Page 60 of Iris of the Crowned Flame
Father carefully carried my crown over and held it over my head. “By the grace of the gods and the will of the people, I hereby crown you, Lyla, Queen of Elthas, to rule with wisdom, strength, and compassion. May your reign bring peace and prosperity to this land, and may you always uphold the dignity and honor of the crown. With this coronation, you are not only our sovereign, but the heart of our kingdom. Long may you reign.”
He nearly shouted the last sentence, and the crowd behind us shouted it back to us. Father and I shared a smile as he placed it on my head.
He returned to the table, took Spencer’s crown, and repeated the statement for him, “By the grace of the gods and the will of the people, I hereby crown you, Spencer, King Consort of Elthas, to rule with wisdom, strength, and compassion. May your reign bring peace and prosperity to this land, and may you always uphold the dignity and honor of the crown. With this coronation, you are not only our sovereign, but the heart of our kingdom. Long may you reign.”
The crowd echoed his statement once more. Father turned and grabbed the scepter and sword. He handed them to us without fanfare. We stood as we accepted them, then turned to face the crowd, the newly crowned queen and king of these people. We held our hands, while Spencer held his sword in his outside hand, and I held the scepter. I made the speech to formally accept the role.
“May we forever serve you with the dignity and honor befitting the trust you bestow upon us. May we reflect the grace and wisdom you bestow upon us as your representatives. May Elthas endure through the ages, remembered for an era of prosperity, peace, and humility. I vow to be the queen you deserve, and that Spencer shall be the king this kingdom requires. Together, we shall lead with strength and compassion, for the future of our land.”
The crowd erupted in another set of thunderous applause and cheers. Once quieted down, I called Father to us. He expertly moved around Spencer and knelt on the stairs before us. I thanked him for the decades of service that he provided our kingdom and wished him a long and happy retirement. I then blessed him with my scepter while naming him King Emeritus and Lord Regent. The crowd once again cheered for him, as he bowed and accepted his new titles.
Amyra and Ethan moved to join us, to walk behind us as we walked down the aisle and out of the temple.
Once outside the temple, we met the crowd of people whocouldn’t be inside. They cheered thunderously when they saw us in our crowns. Spencer had sheathed the sword, but the scepter had no convenient way to carry it. I met Amyra’s eyes, quietly beckoning her to my side, even though I couldn’t take her hand.
We reached the top of the stairs leading to the square where people were gathered. I noticed the uniformed guards sprinkled through the crowd and along the fringes. They were the only ones not openly cheering, but I could still sense their excitement, even if they couldn’t display it while in uniform. I hoped I could be the ruler these people needed me to be.
A formal announcement declared Spencer and I crowned, and our marriage union to include Spencer, Amyra, and me. The crowd cheered as if that was completely expected. We all grinned, waving to the crowd. After a few moments, a royal guard instructed us to step back from the steps and guided to the underground tunnels to return to the castle.
We had only barely enough time to get back to the castle and get ready for the reception later today.
CHAPTER 37
The schedule called for our arrival just as the reception’s cocktail hour ended. We would be the last to be announced upon arrival for the evening.
While waiting for the announcers to be ready for us, Amyra turned to Spencer and me, and said, “That was truly the hardest secret to keep. Mina promised she would allow me to join the union, but that it was to be a gift to you two, so I couldn’t tell you. I had known since almost the day she arrived we would get this.”
She was grinning from ear to ear.
I returned the smile. “Amyra, I had never known you to keep a secret like that from me. You’ve always been the one ready to share everything you know. But that was truly the best gift you two could offer, and I’m so glad you did.”
It was at this moment, in a quiet, dimly lit hallway awaiting our entrance to the reception, where we shared our first kiss. She leaned in, and her honeyed raspberry taste enveloped me as I returned the kiss. Though my eyes were closed, I could sense that same light flashing around us; the gods accepted our union. I placed my hands on her waist, deepening the kiss. I wished to touch more, but I didn’t want to ruin her hair. Finally, we broke apart, and I glanced at Spencer, intending to pull him towards us.
His eyes had widened, and he studied us. “Your hazes, they merged fully.” He whispered in awe. “Can you stand apart?”
We obliged, stepping two steps back from each other. His eyes darted between us, taking in what he could see. “Wait, Lyla, you must have mine within yours also. You embody an entire scene of a mountain stream, with the emerald grass and trees and the brown sandy shores and the crystal blue water. I’ve never seen anyone’s haze so clearly. Amyra, yours is missing something…”
With that, he leaned in and shared his kiss with her. The two of them didn’t hold back, with Spencer dipping her as they kissed. They had the same flash of light, a small one, but one all the same. Once they broke apart, Spencer took a couple of steps back, and within a moment, a satisfied smile crossed his face.
“There, your haze is now identical to Lyla’s. I’ve never seen this before. But then, I’ve never seen a union blessed by a goddess.”
The band sounded the cue for us to make our grand entrance. I looked at my two partners, offered my hands to each of them, and when they took my hands, we turned and walked as one through the doors to be announced as Queen, King Consort, and the Crown Princess of Elthas.
I had gotten what I wanted, and so much more. I married my girlfriend, I guess now she’s my wife, and gained a King that would rule Elthas at my side, not as the man I must serve, but as the man who supports me and defers to me.
The reception carried on so quickly. We had so many well-wishers from all of our nobility and our visiting dignitaries coming to us and congratulating us for such a moving ceremony and coronation. Even Lord Luther treated Amyra royally, as if having her at my side had never been illegal.
Amyra’s father approached us, tears in his eyes. “I knew, even though you two could never tell me, I always knew. And I’m so glad that you can live freely as you are. I couldn’t have hoped for a better daughter-in-law, and son-in-law.”
Amyra hugged her father, grateful for the support. She whispered in his ear, but I couldn’t hear it. Whatever it was, it caused Lord Greenhow to cry a little. Once she pulled away from him, I held out my arms and asked, “May I?”
“For my queen, anything you wish,” he replied before hugging me.
He then whispered, “Welcome to the family. I will always cherish you as my own.”
After we pulled away, he turned to Spencer and offered a handshake. Spencer pulled him into a hug, and they exchanged words privately as well.
“I must keep moving. You have so many people to speak with this evening,” Lord Greenhow bowed as he stepped away. He quickly disappeared into the crowd as we greeted others.
The announcement for dinner was soon made, and we proceeded to the dais. They set up the royal chairs, placing a smaller third chair at the table so Amyra could sit with us. I made a mental note to commission a third for her, and to amend the throne room for her to join us when we needed to hold court as well. We took our seats, and the food started coming out.
As we were enjoying the main course, a commotion came from the back of the hall, where the main entry was. A man in a blue marching uniform with Scoria Bay insignia rushed through, reaching the dais. He handed me a paper before any of the guards could reach him. As they reached him and wrestled him into a position to drag him away, he shouted, “Please, I need to stay and receive the Queen’s response. This is urgent and can’t wait another moment.”
I nodded to the guards holding him, and they forced him to kneel at the bottom of the stairs. I broke the seal and opened the letter. As I read, Spencer and Amyra both leaned over to read with me. I reached the end of the letter and looked up at the courier.
“All hail Bel!” He shouted.
He then started choking and convulsing. The guards let goof him, unsure of what to do. We all watched in horror as the man paled, unable to breathe. He choked his last breath out, and before his body could fall, it turned to ash. The dust that was once a man drifting eerily in the air before it simply vanished.
