Page 192 of Crown of Briars
To be honest, it made me deeply uncomfortable. I had not acted alone, and it felt wrong for me to take all of the credit.
But it made Varius so happy. From the moment he began planning this ceremony, the gleam in his eyes had only gotten brighter. I had never seen him so alight with joy.
I took a deep breath to steel myself before stepping through the flaps of the tent. An aisle of crimson fabric led the way frommy tent to the courtyard in the center of town. It had been a few weeks since the Necro Shadows had vanished. Varius had sent a team to repair the Pern District so the civilians could return to their homes.
Now, the village was a bustling hub of activity. The homes had been rebuilt. New roads had been paved. Debris had been cleared away.
Cheers and applause rang from the square. I lifted my chin, gathered my skirts, and strode down the carpeted path.
A row of armored soldiers stood in front of the crowd. Each one drew their sword and pressed it to their chest as a symbol of honor and loyalty. I inclined my head to them before sweeping past, my fingers trembling at my sides.
On either side of the red carpet were thousands of fae. Some still maintained their unseelie forms; others chose to wear their seelie forms. My eyes roved over the crowd, taking in the purple and green skin tones, the wings and tails that had once frightened me. They mingled with the pale and brown skin tones of the seelie.
But to me, they all looked like one unified group of people.Mypeople.
I found myself beaming at them, delighted to see them all here together. They cheered and applauded as I made my way down the aisle. Their grins of delight were infectious, and the sight eased the knots in my chest.
I climbed the steps to the dais and found Varius waiting for me, sitting on the throne that had been hauled to the village square. Next to him was a matching throne, this one unoccupied.Mythrone.
Varius wore his ceremonial jerkin, his tunic open at the chest. A silver crown was atop his head. And he, too, was in his unseelie form.
But I didn’t mind it one bit. I let myself admire the greatwings stretched on either side of him, the barbed tail coiled beside him, and the glittering black claws extended from his fingers. He smiled down at me as I approached, his gaze heated and full of a love I did not deserve.
Stones, the heady look he was giving me… It was powerful enough to unravel me within seconds. My chest tightened, and I found I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. His lips parted, and fire burned in his gaze, hot enough to scorch me from the inside out.
Next to him stood Tislora, a gleaming silver crown in her hands. Like Varius, she was also in her unseelie form—wings, claws, and all. She rolled her eyes at the steaming tension brimming between me and Varius, then lifted her hand to quiet the crowd.
The people fell silent, watching with interest as Tislora drew closer to me. I obediently knelt before her, ready to accept my crown.
“Sybelle of the Earthen Court,” she said, her voice ringing over the square. “Do you accept this crown that marks you as Queen of the Shadow Court?”
In a firm voice, I said, “I do.”
“And do you vow to uphold the laws and oaths of this kingdom as its ruler?”
“I solemnly vow.”
“Do you vow to protect your people at all costs, and put their needs above your own?”
“I solemnly vow.”
“The ceremonial dagger, please,” Tislora said.
From the side, Clermont appeared with the same jeweled dagger that had been used for the wedding ceremony. He was in his seelie form—tall and wiry, with white-blond hair and olive green eyes. He drew closer, his eyes questioning me. I nodded and raised my palm. With one smooth motion, he slid the bladealong my hand, drawing blood. I clenched my teeth at the fleeting pain from the wound.
“Do you, Sybelle, swear on your blood to honor the vows you’ve made here today?” Tislora asked.
“I solemnly swear it on my blood.” Heat burned from the wound as the power of my vow swept over me.
“Then, by the ancient magic flowing through my blood, and the powers of the earth at our feet, I hereby crown you as the rightful queen of the Shadow Court.”
I closed my eyes as she lowered the crown onto my head. The cool metal weighed heavily on me. I drew in a gasp as magic crackled in the air, circling around me. Tislora offered a small smile before stepping off to the side with Clermont. I climbed to my feet, careful not to let the crown tip over in the process. Varius stretched his hand out to me, and I took it, gliding to the throne beside him before sinking onto it.
The people erupted in vibrant cheers, some jumping on their feet, others whooping with joy. I laughed at their enthusiasm, tears stinging my eyes. Varius squeezed my hand in his, then brought my knuckles to his lips.
“My queen,” he murmured against my skin.
I grinned at him. “My king.”
