Page 12 of Queen
Avery snickered. "Come on, it's time."
Tessa led them out of the room, after giving Ella a few last-minute instructions she felt woefully unprepared to follow. The rehearsal had gone well, but there was a difference between walking down the aisle toward a throne when the room was almost empty and doing it when every person in the pride and a good number of representatives from the other prides was in the grand ballroom.
The place had been partially decorated the night before, but the staff had performed miracles overnight. The ballroom looked like a grand cathedral, with flowers everywhere and a golden carpet leading up to the throne atop a short flight of stairs. The guests were seated on either side of the aisle, and as Ella stood in front of the open doors, staring at the two toms standing on either side of the throne, both dressed in sharp blue regalia, she certainly felt like it was a wedding.
The music began, complete with trumpets and everything. Ella's face grew warm as she realized every single set of eyes was fixed on her. She couldn’t see Marissa in the crowd, but she could practically feel the glare from a distance.
Ella took a second to remind herself how to walk, relieved when she managed to put one foot in front of the other. As annoying as Emily's comment was, she wasn't entirely wrong, so she decided to take it slow. She definitely didn't want to bag in front of the entire colony.
The closer she drew, the more nervous she became. Her heart fluttered at the sight of both Bishop and Axel standing by the throne, and they both looked even more handsome than usual, somehow. It was the first time she'd ever seen Axel with his hair slicked back, rather than jutting wildly in whatever direction it fell in, and she felt the same infatuation for him as she always had. It was still unbelievable that now, he actually returned it.
Bishop was devilishly handsome as well, and though there was a benign smile on his face, Ella couldn't help but notice it didn’t quite meet his eyes. He was watching her, but he didn't seem to be lookingather.
Once she was close to the steps, she saw Sterling waiting for her at the base of them. He was wearing a different version of the same uniform, and he looked every bit the part of a gallant knight. His gaze was warm as it fell on her, full of adoration. Ella's heart ached with longing to reach out and touch him, to bring him up onto the stage so he could take his rightful place at her side, but at least he was here.
"Your Majesty," he said with his usual elegance, offering a hand to help her up the steps.
Even through his white gloves, his touch felt warm and secure. Ella gave him a smile she hoped communicated at least part of what she felt, and finished her ascent to the throne.
As Ella turned to face the crowd, her heart thundered. She had rehearsed what to do a thousand times in her mind after the physical rehearsals, and from this point on, her job was easy. Supposedly. Now that it was here, and she saw Tessa walking toward her with the crown of silver and pearl seated atop a luxurious red cushion, she wasn't so sure.
The priestess gave her a reassuring smile, showing none of the nervousness that had characterized her the night of the reading. Tessa stopped a couple of feet away from Ella, and turned to address the crowd.
"Beloved Kin, you all are here tonight to bear witness to the coronation of our new Empress. All rise," she commanded.
The crowd on either side of the aisle stood as one, and Ella's breath caught in her throat.
Tessa turned back to her, her eyes glimmering with approval. One of the other priestesses took the cushion from her, and she carefully held the crown above Ella's head. "Lady Ella, by the authority of Selene, this colony recognizes you as her chosen Empress. May you lead us well, with wisdom and grace."
Ella took off the veil as she'd practiced, and bent her head to allow Tessa to place the crown on top of it. She rose carefully, convinced it was going to fall off if she moved too fast.
Tessa turned back to the guests and raised her arms victoriously. "I present to you, our new Empress!"
The room erupted in a chorus of cheers, as if Ella wasn't already feeling surreal enough. Her head spun, and she wobbled a little, until she felt the reassuring hand on her arm. She looked over, surprised to find it was Bishop reaching out to steady her. Axel took her other hand, and they helped her into the throne, which felt so much larger than it looked.
As Ella looked out over her subjects, it was a struggle to remember how to breathe. She had wondered what she would feel at this moment. Terror, confusion, pride? Now, she felt a curious combination of all three. Most of all, she felt overwhelmed and woefully unprepared to carry out the duties that were now hers, so much sooner than she had ever imagined.
She knew she had Sterling and Axel to help her get through it. For the first time in weeks, she was beginning to hope that she would have Bishop as well.
After the coronation ceremony, everyone was led to an adjacent dining hall for drinks and celebration. Any excuse to break out liquor and hors d'oeuvres. Ella wasn't going to be able to enjoy either one, considering she was pregnant and her nausea kept her from even thinking about food. For once, she couldn't blame the morning sickness, just the high of anxiety and adrenaline that was finally beginning to come down.
She had only been Empress for less than an hour, but Ella was already getting a taste of what the job entailed. She was seated at the head of the room, with Bishop and Axel at her side, and was expected to greet each guest as they came up to give their congratulations. Ella smiled and said the lines Tessa had given her to practice. To her relief, they actually sounded genuine enough. At least, she hoped they did.
When they finally had a break, and Ella could leave for a moment without causing a ruckus, she took the first chance she had. "I'm going to go get some fresh air," she told the toms, rising from the chair that was only slightly less ornate than the throne itself.
"I'll go with you," Axel said, standing.
"No," Ella said quickly. "I mean, I'm fine, you should stay and cover for me. I’ll only be a minute."
He watched her hesitantly, but finally nodded his assent. A second later, a group of high-ranking officials from the adjacent pride came over to demand his attention.
Ella slipped through the crowd, finding herself wishing she could go back to being invisible, but there was really no point in hoping for that now.
The moment she reached the outside balcony, she took a deep breath. The moon was full, a condition required for any proper coronation, and it seemed to loom larger in the sky that night for some reason.
As Ella gazed up at it, she found herself wishing Selene would speak to her. She could at least offer some guidance or an explanation as to why she had chosen Ella, of all people, to take this role.
Or maybe it was a mistake. Ella still hadn't given up on that possibility. It made more sense than any other.
