20. The Coronation
1565 Words
Tasmina
When I woke up in the morning, he was already awake.
“Prince Rikom… were you watching me sleep?” I asked, groggily.
He smiled widely.
“I may have been.”
There it was again, the smile that made me completely lose my train of thought.
“Well… I…”
“Would you like to take a bath?” he asked, abruptly.
I choked on air.
“I meant that you can go… and take a bath in the bathing chambers. I will… I will use my brother’s. Unless you had other ideas?”
His eyes were heated and I found myself turning away from him. He stood up, stretching his body and I watched, mesmerised as he began performing Yuj.
“Are you just going to watch me or would you like to be on time for our coronation?” he asked, with his back to me.
“How did you know I was watching you?” I exclaimed.
“So you were watching me?” he said, standing straight and turning around to me.
Goddess, even when he was smug, he was beautiful.
Infuriatingly arrogant man. I swept to the chambers in a huff, but as soon as I heard the chamber doors close as he left, I allowed myself a smile. Then his words sunk in. The coronation. As I quickly began to scrub my body, I heard a bustle of activity and two women swept into the chambers.
I covered myself quickly, my eyes wide.
“Excuse me… did you wish to use the bathing pool?” I asked, looking around nervously.
They immediately began to laugh.
“Use the bathing pool, she says. Princess Tasmina, you’re very funny. I’m Sumara and this is Kinsa. We’ll be getting you ready for your coronation.”
“Oh… I see… I’m not a… princess,” I mumbled, as she pulled me to the side of the pool, sitting me by the edge as she began to knead my back.
“Goddess that’s wonderful,” I gasped.
“Glad you’re enjoying it, Princess,” she said, her hands working their magic and relaxing me completely.
“Right, you’re done. Let’s get you up, your highness, it is time to dress you.”
She held out her hand and I hesitated. I was very naked. She didn’t seem to bat an eyelid and waited patiently until I took it. She yanked me out of the pool as the one called Kinsa wrapped a thick towel around me.
“Now, we dress you,” she proclaimed, grinning widely.
There was what seemed to be yards and yards of black cloth strewn across the bed. She saw my look of concern and Kinsa smiled.
“Don’t worry your highness. You just stand with your arms held out and let us do the rest.”
The towel was whipped away from me unceremoniously and my hands immediately went to cover my breasts.
“With all due respect, highness… you’re lovely, but both of us are already mated and it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.”
Her informality put me at ease and I smiled, holding my arms out to the side as she’d asked. They wove the black cloth around my body. It was surprisingly light, made of beautiful cotton, and as they wove it around me, I realised I was wearing something that somewhat resembled a sari. They tied it at my shoulder with a large gold clasp, just as Queen Maha burst through the door.
She looked me up and down appraisingly.
“Good, you are ready. You look grand, now let us make haste. The ceremony will begin shortly and we cannot crown a queen without the queen.”
Goddess, my heart was in my mouth and I hesitated for a moment as she went to turn away. She stopped, looking at the two omegas.
“Leave us,” she said.
They bowed their heads and did as she asked.
“What is it?” she asked, patiently.
“I… I’m not sure I can be a queen,” I whispered.
“If you thought you would make an excellent queen, you probably wouldn’t be worthy of the crown,” she said, smiling wryly.
When I looked confused, she sighed.
“I am sorry… that your mother couldn’t be here. She probably would have known the right thing to say, words of wisdom that I, unfortunately, do not have in abundance. But what I can say is that you’ve handled yourself with grace and a decorum that would make her proud.”
I fought to hold back my tears and just about succeeded.
“Come now, Tasmina. It is time.”
—
Rikom
A crowd had formed outside the Hall of Judgment. The gates had been opened to the people to see their new King and Queen announced. The murmurs about the new Queen were rife. I had been betrothed from a young age to Lady Sanaz of Lira. My father was supposed to take Salma as his first wife, but had taken quite the fancy to Mama, apparently. I knew Silas wouldn’t be pleased that first his sister, then his daughter, has been unable to be the first Queen of Zamee – the Luna. For there could be many queens, but a Luna, there could be only one.
As my Luna walked into the hall, my heart stopped. So did everyone else’s, as a sudden silence descended. She was tall, regal, every inch of her a queen. The sun reflected onto the white marble and seemed to bounce off her cheekbones, which rested proud and high upon her face. The gold clasps were stark against the black tendrils of hair they held. Her eyes held the darkness of shadows but with the presence of a blinding light, all at the same time. A gasp went around the crowd in the gardens and the hall, where Zameenite nobility stood. Her brothers and the girl she called Ruki, stood amongst them, slack jawed as she almost glided towards me.
The same mystic that had performed our wedding ritual stood before us now. As Tasmina approached, I held out my hand. When she took it, that searing heat ran through my body at her touch. I knew she felt it too, her eyes widening ever so slightly. Mama entered behind her, standing just behind us as we stood before the mystic.
“The great King Iza Luca Zal has passed on to the goddess. May he find peace before his next life. And with the end of one era, another must begin. Prince Rikom, do you pledge to honour and protect your people?”
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I could show no sign of weakness.
“I do.”
“Do you vow to lead this kingdom on a righteous path, like your father before you, and his father before him?”
“I do.”
“Do you pledge to honour the legacy of your forefathers and take upon the role of Alpha of Zamee.”
“I do.”
“And do you pledge to take your Luna as your council and your mate, to heed her guidance and bring her honour.”
“I do.”
“Princess Tasmina Miya Kaiz Zal. Do you pledge to honour the Kingdom of Zamee as its Queen, to treat your people with love and respect.”
A murmur went around the crowd at the sound of her name. Some of them clearly recognised her. I had acute hearing, even for a wolf. Her hand trembled slightly and I squeezed it gently, keeping her focus on me.
“I do,” she said, her voice clear with no sign of a tremor.
“Do you pledge to righteously guide the Alpha of Zamee, as his Queen and his Luna?”
She looked up at me from under thick, black lashes.
“I do.”
“And do you pledge to uphold your duties as Queen above all other callings.”
She hesitated now.
“I will not forgo my mystic duties but I will perform my duties as Queen with the same dedication,” she said.
A loud gasp went around the crowd. My family looked outraged. But Aliza looked at Tasmina fondly. I squeezed her hand and gave her a slight nod.
“I accept,” I said, loud and clear.
Aliza hesitated, then nodded.
“Kneel before Goddess, as you are ordained by her to rule.”
We both got onto our knees. Aliza placed the king’s crown on my head. Mama stepped forward, holding the queen’s crown. She passed it onto Aliza, who placed it gently upon Tasmina’s head.
“Rise now, Alpha King Rikom and Luna Queen Tasmina, and ascend your thrones.”
Both Mama and Aliza stepped aside, bowing as we passed them. Tasmina held my hand tightly as we walked together up the marble steps. When we turned, all eyes were on us. Slowly, we sat upon the thrones. There was silence.
“Long live the King and Queen,” Mama declared.
It was then, reluctantly, nobility began to chant and the crowd followed suit. The whole while, I held her hand as she sat with her back straight, her eyes unreadable. The only thing that gave her away was how tightly she squeezed my hand.
- Writer
