Fires of War (War and Deceit #4) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,98
eager to give it to me. “This has been agreed upon by all three races, and as the goddess’ chosen, we think you should have this.” Holding out the item, she presses it into my hands, and I see that it’s a dark blue box.
It’s heavier than I expected. It looks a little like the jewellery boxes I’ve seen the ladies in the castle receive, except it’s larger than that.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” Eldrin grumbles in my ear, and a sudden wave of irrational fear rolls over me.
Whatever is in this box is going to change everything. There’s a shift in the room, and I can feel my mates gathering around me, the air electric with excitement. My fingers shake as I lift the lid, and my breath leaves me in a whoosh as I see what’s nestled in the box.
A crown.
It’s made of silver, with fleur-de-lis bordering the circlet. It’s beautiful. It’s perfect, too perfect. I brush my fingers over it, not quite believing it’s real. I glance around the room, sure they’ve made a mistake, but their expressions tell me otherwise. Tor is practically grinning from ear to ear, and pride is shining from Vaeril’s eyes. Finally, my gaze lands on Grayson.
I shake my head, sure I look just as stunned as I feel. “Did you know about this?”
“Yes, we all agreed.” He winces slightly, and I know there’s an untold story there. The elves and magicians wouldn’t agree to anything easily, and I know several tribesmen who would object to putting a crown on my head. But that will be a story for another time. “The Great Mother is clearly at work here, and we need someone to unite us.” He walks up to my side, ignoring Eldrin’s low warning growl, his eyes earnest as he places his hand on my cheek. “That someone is you.”
My heart pounds in my chest as I nod. I may not always feel ready, or believe I’m the right person, but they make me want to be that person. They push me to be better, to be stronger. I will become the person they need me to be.
Feeling my readiness, Vaeril gives me a full, unrestrained smile. It’s so rare to see one of his complete smiles that it makes my heart flutter and my own smile appear, despite my fears. Closing the distance between us, he gently takes the gift from my hands, lifts the crown, and hands the now empty box to Naril.
“If you’re going to make a statement with that dress, you might as well go all out.” Holding the crown in both hands, he raises it and places it on my head. The circlet sits perfectly as he arranges my hair around it. Finished, Vaeril takes a small step back to admire his work, his smile still in place and his eyes gleaming. “Go out there as the goddess’ chosen. Go out there as our queen.”
“Announcing, the guest of honour, the Great Mother’s chosen, Clarissa.” The steward’s voice is loud as it echoes through the now silent room. As soon as the double doors opened to allow us entry, it was obvious that the ball had already been in full swing. Dancers in the middle of the floor waltzed to a full orchestra in the corner playing beautiful music, while long tables laden with food had been pushed to the side. Lords and ladies were sitting at these tables, chatting away with each other, their plates full as they grazed on their food. That is, until the doors were thrown open with a bang and the steward slammed his staff into the ground to get the attention of the room. Silence had abruptly fallen across the space as our announcement had been made.
Dancers hurriedly scurry out of the way as the steward gestures for us to enter the ballroom, and it becomes obvious he isn’t going to announce the rest of my party. The king sits at the far end of the hall, and as we make our way across the long room, I realise he’s done this on purpose.
“Are we late?” I ask Naril quietly over my shoulder, never taking my eyes off the king.
“No, we are early.” His reply is curt as he confirms my suspicions, and I know he’s just as frustrated by this as I am.
I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, partially because of the dress, but I hear awed whispers of ‘crown’ and ‘queen’ as I pass. It makes