Chapter 100 - Coronation Ceremony
Fiona’s POV.
The great hall of Alastair Palace gleams with grandeur as I stand beside Micah, my heart pounding in anticipation of the coronation ceremony. The air is charged with a mixture of reverence and excitement as the wolves of Alastair gather, their eyes fixed on the magnificent throne where the coronation will take place.
The flickering torches outside cast a warm glow through the windows, and the sound of hushed whispers fills the air. My eyes never leave Micah, who stands tall and regal, exuding a quiet strength befitting a true leader.
The ceremony begins with a solemn procession of ministers and officials, each wearing their ceremonial robes.
Micah and I stand at the center of the dais, surrounded by the symbols of Alastair's history.
A sense of pride swells within me as Micah's grandmother, the only surviving elder of Alastair, steps forward. Her eyes, filled with wisdom and compassion, meet mine before she begins the rites.
The hall falls into a hushed silence as she invokes the blessings of the moon goddess, asking for guidance and strength for the new rulers of Alastair.
As the chants reverberate through the hall, the moment of crowning approaches. The room falls into a hushed silence as the crown, decorated with precious moonstones and silver filigree, is carefully placed upon Micah's head. Time seems to stand still as the new responsibility settles upon him.
Micah rises, and in unison, all the wolves gathered in the hall, from the highest-ranking nobles to the humblest commoners, bow in front of him.
At that moment, he looks every inch a true king – his shoulders squared, his gaze steady, and the crown gleaming atop his lifted head.
As Micah ascends the throne, his grandmother turns to me, her eyes warm with a mixture of affection and approval.
"Fiona, my dear, you stand by the side of our new Alpha King with a grace that befits a queen. May the goddess’s blessings guide your reign together."
With that, she places a similar feminine version of the crown on my head.
As I take my place beside him, several werewolves turn into their wolf forms and howl, lifting their heads to the sky.
They get on their haunches and submit to their Alpha.
Revelry breaks out, cheer and laughter overcome the kingdom once thrown into war and amidst it all, like an anchor within a storm, Micah finds my eyes and winks.
***
I stand in front of the open window of our new bedroom, looking out at Micah’s mother’s garden. The first thing he did after taking the throne was reclaim her palace. He had wiped every trace of Alara from it and moved the king’s residence here, giving it the highest honor.
There were too many bad memories in the previous palace and it had been turned into a government building.
In the end, Alara had gotten what she deserved. Due to her scheming and manipulation, her son was taken away from her just like she had taken Micah’s mother away from him.
Now, we had shifted into The Palace of Hearts and it had never looked more beautiful.
“Damn, my queen, you look stunning.”
I turn around to see Micah come out of the shower. He has a towel wrapped around his waist and water droplets make their slow, delicious descent down his chest. His eyes heat up as he looks at the way I watch him and in the next second, he stands in front of me, invading my space.
His hands reach out and grasp my waist and he inhales the scent of my hair, breathing deeply.
My eyes meet the scars on his chest.
Three jagged lines for the times he stabbed himself for me.
Tears fill my eyes and I lean forward to press my lips against the puckered skin.
A groan leaves Micah’s throat and it emboldens me to flick my tongue out and caress the skin there.
Micah’s hand twists in my hair and he gently pushes me back, resting his forehead against mine.
“Ugh, you’ll be the death of me, sweetheart.”
He says groaning and I laugh at his husky tone. He playfully narrows his eyes at me and lifts an eyebrow. Then, his hands wrap around my thighs lifting me up. I squeal as I wrap my legs around his waist. He walks backward until my back meets the wall and crashes his lips against mine.
The first kiss is passionate as his tongue slips into my mouth, fighting for dominance. He bites my lips and sucks on the tender flesh until my mouth feels swollen.
When I feel like I cannot breathe, he gazes into my eyes with an intensity that sends my heart racing.
"You drive me crazy," he whispers, his breath warm against my lips. I grin mischievously, enjoying the effect I have on him.
"Well, that’s how it should be." I tease, running my fingers through his hair. He responds with a low chuckle, his eyes never leaving mine. He leans in for another kiss, but this time, it's slow and tender. Our lips move in sync, savoring the taste of each other.
His lips trace a tantalizing path from my lips to my neck, leaving a trail of gentle kisses that has me bucking against him. His warm breath against my skin heightens the sensation, and my heartbeat quickens with every kiss.
I gasp as his hands take off my dress in a quick motion. Then, he is discarding my bra and my exposed nipples tighten with anticipation. A second later, his warm mouth latches on to the hardened buds making me moan.
He is bringing me to the brink of pleasure and I writhe against the wall in need. Then he places light kisses down the valley of my breasts, on my abdomen and at the inside of my thigh until he is crouching before me.
It gives me a rush of exhilaration to see such a powerful man crouching in front of me, worshiping my body with such tenderness. He lifts up my thigh and brings it over his shoulder, opening me up to him.
I am completely at his mercy now as he puts his lips between my legs. The gentlest kiss sets me on fire and I am afraid I’ll fall.
But he holds me with ease, kissing me down there, building pleasure in my core with his tongue, until I am close to tears with want.
Then, before I know it, he lifts me up by the waist and gently throws me on the bed like I weigh nothing, following me down until I am pinned under him. His lips meet mine again as he thrusts inside me in one powerful stroke.
I scream his name as pleasure ignites within me. I come undone with each thrust of his body until the sounds coming from my mouth are no longer coherent.
He takes his time, controlling his pace, leaving wet, open-mouthed kisses on my throat till I am pushed over the edge.
“I love you.” We both say the words at the time and it is the push we need.
Sparks fly behind my eyelids as he comes inside of me, followed by my own ecstasy.
In the aftermath, he leaves lazy kisses all over my body, swirling my belly button with his tongue until my eyes drop and every muscle in my body relaxes.
Just when I am about to fall asleep, Micah clears his throat and gets up.
His movement is too sudden and it makes me instantly alert. When he looks at me, his eyes are so intense they are almost terrifying. I sit up, not bothering to cover myself with a sheet. For a moment, his eyes darken as his eyes trace the curves of my breasts but then his intense expression is back.
Before I can ask him what the matter is, he comes before me and kneels against the side of the bed. Then, he takes out a black box and opens it.
It has my wedding band in it.
I gasp.
With everything going on, I had almost forgotten to take it back.
“Will you marry me?” he says, making me laugh.
“But we are already married, silly,” I say affectionately.
“Marry me again. This time, we will do it our way. No conditions. No Royal interference. Just love. Just me and you.”
Instantly, I get what he is saying.
Life brought us together when we needed it the most. I wanted the money for my father’s surgery and he wanted his own father off his back.
Our wedding was a huge affair full of nobles and politically important people.
It was a marriage of convenience.
Now, we will have our marriage borne out of love, trust and infinite loyalty.
Happy tears fall from my eyes at the thought behind his words.
“Yes,” I whisper. “A thousand times, yes.”
He flashes me a wolfish grin and in the next second, his ring is on me and so is his body.
Again.