Chapter 61 A Queen Among Tides: Chapter Sixty-One - Sebastian

Chapter 61 A Queen Among Tides: Chapter Sixty-One - Sebastian
My father stands tall and dignified with his crown upon his head at my mother’s side, his grey eyes saying more than words ever could. In his eyes, I see regret, remorse, love, and pride. I look up at the man I have aspired to be for my entire life; the man and King who taught me to love and place my people above all else; the man who taught me what love means. Things were rough for a time, but now, the rough times are in the past and all that lies ahead is a bright future.

Lemuel and I slowly walk up the steps and gracefully drop to our knees before my parents. My father takes in a deep breath and adjusts his jacket. A mesmerizing glittering royal blue that merges into black satin from the waist down, with an indigo belt wrapped around his midsection. Black lapels cross over and allow just a hint of his white ruffled shirt to peek out from the neck and ends of his sleeves, giving definition to the ensemble. Black satin slacks appear to move in the light and cut down exposing royal blue shimmering oxfords at his feet. A stunning floor-length cobalt blue cape hangs from his right shoulder and gathers across the floor like the surface water of a beautiful oasis. It’s only when the music stops, and the room falls silent that I realise how long I’ve been staring at the inspiring image of my parents.

A ring of cobalt blue glows around my father’s grey eyes, and with a wave of his hand, the surface water of the nearest fountain begins to bubble, acting as a microphone to project his voice to every sirna in Atlesper, allowing them to be part of this moment.

“For centuries I have been a proud sirna. I grew up wondering what my legacy would be, and how I could best pass down all the knowledge I had gained to my child. Then Sebastian was born, a day unlike any other in my life,” says my father reminiscently, “As I watched my son grow up, I continued to ask myself, how would I best help him to one day be King? What kind of a man would I raise him to be? But he never needed me for that. Being a King is in his blood, all he needed me to be was his father. I will stand before you all and admit that over the years I failed in this task, and I am humbled that my son would give me the chance to do better.”

My father’s words have tears pooling in my eyes, but I hold them back with all my strength. Lemuel reaches down and squeezes my hand tight, sending me every ounce of comfort he can through our bond, reminding me yet again that he is here with me.

“My son has shown me, from the moment he was born, what a remarkable person he is, and what an incredible King he will be. He is loyal, devoted, and passionate, with a level of compassion so fierce it leaves me in awe. Today, it is my honour to renounce my claim as King and pass that title onto my son, who today takes his oath alongside his animai. Today you witness history, as your new King and Queen take their thrones.”

I smile over at Lemuel who is keeping his usual poker face, but I feel the energy in the room shift. I feel the excitement and anticipation coming from every guest in this room. I feel their love and acceptance, and it only makes me more determined to prove to them what a good King I can be.

“Do you, Sebastian Balaskas, from this day forth, vow to put your kingdom and people first before all else?” My father asks, his voice deepening yet projecting louder across the room.

“I do,” I utter with determination.

“Do you promise to be their shelter during their most violent storms and light in dark times?

“I do,” I say confidently.

“And do you vow to always nurture the growth of your people, no matter what the future holds?” My father asks, his tone now softening.

I smile up at him, excitement and pride bubbling in my veins, “I vow with all my might.”

My father carefully removes the black crown from his head. The crown is adorned with black pearls, diamonds, and crystals along with black seashells, five of which form sharp points around the crown. He delicately places the crown upon my head and as the hanging black pearls tickle my forehead I take a breath and feel the full weight of the crown and everything that comes with it.

I look up at my father who extends his hand to me, tears once again threatening to spill from his eyes. I take his hand and rise to my feet.

“I, Haemon Balaskas, before Ezillus, hereby relinquish the power and title of King, to my son, Sebastian Balaskas,” he says with great poignancy.

The ring of cobalt blue returns around his eyes and quickly a small stream of water travels from the fountain, across the floor moving towards my father’s feet. I watch in disbelief as the water travels up his body and forms a cocoon around him while his body begins to glow from within the confines of the water with an intense bright blue light.

Slowly the light fades and the water around him begins to release him, but it’s not done. The water travels down his arm towards mine, and the moment it touches my hand I feel an electric charge move through my body. Faster than I realise, my body is engulfed in water, wrapping around, and caressing me like a protective second skin. I feel the water kiss my flesh bringing with it a warmth that moves through every limb. I feel immense power seeping into my every nerve until my body is overcome with a delightful burn that brings adrenaline, unlike anything I’ve ever felt. I feel the burning of my eyes and watch in exhilaration as my body glows like a strobe light.

As the water releases me from its grip, I take in deep breaths as I adjust to the new power flowing through my veins. The power of a King. The power of a protector. The power of hundreds of Kings who came before me and will come after me – or Queens. This is my legacy, and I plan to live it to the fullest.

“All hail, King Sebastian!” My father cheers, as that tear finally escapes his eye.

“ALL HAIL, KING SEBASTIAN!” Exclaims the crowd, causing an ear-splitting smile to take over my face.

I turn to face my people and raise my hand in greeting; greeting them as their new King. My father steps aside, motioning to the King’s throne, and I walk up the final steps and take my seat on my throne. As I slowly exhale the room erupts into thunderous applause that has me smiling from ear to ear as I look around the room at the happy faces of my people. I’m incredibly tempted to squeal and jump around, but I have a suspicion that wouldn’t be a good idea, so I refrain.

“Surprised you’re actually containing yourself,” Lemuel’s bemused voice says in my head.

“I can be sensible when the occasion calls for it,” I remind him.

“May as well get them used to what kind of an excitable King they just got saddled with,” he teases. Why, if I weren’t in the middle of a very important ceremony, I would poke my tongue at this man. The cheek! But all jokes aside, even though he’s teasing, I can feel his overwhelming pride for me and his joy at seeing me so happy.

“Tease me all you want, but now it’s your turn,” I say through our link as I smirk over at him, and now finally for the first time today, I feel the nerves bubbling up inside him. Sadly I can still sense his feelings of unworthiness, but I don’t say anything. He doesn’t need my reassurance – yet again – he needs my patience. He has very deep wounds and me shutting them down or telling him not to feel them – as if it were that easy – won’t fix anything. He’s only just started healing from centuries of pain, it’s going to take a lot of time before he feels as worthy of this moment as I know him to be, but he knows I’ll be there every step of the way.

I watch as my mother, with gentle gestures, settles the crowd with a warm smile on her face that she then directs to Lemuel.

“Since Lemuel came into our lives, it has been a whirlwind and a learning experience. Lemuel has taught us about endurance and acceptance. He has taught us to be better parents and better people and has even gone to great lengths and suffered tremendous pain to protect not only the love of his life but the future of this kingdom. All acts of a true Queen,” she says proudly.

I watch Lemuel’s Adam’s apple bob as he gulps down the emotions rising inside of him. He deserves this moment, and I hope he comes to see that.

“Lemuel kneels before this kingdom choosing to be its next Queen, and in doing so ushers in a new era for this kingdom and all who live in it,” she says, smiling down at him. “Do you, Lemuel Andilet, vow to serve this kingdom with every breath in your body?”

“I do,” he says in a clear voice.

“Do you promise to be their shield in their battles and guide them through hard times?”

“I do,” he answers again, his answer never wavering.

“And do you vow to always nurture the growth of your people, no matter what the future holds?” She asks with a kind smile.

“I vow with all my heart,” he says confidently.

To my confusion, Thanos steps forward, his hair slicked back with gel and his beard styled to perfection. He’s wearing a black satin blazer, with gold sequins decorating the left-hand side of the jacket that makes it appear as though gold coral is creeping across the fabric. Underneath he’s wearing a black buttoned-up shirt with a gold strip down the button lining of the shirt and has paired it with black slacks with a gold strip down the outer seam of the pants along with gold leather oxfords.

He’s carrying a large white velvet pillow over to my mother, and I frown as he kneels beside her, raising the pillow to her. Carefully, my mother removes the grand crown from her head. The crown is adorned with diamonds, white pearls and is shaped by white quartz crystal and white seashells with gold detailing. Instead of placing the crown upon Lemuel’s head, she places it down on the velvet pillow. I’m about to stand up and protest when Eisa walks over carrying a purple velvet pillow with a crown resting on top that I’ve never seen before.

Eisa steps up to my mother and slowly kneels down, raising the pillow to my mother. The crown she’s presenting is stunning, but definitely not one that’s been sitting in the family undersea vault. Large seashells point to the sky surrounded by smaller shells, all with a duo chrome shift that makes them shift from blue to purple to green in the light. The crown is decorated with blue, pink and purple sapphires, diamonds and opals creating a gorgeous prism effect when it catches the light.

“You are to be your own Queen, Lemuel. A Queen, unlike any this kingdom has had before. You are not ruled by the Queens of the past, but free to lay your own path, and so Haemon and I felt that a new Queen deserves a new crown,” she says proudly as she places the crown upon Lemuel’s head.

I look over at my father, utterly stunned by this surprise. My father squeezes my shoulder and smiles affectionately, and I once again have to keep the tears back. These damn people really want to make me cry in front of everyone. I feel the shock and awe rising in Lemuel and just how overwhelmingly touched he is by this. Even he’s tempted to cry, but I know he won’t. He’s far better at controlling his emotions than me.

My mother offers her hand to Lemuel, which he takes as he rises to his feet.

“I, Callista Balaskas, before Ezillus, hereby relinquish the power and title of Queen, to Lemuel Andilet,” she says with a hint of trepidation in her voice.

With her hand still holding his, a ring of cobalt blue glows around her cerulean eyes, and just like with my father, a stream of water travels from the fountain, across the floor towards my mother’s feet. She is quickly encapsulated by the water, her body glowing an intense vibrant blue from within. As the light begins to fade, the water slowly releases her, only to travel down her arm and engulf Lemuel.

I hold my breath and grasp the arms of the throne as I watch the process take place. My parents weren’t sure whether or not to do this part since Lemuel isn’t a sirna. It won’t increase his strength or power as a sirna because he isn’t one, but they still believe that the symbolising of the transfer of power is still important, and my mother hypothesizes that if it works, it would still mean Lemuel can pass that on to the future Queen of our kingdom. I just hope they’re right and there are no adverse reactions.

Lemuel’s body begins to glow an intense, bright blue and I feel his body become hot and energised, adrenaline coursing through him as it did with me. Soon the light fades and the water slowly releases him from its confines and returns to the fountain. I watch Lemuel take an exhilarated breath and I finally let out a deep exhale, relieved that all went well.

“All Hail, Queen Lemuel!” Cheers my mother excitedly.

“ALL HAIL, QUEEN LEMUEL!” Exclaims the crowd, making my heart thump with pride.

Lemuel turns to face everyone, raising his hand in greeting and managing a warm, gracious smile as he greets his subjects and accepts their welcome. Lemuel turns back, and my mother steps aside motioning to her throne, and with a respectful nod to her, he walks up and takes his rightful place beside me. We smile at each other, and I reach out for his hand. He reaches out and places his hand in mine giving it a firm squeeze.

“Thank you,” I say appreciatively through our link.

He gives me a lopsided smile, “Thank you for not giving up on me.”