Chapter 210 Chapter 0210
Chapter 210 Chapter 0210
AERITH'S POV
Two days later.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the woman looking back at me. The woman in the mirror looked like a queen. It didn't look anything like the little frightened girl who had appeared in the dragon's palace six months ago, not the one who spent years wondering if truly she was the chosen one, not the one who had sat at the foot of her nana, telling her, that things would get better that she would avenge the death of her mother, and redeem the Faeries, not the little girl who had worked here as a maid, scared of everyone but a queen. My maid stood behind me, carefully putting the last touch of makeup on my face, she brushed a little powder across my cheeks before stepping back to examine her work.
My gown covered almost every part of my body; the fabric flowed from my shoulders to the floor, hiding my legs beneath layers of silk and making my body appear almost weightless. Even though I was pregnant, there was barely any sign of it. I turned sideways and studied myself in the mirror, then I frowned. "Is my bump showing?" The maid immediately shook her head.
"No, Your Majesty." I turned the other way, examining myself again.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," I placed both hands over my stomach.
"Do I look like I am pregnant?" Before the maid could answer, a familiar voice came from behind me.
"No, you look like a queen." I spun around, Lucien stood at the doorway, his eyes fixed on me, like I was the only one in the room. His royal clothes suited him perfectly; the dark fabric emphasized his broad shoulders, while the golden details across his chest reminded everyone exactly who he was. He was the new dragon king, my mate, and soon, the father of my child. "The dragon's last Fae queen," he added, and I couldn't help but laugh, Lucien always had a way with words.
"Silly," I teased. His eyebrows rose. "Who let you in?" The maid immediately lowered her head, trying to hide her smile. This wasn't the first time Lucien and I teased each other in front of the maids. Lucien placed a hand over his chest, pretending to be offended.
"Your Majesty, are you asking who allowed the king into his own palace?" I laughed again, while Lucien gestured for the maid to leave, the maid bowed before quietly leaving the room, as soon as the door closed behind her, Lucien walked toward me
"You didn't want them to know that their king is silly, did you?" I asked, he grinned.
"I have a reputation to protect." I shook my head, still smiling, he stopped in front of me and reached for my hands, then move it to his lips, he pressed soft kisses on my knuckles, then reach for his bracelet, the one I had pick from the dungeon, the one that fall from him, the first time, we met, I had given it back to him, and now he is given it to me again, "I thought maybe you could have something I hold dearly to my heart, just as I had yours," he said, touching my mother's necklace with a small crescent pendant, hanging on his neck. When Elora returned it to me, I felt Lucien was the best person to wear it.
"You have given me enough." I mouthed it; he shook his head.
"Enough it's not everything." I smiled. For a moment, neither of us said anything. I looked down at our joined hands, so much had happened, there had been a time when I couldn't imagine standing here, a time when I had been afraid if dragons, afraid the kingdom will found out who I am, afraid that one look they will know, and that would be the end of me, afraid that the dragons would never accept me, and now here I was, about to become their queen, Lucien’s queen, the mother of his child, and one that didn't need to hid her magic and all those was possible because of the man standing in front of me. I looked up at him.
"I love you." The words escaped me suddenly. Lucian's smile widened; he then stared at me as if those three words were the air that made him keep living. I swallowed the invisible lump forming in my throat. "You make me happy," I whispered. My eyes began to burn with tears, not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. "And I'm glad you came into my life." A single tear slipped down my cheek. Lucien immediately lifted his hand and wiped it away with his thumb.
"Don't cry," he said, I smiled through my tears.
"I am not sad."
"I know." He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against mine. "But I don't like seeing your tears, because it breaks my heart." I laughed and slapped his chest playfully.
"You are being too smitten for a king." He giggles.
"Only for my queen." I laughed more. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead before his forehead rested against mine. "Let's go they are waiting for us." I smiled then nodded.
"Sure." He took my hand and led me out of our chambers. Together, we both walked toward the hall where the coronation would take place. As we approached the grand hall, the door parted in front of us. My eyes widened at the sight of the crowd; I wasn't expecting many people to turn up for this. It was as if the entire kingdom were waiting for us. As we stepped into the grand hall, the sound of thousands of voices filled the air. The flag of Drakhold Kingdom, Emberveil city, hung on the walls; the golden dragon emblem stood proudly above the throne, but beside it there was something new. The symbol of the Fae. I stared at it for a moment; it felt strange, not odd, but strangely beautiful, like it always belonged there. Like two words that had spent decades heating each other were finally being given a chance to breathe. It felt like a dream, but if it was then I don't want to wake up. Lucien squeezed my hand. I looked at him; he smiled.
"I guess I am still on the right track." He whispered, and I nodded. Then we walked forward; we stood before the altar where the coronation ceremony would take place. The elders spoke the ancient words. Then we took the vows before the crowns were brought forward, and I felt my heart pounding harder with every passing second. When the crown was finally placed upon my head, I lowered my gaze because it felt overwhelming, from being a slave to being a queen. I was a queen, the dragon’s last Fae queen. Never had it been heard that a Fae was a queen of the dragons. But here I am, standing beside the man my soul is bound to, Lucien, my Ash as his queen. I smiled when his crown was placed upon his head, and the entire hall erupted.
"All hail the king!"
"All hail the dragon king!"
"All hail the queen!" The sound shook the walls. I looked at the people before us; for the first time, I didn't see enemies. I didn't see dragons who hated Faeries; all I saw was people; my people, our people- standing in the same place without fear. When the ritual finally ended, Lucien stepped forward; he raised his hand, and the hall fell silent. He raised his hand over the crowd before speaking.
"From this day forward, as the king of the dragons, my queen and I hereby abolish the law that states, Faeries are not welcome in the dragon's kingdom." My breath caught; I hadn't known he was going to announce it like this. The crowd remained completely silent. Lucien continued, "From this day forward, Faeries are free to live side by side with the dragons, and magic can be practiced freely..." For a terrifying heartbeat, nobody moved. "Whoever goes against these laws is going against the crown. And whoever is not comfortable with this, should speak up now.” No one said a word; there were no objections, which meant they all accepted Lucien’s decision, he continued. Immediately, the last words left Lucien's lips, then the hall exploded with cheers. Something I didn't see coming.
"All hail the king!"
"All hail the dragon king!"
"All hail the queen!"
"All hail the queen and king, of the Dragon and Fae realm!" I felt tears gather in my eyes. Lucien turned toward me; there was something in his eyes that made my heart leap for joy. He wasn't only changing a law, he was changing the future, the future of our child. A future where our baby would never have to grow up believing that one race was better than another. A future where those with magic wouldn't have to hide, a future where love wasn't forbidden simply because two people belonged to different worlds. The celebration began, after that, music filled the hall, people danced, laughter echoed everywhere, children ran between the adults while elders smiled at one another, I stepped closer to the balcony and looked outside, the streets of Emberviel were filled with people celebrating, there were lights everywhere, even in the slum.
For more than eighteen years, this kingdom had known nothing but fear, conflict, and grief. Years without peace, years without celebration like this, but tonight was different; tonight, everyone was smiling, celebrating because they believed tomorrow would be better. I rested a hand over my stomach. "My baby," I whispered, then smiled. "This is the world I want you to grow up in." Lucien came to stand beside me. I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder. For a while, none of us said a word; all we did was watch the celebration. Then I whispered, "I wish it would always be like this." Lucien looked down at me.
"It will always be like this." I lifted my head and looked at him.
"How can you be so sure?" He took my hand and intertwined our fingers.
"Because I will make sure of it." I smiled.
"And what if something comes after us?" He smiled, lowered his gaze to me, and pulled me to his front before he rested his chin on my shoulder.
"Why do I have a powerful Fae beside me?" My brows furrowed; he nibbled on my earlobe. "With you beside me, there is no stopping." I smiled.
"Does it mean we will face it together?"
"Yes, together and always," he whispered then his thumb brushed gently over my knuckles, I looked at our hands, two people who had once belonged to completely different worlds, now standing together, a dragon king and a Fae queen and somehow we had found each other and we are not letting go. I leaned more into him.
"Do you think our child will like this?" Lucien rested his chin on my shoulder, then a huge smile crossed his face.
"Maybe we should ask the little one." His hand moved to my tummy, and I felt its movement in my tummy; I laughed.
"He seemed to love it."
Getting the epilogue by tomorrow! Love you all.