Emma
Theo turned to face me fully, taking both my hands in his. The amber of his eyes had deepened to honey in the cathedral light, and I could see in them the same mixture of nervousness and certainty that churned within me. Christian stepped forward, offering Theo a folded piece of paper which he accepted with a nod of thanks.
Theo cleared his throat softly before speaking, his voice pitched to carry to the assembled guests while maintaining the intimacy of words meant primarily for me.
"Emma," he began, the familiar shortening of my name a reminder that beneath the crowns and titles, we were still just Theo and Emma. "Before you, I ruled a kingdom but lived in a fortress of my own making. I was King but not truly alive - moving through centuries with purpose but without joy, with pow
