Chapter 85

Isadora POV.

As I entered the main chamber escorted by Lisa and Rodrigo who followed closely behind, I was greeted by a completely different sight, not what I had originally expected to see. The chamber was occupied by a bunch of old women putting on a strange-looking similar outfit.

I was taken aback by the sight, but just before I could ask what was going on, one of the old ladies approached me and spoke in a language I couldn't understand, but she made hand gestures, that felt like she wanted me to take off my clothes.

I gasped in shock, wondering why and who they were, turning sideways to exchange a look with the chief guard who now let go of my hand, bowed his head smiling mischievously and exited the room alongside Rodrigo, leaving Lisa and me all alone with the old women, a confusing expression perfectly positioned on my face as I exchanged a glance with Lisa.

Apparently, this was customary in the South, reading from the handwriting. I hesitated but understood the significance, I had to follow the traditions. With uncertainty, I took off my clothes. The old women directed me to sit in the middle of a circle, they surrounded me from every end as they applied ointment on my skin, singing a strange hymn in a strange language that I'd never heard before.

The ritual continued with each woman chanting, their voices blending into harmony. I tried to maintain composure, though the unfamiliarity of the situation left me feeling vulnerable. Lisa stood by, offering reassuring glances as the old women continued their ceremonial actions.

As the ritual progressed, the air in the chamber seemed to change, taking on a mystical quality. The ointment they applied felt cool on my skin, sending subtle shivers down my spine.

After what felt like an eternity, the ritual concluded. The old women stepped back, their expressions filled with a mixture of reverence and satisfaction as they stared at me with a glint of joy in their eyes. They gestured for me to stand, and as I did, they adorned me with jewelry like I had never seen before, each piece looked like it was symbolic.

Lisa approached with a smile on her face, whispering, "That was weird. But by the way, you look stunning, Isadora. That jewelry looks great on you."

I examined the jewelry one more time, nodding my head in agreement "Yeah, you are right, Lisa. They sure look good, but that's the least of my problems right now. What the hell just happened, who are these women and what the fuck is going on?"

One of the old ladies approached, saying, "This is a fertility ritual to the moon goddess my lady. A Luna should always perform one on her mating ceremony so she can bear strong and healthy pups quickly."

I didn't wait for her to complete her statement before I screamed in astonishment, "What! You can speak English?" Lisa was just as surprised as me.

The old woman laughed, and the rest of the elderly ladies behind her joined in. After a while of their continuous laughter, during which I stood there looking stupid, my embarrassment growing and I rubbed my palm on my cheek. The old lady finally spoke up, saying, "My lady, pardon me for laughing at you, but I've never met anyone with a better joke than this in the last three hundred years of my life." She wiped the tears of laughter that dripped from her eyes.

Trying to compose herself to speak, she continued, "Of course, we speak English, my lady. You think we can't communicate through speech just because we are old?"

The realization of their prank left me both amused and frustrated. I let out an exasperated sigh, shaking my head, "I'm sorry to have misinterpreted you dear lady but spoke to me using hand signs remember?".

The old ladies exchanged mischievous glances, and the one who spoke earlier responded, "We know you're not very familiar with the traditions of the South, since you're originally a foreigner, we didn't want to risk you refusing to do the needful, so we just had to think smart."

I couldn't help but chuckle despite my initial shock. "Well, you've certainly succeeded in doing that. Now, what's next in this tradition?"

One of the old women handed me a beautiful ceremonial gown made of fabrics. "You wear this during the ceremony. It symbolizes the unity of the moon goddess with the earth."

I got dressed in the gown and was led outside the palace by the old women to the field where everyone was gathered under the full moon.

As soon as we approached, all eyes were fixed on me. Whispers swept through the crowd like a gentle breeze, and I could feel the weight of their expectations and curiosity bearing down on me. The old women guided me to the center of the field, where a circle of mystical symbols had been drawn on the ground with Golem at the center of it surrounded by lambs of fire.

The last surviving elder after the massacre stepped forward, his voice carrying a sense of authority as he announced, "Behold the mating ceremony of fire lord Golem the king of dragons to Isadora, our Lady of the South, both about to partake in the mating ritual under the watchful gaze of the moon goddess."

A mix of awe and anticipation filled the air as pack members began beating drums in dramatic rhythm and Golem's dragon men, lit by the moon as they danced around in the sky with their breaths of fire, looked fantastic.

The full moon illuminated the night, I glanced around, catching glimpses of familiar faces in the crowd, including Lisa, who wore a proud and intrigued expression.

The old women began chanting ancient verses, amidst the drums.

Golem approached, his eyes filled with admiration as he bit my neck in front of the pack and I reciprocated.

With that, the elder declared, "I now pronounce you king and queen of the South." The crowd erupted into a heavy wave of cheers and celebration.

The chief guard and Rodrigo stepped forward, both holding golden crowns customized with the finest blend of gemstones that glittered even in the dark.

The elder received the crowns one after the other and placed them on our heads, and then he took my palm and pulled out the ring the Queen, put on my finger the day she crowned me as first lady of the South, With that, he proceeded to insert new set of rings all belonging to the late Queen Golem's mother into my finger, with that he declared, "May your reigns be long, and may the peace between the dragons and the South extend for all eternity."

Just as I was about to respond, I felt uncomfortable. As I tried to control myself, I suddenly vomited, to my suprise and the surprise of everyone else, who stood still like something outwardly just happened.

One of the old ladies who performed the ritual on me declared out of nowhere, "The Queen is expecting a baby." And the crowd immediately erupted into another wave of celebration.