Chapter 272 Before the Crown

Chapter 272 Before the Crown

A week later, the crisp morning air carried the sound of beating drums across the great valley.

The day the king was finally to crown his queen had arrived.

Every single preparation had been meticulously made, transforming the massive central grounds of the Blood Moon pack into a sea of woven pine boughs, white wild lilies, and fluttering banners of silver and deep crimson.

Every wolf from the far corners of the territory was present, packed tightly along the wooden benches and the edges of the open stone courtyard.

Even Suri and Enzo were there, standing close together near the shaded arbor.

By the time the grand ceremony was set to begin, the rows of honored guests, visiting pack alpha lords, and ancient council elders had already taken their seats.

The atmosphere was thick with a joyful, rumbling energy.

Laughter echoed off the stone walls, children chased each other through the gaps in the crowd, and the scent of roasted venison and sweet honey-wine drifted from the long tables set up for the feast that would follow.

It felt as though a heavy winter had finally broken, leaving behind a warm, golden spring for the entire pack.

Soon enough, the King stepped out from the heavy oak archway, his dark cloak sweeping behind him as he walked toward the high wooden throne that had been custom-built for the occasion.

He settled down onto the seat. He was waiting nervously for Felda, a woman he hadn't laid eyes on for two full days, all thanks to their pack's ancient, frustrating tradition that strictly forbade the groom from seeing the bride on the morning of their wedding.

He let out a low, impatient groan, tapping his fingers against the carved armrest as he looked out across the sea of cheering faces. Even now, it felt a little unreal to him. He never truly believed he would be able to do something this deeply joyful for himself after everything they had survived.

His gaze drifted slightly to the side, landing on his parents.

They sat together on the raised dais, their faces glowing with a deep, quiet happiness. They were simply glad to see their son finally take a true queen into his life, knowing he would never have to sit alone in the empty halls of the royal keep again.

Then, his eyes shifted past them and landed on Suri.

His old mistress stood holding a small, squirming baby in her arms. She was chattering away to Enzo like a cheerful little bird.

Enzo, once the king's humble announcer, now stood tall and broad-shouldered in wealthy, fine-spun wool robes that showed just how far he had come.

The king let out a quiet, knowing smile as he watched them.

He remembered how he forced those two into a difficult judgment, intending to test whether what they shared was real, knowing fully well that the path he pushed them onto was very similar to the one he and Felda had walked through years of pain and suffering. But he had given them that choice so they could stand on their own feet, fight through the doubt, and prove if they were truly meant to be.

And fortunately for them, they had.

Suri suddenly felt the distinct prickle of being watched. She turned her head away from Enzo and met the king's gaze directly. There was no anger in his eyes, no bitterness, just a soft, quiet look, as if he had finally found complete peace with the world.

Suri offered a respectful bow of her head, and the king gave a slow, dignified nod back, acknowledging her silently before looking away.

Enzo had been mid-sentence, enjoying the sound of her voice even when he wasn't entirely listening to the words. When she suddenly went quiet and turned her attention elsewhere, a flicker of irritation crossed his features. He looked over and caught the tail end of her staring toward the throne.

"What happened?" Enzo's voice pulled Suri back, and she blinked up at him.

"Nothing much," Suri answered smoothly, turning her focus back to her partner. "I was just greeting him."

Enzo's jaw tightened, his brow furrowing. "Don't tell me you're jealous."

A dry, disbelieving laugh slipped past Suri's lips. "Me? Look at you right now! You're the one glaring like a wounded bear."

Enzo let out a slow, unapologetic smile, stepping closer to crowd her space. "Of course I am. I don't want any other man looking at you like that... it looked entirely too much like he cared."

Suri let out a sharp scoff, though her eyes danced with amusement. "Of course he cares, in his own way. He's my king, and I'm..."

"Okay, that's enough," Enzo interrupted, his tone dropping playfully. "Drop it right now, or we're turning around and going right back home."

Suri rolled her eyes with a fond smile. "You're a jealous man."

"Thank you," Enzo murmured shamelessly, a wide grin spreading across his face as they both laughed softly.

Suddenly, the sharp, deep blast of the ceremonial horn cut through the air, silencing the chattering crowd in an instant. Every head turned toward the grand entrance of the courtyard.

The king immediately straightened in his chair, his breath catching in his throat as the bridal procession began to move forward.

At the very front walked Emora and Eve, their steps synchronized and graceful as they led the way down the flower-strewn path.

Right between them walked the king's young daughter, dressed in a delicate, flowing gown of pale cream silk. She held a small woven basket filled with fresh crimson petals, happily tossing them into the air with every step she took so they drifted down like colored snow.

And behind her... finally, came Felda.

She walked with the quiet, powerful grace of a true queen. She was draped in heavy layers of traditional royal silk, woven with threads of pure silver that caught the morning sunlight like running water.

A majestic mantle of thick white wolf fur draped across her shoulders, marking her high station, and intricate beadwork adorned her wrists and the bodice of her gown.

Though her face was entirely hidden beneath a traditional veil of fine woven lace, the king knew every single line of her silhouette. He knew the way she carried herself, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was the face of the woman he wanted to hold, protect, and love for all the remaining days of his life.

Without even realizing he was doing it, the King stood straight up from his throne.

"Aww, look at him," Suri whispered, nudging Enzo's arm with a gentle smile. "I think he's so much in love with her it's actually making him stupid."

Enzo glanced down at her, his dark eyes softening completely as he reached out. "Like I'm in love with you too."

Suri let out a breathless scoff, though the heat rushed straight to her cheeks. "Will you stop making every single thing about yourself for once?"

Enzo just gave a slow, easy shrug, his gaze dropping to the heavy baby wrap tied securely against his chest. Without missing a beat, he carefully reached down and shifted their sleeping infant into his own arms, freeing up Suri's hands entirely. "Here. I'll take our boy so you can actually enjoy the view without your arms getting tired."

Suri blinked down in surprise, a wave of genuine warmth washing over her heart as she realized what he had done. She hadn't even thought to ask.

"Thank you, my love," she whispered, leaning up on her tiptoes to press a quick, tender kiss to his cheek after he safely transferred the baby.

"You're welcome, my woman," Enzo murmured back, his other arm wrapping securely around her waist to anchor her against him as they both turned their eyes back toward the front of the courtyard, watching the queen take her first steps toward the throne.