6 days later (The day of the ball)
Calliria's POV
The Under the Sea Ball. Held every five years by the King and Queen of the mermaid world. Usually, the annual balls would be held around June every year but it has been moved forward three months. Not great timing but not a big deal either.
Every kingdom holds their own annual ball, however, I haven't held one since my reign began. It wasn't in my interest to hold one either. Now that I have Corinne, that may change but we'll have to wait and see with that one.
It was customary for every royal to dress accordingly or be refused entry. The annual ball was also held as a night of truce and peace. King Symmon's would be attending the ball tonight, along with his wife, Queen Alessandra. I was sure that their son Prince Hunter would also be attending, along with Princess Julianna, their daughter. This was one night out of few, where conflict and argument was forbidden.
The annual balls were held in order to bring every kingdom together and maybe even sort out their conflicts. I remember my parents telling me they tried to resolve the feud between the wolves and Lycans during the annual ball held by the vampires. It didn't work, especially since Cyran was attending that ball. I didn't attend that ball but I always wondered what would have happened if I did attend. Would I have seen Cyran's betrayal sooner? Could I have reasoned with them myself? So many questions that couldn't be answered.
Training within the castle had been amped up significantly since I got stabbed on my own territory. I also punished the guards for their incompetence and replaced them immediately. I couldn't afford for anymore people to trespass on my land, especially with Corey around. Patrol was upped by fifty guards a night, each taking separate shifts to avoid fatigue, which could lead to slip-ups.
After the law was passed for women to join the royal army, over one hundred women stepped forward to join. After testing them all, me and Corinne narrowed it down to fifty-seven. It's not that the other forty-three were unfit to join, we just felt that the royal army, in the long run, wasn't something for them.
The men weren't happy at first with the change in law, some stating that women should stay at home and let the men do the fighting. That didn't go down well with the women, including me and Corinne. I made sure to remind them that without us women, they wouldn't be here to fight. I made them get on their knees and bow to all of the women as an apology. I didn't tolerate sexism in my kingdom, hence why I changed the law in the first place. Everyone was equal, no matter what gender they were.
I felt a hand slip into mine, making me snap out of the trance I was in. I looked down and smiled at the sight of my wife. We were at the ball, waiting to be announced in. It was tradition that every royal couple from every realm be introduced to all of the guests.
Corinne looked absolutely astonishing in her dress today, topped off with her light blue high heels. She curled her hair today instead of straightening it. I have to say I do prefer that hairstyle.
I was wearing the exact same dress as Corinne but in red, same with the heels. Corinne insisted on it. I protested at first saying that I didn't want to steal any spotlight away from her but she wasn't taking no for an answer and everyone knew that I couldn't say no to Corinne.
I cut my hair three days ago as well, something that made Corinne very happy. Tonight I had put it into a neat bun with two curls left at the side of my face, courtesy of Corinne once again. The curls were annoying me but it did look nice so I tolerated it.
Corinne reached up and adjusted my crown slightly, being careful of my hair, making me smile down at her,
"Thank you."
She smiled and nodded before taking my hand in hers again, "You're welcome."
We looked ahead and saw two guards standing by a set of double doors. The mermaid kingdom, otherwise known as Avanos, is the second ranked kingdom in the world. The top ranked being the fairy kingdom. I know, it's a shock.
Mine and Corinne's kingdom are third, which is a step up considering we used to be fifth, behind the vampire and witch and warlock kingdom.
Luckily, the mermaid kingdom was extremely peaceful, along with the fairy kingdom. However, when it came to allies, the mermaid kingdom tended to stay out of everything, whereas the fairy kingdom would join in immediately. Hence why they are allied with the vampires. Sad really.
Every kingdom was named and it was really only used in formal situations like this one. The mermaid kingdom is known as Avanos. The fairy kingdom is known as Lucrolis. The vampire kingdom is known as Dranthoven. The witches and warlock kingdom is known as Kindridas. Finally, the wolf kingdom is known as Equanoras.
There used to be a Lycan kingdom but ever since the war, there were too few of them to call it a kingdom. Instead they have their own small packs around the world with their own alphas and such, but no King or Queen. It's not something I'm ruling out in the future though.
The double doors opened up in front of us and the announcements began. The royal announcer started everything off,
"Presenting, the King and Queen of Avanos! King Chalmers and Queen Anastasia Livingston!"
A round of applause rang out through the room. We couldn't see them though as we were last in line to be announced. Saving the best for last and all of that I guess.
The applause died down and the announcer continued, "Presenting, the King and Queen of Lucrolis! King Kylan and Queen Olivia Lockwood!"
Another round of applause and me and Corinne took another step forward as the line moved along,
"Presenting, the King and Queen of Dranthoven! King Symmon's and Queen Alessandra Vichering!"
Another round of applause and another step forward, although I unconsciously growled at the sound of their names. They didn't deserve a round of applause in my opinion.
Corinne tightened her grip on my hand reassuringly, sensing the change in my mood. I kissed the side of her head thankfully before looking ahead,
"Presenting, the King and Queen of Kindridas! King Clarence and Queen Anneliese Delafontaine!"
Another round of applause and a final step forward. We were the next and final ones to be called. I took a deep breath and raised my head slightly in confidence before the announcement,
"Presenting, the two Queens of Equanoras! Queen Calliria and Queen Corinne Remington!"
I gave Corinne's hand a final squeeze before we walked out through the double doors to a round of applause. The crowd was huge. I raised Corinne's hand in mine slightly as we descended the huge marble staircase.
Once we reached the bottom, we bowed to King Chalmers and Queen Anastasia who were standing at the bottom, before standing to the left of them, facing the rest of the crowd who then bowed to all of us,
"Presenting, the Kings and Queens of the Mythical realms!"
Silence rang through the room momentarily before King Chalmers cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention,
"On behalf of me and my wife, it is an honour to have you all join us for the annual Under the Sea Ball! If everyone would like to make their way to the ballroom, we will get everything under way!"
The crowd cheered and followed his orders. I could feels someone's eyes on me so I turned to my left to see Prince Hunter in the distance. He gestured to Corinne and licked his lips before winking. I growled at that but didn't retaliate. Tonight was not the night for that and he knew it. If he thought he was getting his hands on my wife, he could think again. Never, in his sorry little life will he ever come close to my Queen.
I felt Corinne turn my head to face hers. She looked at me worriedly, "Are you okay?"
I contemplated telling her what happened but then decided otherwise. Instead I smiled and nodded,
"I'm perfectly fine my love. How about we make our way to the ballroom so I can show off my beautiful wife."
She blushed and leant her head on my chest, making me chuckle. She was so shy in public. I found it cute though. She leant back and looked up at me, her eyes shining with love. It made me happy to know she only had those eyes for me,
"You ready?" I asked, placing my hand out in front of her. She took hold of it immediately and smiled,
"I'm ready."
I placed a kiss on the back of her hand before leading her to the ballroom. I had been here enough times to know my way around. Only part of the castle though. I still get lost in my own castle and this one was around five times bigger, so I had no chance in memorising my way around here.
We walked through the double doors of the ballroom and everyone turned to face us. I knew better than to shy away though and so did Corinne. This was the first time me and Corinne had been to a royal event since the revelation of us being mates. Like I said, a same-sex royal couple has never been documented in history within any realm, so this was new for everyone.
I led Corinne to our table. It had the label Equanoras in the middle so it wasn't hard to find. I pulled out Corinne's seat and she kissed my cheek as a thank you before sitting down. I pushed her chair in gently before taking a seat directly on her right.
It wasn't only me and Corinne at the table. Every realm was able to bring guests, excluding the heirs as they usually came anyway. I brought along Giles, Kiara, William, Ava, Evelyn and Drayton. Drayton's invitation was more of an apology gift than anything else.
King Chalmers gestured for the waiters and waitresses to bring the food out and then conversation rang out through the room. I was dreading the night already.
It was customary that every King and Queen would dance with other Kings and Queens. Although, because me and Corinne were both Queens, it would be odd so me and her would take turns. A single dance would be held after every course, with an extra two dances at the end due to the fact that there were five realms in total.
Our food was placed in front of us. We had sent a request of what we wanted two days prior to the ball, so I was happy with what was placed in front of us.
I couldn't help but glance over at Corinne every now and then. I opened our link so that I could talk to her without disturbing her while she was eating,
'Did I tell you how beautiful you looked tonight?' I asked her. She blushed and smiled, nodding slightly, just enough so that I could see it,
'You did. Many times actually. Did I tell you the same?'
I nodded discreetly, 'You did. Although, I truly do not think you realise how beautiful you look. The millions of stars in the sky tonight cannot compare with your beauty.'
She ducked her head shyly, making me smile. I loved it when she was shy, it was cute,
'You are a charmer Callie. Like Prince Charming, but a woman of course.'
I looked at her confused slightly, Prince Charming? Where was that from? I've never heard of him before,
'Who is Prince Charming?' I asked out of curiosity. She abruptly lifted her head and looked at me shocked,
"You do not know who Prince Charming is?!" She said out loud, making people turn their heads towards us. She blushed and apologised to them before turning back to me,
"You seriously don't know who Prince Charming is?"
I shook my head, "No. Who is he?"
She shook her head in disbelief, "He's from the film Snow White."
I raised an eyebrow at her, "Another one of your Disney films I assume?"
She nodded, "Have you heard of it?"
"No. I don't really know any Disney films as such. I may have overheard people talking about them but I've never seen one. Is it good?"
She continued to stare at me in disbelief, "I can't believe you've never watched a Disney film. Remind me when we get home to have a Disney marathon. Me, you and Corey will watch Disney films all day. No ands, ifs or buts."
I smiled and nodded. Not even bothering to say no, she wouldn't listen anyway, "Of course my Queen. As you wish."
She smiled and gave me a brief kiss on the lips before turning her attention back to her food. I smiled and then started conversing with everyone at the table. We had talked prior to this evening but I felt it was only polite to talk with them.
Once our plates were cleared the announcer rang out through the room,
"It is time for the first dance of the night!"
I stood up from my chair and held my hand out for Corinne, "May I have this dance?"
She nodded and placed her hand in mine, allowing me to pull her up from the chair. We made our way to the dance floor, not quite in the middle but not quite near the side either. All of the royal couples were on the dance floor and it would be like this until halfway through the song where everyone else was able to join in. Not a lot of people usually did though.
I gently placed my hands on Corinne's waist and she placed her arms around my neck. Corinne wasn't short but she wasn't as tall as I was. She always had to reach up to kiss me and I had to reach down. As well as being the youngest Queen to ever reign, I was also one of the tallest, with a height of six foot one. Corinne was roughly five foot nine so there wasn't much difference between us, thank the Goddess. Compared to how tall I was, I found her height cute.
The shortest Queen to ever reign was actually my mother, which is shocking considering how tall I am. My mum had a height of five foot one. The height difference when she stood next to my dad was ridiculous because he stood at six foot three. Over a foot difference in height. My dad didn't mind though. He said her height gave him a reason to hold her and lift her up when he wanted a kiss. I miss them.
Corinne wiped just under my eye and it was then that I realised I was crying. She sadly smiled up at me, tilting her head to the side,
"Are you thinking about your parents?"
I nodded in reply, taking a deep breath, "Yeah. I was just thinking about their height difference and the thought just made me miss them."
"They're watching over you right now, over us. It's okay to cry over them, you've held your emotions in long enough."
I smiled, "I know. This maybe isn't the best place to cry though."
She chuckled and agreed with me, "That's true."
She rested her head on my chest and I sighed contently.
I then made the wrong move in looking over at the vampire table. Prince Hunter made eye contact with me and smirked before gesturing to Corinne again, running his tongue across the air seductively.
I growled and tightened my grip on Corinne's waist. She whimpered slightly, which made me loosen my grip and look down at her guiltily,
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hold you that tight, I-I-"
She placed her hand on my mouth, cutting me off, "Are you going to be quiet?" I nodded against her hand so she dropped it, "It's fine. I know you didn't do it on purpose so stop apologising. What made you tighten your grip?"
I lied to her once again, "Nothing. It just happened."
She raised an eyebrow at me. I didn't know if she was oblivious to my lie or just chose not to say anything but I did know that I couldn't keep the lie up for much longer. Corinne knew me better than I knew myself and if she hasn't caught on by now, she would soon.
Me and Corinne continued to sway to the music. I chose not to look over at the vampire table again. I wasn't in the mood for Prince Hunters' games and if he kept them up any longer, I would snap. Guaranteed.
When the song finished, me and Corinne took a step back from each other momentarily before bowing to each other. We then took each others hand and made our way back to the table for the main course.
I once again pulled out her chair and she gave me a kiss on the lips this time as a thank you. I pushed her in and then took my seat beside her, just in time for the main course to be placed in front of us.
Did I mention that I was dreading the rest of the night? I decided that I would take the next dance so Corinne could sit down and relax until the third dance, where we would swap over. I was dreading it.
Unfortunately, the announcer called out the second dance too soon for my liking, "It is now time for the second dance of the evening. Kings and Queens, if you would please swap partners!"
I stood up and gave Corinne a quick kiss before walking onto the dance floor. The first King I was dancing with was King Clarence, the warlock King.
We bowed to each other and he placed his hands on my waist while I placed mine on his shoulders. Now I didn't mind dancing... With women. I mean, I like men but I have a strong strong preference for women,
'The only woman you better have a strong strong preference for is me.' Corinne said through our link. I smiled,
'Of course my love. You are my one and only Queen."
I could feel her happiness through our connection. I loved it when she was happy. I looked up at Clarence, who was about six foot six in height to see him smiling down at me,
"I never understood the mind link you wolves have."
"I never understood the magic you warlocks have. Now we're even."
He chuckled, "You are a force young Queen. Just like your mother."
I smiled at that, "I get told that a lot."
"How has your courtship been with your wife?"
I shook my head at the word courtship. Every kingdom had its own word for mating, mated or mates. Witches and Warlocks called it courting or courtship. Vampires called the process mating but their significant other was called a beloved. Mermaids called the process admiration and their significant other an admirer. Fairies called the process dazzling but their significant other mates. It was different in every kingdom but we were all similar in the fact that every species had a soul mate out there. Someone made specifically for them,
"My mating has been great. She is the love of my life and I would not wish for anyone else but her. She is the light to my darkness. The sun to my moon. The air in which I need to breathe. She is, in simpler terms, my world."
He smiled, "You seem more in love with her than I am with my sweet Anneliese. Something I thought was impossible."
"Love is different in everyone. We all love in different ways and we all wished to be loved in different ways, it's the way of life, regardless of what species we are. We just need to remember to love how we would want to be loved. You must give in order to receive."
"Wise words from such a young Queen."
I laughed and waved him off, "Age is nothing but a number. I rank above you King Clarence so maybe you should be taking notes from this young Queen."
He laughed in return and shook his head amused, "You rank above me for now. Rankings change every year."
I smirked, "And I intend on going up, not down."
The song finished so I stepped back from him and bowed. He bowed in return and smiled at me before walking back to his table where he embraced his wife. I walked back to my table and did the same thing with mine. I pulled her onto my lap and buried my face in her neck, leaving gentle kisses. She shivered against me lightly, making me smirk,
"Cold?" I asked. She hit my arm,
"You know I'm not. Stop doing that." She protested but I knew she didn't mean it. As ticklish as she was, she loved it. I continued to place kisses on her neck before I allowed my canines to extend. I grazed them over her mark which made her let out a small moan. It was loud enough for me to hear but quiet enough for everyone else not to. She pushed my head back and scowled at me. I merely smiled at her,
"Don't smile at me, you totally did that on purpose."
I raised my hands in defence, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
She tried to keep a straight face with me but ended up smiling, "I can never stay mad at you." She said before giving me a kiss and moving off of my lap to sit back in her own chair.
The dessert was placed in front of us two minutes later and I was pretty sure I saw Corinne's mouth watering at the sight of it. I made sure to request her favourite and it's safe to say, she's pleased with it.
It was Corinne's turn to dance once dessert was over. I was just praying to the Goddess that she wasn't dancing with King Symmon's because if she was, I would have to step in,
"It is now time for the third dance of the evening! Kings and Queens, swap partners!"
Corinne gave me a kiss on the lips and looked into my eyes,
"If I'm dancing with King Symmon's, I don't want you to get involved," I went to protest but she cut me off with another kiss, "I can handle it okay? I might not even be dancing with him but if I am, just, don't step in. Please?"
Curse her beautiful brown eyes. She knew I couldn't say no to her when she was looking at me the way she was. She was pleading me with her eyes, biting her bottom lip as well. That was my weakness. I caved every single time she did it.
I let out a sigh and nodded, "Okay, fine. I won't step in."
She smiled and gave me another kiss, "Thank you!" She said before walking to the dance floor. To my complete horror and dismay, King Symmon's walked up to Corinne. Just my luck. Why? Why was it when Corinne went up to dance, he happened to be dancing with her?
I kept my eyes on them the whole time. Their expressions changed from neutral to anger to disgust and back to neutral again. Corinne looked over at me at one point and I was about to stand up when she shook her head, making me sit back down. Their dance felt like a lifetime and I practically ran up to Corinne when she started walking back to the table. I took her in my arms and then lifted her head up to face me,
"Are you okay? If he said anything to hurt you I swear I will end his life."
She shook his head and sat down, pulling me down into the seat next to her. She leant forward and pressed her forehead against mine, sighing,
"He gave me an ultimatum," She started. I was hating this already, "He's now saying that if I don't marry his son, he will target the person I love most, other than you."
I furrowed my eyebrows and then growled, realising who he was talking about, "Corey."
She nodded and closed her eyes. A stray tear fell down her face and I gently wiped it away,
"Don't cry baby."
She sniffed and moved back, "I can't let Corey get hurt. I can't"
"I hope you're not suggesting what I think you are."
She looked down guiltily before nodding, "I have to marry Prince Hunter." She stated. I think I could literally hear my heart break into tiny little pieces right then and there. It hurt hearing her say that but I wasn't about to back down and let her go ahead with that. The day that hell freezes over will be the day Corinne marries Prince Hunter. Over my dead body,
"No." She looked up at me and was about to protest when I placed my hand on her mouth, keeping her quiet,
"No, you listen. You're not marrying Prince Hunter. You can protest all you want but it's not going to happen Corinne. I would rather die than watch you marry that low life Prince. I will send twenty guards to protect Corey if I have to. I'll make your parents take him to another country if that's what it takes to keep him safe but you will not, I repeat, will not be marrying Prince Hunter. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"
I removed my hand from her mouth and her eyes darkened slightly. She loved it when I spoke formally and according to the way her wolf was purring right now, she really liked that one,
"You have. Crystal clear your majesty." She replied seductively, making me groan. Thank the Goddess that it was time for the fourth dance because if I stayed there any longer I would've dragged her to the nearest empty room just to make sure she understood me further,
"It is now time for the fourth dance of the evening! You know the drill Kings and Queens! Swap partners!"
I gave Corinne a peck on the lips, smiling at her before standing up and walking to the dance floor. The King I was dancing with this time was King Chalmers. As usual, he placed his hands on my waist and I placed mine on his shoulders,
"Queen Calliria. It's been a while since we have seen each other. You were fifteen the last time I recall."
I nodded, "About right. You hold the ball every five years so yes, yours was the last one I attended, before tonight."
He smiled, "Well, I am honoured." I smiled in return, "While we are here, I have heard of the little predicament you have with King Symmon's. I for one believe his proposal is outrageous but he sees otherwise. I usually do not place my kingdom in conflict but I would like to assist you with this one."
I looked at him confused. This was a first, in ever, "Why?" I enquired. He sighed,
"True love shouldn't be tampered with. Corinne is your admirer and it should stay like that. I know that if anyone tried to propose a marriage for Anastasia with anyone that wasn't me, I would go to war as well. It's unacceptable and I will help you keep your love."
I smiled, grateful for the help he was offering but still conflicted, "As much as I appreciate the help, the mermaid kingdom has been peaceful for centuries. I do not wish to change that now."
He shrugged, "We've been peaceful because there was no reason to step in. I now have something I want to fight for. Love."
My smile got wider at that and I nodded, "Okay. I accept your help."
"Great!" He exclaimed, "Even if you declined, I would have helped you anyway so you really had no choice."
I laughed, "Well, glad we didn't get to that point then."
He nodded in agreement, "Indeed."
The song finished sooner than I would have liked. King Chalmers was not only an amazing King, but an amazing man in general.
We backed away from each other and bowed, "Until we meet again young Queen. I shall be sending my guards to you very shortly."
I nodded in reply before giving him a smile as a thank you. We departed and I made my way back to Corinne. She was laughing with Kiara and it was like music to my ears. Her laugh was the most beautiful sound on earth.
I sat down in my seat and Corinne smiled over at me, instinctively making me smile back. Her smile was contagious,
"What did I miss?" I asked curiously,
"Kiara was telling me how Giles brought her roses. She joked with him and told them she didn't like roses so he panicked and started stuttering. He ran to the flower store and got a fresh batch of lilies just for her to say she didn't like flowers in general. She said it looked like he was going to cry until she told him that she was joking."
I laughed and looked over at Giles who had his head bowed in embarrassment, "One of the bravest warriors in the royal army panicked and stuttered?"
He brushed his hair out of his face and cleared his throat, "I thought she was being serious."
I smirked, "All women like flowers Giles and even if they say they don't, you buy them anyway because they'll love the gesture."
Corinne hit my arm, "You didn't even buy me flowers!"
I rubbed the place where she hit, she was strong, "I believe I bought you two bouquets of roses. One for our engagement and one for you to forgive me."
"That doesn't count."
I chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her, "Oh? And why not?"
"You never spontaneously buy me flowers." She ducked her head and I looked at her with wide eyes,
"I-I was unaware you wanted me to buy you flowers."
She sniffed and I panicked. Why was she crying? I didn't know what to do in this situation. She's never been upset over something like this before. I looked over at everyone else and they shrugged.
I looked back down at Corinne, "I will go and buy you flowers right now if that is what you want? What do you want? Roses? Tulips?"
I stood up and went to walk out but she grabbed my wrist. I looked back at her to see her smiling at me, shaking her head,
"One of the most feared Queens in the world panicked and stuttered?"
She laughed and released my wrist. I looked at her shocked before sitting back down. I can't believe she played me like that. I couldn't help but smile though, along with the rest of the table,
"She fooled you good." Drayton said. I nodded in agreement and leant down next to Corinne's ear,
"You my love, are a little player. I'll be showing you later on what happens when you play me in such a manner."
She purred against me as I leant back on my chair.
The only thing I was looking forward to tonight was the Ranking Reveal. Every year, on the night of the annual ball, the rankings get revealed. So last year, it was revealed that the wolf kingdom was third, a rank higher than the previous year. Of course my aim was to be first but jumping two ranks up was rare and has only happened four times according to history. Twice with the fairy kingdom, once with the mermaid kingdom and once with the vampire kingdom. We were first at one point but we dropped significantly when I started my reign. It was hard just to get to third rank so first was a bit farfetched right now,
"It is now time for the final dance of the evening! For the last time tonight, Kings and Queens! Swap partners!"
The final King to be danced with was King Kylan, the fairy King. He was nice so I didn't mind Corinne dancing with him. I knew she could handle him anyway. If she could handle dancing with King Symmon's she could definitely handle dancing with King Kylan.
Corinne gave me a peck on the lips before standing up and walking to the dance floor. I knew I didn't need to watch her this time so I turned my attention to the rest of the table,
"What ranking are you hoping for this year your majesty?" Giles asked,
"Optimistically I am hoping to stay third or even jump up to second but realistically, with everything that has happened, including the fact that me and Corinne are the first same-sex royal couple ever, it will have a deep effect on the rankings this year. We may drop to fourth or even last because of it."
He nodded and Ava stepped in, "Who you are mated with should not have an affect on the rankings. The Goddess herself put you two together."
"I know but they see us as dykes in a simpler term. You know that many of them would rather see a strong male be mated with me to continue the wolf line. No matter how hard we deny it, the ranking will show that."
She nodded in agreement. She knew I was right, no matter how much she thought otherwise. It was wrong and I didn't agree with it in the slightest but mine and Corinne's sexual orientation would prove to be the difference between being top three or bottom two.
The final dance of the night ended and Corinne came to sit back down next to me. I knew it was time for the Ranking Reveal once the announcer stood up,
"Kings and Queens, ladies and gentlemen! It is now time for the annual Ranking Reveal! The time of year where we get to see whether you have ruled your kingdom to the top or ruled them to the bottom. As the annual ball is being held by King Chalmers and Queen Anastasia, it is customary for them to do the reveal!"
Everyone gave a round of applause as the King and Queen stood up. They removed a red cloth from a board to reveal all of our pictures. Every King and Queen had a picture of themselves together. It was a public picture and the face of the kingdom. I looked at our picture and smiled, Corinne looked beautiful.
The rankings from last year were placed above each picture. King Chalmers removed each ranking and handed them to Queen Anastasia. He then picked up a gold envelope attached the board and opened it. The silence was unbearable. His expression varied from happiness, to shock, to confusion. Did I mention that the silence was unbearable?
King Chalmers cleared his throat, breaking the silence, "Starting from the bottom," He started, "Ranked in fifth,"
He took the fifth place ranking from the Queen and placed it above the fairy kingdom, "Lucrolis!"
That was shocking, considering they were fourth last year. Although it wasn't too shocking either as they have been getting involved in many conflicts the past year, not helping their ranking,
"Ranked in fourth," The King continued, taking the fourth place ranking from the Queen. He placed it above the vampire kingdom,
"Dranthoven!"
They have moved one step up from last year. As much as I despised King Symmon's, his leadership wasn't bad.
I was just so happy right now at the fact that me and Corinne wasn't last or fourth. I didn't even care what position we were in now, we were either tied with last year or we did better, either way it's a good outcome for the kingdom,
"Ranked in third," He said, taking the third place ranking from the Queen. He placed it above the witch and warlock kingdom,
"Kindridas!"
I looked at the ranking so far in shock. We were going to be either second or first. This was a big thing for us. The witch and warlock kingdom were first last year so the fact that they had dropped two places was a shock to everyone. Although, King Clarence and Queen Anneliese did have a momentary separation which caused a fair bit of chaos in the kingdom, so I heard,
"Ranked in second," He took the second place ranking from the Queen. My heart was beating so fast right now it was unreal. Corinne took my hand in hers as King Chalmers placed the ranking above the next kingdom,
"Avanos!" He exclaimed. My eyes widened. I couldn't believe this. We were first. Mine and Corinne's kingdom outweighed all odds and came first. I unconsciously touched my locket and smiled. I hope my parents were watching right now. This was for them,
"That means, ranked in first!" He took the final ranking and placed it above the wolf kingdom, "Equanoras!"
A round of applause rang out through the room, "If the two Queens would like to come up and say a few words."
I was still in shock. So much so that Corinne took my face in her hands and smiled at me, "You're first baby. You did it."
I smiled and choked back a sob, shaking my head, "We're first."
She wiped away my tears and gave me a peck on the lips. We both stood up from our chairs. I took her hand in mine and took a deep breath before walking up to the stage located at the front of the room. The room went silent as we turned to face everyone. Just as I was about to speak, a voice shouted out through the room,
"This is an outrage! No way did two dykes come ahead of us!"
I along with the rest of my table growled at the voice; Prince Hunter.
I saw that King Chalmers was about to say something so I lifted up my hand, stopping him from doing so. I knew how to stand up for myself. I cleared my throat,
"It's comments such as those, that got you in fourth place to begin with. You can call us what you want. Homo's, fags, dykes. But these dykes," I said, gesturing between me and Corinne, "Rank above you and it would be in your best interest to realise that or I'll make you see exactly why we got top spot. Sit yourself down you immature little Prince before I make you."
He glared at me and was about to respond when his dad placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. He knew that this wasn't the place or time for this type of argument. I gave him one final look before turning back to the crowd,
"Anyway. I know that I can speak for both me and my wife when I say that we are deeply honoured to be ranked first. Although me and Corinne haven't been together long, she has balanced me out greatly. The months that we have been together have been the best of my life and I knew that if I didn't have her with me, our kingdom wouldn't be top ranked right now. I would just like to thank those that stood by us, especially since I only came to throne at seventeen. It was hard but, we made it!"
I cheered, which made the audience laugh. I looked down at Corinne, "Baby, do you want to say anything?"
She looked at me shocked but nodded. I took a step back and allowed her to step forward. She took in a deep breath before speaking,
"I know I haven't been Queen for very long and I know that not a lot of people accept the fact that I'm Calliria's mate, purely because I'm a woman. I haven't been with her that long so all of the credit for the top ranking goes to her," I smiled at her modesty, "I am deeply honoured to be Queen by her side and I hope that as the years go on, we will be able to keep our top spot and make a better future for not only our kingdom, but every other kingdom as well."
The crowd burst into a round of applause and I took a step forward, taking Corinne's hand into mine,
"Presenting, the top ranked kingdom in the mythical world! The two Queens of Equanoras! Queen Calliria and Queen Corinne Remington!"
Everyone in the crowd stood up and bowed to us. Corinne smiled up at me and I gave her a kiss on the cheek. I looked over at the vampire table and saw everyone but Prince Hunter bowing. In fact, I'm not even going to give him the title of Prince. He didn't deserve it.
Corinne squeezed my hand gently and I looked down at her, "Ignore him." She whispered. I nodded and pulled her in for a hug before King Chalmers handed us the Royal Scroll. It was a golden scroll that was handed to every royal couple in the top rank. The royal couples names were written on the scroll so every couple who had been top ranked before me and Corinne, were written on this scroll. It was a huge honour.
Me and Corinne bowed to the King and Queen and then bowed to everyone else before we went to sit back at our table. Ava and Evelyn pulled us in for a hug, congratulating us over and over. Giles, Drayton and Kiara gave us a high fives, which made me laugh.
This was a big thing for them as well because I also knew that the kingdom wouldn't have been top ranked without everyone in it, including the guards, warriors and just general staff.
For the rest of the night, I had a permanent smile on my face. That was until I looked over at the vampire table, letting me know that the war had progressed and it was far from over.