister with eyes full of awe and fascination and I knew I never had to worry about her


    being a good sister because judging by the look in her eyes, she would protect her sister with


    everything in her.


    “What’s her name?” Audrey asked and I looked up at Ryker with a short nod..


    “Her name is Aurora Leanor Caine.”