Chapter 279 - The Alpha King's Rejected Mate

Amara’s pov

I decided to take one look back at them before going away completely only to see Orian drawing Ares into a hug with pats on his back a pang rose in my heart clutching tightly as I remembered how I was with my brother but I shook it off and walked off as quickly as I could ridding my mind of nostalgia and focusing simply on the coronation.

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I waited with my eyes closed, the feel of his fingers around my neck and his breath tickling the skin of my ear was all I could sense as he clasped what felt like a necklace onto my neck.

"You can open them now." He whispered and I did as he asked me to.

My eyes widened as he stepped away from me leaving me to gaze at my reflection and revel in the sight of the necklace around my neck, the vivid red diamonds contrasting my white ball gown yet complementing it in the most beautiful of ways.

I could merely manage a gasp because I couldn't find my words at the magnificence of the gift and how perfectly it fits my neck, resting elegantly on my collar bone, "Thank you."

"I knew it would fit you perfectly ." He walked forward and wrapped his arms around my waist and I saw him drop a kiss on my ear as he whispered, "You deserve the best, my queen."

Do I? A small voice rang in my head flooding me with the guilt that I had this morning and a lump formed in my throat as I grazed my fingers delicately against the stones, they were similar to the colour of the crimson liquid that ensued from the scandalous act I carried out the day before and I wondered if he would still think of me as deserving of his affection knowing what I had done behind his back, he will be broken if he finds out and the blame would be on you for breaking him farther than he already is, I reminded myself as Orian pulled away from me and walked to the window at the end of the room.

I turned around and followed, standing beside him and when I looked at his hands, I noticed his fingers quivering slightly.

"Your majesty." I reached out to grip his fingers with mine and they relaxed in my hold, the sparks lighted against where we touched and I could feel him feel at ease a bit through the mate bond.

"You are not going to be formal with me after today are you? I won't have that."

"Of course not, you are my grump." I chuckled turning around to face him and he mimicked my move and then I held his hands in mine before looking up at him, "You are nervous Orian."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes." I gave him a small smile, "Be calm." My thumbs ran over the tatted skin of his hands.

"I am trying to be but what if I mess up? What if I begin to stutter? I have to give a speech myself, nexus isn't allowed to help me, and what if something goes wrong? What if the leader my people respect and other creatures fear is exposed as a wimp to them when they see how weak I am? The person regarded as the devil and conquered almost the entirety of the underworld by force or might will be unveiled to them as a wimp."

I remembered the night Orian and I went to the fair, the old lady that had approached me and regarded him as d'yavol and talked about his sword and how he was feared amongst all the weird things she said. I had come to understand the meaning behind his nickname when I learned how fierce he was in gaining power after leaving prison, the man who subdued other creatures under his terrain and managed to become one of the top leaders of the underworld, the man who was to be crowned king of the entire realm today with every single creature to ever exist outside of my world bowing to him wasn't the same man I had come to know.

He was broken yet brave and he had the sweetest soul, he had grown to communicate more and bare his soul to me a times and he let me see part of him that others haven't even dared to discover.

"Look at me, Orian." I looked up at him as I spoke and stared into his silver eyes that emitted fear, "You are d'yavol remember? Is it that you do not realize how powerful you have been over a short time? How brave you have to be to conquer yet keep the realms peaceful under your hold and now you are being crowned king as you deserve. You deserve this and you won't mess it up."

"Amara."

"Hey." I lifted myself to try and reach his face despite the heels I wore and he bent a bit to aid me while I cradled his face in my palms, "You are worried about what people would say? Think about Akanther, he would be pleased with you, he's watching you and is proud of you. Think about the people who know you more than just a ruler, the people rooting for you, the people you have impacted on their lives, they are the only ones that matter. Think about the people who love you, like m-" I stopped myself from saying the words as the blameworthiness from what I had done ruled me out from classifying myself amongst the people that love him, if I did, I wouldn't betray him as I did, "Think about the ones who admire you, like me."

"Like you." He nodded agreeing with my words, "Like you."

"You can do this Orian, take a deep breath and remember who you are."

He took a deep breath with his eyes closed, "I am d'yavol."

I smiled in encouragement, "You are perfect as you are Orian and I wouldn't have you any other way."

I giggled as he tried to contain his blush, "And I am staying by you through all these."

"Just you and I." He added touching his forehead to mine and a smile formed on his face, "Just you and I."

"That's right Grump." I accepted his touch as his hands wound around my waist, "Just you and I."