in return, I was left in shock at the visible crown upon my head and the sight of not a child, but the adult me.
Returning my gaze to Father, I noticed how he, too, looked a little older. Wiser and prouder than ever as he took my appearance in.
"A queen deserves a crown that emphasizes her royal worth," he whispered, and I watched him bow to one knee as he lowered his head.
"Let me be the first to say it. It's an honor to finally meet the queen of this blessed land of fae and dragon. I, Wyatt Cyldrirth, bless my child as she embarks on a new journey into the realms of royalty. When we awaken, let her wish come true."
"Dad..." I whispered as he rose back up and gave me a pleased smile,
"Wake up Cassandra," he encouraged, just as my eyes began to grow heavy. "It's time for you to spread love, happiness, and peace to the world."
My eyes came to a close before a response slipped from my lips, but I smiled before the realms of unconsciousness took me.
A new world has been born.
"Cassandra?"
The scent of flowers hit my nose as my consciousness began to drift to the surface. My body was warm and buzzed with energy, though I felt like I could fall back asleep if I willed it.
My curiosity was getting the best of me as I peeled my eyes open after a few failed attempts. I had to go at a slow pace, the blinding light being hard to adjust to. The main stream of light was soon blocked by someone - their hand reaching out to gently stroke my cheek.
It took a while before my vision decided to clear, leaving me in a state of relief to see Omarion's loving smile.
"Welcome back, my queen," he quietly whispered.
I couldn't reply immediately, but I did my best to give a slight smile - enough to encourage Omarion's smooth move of laying his lips upon mine.
After we enjoyed the brief kiss, he moved back to inspect my exhausted face before he encouraged me to rest my head on his shoulder for a few minutes. I'm sure I looked as horribly drained as I felt, which made it even more challenging to be able to witness what I'd done.
From the brief look of the once derelict place, the room seemed far too put together, which left me questioning if we'd been moved elsewhere.
"Are you feeling a bit better, Cassandra?"
It was easier for me to open my eyes this time around, and with a bit of aid from Omarion, I was sitting upright, while he remained knelt before me with his hands on my lap.
"I feel like when I tried to escape from my kidnapper’s killer, only multiply that by twenty. Everything hurts, my head is still buzzing, and I think I can sleep for a year."
"So like a shitty day in prison?" he offered to cheer me up, which actually made me huff while a smile graced my lips. I took the opportunity to scan the room, and I was amazed by the rays of sunlight that poured into the throne room from the repaired glass windows. The walls were of a golden-orange hue, while the various tapestries that hung on the walls varied from gold, orange, teal, and red.
It was the oddest combination and yet it blended in perfectly to my taste. The throne I sat upon that was once black and practically broken was brand new with a spectacular golden base, an orange shine finish, and turquoise velvet fabric.
The room was furnished to a level of satisfaction I hadn't realized I carried. I took in the beauty of the place.
"Omarion?" I whispered. "What happened?"
"You broke the curse that was placed upon these lands," he replied and rose up. He offered his hand, but I hesitated in taking it - afraid that leaving the throne would suddenly make this magical place of security and tranquility fade away.
"Trust me," he assured me with a tender voice. "This change is permanent. It won't disappear."
With a slight nod, I reached out with my shaky hand to place it in his. I worked on standing up, but I didn't last long before he secured his arms around me to keep me standing.
"I feel like my body is struggling just to function," I quietly complained and tried not to feel nauseous. My legs were literally shaking with barely any weight thanks to Omarion's strong hold.
"I don't think you realize just how