or a pulled muscle, and the subsequent exam confirmed it, but at least it served to put the toms’ concerns to rest.
Ella's, on the other hand, were just beginning.
Chapter 7
Ella
The day of the coronation came up before Ella could even prepare herself, but to be fair, a decade probably wouldn't have been sufficient time for that. Avery and Tessa had been with her all morning, helping her get dressed and prepared. Much more went into getting ready for the coronation than she could have imagined. Her hair had been curled, her face painted, and her nails buffed, along with a billion other beauty treatments that were supposedly essential.
She couldn't help but feel like a porcelain doll, and was every bit as stiff as one thanks to her nerves.
"You look beautiful," Tessa said, admiring her reflection in the mirror. "Like a true Empress."
"It's like a fairy tale," Avery said with a dreamy sigh.
Ella wasn't about to deny that. She just wasn't sure if she was in Cinderella, or one of the more macabre tales from the Brothers Grimm.
The door opened, and Emily walked into the room like she owned the place. That was how she entered pretty much any room, actually. She had gone all out dressing up for the occasion, and Ella couldn't help but be surprised she wasn't wearing white or silver, too. Emily loved being the center of attention, but it seemed even she had her limits.
"Oh," Emily said, pausing in the doorway. She gasped and covered her mouth for dramatic effect, looking Ella up and down. "Don't you just look beautiful," she cooed, brushing past Tessa to fuss with the lace veil that shrouded Ella's curls.
Tessa rolled her eyes and busied herself with putting away the unused beauty items.
Ella forced a smile. No matter how shaky her relationship with Emily had been in the past, she was still Axel's mother, and quite possibly the baby's paternal grandmother. Ella knew she was going to have to get over her aversion to the woman's new behavior eventually, and to be fair, she had maintained it longer than Ella had expected.
How she behaved after the coronation would go a long way toward determining whether Ella believed the change of heart was legitimate or not.
"I thought you would be with Axel," Ella said.
"Oh, he's fine," Emily said with a dismissive wave. "This day is about you."
"I'm not really a bride," Ella reminded her.
"Semantics," Emily huffed. "You'll be my official daughter-in-law after today. My daughter-in-law, the Empress." She sighed wistfully.
Avery rolled her eyes dramatically behind Emily, and Ella had to purse her lips to keep from laughing at the face she was making. It was pretty damn accurate.
"Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm proud of you," Emily said, smiling. "When I found you all those years ago, I certainly never imagined we would be here, but you're full of surprises." She leaned down to talk to Ella’s stomach, which Ella found entirely unnerving, but far from the most unsettling thing Emily had done that week alone. "And I'm sure this little one is going to look just like her mama.”
Ella gave her an awkward smile. Emily had to know that there was just as good of a chance it was Bishop's, but she certainly didn't know Sterling was another possibility. Either way, Emily seemed to have laid claim to the baby as her grandchild, which was ironic, considering she hadn't ever seen Ella as her own.
"I didn't know Axel told you we found out the sex," Ella said, trying to hide her irritation. It wasn’t that they were specifically trying to keep a secret, but she would have liked to be in on the announcement.
"He didn't," Emily said. "It was a guess, but now I know."
Ella stared blankly at her. Before she could formulate a response, Emily turned and walked out. "I'll see you out there! Be careful not to fall over, you’re definitely off balance now.”
As soon as she was gone, Avery turned to Ella with a look of disbelief. "Is she always like that?"
"Trust me, this is Emily Hill on her best behavior," Ella sighed. "She means well."
Avery raised an eyebrow. "You really believe that?"
"I don't know, but it's how I keep myself from putting my salad fork through her eye every Friday night at dinner," Ella admitted.
Avery snickered. "Come on, it's time."
Tessa led them out of the room, after giving Ella a few last-minute instructions she felt woefully unprepared to follow. The rehearsal had gone well, but there