We were married. Actually, properly, legally married. I was someone’s wife. Caelan’s wife. The thought kept spinning through my head, too wonderful to feel real, even as the crowd’s cheers faded and the hall shifted into a new kind of solemnity.
The coronation followed immediately.
Different crowns were brought forward, ancient, gleaming, carrying the weight of centuries. The King and Queen stepped down from their thrones, where they’d watched the entire ceremony with proud, tearful eyes.
“Today,” the King announced, his voice carrying through the hall, “Duskmere welcomes a new era. My son has proven himself in battle and in love. He has found a mate worthy of standing beside him. And together, they will lead our realm into a future of peace and prosperity.”
Caelan kneeled first.
The crown that settled on his head was gold, set with amber stones that matched his wolf’s eyes. I could see the weight of it in the set of his shoulders. But he bore it with grace.
He’d been preparing for this his whole life.
Then it was my turn.
I kneeled before the Queen, Elspeth, my mother-in-law, who looked at me with nothing but warmth and acceptance. No pressure or anything. Just becoming queen of an entire werewolf kingdom. Totally normal Tuesday.
The crown that descended onto my head was silver, set with moonstones that glowed faintly in the candlelight.
It was lighter than I’d expected.
Or maybe I was stronger than I’d thought.
“Rise,” Elspeth said softly, “Queen Riley of Duskmere.”
I rose, and Caelan took my hand. Together, we turned to face our people.
The room exploded.
Cheers, howls, stamping feet. Wolves shifted and bayed at the ceiling. Children shrieked with delight. Someone threw flower petals into the air, and they rained down around us like fragrant confetti.
“Long live the King and Queen!”
I looked out at the crowd, at the faces I knew and the ones I didn’t, at the friends who’d crossed realms to be here and the family I was gaining today, and felt peace settle in my chest.
This was a world worth fighting for. A world of magic and danger, yes, but also of love and loyalty and second chances. A world where portals connected realms and mates found each other against impossible odds.
I wanted to bring my child into this world. I was going to help make it safe, one stubborn decision at a time.
Starting with surviving this party.
***
Music filled the great hall, a blend of Lytopian instruments and, hilariously, a human DJ that Sloane had insisted on bringing. The combination shouldn’t have worked, but somehow it did. Wolves attempted to dance to electronica with varying degrees of success. A duchess who’d looked impossibly dignified all day was now attempting the electric slide. One of the kings, I wasn’t sure which one, was doing the robot while his queen filmed him on her phone.
It was chaos. It was perfect.
I danced until my feet ached and then kept dancing anyway.
I danced with Caelan, obviously, our first dance as husband and wife, as King and Queen, pressed close together while the crowd watched with misty eyes. I danced with my friends, spinning and laughing until I was dizzy. I danced with Patt, who turned out to be surprisingly graceful for someone his size. I even danced withMalachar, who moved with all the natural rhythm of a statue and was clearly only doing it because Wen had made him.
“You’re supposed to move your feet,” I told him.
“I am moving my feet.”
“More than once per minute.”
He glared at me. I grinned back. We’d reached an understanding, Mal and I, mutual annoyance wrapped in grudging respect. I’d take it.
