Page 30 of Bride By Coronation

Shock fills me. I gawk at him.

He closes his eyes for a minute and shakes his head. He mumbles, "We didn't know you would be pulled into this. I swear neither of us knew."

Fear ignites within me, rushing through me like water from a damn that's broken. My voice is shaky when I whisper, "Sean, what did you get me involved in?"

He pins his greens on me, full of sympathy and something I never see on my brother. I realize it's trepidation.

Valentina interjects, "Both of you were meant to have a seat at the table. The course just got slightly changed."

"Slightly?" Sean seethes.

She accuses, "Byrne and Sylvia prepared you and Zara. The decision to go against his instructions was yours and Zara's. That changed your course."

"Everyone died. It should have no bearing," Sean argues.

"Who died?" I ask.

They exchange a heated look, and Valentina answers, "No one you ever met. And you don't have the clearance level to know anything about it until you've gone through your coronation."

I turn toward my brother. "What is she talking about?"

He glances at Valentina and then his anxious expression meets mine. "The Omni have decided you will be queen."

Unlike before, nothing seems funny, just even more confusing. I inquire, "What is the Omni?"

"Whois a better question," Valentina states.

Exasperated by this entire situation, and still not trusting her, I shrug. "Okay, who?"

She looks at Sean.

He divulges, "The Omnipotence, or Omni, are the rulers of The Underworld. The seat at the table refers to the Omni. I gave up my token, and now you're to become queen."

I scoff. "Token? Like from an arcade?"

"This is serious, Fiona!" he reprimands.

"You know you both sound crazy, right?"

"Yeah, but it's all real. I lost my token, and now your seat at the table is the throne!"

"This is a joke," I state, but the pit of my stomach tells me differently.

Sean lowers his voice. It's full of dread and remorse. He offers, "I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know they would make me..." He swallows hard and looks away.

"Make you do what?"

He takes several breaths, then pins the guiltiest look I've ever seen on him, announcing, "Give you to the king."

My breath catches in my lungs. I stare at him in disbelief.

Valentina interjects, "It's an arranged marriage. No one is forcing you to marry him. It's your choice to take your rightful place as queen or not enter The Underworld. But your father wanted you to be a part of it."

"I'm not marrying some stranger! I don't care what my dad wanted!"

"It's not that easy, Fiona," Sean asserts.

I spin on him. "Why is that? Seems pretty simple to me. Forget I know anything about whatever this is." I tap the binder and continue, "Or me marrying a stranger. I'm out."

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