“No. I was waiting until after the coronation to think about that,” I confess, feeling a pang of guilt. I’m about to be crowned High Queen, and I haven’t talked to the person who raised me. I just can’t help but feel like she never wanted this for me anyway, a thought that’s been niggling at me since I learned my true lineage.
Before Elle and I portal to the starting line, as I’ve named it, I thank Ruby and Nora profusely for their artwork now adorning my body. Cally squeezes me one more time, promising to be in the front row.
Arms linked, Elle and I step into the small portal she’s created in my living room. Her arm pulls me forward, and we take a single step together, light blooming around us as we step into the clearing.
The crowd of people can be heard the moment I step from the portal.
“Ready, Princess?” Elle asks.
“Do we just walk up the path?” I ask, staring dubiously up the empty path.
She laughs. “Yes! We talked about this. The path winds up the mountain. Ivan will be waiting at the top.”
“Sorry, I don’t remember. We’ve talked abouta lot,and it just seems so…simple,” I admit.
“Would you like me to carry you? Procure a deer for you to ride in on?” she asks before her eyes flit behind me. They brighten, and a small smile lights her face. “Mae…” she whispers, looking over my shoulder, her eyes locked on something.
I turn around. The stag from yesterday is staring at me, his warm brown eyes locked on me. Immediately, I form a deep bow. Although I’m the one being crowned today, he’s the true king of this forest. Twigs crack and leaves rustle as he comes closer. I straighten and stand before him as he slowly approaches me. When he’s within a few feet of me, he bows his head slowly, then kneels.
“I think he wants you to ride him,” Elle whispers from behind me.
I shake my head. No, I don’t want to do that. I place my hand on his shoulder softly, then whisper to him, “You’re my equal, and I’d love for you to walk beside me.”
Surprisingly, he stands, his antlers towering above me.
We begin to walk forward, down the path, and toward the crowd. Our steps fall in tandem, my hand still resting on his warm coat.
“Luca will meet us before the crowd and will also walk beside me. He’ll cast a protective barrier around you that will shield off any spells or harm that is meant for you,” Elle says from behind me.
I nod in response. I’m not nervous, but I don’t want to shift my focus right now with any more of a response. I focus my magic and send a soft wind below my cape so that it seems to be naturally blowing in a light wind.
We pass Luca, his eyes widening as he sees us coming. He steps in line behind us, joining Elle. I can tell the moment he casts his barrier around the stag and me. It immediately dampens the noises from the crowd, although they continue to grow louder as we near.
Humans and hybrids line both sides of the ascending path, watching us eagerly. But as we approach, they fall silent. I was expecting cheering, yet hushed murmurs now spread throughout the crowd. As the stag and I near the first guests, they drop to a single knee, bowing their heads in silence. This action, too, ripples through the crowd as we pass by each guest, each citizen of my kingdom.
Th gravity of this moment does not slip past me. I am about to take an oath to protect every single hybrid and human here. I take a shaky breath.
I am almost the High Queen now. I am confident. I can handle this. I stand tall as I walk down the path. The stag beside me walks calmly and helps to steady my nerves.
When we near the top of the mountain, I finally give into the urge to look back to Elle. Behind her, everyone has risen and stares silently at me with a single hand raised. Another swell of emotion comes, but I force it down. I turn back around and face the path ahead, concentrating again on placing one foot in front of the other.
Just as Elle promised, Ivan stands at the end of the path, waiting to escort us inside. Like Luca, his eyes widen as he sees us, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he turns on his heels, indicating for us to follow.
What is happening? When I pictured my coronation, I pictured people cheering for me and celebrating. I follow Ivan, more nervous than I was at the beginning of the procession. When we get to the front door, I remove my hand from the stag’s shoulders and whisper, “Thank you for accompanying me. It was an honor.”
His warm eyes flicker to me, but he doesn’t move. Instead, he stays by my side even as I get closer to the door. Alright then. Ivan continues, moving through the open doors, and the stag follows beside me. This is a first for me. I used to walk through my backyard with deer when I was younger, Willa watching from the back porch. They never followed me for this long, and they certainly never followed me inside. They usually got scared when I went inside and dashed back into the woods.
We both easily fit through the double doors. Ivan doesn’t turn when he hears the stag’s hooves on the floors as if he were expecting him to follow me inside. He leads us to the throne room, which is massive and filled with rows of empty chairs. Two lines of guards in silver armor stand stoically on each side of the space.
Although I’ve passed this room multiple times over the last week, I’ve never actually taken the time to step inside. Two thrones sit side-by-side, each one crafted from branches. A massive chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling, also crafted of dark wooden branches. The wooden hardwood floors continue through the space, and the walls are covered in glossy white marble. It’s the most elegant room in the castle while remaining true to the court it belongs to.
After slowly taking in every detail of the space, I arrive at the twin thrones. I sit on the right one so the stag can be on my right side while I’m seated. Even though it’s made of branches, the throne isn’t uncomfortable. Instead of lying beside me, the stag lays in front of me, almost as if he’s my protector. I cross my legs and lean back into the throne.
I look at Ivan, about to ask him what comes next, but he’s already looking at me. “This is certainly a first,” he says, gaze flitting between me and the stag.
“This has never happened before?”
“No. There has never been a deer that has attended the coronation events,” he says, chuckling a little. “There were always deer close to the castle, but this…” He shakes his head. “I think we’re all a little shocked, to say the least.”
