Chapter 40: forty

Cole

The night of the coronation had finally arrived. This was an unprecedented event, necessitating meticulous planning. Olivia and I were to walk hand in hand, and my father, Atticus, would crown us.

In doing so, he would transfer his power and authority to me. Fortunately, he wouldn’t be left weakened. I doubted that could ever happen. After all, he was an immortal, the first vampire to exist.

Despite living in the modern world, I was still required to don royal robes. I groaned as the tailors took my measurements and hurried to dress me. I insisted on simple dress pants and a white button-down shirt.

The robe was made of black velvet. The trim was a soft white faux fur with a gold chain at the collar to secure the robe over my shoulders.

Once I was fully dressed and it was nearly time to begin, I instructed a servant to summon Samuel.

“My prince! My, my, you look splendid,” Samuel beamed as he sauntered in.

“Bow to your king,” one of the Damned soldiers demanded.

“Ah, ah, he’s not my king yet,” Samuel retorted. I clenched my fists at my side, my knuckles turning white as my nails dug into my palms.

“I summoned you here, Samuel, to talk. I hope we can work together peacefully and maintain civility moving forward,” I said, my tone flat.

I knew Samuel was self-serving and greedy. My father had allowed the lords and ladies to do as they pleased, but I intended to change that.

“Of course, my prince. I look forward to working with you and, of course, spending more time with your ~pet,~” he smirked.

I should have ripped his fucking head off. It would have saved me so much grief.

“What did you just say?” I snarled, causing the servants and tailors to flinch at my tone.

“I’m just saying, that is what she is, was,” he said nonchalantly.

“I just don’t understand why you’d want to shut down where you found her. Or change things,” he said, pacing back and forth in front of me.

“This is happening, Samuel. Starting tomorrow, so make your fucking peace with it,” I growled.

“Or what? You’ll butcher me like you did Marcus and Annabell? Don’t threaten me, boy,” he snapped back.

In an instant, I had Samuel pinned against the wall by his throat, applying enough pressure that he gasped for breath.

“Samuel. Samuel. Samuel. As much as I’d like to carve you up like the pig you are, I can’t. I think the tailor would be upset if I got blood and guts on my new robes,” I said, my voice laced with malice.

“I appreciate your effort to be here, Samuel,” I said, releasing him from the wall as I shook his hand, “but you should attend to your injuries at home.”

He looked at me, puzzled.

I squeezed his hand. I continued to squeeze and press my fingers tightly around his. My knuckles turned white and so did his face as he tried to pry me off of him.

The sound of bones snapping and Samuel’s cries for help filled the room.

“Let’s get a few things straight before you leave, Samuel. One, she is not a fucking pet. She is your motherfucking queen. Two, I am not a boy. I am thousands of years older than you.

“And finally, three, and this is important. I don’t make threats, I make promises,” I gritted out through my teeth before releasing his hand.

His fingers were limp and mangled. The bones had snapped and pushed through his flesh. Even for a vampire, this wouldn’t heal quickly.

He trembled, but that didn’t stop the glare he held.

“Make sure he gets home safely,” I ordered a guard, and they carried him off.

The coronation was much like a human wedding, and in a way, we were getting married. We would be together forever.

I stood there waiting for her to enter; our crowns were placed on tall pedestals. Atticus had commissioned a crown for Olivia since there had never been a queen before.

“I don’t see Samuel anywhere,” my father said, his eyes scanning the crowd.

“His hand hurt, so he went home,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

He shook his head before opening the doors and walking to the front of the room, leaving me to wait for my little dove.

Right on cue, I heard her heels click against the hard floors and watched as she glided down the staircase. I sucked in a breath at the sight of her.

Her white hair had been curled and cascaded over her shoulders. She was dressed in a white dress with gold accents on her waist and along the sleeves. Her royal robe was golden and adorned with small flowers.

Rayna bounced behind her, a bright smile on her face and her pink curls arranged in a bun on top of her head. She curtsied in front of us before walking excitedly away and out the door.

I extended my arm and elbow, motioning for her to take hold so we could walk out together and get this over with.

The doors were held open as we walked through. The minute we stepped through the doors, the murmurs started. I tuned them out and focused on the nervous fairy clutching my arm.

“Relax, my love. This will be very simple. Atticus will crown us, say a few words, and that’s it,” I whispered in her ear, rubbing her arm to calm her down.

We strolled toward the front of the room, the lords and ladies on each side of us until we reached Atticus.

“Today, we gather to welcome a new reign. I will now pass my power to my son, Colton Vallen. I will place the archaic crown upon his head and the transfer will be complete,” Atticus said as he picked up the relic.

The crown was not worn daily anymore, not for centuries now. It was really only a way to transfer power. Olivia was already a queen.

The forest had gifted Adelina her power, but the vampires needed to witness her ascend to their throne.

He hoisted the freshly polished crown into the air, setting it delicately atop my head. The moment it grazed my hair, I could sense the surge of energy.

My eyes morphed into a deep black, and the vampires in the room dropped to one knee. The king’s power emanated from me, and I shut my eyes, channeling it, letting it course through me until my eyes reverted to their normal hue.

The vampires in the room rose, sighing and groaning from the force they had just experienced.

“Olivia,” he began, his voice capturing both our attentions.

“It is an honor to crown you as our queen. You are already a fae queen, but I trust this tiara will satisfy everyone and earn you the respect you undoubtedly deserve,” he concluded.

It was evident he wasn’t addressing her, but the others in the room. It was Atticus’s subtle way of issuing a threat.

He gently positioned the delicate tiara on her head, and she responded with a smile. Once the golden tiara was nestled on her head, a soft blue aura enveloped her.

I sidestepped, observing as the tiara levitated, spinning so rapidly it was nothing more than a blur.

She looked terrified, and I did my best to comfort her, despite this being uncharted territory for me.

“It’ll be okay, little dove, just stay still,” I murmured.

The tiara finally ceased its spinning, but it had transformed into a crystal crown adorned with jewels. She closed her eyes and the glow gradually faded, seemingly absorbed into her soft, pale skin.

Predictably, gasps and whispers filled the room once again.

“Silence!” Atticus roared.

Olivia’s eyes snapped open, her labored breathing steadying.

“How do you feel?” I asked, turning to her.

“Good. Different, but in a good way,” she whispered back.

“We will not be silent! You can’t possibly think that the fairy witch will rule over us!” Lady Helen spat.

I shot her a glare; she was uncomfortably close, and I was prepared to intervene if necessary. She swiftly grabbed a sword from a nearby guard and lunged at Olivia.

Olivia extended her palm to deflect the attack. Everything unfolded so quickly that I couldn’t react in time.

The blade shattered as it struck Olivia’s hand, as if her hand were made of stone. The fragmented shards of metal clattered to the ground.

She gasped, examining her hand, which was unscathed.

One of the Damned swooped in, taking his ax and severing Helen’s head.

Blood spurted onto his clothes and splattered across his face as her head hit the floor and rolled towards the crowd.

He twirled the ax and faced the others. They shrieked and fell to their hands and knees.

I had sincerely hoped this would be a bloodless event.

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